New-York tribune., 1868-04-07
THE KU-KLUX KHAN.


pal Church. came to this place last Friday to hold
my quarterly meeting On Saturday, the Goth lnst.'
attended mass Republican meeting IN the Court
House Square,. The meeting was largely attended
addressed by several speakers. and conducted IN
On admirable spirit. Last night was present at
Temperance Hall and heard the Rev. H. m. turner
"a coIored delegate to the late Conventonl speak
Mt Ashburn came in while he was speaking, sat
quietly till the close and then left III was ABOUT
9 O'Clock the same night when messenger calied at
the house where was lodging, and announced that
Mr. Ashburn had been murdered IN MS roOh' L nave
speot ths whole day in trying to gather up all the
a,,;,I,rs of this atrocious murder. The following
fact. we're stated to me by Union man who was on
the jury of inquest CT
Rs.ween l9 and o'clock last night a crowd Of per
sons estimated at from 80 to 40 in number went to
the house where Mr.. Ashburn lodged surrounded the
building broke open the rear and front doors, and
murdered him in his He received three fatal
shots one in the head between the eyes, Just be-
low and to the of the hip and another in the
mouth, which ranged upward. Hls clothing had
from I'D TO IL bullet holes IN them. Five persons
tered his room and did the mrrderous deed the rest
were in other parts of the house and III the yard.
The crowd remained from 10 TO ID minutes, during
which tune no policeman made his appearance AS
the murderous crew were dispensing, however. some
policemen made their appearance on the opposite
side OF the street. They could give no account OF the
affair when examined. This deed was perpetTateuon on
Of the principal streets in the most publlG part
of the city, and not far from the Felly 1onsee
ALI the assassins wore masks, ana were wen wen
''better class of citizens of Columbus. They are
evidently members of the new secret P9lltlca oraeI
called the " KUK-KiUX-hIAN.D Ihis I hIh seenls %
To have organized here within the last week or two
1t is now about month since the first NOTICE APP
peared in the papers OF its existence IN tennessee
Within the last week their caDallstlc letters amd
signS have been marked on the doors ana walls
throughout this city placards have been posted up
at the doors of Union men, containing their mystic
letters and signs with skulls collins skeletons cross
bones deadly weapons and written sentences
Breathing out most terrible threatenings against
them. They warned that their time was short,
that their days numbered. that they must pre-
pare for sudden and awful death; They were re-
minded that the time had come when the blOOd OF
the Confederate dead would be required at their
hands that the spirits of the slain were swarmng
through the atmosphere, and calling for vengeance.
Secret assassinations were limited OF III various
ways. No less than three OF these myste-
pacards were hung up at the
door of the Assessor OF Internal Revenue Mr. Joseph
Webster On one of them he was warned TO prepare
for sudden death. One of them contained coffin,
with AShburn's name written near IT. and the picture
of skeleton lying IN 1t. Among other things a
bundle OF bones was hung up at MI Websters door.
Several Union men had received anonymous ms
siYes warning them that they must prepare 10 die.
For several days before the horrible tragedy one OF
the CIT Y papers, The COiuabus SHh; had contained
number of notices OF the X X. X" and predicted
some sudden and dreadful event. On March "a that
papsr contained less than three different accounts
of the Khan The first was an account OF MS
origin and design, and was copied from The A0shr'e
Banner. 1t justihes the organization, and plainly
shows The design To be to resist what it calls Radi
casn in Tennessee" and opposed TO an organized
system of public lava systematic, organized
secret force. The second article Is leading
editorial The editor justifes the organization
ducted upOn such system as to defy detection" In
the third article he speaks OF 1T as startling devel
opmoats. and says something aw1ul mas come 10
he says: 'The Kuk Klux Klan has arrived and Woe 10
the dsyenerGtep Something terrible floats on the
breeze aud in the dim sllences are heard solemn
whispers dire mprecations against the false ones
who have proved recreau TO their faith and country
Strange moe anomalies now I'LL the air. Look out
On tho 21th-thTee days before Ashburn assassi-
nated-Ths Sun contained another article headed
Mysterious and Awful Portents" Again, the editor
gives notice to Radicals" and scalawags" of some
Terrible doom, and adds the warning, Let traitors
bewafep These only few of the many hints
aud vague warnings nlngled Win thTgatS g on ven
gesncc against TRAITORS las ne calls Union, menl'
which editor of The S put forth time and again
during the week preceding the asSaSslnatlon HoW 1
uuprejudced reader resist the conviction that
he know beforehand what was going 10 happenT
The speakers on Saturday like The TRIBUNE OF
some days before, had treated the mysterious kuk-
KIux as a huge Joke as a mere scheme TO frighten
the Ignorant and supersttous blacks land whites tOol
ia order either to control their votes at the election
or keep them away from the polls. The whole thing.
with all its pretended mystery, was rdicued. The
bones Iuug up at Mr. Websters door were dlsoov,
cred to be turtles bones, and the blacks laughed
heartily when the discovery was announced 20 them
by one OF the speakers The miserable wretches who
thus attempted to trhe with and make hight OF the
bones of their slaughtered braves ltOr they pretend
cd to bring up the bones of the Confederate dead.
were made spectacle of contempt even IN the eyes
of negroes The blacks were also amused at the sug-
aeson that the spirits of the Confederate slain
called forth by the grim kuk-kux TO revenge them
selves upon the white Union men OF the South Bnt
iii tho report OF the proceedings OF ,o5ts tae
inst l. there we're vague hints that II was not all
meant 10 scare people The conclusion to which HE
IRIBUNK of the oath inst came, that there IS tar
more serious matter IN It" is now Verlhed beyond
the shadow of a doubt. Had nothing else occurred
the editorials Of The Sun and other Democratic pa
pers in Georgia enough TO show that mischief OF
some sort was meant by this mysterious klan.
The sudden. horrible, cOwardly, and brutal murder
of Col. Ashburn, BY this Infamous band, shows that
their purpose is murder. They are bent upon md.
night asSassinatOns of the darkest, blO0dleSt and
most diabOlical character. Union men all over the
city now feel that their lives are every moment in
danger. They do not know at what hour of The
ght they may be masSacTed In their beds. Think
of from 20 to 40 armed assassins breaking in after
midnight to murder one helpless man! 1t is enough
TO make the stOutest heart quail Yet the papers
taunt tho Union men with fear and cowardce. The
Union men could stand 1T better than their poor
wives aud little Their very hearts are chilled
with horror and they suffering agony OF dread
which no words can express
Tuesday Morning April 1.-The above was written
the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife was
weeping nearly all day, and she spent a sleepleSs
5s eT lie % tbdSs Ss oggn fyn IA tIn fS Msbods S9.1
Episcopal Church South more than two years ago.
aud united with our Methodist Episcopal Church,
aud IL stationed here as Missionary OF that Church
the NJ H. Church South, in this city, who for
other cause, told him to his face that he regarded
him Che Rev. Mr.. P) as his enemy. Last night
number of c0lored men, alarmed for the safety of all
loyal white men, armed, and kept watch around
his PROMISES This Christian family, IN TINS Chris
tlan city. guarded by negroes tO protect their
lives against midnight assaSsins Are we repeating
the days of the French Revoutonf Whittier are we
drifting that peaceable quiet, God,fearlng men can
not enjoy express opinion OF their own without
danger of persecution and personal violencer Read
the account lin this mornings SUM OF the asSasslna