New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-11-30
The Ku-Klux I'm Jail.
How the Prisoners Look and TaIk-Thetr
complimentary they Have Not been
Admitted to Baii-Cenfession of
Murderer.


How the Prisoners Look and Tnik-Theil
Complementary they Have Not been
Admitted to Baii-Cenfession of
Murderer.
from the Special Correspondent of the n. Y Tribunc
YoRKvILLE S. c., November 1.-THE Yorl
County Jail is an ugly, three story brick build
ing, standing on the western outskirts of the
town. The ground floor is occupied as n resi-
dence for the jailor's family. The two upper
stories are divided into cells and corridors auC
now contain more than 100 Ku-K!ux. The
number varies from day to day, for now anC
then few are released on parole and allowed
TO go home, the evidence in their cases show
ing that they have not been engaged in any o.
the worst crimes committed by the Khan anC
every day or two a scouting party OF cavalry
picks up a few incautious fellows who have
ventured back TO their houses after hiding in the
woods for a fortnight, and whose whereabouts
have been betrayed by the negroes in the
vicinity. The blacks all over the county keep
a vigilant watch for the raiders who are espec
ally wanted at headquarters, aud will fire.
quently walk twenty miles by Eight to announce
the discovery of the hiding place of some chieI
of Khan, and to pilot squad of cavalry back
to capture him. There have been few in.
stances-fve or six, perhaps-of mistaken
identity, where an innocent man bearing the
same name as guilty person has been arrested.
These mistakes are, of course promptly cor.
rected. ..
The prison is guarded BY sentries, and is
under the charge of Captain Ogden of the
Eighteenth Infantry. From the lower floor OF
the Jail flight of stairs leads to vestbules in
each of the two other floors, lighted by large
windows fronting on the street. In each oil
these vestibules stands soldier with his mus
ket, in front OF very large grated double
door which opens into corridor running the
length of the building, with the doors of the
cells open. On the second floor the cells have
ordinary wooden doors, and the windows, which
are quite large, are In the outer walls. The
cells in the upper floor have massive iron doors
and windows opening on narrow corridor
which runs around three sides of the building.
The prisoners are not confued in the cells, but
have the limited range of the corridors. They
are so closely crowded that there is not much
more than room enough on the floor of the
cells and corridors for them all to lie down al
night. Their friends furnish them with bed
ding and with much of their food Every day
from 10 to IL their friends are permitted tc
visit them, and during those hours, rows Of
saddle horses, and teams, attached to variety
OF country vehicles, stand hitched to the fences
along the roadside near the Jail, and crowds Of
people, chiefly women, flock down from the
.oS IA 'oOhNio nyOie nave uCSCos "
them at all times
have made several visits to the Jail, and
have talked with a large number of the pris
oners. "A few of them have confessed, but al
least nlne-tenths OF them stoutly deny their
guilt, and say they know nothing about the
ku-KIux. These innocents never heard of any
such thing as Ku Klux raid, if one believes
them. Unfortunately some hundreds of their
neighbors who rode with them in many mid
night forays, have told a different story, and
these virtu0us, iaw-abiding citizens, who com
plain of being arbitrarily arrested without
cause, are shown by overwhelming testimony
to have been the most vicious and dangerou.
of all the Ku-klux. | asked a wel.dressed
smooth-faced young man, in one of the lower
cells, who looked like a dry goods clerk
what he thought of these voluntary con
iessions that were made every day. He flew
into great passion at once, swore violently
and said the men who confessed were all liars
If they were Ku-Klux he said, they had vic
lated their Oaths, aud were not to be believed
and if not Ku-Klux, then they knew nothin,
about the order. He declared that $500, 00i
had been sent in from Washington to subori
witnesses, and added, that Gity eents wouiC
bride mean white men to swear to anything
/ suggested that if witnesses were as cheap a
! this, S2O0,OO0 would buy a large number, bu
| before the young man had made d calculation
of the number that could be bought with til,
money, tall man, dressed in a loose suit o
! butternut homespun, with a red and siniste
countenance, burst out The Yankee soldiers
are the only ku-KIux here, and Presiden
Grant is the greatest Ku-klux in the country
! After he had gone on in this style for few
minutes, he Gained down little, and the fol
lowing conversation took place
| COrrespondent-Of course You are not a Ku
! h luy-ypu lDnL narfacfIv i'm but
know there is such a thing as the Ku Klul
Khan in this vicinity. Now, what do you un
ders,and to be the objects of the organiza
tion2
Prsoner-Its to keep the niggers in order
and to keep 'em from living with white women
! Correspondent-But were not all the mulat
| toes you ever saw children of white men ant
| black womenl
Prisoner (excitedly)-Yes; but the whites
are the superior race, and white man has
| right to do what he pleases with the d.
| nlggerS.
| The red face Of the Ku-Klux became thre,
| shades redder, and the correspondent thou ght
! 1t OF no use to continue the argument. Anon!
the 100 prisoners there are perhaps dozel
| pleasant, intelligent faces that look incapable
OF crime. Of the others, some are coarse ant
Ignorant looking, without appearing vicious
| but great number are brutal, and some ar,
| positively vlllainous while there are few
| countenances with an expression of mingled
cruelty, cOwardice, and wolfsh ferocity tina
would furnish study for physiognomist. Tn,
| general appearance of the prisoners is no bet
ter, and L am inclined to think worse than tina
of an equal number of men in any Northern
| penitentlary, with this exception-that very
few of them look capable of committing crimes
! that require courage for success. Their faces
furnish good index to their characters, for
next to cruelty cowardice is the leading tra
of the Ku-Klux. They were never known t
make an attack unless they were at least fou
| to one, and most of their murders have beer
committed by bands of from 20 to 100. There
was an instance in Newberry county where
single negro put over 100 to fight by firms
his gun and wounding one man. Men who
were brave soldiers and fought the war shrougt
In the rebel army, make the most arrant COW
ards when they get on the mask and gown oil
the sneakipg and barbarous Klan.
Among the better class Of the prisoners
found an old gentleman with genial and rather
benevolent countenance. who used to be
magistrate, and was called Squire by his fellow
prisoners. The men on his floor had chosen
him captain, to enforce proper order aud clean
illness among them. He told me that he ex
pected to go to the penitentiary. lie believed
the prisoners would be tried by packed negro
jury, determined in advance to convict, auC
that, as man of intelligence and property, he
would be selected for vistim. He said he had
attended meetings OF the order to endeavor &c
keep the young men from committing ex