Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-07-23


head and then drawing his hand
rapidly across his throat-"a blow,
stroke, and it's all over; no
trouble" h
"How many's on your hand?"
inquired, with shudder, he who
had been stigmatised as chicken
hearted.
"'Bout fifteen. I'm willin' to
undertake more. / like the smell
of blood"
"What timer"
"Two o'clock precisely
There's to be a signal given
here the speaker carefully felt the
blade of his long knife, trying its
edge upon his thumb-''a horn
bldwed, 1 believe; and then, boys,
there'll be q mighty yelling and
squeezing about here, | tell you"
Here he whom they had called
Davis buttoned his grey jacket a.
bout him, as if to retire, while
two of his comrades cried:
"You'll not forget Kit Lukes,
Davis?"
Mr.. Peter Stokes heard no more.
Half dead with horror aud alright
he managed to drag his trembling
limbs away from that den of con-
spiracy and murder, until he was
suddenly arrested by a hand laid
upon his shoulder in the darkness.
With a yell of unutterable terror
he broke away, and with super
natural agility, fed, but was soon
overtaken, and the light of dark
lantern tuyned full upon his face.
"Mr.. Stokes. of Grubb & Grin
dies, 1 declared cried the Peddle-
vile policeman in astonishment.
The sight of the mans face,
which he knew,,revived MIR. Pc
ter Stokes.
"Why, what on airth air you a.
doin' here, old CENT?" inquired the
official jovially, as he surveyed
Mr.. Stokes head and n.ud-cover-
ed garments.
aThe Ku-Klux Klan!" gasped
Stokes. u 9l
"What!"
Breathlessly and tremblingly
the tale was told /; and Policeman
Sharp, seizing Mr.. Peter Stokes
by the arm, dragged that un-
fortunate gentleman in ruthless
haste and Implying zeal through
the mud and the darkness of the
suburbs, and thence down the
lighted streets of Peddleville, to
the marvel of all beholders.-
"What's the matter?" eagerly in
ouired one and another. To each
and all of whom Mr.. Stokes had
but one reply-''The Ku-Klux
Klan!-a conspiracy-all to be
murdered at two o'clock! Presi-
dent Davis amongst 'emp whilst
the adjurations of the policeman,
bidding him ''Shut up, and not be
letting it all out to the rabble, I"
were utterly unheeded by him.
To describe the excitement
which thereupon arose in Peddle-
Vile would be impossible. From
house to house, from street to
street, the news few like wildfre.
Men armed themselves, and wo-
men shrieked, houses were closed
and barred, and the police and
the military mustered in force
Upward Of forty unfortunate per-
sons known to be, or suspected of
being southerners, or inclined to
sympathise with the South, were
arrested and dragged in procession
through the streets, and locked up
in the townjail. Five colored
gentlemen, taking prominent
part in these proceedings, proposed
that these unfortunates should be
hanged Immediately, as being no
doubt members of the Ku-Klux
Klan, and designing to take part
in the threatened massacre. As
to Mr.. Peter Stokes, he was the
idol, the savior, of the adoring
populace. "Heaven bless him p
cried the women, tearfully; ''but
for him we should all be bloody
corpses before morning" eff il
hadn't been for Stokes's sagacity
and courage" said the men, and
the country been lost. One en-
thusiastic young lady even suggest
ed the advisability of erecting {
monument to Mr.. Peter Stokes, al
the savior and deliverer of Peddle
vile and the discoverer of the aw