Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-06-09
wRITrES FoR THE VERMONT PHd,NIx
SOUTHBR.y KT-KLUx OtTR.sG-

Mr.. Eddor:-Sir, it is no unusual thing
for many Of the careful and conservative
readers OF the present day, to feel when
reading the letters from paid special CORE
spondcnts Of our New York papers travel
ing in the South and furnishing us each
week with such graphic descriptions of the
revolving scenes of ku-klux barbarties,
that some, at least, are colored above the
literal truth, and that really there Is not so
much danger to life and property as one
would naturally infer; that these raids are
in widely different sections of the country,
and when gathered from so many different
sources and polished up by a sensational
correspondent, they appear worse than
they are actually are in fact. For the BEN
eft Of such | will give You the plain st te-
ments of one of the victims of the ku-klux
mandates, Mr.. \. f. Norton, of Warwick,
NJ ass. He says: "When l went South |
did not believe much in the stories | had
heard of the outrages committed by the or
der and of all States, Georgia | thought
free from their depredations. MY first in
PRODUCTION to the fraternity was ON the eve.
ming Of Dec >, 1870, in the streets of At
lanta, when | met several of them, dressed
in long white gowns and masks, and skull
caps on their heads and faces. My second
meeting occurred some time after, when |
met q of them, all mounted on white
horses and dressed like the first party, and
fully armed. When ! first came in sight
of them my horse, as well as the rider, was
little alarmed. But being an entire
tranger in the country, | was satisfied
that they could not know me or my bust
ness and consequently must be after some
body else. So refined my horse out be-
side the road and waited quietly while
they passed without word, in regular
cavalry style. | afterwards learned that
this party visited Northern man in
neigh boring county who was engaged in
mi ming They took him out and whipped
him, and ordered him to leave, but he was
disposed to be spunky and assert his rights
with some threats of returning vengeance.
| They made him second visit the next
night, and killed him and his son and two
negroes. This was in White county. My
own personal experience came this spring.
] was summoned to appear at Atlanta a
! gain st certain distillers who were trying to
avoid the L. 5. tax, when received a no.
tce that if l went my days were number
| ed, and were few at that. | went and gave
in my testimony in company with another
| gentleman, and on our return home, lust
AS we had crossed the ford few miles from
our place of destination, we were greeted
with volley of three shots, one Of which
killed my horse instantly, and the other
wounded my companion in the thigh. We
were not pursued. Whether they thought
! W We're getting too near town to renderthe
! pul suit safe for them, or what caused them
to leave us at this point, 1 don't know BE
this what il may, the adventure satisfied
me that the orders of the clan meant BUSH
ness, and that | had better close up my
matters as quickly and quietly as possible,
and get out of the country without any
farther delay if | expected to have much
| further use for my head. went South Il
skcptic on the X. X. X. business. hut I
have come home a confirmed belieV er in the
order. speak whereof | know concern
/ ing them. In Raben county more than 20
union families have been driven out this
spring" The above is plain. uuvarn ish-
ed statement Of the facts rs | have received
them from Mr.. Norton. "a.