Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-08-05
THE KU KLUx KHAN.
Semi Official Report Of a Congressional
Sub Committee.

1
Kluk Committee, consisting of Senator
Scott and Representatives Stevenson and
| Van Trump, reached Washington to-day,
returning from sojourn of four weeks in
] various parts of South Carolina, where
| they have been investigating Ku Kluk out
RACES on the spots where they occurred
| The statements derived from the party,
published in the Erening Star, are as fol-
| lows:
They first visited the capital-Columbia
More than hundred refugees. who had
| fed from violence in various counties, were
there but after examining witnesses for
two days the Committee determined to go
closer to the scenes of alleged violence, and
went to Spartansburg. They expected to
remain there three or four days, but stayed
eleven. When word got out through Spar
tansburg county that they were there the
whites and negroes, victims Of violence,
| came in by scores every day from all direc-
tions. Murders and cruel whippings by
the Ku Kluk bands had so terrified them
that, in many neighborhoods nearly every
negro man and Republican white man had
slept in the woods for months every night.
They showed scarifed backs, gunshot
wounds, MANNED ears and other proofs OF
the violence they had suffered.
In Limestone Springs township liz
cases of whipping were proved. The Com
mittee awoke every morning to find in the
yard of the hotel new crowd of victims of
Ku Kluk, some including whites, who had
suffered outrages which cannot be describ-
ed with decency. After being whipped
the victims, if well known persons, were
often commanded, under pain of death, to
publish card renouncing the Republican
party. In a file of the South Carolina
Spartan, the Democratic newspaper, forty
two such cards were found, recently pub
| lished.
At Unionville the Committee remained
two days. Not an avowed white Republi-
can was found in the place, though mem-
bers of the Committee were privately as
sured by n few that they would avow them
selves if protected. The terror of the ne
groes here is complete. The last election
was carried by a Republican majority but
the Republican county officers received
Ku Kluk notices and all resigned or fled.
| The policy there has been more towards
murder and less towards whipping. The
killing of ten negroes, taken from the Jail
by several hundred Ku Kluk, acting under
military organization, was investigation. A
prominent lawyer of the place, Mr.. Shard,
u Democrat, on cross-eXamination, startled
the committee by stating that he believed
almost every respectable unmarried man
in the community belonged to the Ku-
Kluk, and he believed 1000 Ku Kluk were
within days march of that village.
! A negro Methodist preacher, named
| Louis Thompson, who had an appointment
June IL at Goshen Hill church, in Union
county, received q Ku Kluk notice, in the
usual form, not to preach. He preached,
Notwithstanding, to very few, most OF
the congregation fleeing when they saw
the notice. In the evening n clan of twcn-
ty mounted Ku Kluk came, tied him and
whipped him, led him Off several miles,
dragged him part of the way tied TO the
horses, whipped him again until death,
mutilated him in a way that cannot with
propriety be described, hung him and
threw the body into the Tiger river, leav-
ing notice forbidding any one to bury
| him.
Before the committee returned Senator
| Scott sent Thompson's brother, now re-
fugce from Columbia, to Union county
with letter to insure him strong guard
| OF United States cavalry to so and bury
the body, which was reported TO be still
lying half decomposed on the waters
edge.
Two more days were spent in cXamin-
| ing witnesses in Columbia. On returning
from Spartansburg one day was occupied
in hearing the statements and general
views Of General Wade Hampton and Gen
eral Butler, the Democratic candidate for
Governor last fall.
The committee then visited York county,
where they remained nearly week. They
discovered at Yorkvilo bitter spirit
among the white citizens. AT supper at
the hotel, on the evening OF their arrival,
Major James Berry threw pitcher of
milk over Hon. A. Il. Wallace, the Repre-
sentative of the District, and not word
had been spoken. Mr.. Wallace jerkcd out
q revolver and raised it to shoot Berry,
the ladies screaming, but the landlord
threw himself before Berry, and Mr.. Ste
venson coolly caught Wallace's hand and
ordered the landlord to take that man out
of the room. Half dozen friends gathered
around Berry, and he went out. In the
course of an hour several citizens ofpromi-
nonce called to apologize in the amplest
manner on behalf of Berry, who was will
ing to so on his knees if required for what
he alleged was an unintentional aflrout to
Mr.. Stevenson. 1t was subsequently as
ceitained that the business had been dis
cussed by Berry and his friends during the
afternoon it was to be carried out, and
that Berry had proposed TO use hot coffee,
but finally concluded on milk. The color
ed band screnaded the Committee later in
the evening. A crowd OF young white
men filled the porch Of the hotel and were
about the band, frequently cursing the
negroes and the Yankees in an insulting
manner. AS the band went away the
crowd followed and nearly filled the side.
walk. The band and those with ii inc
groes) were kept by two village policemen
from the sidewalk. One negro was thrust
oil by II policeman, who says the negro re-
sisted and struck him. Tho negro and
two men who were close by say the negro
struggled TO get away from the grip of the
policeman, who seized, cursed aud struck
him but that the negro did not strike. As
he pulled away the policeman fired ut the
negro, and continued firing until he had
inflicted tive wounds. The man was still
| living when the committee left. The Ies-
| timOny taken showed that both policeman
aud Mayor or lntendente We're members Of
the ku kluk. No one was arrested. The
community in York county was found TO
be in almost utter social aud political de-
moralization, the civil authorities being a
useless farce and mOckery OF tho victims
Of tho ku kluk klan.
Colonel Merrill, in command Of small