Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-21
ICorrespondcuce of the N. Y. Evening Post. I
CoLuMRIA. S. O.. Sent. I. 1871

| we Will now CbhSNCl lut OIHdlilLhtiOu Oh tue
kuklux order, through the working of which
so many crimes occur. The writer, not being a
member of that order, must give facts gathered
from such sources as have been accessible.
These facts are, in the main, derived from the
statements of members of the order in widely
separated places, most of them made under
OATH They were made generally by men of mi
nor Importance in the ORDER and they knew
only portion of its secrets. What they say,
however, has been supplemented by information
| Obtained from spies. These may seem suspl-
cous sources of information, but il is to be adj
ded that in using them careful comparison OF
the different statements has been made, ana tney
have been tested by close observation of the
working of the order in the disturbed secuohs.
| The kukluX order had its origin under Wnat
is still its general name in Tennessee in 1861, and
has thence spread over most OF the south.
In some places it has had different local names,
though the original name is always recognized.
There are sometimes minor differences in the
form of the oath of membership, and in the
manner of initiation but the general features
are everywhere the same. In North Carolina il
has been known sometimes under the name OF
"nvisible empire, white brotherhood and
constitutional union guard" and in South Car
olina as "inyisible circle" council of safety"
etc. and in other parts of the south by other
names. But in all, the organization, ayowed
object and methods of accomplishing that OBJ
iect are the same.
1t is a secret political military order thor.
oughly organized and well armed. The unit of
the organization is the "klan," which is the
name given to what in military phrases would
be called the corporaPS or scrgcanl's squad.
Each "klan' has one chief and from ten TO
eighteen members, the number depending on
the necessity for easy access to and communi-
cation with each other and with the chief. 10
| avoid too extensive knowledge of the personnel
of the order the kans are not often permitted TO
| exceed eighteen members.
A convenient number of klans, all belonging
| in the same vicinity Generally all that belong
| TO the same voting precinct), constitute dis
| trict, which has one chief, who has one or two
| assistants.
There is within the order military court for
| the trial of offending members, constituted of
| from three to five chiefs of klans, and called Il
| Council" before which an offender may plead
| when charged with disobedience to his oath of
membership. The decision of this court is
| final, and if the member refuses to appear and
| plead the trial nevertheless goes on. The conn
| Gil may even meet and determine his guilt, and
| affiX the penalty, without notifying to the men,
| Der that he is charged with an offence. OF
course an order which has so long enjoyed the
| most perfect immunity from interference the
| sringency of the observance of its rules has
| been greatly relaxed. In many places some of
| the higher grades of officials are wanting, and
| in some places the minor subdivision OF the
khan is absent, all the members in such places
constituting, when wanted, kukluX mob. The
main features of the plan of organization are
closely followed as a general rule however.
RULES OF THE R-DISGUIsEs-sECRECY
OFFICERS.
The rules which are intended 10 prevent de-
lection are nearly perfect, and if rightly adhered
to would make detection exceedingly difficult.
Some of these are as follows
No member of the order is allowed to appear
for any kukluX business except in disguise. His
horse must be disguised also. The disguise is
commonly a long, loose gown fastened about
the neck, hanging loosely nearly to the feet and
covering the entire person below the throat.
Over the head is drawn kind Of loose bag or
sack, having holes cut for the eyes, and hole
for the mouth. Any one who has ever seen per-
sons dressed for what is called "Sheet mas
querade" will readily appreciate the difficulty of
distinguishing single Characteristic of even a
well known friend when so attired. Except the
height and voice nothing is left which can be
identified. The voice is habitually disguised,
and the language is merely an imitation of Irish
brogue All members on active duty are for
hidden to speak al all except when it is absolute
~ necessary. These DISCUSSES are usually made
of some thin cotton cloth, black and red seem
ing 10 be preferred. They are bcdecked with
stars, crescents and like figures out of cloth of
different color and sewn on the gown. The
headdreSs frequently has several horns made Of
| cloth and stuffed. The horses are covered head
and fauks with sheets of the same material as
the disguise, and similarly Ornamented Alto
gether the costume of man and horse is made
to look as strange and unearthy as possible;
and so great has been the success in this, that
in some places for long time many of the more
| ignorant negroes really believed that they were
| what they announced themseves-the "dead of
rebel battle fields come back from the grave to
| punish them for their misdeedS
To make the use of names unnecessary, each
! member of the order, as soon us he is assigned
| to khan, is designated by a number. While
on expeditions, or even at other times in CONVEX
sation among themselves about kukluX matters
members OF khan are forbidden to speak of a
member by his name, but must always designate
him by his number so that any accidental lis
tener could not identity the person spoken of.
While the passwords, grips, hailing signs, sig
mails, &c, are general and known to all MEM
beers, they are forbidden to use them except when
absolutely necessary, and are forbidden to attempt
to discover by these whether another person is
a member of the order, unless some substantial
reason exists for knowing it. They must under
no circumstances talk to any one who is not d
member of the same khan about any matter
with which the order Is connected, or about the
order itself; and after any act is done by the
khan, no one must speak Of anything connected
with that act, even TO another member of the
same Khan, except TO the chief, and only then
when it is important to do SO. In each khan the
members know each other and their own chief,
but, except through necessity or accident, have
no knowledge of what other persons belong to
the order When individual members or the
whole OF different klans meet for work. each
member is required to avoid if possible knowing
| who any other individual is
Each chief Of khan knows and receives orders
from his district chief and his assistants but
does not, except by accident, know who the
higher officers are. So district chiefs know the
Officers next above them in rank, but not neces-
sarilv those of higher grade. Special grips
passwords and signs, known only to the district
and division chiefs and 10 those of higher grade
make il possible for them, when necessary TO
make themselves known officially to their sub
ordinates. 1t is thus possible that two men,
living in the same house, may be morally Ger
tain each that the other is a member of the or
der; but, il put under oath, cannot swear from
any positive knowledge that such is the fact, II
| is only the more important acts of riot and ont
rage that arc in person directed or ordered bv
| the higher grade of officers In regard TO other
acts only general directions are given, and the
| details are left to the minor officers and mem
| bers.
AS might be inferred, an order organized for
| and executing such lawless violence is not in
the best of discipline, or under the complete con-
| troll of its officers and leading men; hence many
of the whippings and beatings are those exc
| cuted by the chiefs of khan, or even a few indi-
| vidua members, on their own responsibility. In
| one case in this state two white men, known to
| De democrats, and suspected TO be kukluX as
well, were visited and severely whipped by
nand OF kukluX. The explanation given was
that they had diSobeyed orders and done some
whipping on their own responsibility and for
motives OF personal spite The rules are not
RICHLY observed, and frequently DISCUSSES are
imperfect or careessly put on, and members do
TOO much talking. Persons are sometimes mi
tlated who are rot entirely Trustworthy ms
members, and there have been occasional dis
coYeries and betrayals 1t also happens, some
times, as recently in North Carolina, that
among so many members, some are willing 10
hlde from coming storm by turning states
evidence
REPUTABLE MISUNDERSTANDING
| OATH
Each khan has usually one o. two members.
frequently more, who willingly engage person
ally in the more barbarous acts of VIOLENCE
Murders and the like, unless they can be given
the appearance of lynch law are executed only
| by picked men, selected desperadoes, who will
do the work without any Quams Of conscience.
aud do it skillully. Many members land, in,
| deed, whole klans are sometimes composed of
| such men, would not, on account of social po-
| sition and lingering feeling of right, be called
| upon for any active work of the order Such
men are useful only to control public sentiment,
| hp1 10 Go I. 1, 1