Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-08-19
THE KU-KLUX KHAN.

IHC telegraph iCCcully outlined the
particulars of an attempt upon the life of
Mr.. Steward, a harmle teacher of a
colored school near Washington. Adams
county, Miss. The facts having been re-
ported to General Dudley, commander of
the post, he ordered the arrest ofseyeral
persons, and measures were taken for an
exhaustive investigation A citizen of
Natchez mas communicated to the New
Orleans Republican Mr.. Stewards YER
sion of the outrage, and ne extract there
from the following:
Before daybreak on Sunday morning.
July 10, I heard voices saying: "There
has been great row in Natchez tonight
and four colored and two white men have
been killed, and we were mixed up in the
scrape and we want your advice and help
to get away" | replied I knew nothing
about it, and can't give you any advice
what to do; and [ have no means to help
you with. After parley went to the
door and was drawn little to one side
ander tree, when a third person step.
ped up to me and placed pistol to my
breast and said: Zone loud word and
I'll blow your brains out" The other
two took each one Of my arms and placed
pistols at the side of my head and said
"Keep silent or you die on the spot" /
saw then they were white men in disguise.
They led me forward some distance to the
road and as we passed along tn. others
fell in until the number had became Is
or 20 [ was marched along the road
some distance, SURE 1nded On all sides by
men in disguise, and each man with re-
volYer in his hand. [ was halted, and
after certain Ku-Klux cabalistic signs and
motions. [ was ordered toskneel and saw
PRAYERS. The man that was with them
from the start, when [ was on my knees,
stepped to the side of the road and
broughta large can, and approached me
with it in his hand, and at sign another
of the Klux pulled back my head, and
the one with the can began pouring the
contents over my head and face Anoth-
er was with large Wisp Of hay rubbing
tie stuff over my face and through my
hair. One of the Klan said: ;EDon't
pour it all ever his head and face; pour it
all over the body of the d radical son
of -" [ kept jerking my head about
from one side to the other so rapidly that
the man with the can became enraged and
swore at me, and said be had me now, and
that he would give me taste of hell On
earth before he got through with me.
He cursed me for a c. d radi-
cal sen of ----, and made use of words
and language that had been spoken to me
alta democratic meeting few days pre-
vious to the election. [ recalled the
words and at once recognized the voice
and the language to be that of the same
persons who had threatened me. One
asked me whether [ had said my prayers.
| replied "no." He said "You had
better Sag them ID quick, for you will
be too id busy in few minutes to
have time to say them" The ringlead-
or then stepped up and ordered silence,
and said to me: "You are a member OF
the Loyal League ?" I replied afirma
lively. He then said, "Give me the
signs and passwords" | told him that |
could not He repeated the demand sew
eral times, but [ kept silent. He became
enraged and cursed me. [ said: ''You
have me in your power; I never harmed you
nor any one else in my life. You have
already tormented me almost beyond en-
durance, but if you are not satisfied do
with me as you will. | am completely in
your power, but spare my life; for Gods
sake don't kill me-" Some of the Khan
said "Set fire to the d. radical son of
a b., and let him 60 to hell in a blaze,
where all of the stripe will soon be I" AT
this rose to my feet, and [ begged, entrea-
ted and prayed, and impiored of them to
spare my life, Twas forced down On my
knees, and was again asked for the signs
and passwords of the League. [ made no
reply [ was then told to count ten, and
that would be as long as [ had to live.
Some said. "Let's shoot the d. radi
cal son of a b." and others said "Let's
hang him and leave him to be seen by
his thieving carpet bag associates"
Others still said, That is too good for
him; set him on fire and let him loose,
and he may run and show himself to
others of his crew, that they may see
what is intended for all of them, for we
will give all of sthem a smell Of bell be-
fore we get Though with them" At last
one of them said, eff he won't count I'll
count for him." and he commenced,
Gone, two, three, FOUR" and as he said
"four" rose to my feet. Kneel down,
you d. black hearted villiaL," was said
by several, [ paid no attention to what
was said to me, for | had resolved that |
would break and run, for [ would much
rather be shot to death than to be set on
fire and turned loose to be deyoured by
the flames. had not the least notion
that could escape, for was completely
surrounded on all sides by men holding
in their hands revolvers pointed at my
breast. [ was repeatedly told to kneel.
The one that had been counting said :
God d him, he will soon be
glad to get down. I will go on with the
counting" He resumed where he had
left off. 'Five, six, seven, eight" [
made one desperate spring backward, ex-
pecting to be shot to pieces. This brought
me among those who were behind me-