The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-20
SuELBY. Cleveland County. N. ca,

and am peaceably s0Ourning in what, according To
certain authorities is the very hotbed OF 'treason
and crime" In North Carolina; exactly that partcu-
lar district where bands OF lawless night prowers''
have established ''reign OF terror" Worse than
that, no less than twenty or twenty-five repued Ku
Klux have campcd in the adjoining room OF the
hotel and the party wall separates me from
these terrible agents OF disorder thick enough
to prevent the buzz OF Ku Klux voices and and
| then veil Of ku KluX laughter from disturbing my
| literary labors l am in Shelbyville. Cleveland
| county way out in the western part OF the state,
| and just about far enough from civilization TO
| enable me to publish any quantity OF lies l might
choose with the very faintest possible risk of
| being "bowlcd OUT That Is pretty much what
| certain local officials here have been doing for
month past. and no one IN the entire State
| side OF it, 50 far as have seen. has yet fully
| UNVEILED THEIR KNAyERY.
Perhaps ought TO feel very frightened at my pre-
| sent perilous condition. but l don't. Indeed,
never felt safer In my life. The Ku Klux are going
TO make the most Of their enforced stay in town by
! giving tonight u sort of country party-breaK-
downs, singing, jugs and apple brandy. The dddles
| are even now beginning TO tune up. and II can
only finish this letter in time shall avail myself Of
| an Informal invitation to join In their reves.
These merry making Ku Klux OF course the
| Identical crowd whom / telegraphed you from
Raleigh nad been arrested Dy Marshal Hester aided
by squad OF United States troops brought up for
| that special purpose from Camp PettigIew, a dis
lance OF about couple OF hundred miles in length
| and twenty our hours in time. warrant had pre-
vously been issued by Judge Logan for the arrest
OF thirty-one persons, and Marshal Hester pretend
ing to be scared AT the prospect OF executing 1t, APP
piled to the United States authorities Tor assistance
The soldiers VINO came up found that they
supremacy unnecessary and returned to their camp,
BRlMMIaG OVER WITH DISGUST
at the FOOLS errand upon which they had been called
out. Not only was no show OF resistance made by
the accused parties, but a simple notice to appear
to-day in court served upon the eighteen persons
whom the posse were unable to find at home was
observed by all except one who sent IN excuse
on the ground OF serious illness These men are the
dread-inspirlEg outlaws who, 1t was seriously
charged by certain fanatcal newspapers, about
to revive the slavery rebellion against the United
States government
l had better state that this letter will be
fined TO the one case or the outrages Aaron Big
gerstaf, and to the proceedings this day In court
relation to 1t. This has been spread
the entire country as an indisputabe in
stance OF lawlessness inspired by politi-
cal amnesty, and the radical papers OF the
State have protested TO hope that inll investiga-
secret reasonable organization II Is also the only
case have as yet been able to hunt down. and the
En9 II Womb can he w
me as yet to say tnat there Is no sucn thing po
tical Klux Klan but It Is fair to all sides to say
that this particular case hinges in perceptiDle
manner whatever upon political malice
rms Aaron Bggersta[l, it must be stared at the
neighooring counties as the 'most quarrelsome crit
teri and
'sTHE UGLtEsr CAHooT''
in the State. He Is on lad terms with four fths OF
all the people who have ever known him. Long
OF the Wntesde district by his neigbbOrs simply on
the ground of his dlsagreeable character Then he
came 10 his present home, which Is within mile
Of where he was born. When the war broke out ne
was the most violent rebel IN this part OF STATE
that could be procured for useful and ornamental
purposes. He did not go to the war. however, and
he had been forced succumb 70 the political pre-
| JUDGES OF the people round about him, &c. some
Quarrel with most Of his relatives not about noli
TICS but about personal matters. THIS feud was
vigorously carried on, and At last eliminated In a
night visit OF numerous party to AarOn's house.
AARON WAS WHIPPED,
and so was his daughter. The affair was at once
seized upon splendid political capital, and Aaron
| and Mrs. Norvle, his daughter, made the neces-
| sary aiidavts upon which to base the arrest OF
the present patch OF so-cal!ed Ku Klux. Eight OF
the accused blood kindred of Biggerstar: OF
them ia his brother, SIX Of them are his nephews
and one is the son Of his first cousin. Pretty much
OF family DIFFICULTY, on the face OF 1t, isn't 1t.
The men who were arrested were handed over to
the Snerlff, and were at released upon their
| personal recognizance to appear to-day at four
O'Clock before commissioner Moore for their preml-
nary examination IneY all came up to time in due
! The excitement over the case IN town may be
guessed. This is little Place OF three or four nun.
dred people and bases its only claim to importance
I! upon the possession OF a rather well.built court
house. A. the Ku Klux rode In they were hailed
with every form OF sympathetic expreSsioll-mOre
especially the Dibnous form-and with their friends
anu witnesses e they made quite respectable snow
| as thcy loered ana loaied around the hotel.
| About quarter alter four Commissioner Moore
| declared
| sitting. But snch court II was I have said
that the court house Is wen built but rs interior
dirty with tire accumulated dust and guilds and
heterogeneous litter OF the entire last term; the
Tie ceiling, and the discolored walls rendered
more unsightly still by some punches and garlands
alone knows who. There was no dais FOR bench.
| Jhe Judge sat behind plain wooden desk. There
there were few rough benches for the general pub
nc. me general public, however, did not avail
rails and leaned on them and watched the proceed
lngs with a curiously eager interest and thought
The Judge, the bar, the prisoners and the public
all mad delicious
FLAVOR OF THE BACKwoops.
me Tour lawyers, who conducted the defence and
VINO argued with clearncss ana confidence and
verbal vieor tnat would have done credit to any
class Of their profession. exhibited freedom from
restraint that spoke far OF the rustic grove than
the arena Of forensic debate. One Of them wore no
shirt collar another sat with his legs pleasantly ele-
waited on table, and the remaining two-well, one
whitfield stick and the other was In general but
but petty details, perhaps. but TO the eye Of New
Yorker they added much 70 the eject VI the scene
One could f0ndly indulge the fantasy that In Just
such good .natured free and easy company as that
before him the ghosts OF Crockett, Tom COrwln and
even Stephen A.. Douglas must now and then
linger with thrill OF spiritual delight.
80 far as personal appearance went there was no
visible difference Whatever between the Judge, the
public and the prisoners. They were all plain,
simple, healthy, honest,
GAY-HRARTED COUNTRY FOLK.
The prisoners with one exception, were all far-
mers, and instead OF being dressed In home-spun
and wearing long hair as mad been led to expect
the same kind Of people IN New York or New Eng
land would be. They are said TO be Ku Klux. and
ought, therefore, no doubt, TO have looked very
dreadful TO loyal eye; but 90 far az external APP
pcarancc went they seemed to me peaceabe, indus
tri0us, Intelligent American cttizenseverv one OF
Them
A HITCH AMONG The NITNnAaAs.