The Portland daily press., 1870-08-10

1
The Tribune correspondent in North Caro-
lima has visited Col Kinks headquarters at
Yanceyvie is primitive sort OF village of
| about 800 inhabitants. The only modern fea-
ture in town is the courthouse, now occupied
by Kirk and his prisoners. Tents are pitched
about the building in the courthouse yard,
and the State troops swarm in the inclosure.
They number .about 800, are mostly poorly
clad, and mary of them are boys, who have
no business to be seriously soldering, but as
there is no probability of their services being
called into active requisition, they will not
suffer materially. was received very courte-
ously by Col. Kirk and conducted TO his room,
where he is now busily employed in taking
evidence. He told me his view of the state
OF affairs hereabouts. The negroes, he said,
had suffered much injustice at the hands of
their employers in cultivating ground on
shares, and before harvest time being quarrel
ed with, and threatened and driven away
There have been several barns burnt in this
vicinity, and Col. Kirk thought it very likely
that some of these houseless, homeless, and
almost starving cOlored people might have
burned them. Further than this there were
no complaints against the blacks. On the
other side, however, there had been perpe-
trated numerous outrages of different kinds
upon the blacks, in addition to what he first
mentioned. He was working till three o'clock
every night in getting into shape the great
mass of evidence broaght before him. i very
much fear he will be unable TO accomplish
that task satisfactorily unless he has some as
sistance. Col. Kirk impressed me favorably
There is no look Of the ruffian about him.
He is man of medium stature, and appears
like an earnest and honest soldier.
The colonel showed me the knife with
which Stevens was stabbed, and the rome
which was drawn tight about his neck when
the body was found in the room on the lower
floor oil the courthouse. 1t was a single
bladed, buckhOrn- handled jackknife, an ordi-
nary country affair, and the blood stains were
rusting in the steel. The murder was very
mysterious affair. 1t is to be observed that
the conservatives hereabouts all hated Ste
vens, and they charge him with having incit-
ed negroes to barn burning, and one with
whom talked energetcally declared that he
ought to have been murdered.
Col. Kirk OF his own accord offered to take
ihu dhouS Iio PAioobClos IlC lidu tWeuLy-
nine, l believe, quartered in the large court
room and adjoining rooms. We walked up
stairs and entered the courtroom. There
were a dozen or fifteen respectable-looking
men, few playing checkers or dominoes
Others sitting, standing or walking about
Col Kirk took me through to a smaller reOm
in the rear, where was introduced to some of
the prisoners, among them Judge John Kerr,
ex-M. c., and DR.. Roam, tall and venel able
kQr sr,ck
would expect a judge and congressman to
appear. He is of portly presence, dignifed
bearing, fiorid complexion, and full voice,
which would serve him well in public speak,
ing. II am opposed" he said, "to all secret,
oatb-bound societies, whether Ku Klux or
Union League, and consider them unmiti-
gated evils" He further remarked that he had
lost his seat in Congress because he had held
such views. He considered the Leagues the
natural cause Of the Kl Klux--th when there
was secret political organization in one party,
it was inevitable that there should be an op-
posing one in the other. Personally speak
ing, he knew nothing of the Ku Klux, nor of
its operations. He had never known of any
outrages committed in Casswell by that or
ganization. So said all the rest. They knew
nothing about the Ku-Klux, and had seen
none of its operations. Now, with all respect
iOr these gentlemen, and no insinuation in
tended, it is quite remarkable how little they
know and have heard of the Ku-Klux. The
most reasonable explanation of it is that as
respectable men they would not be likely to
know ST. much as the less respectable concern
ing it. 1t is, noticeable though, that these
conservatives, while they are ignorant of Ku-
Klux outrages, are quite denunciatory of the
League as responsible of many evils; and
while oblivious of white outrages on the
blacks, are generally cognizant of degredations
and rapes committed by the blacks upon the