Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-10-19
THE KU-KLUX REIGN OF
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sss TERROR. Z Il
synopsis or a portion or the r esd
mony taken by the Congress ssionaI
Inyesiigsting committee.
NoI sri
The testimony taken by the Select
Committee of Congress, appointed at th
last session to investigate into allege,
| Ku- Klux outrages in the Southern States
at least enables us TO get comprehensive
view of'thc operations of that mysterious
organization known as the Ku Klux Klar
AN organization that has been pooh
poohed by Northern Democratic politi
clans as mere fgment of the imagina
ton, but which, under the light of th,
searching investigation conducted by th,
Committee, has disclosed itself as one O.
the most monstrous growth to which civ
ilizated society ever gave birth. Indeed
it may almost be said to stand wi hout {
parallel in history--a huge, misshapen rep
tile spawned from the foul decay of SLAYER,
and rebellion. 1t is proposed in this and
the following papers to present such a
brief abstract, as space will permit, OF
some OF The testimony, which amounts in
all to several thousand pages. thus per-
mitting the reader to form his own opin.
ion from facts, of which no more general
statement, however strong, could convey
anything like an adequate conception.
These official documents, comp Ing the
sworn statement of men of the hi III
est character and social station, and of oil
shades of political opinion, could not fail
to convince the most skeptical reader that
the hu-Klux organization is. indeed, no
myth, but one of the most horrible reali
ties in the history of the human passion
and crime. It is only possible to give the
briefest abstract of the testimony, but this
will be amply sufficient to show the ut
terly diabolical character of the order and
the disloyal animus of its acts. We shall
withhold, in some instances, the names of
the witnesses. for reasons which the read
er can readily appreciate in the light which
the testimony throws upon the fearful
hazard incurred by those persons who, in
the Ku-klux infested districts, make them
selves obnoxious to these midnight prowl-
ers. We begin with the State of
MISSISSIPPI.
Among the most interesting and ex-
plicit of the testimony taken was that of
Colonel A. P. Higgins. of Aberdeen,
Monroe county, United States Assessor
of Internal Revenue at that point, and
County Superintendent of Schools under
the State government. In the latter Of
ice, to which lie was appointed in 1870,
he was President OF the County Board of
School Directors, whose duty it was to
submit to the Board Of Supervisors an
estimate of the amount of taxes needed
for school purposes, the latter board be-
ing charged with the duty of making the
assessment. The estimate submitted bv
the Board of Directors was less by nearly
one third Than the amount Of tax allowed
by law, but the ku-klux of the county
notified the Board of Supervisors not to
make the assessment, and it vas not done.
The law of the State was thus succe ssfully
set at defiance, and the teachers of the
county were unable to get their paw for
services rendered. In this county (Mop-
roe) the Ku-klux reigned supreme for
many months, large bands of them.
decked them in their frigh,ful regalia,
riding through the country by night, and
whipping, numbering, and burning at will
Here are some of the special cases testi-
fled to By Col Higgins.
In August, 1870, one Saunders Flint
(coloreD and two sons. having had
quarrel with three white men, had been
committed 10 Jail to await their trial for
assault and battery. One night during
the month mention I'd the Jail was broken
open and they were taken out by gang
of fifty disguised men (Ku-KluxD The
father by some means escaped, but both
tue sons Were killed Three men we're
ar ested as members of this gang, but in
January last their cases were dismissed.
and they were set at liberty. This proof
that there was no danger from the courts
was the signal for a general outbreak OF
ku-Klux violence, ana outrages succeed
ed-eac other with frightfal rapidity.
February 1st-Alfred " hitetield (col-
ored) was whipped till he promised to
vote the Democratic ticket. Witness
saw his back, which was BADLY pounded
uo" -r
February 3d-An old colored man.
name forgotten, was beaten I'LL he made
the same promise.
February 10Th Jack Dupree, (colored)
president of Republican club, and living
near Ross Mill, was dragged from his
bed by a gang of Ku- K1ux, taken five
miles into the woods, and beaten till he
near dead. The fiends in human form
then cut him opel from throat to strad-
die and took out his heart and intestines.
This was attested by Joseph Davis, a
member of the gang, who turned State S
evidence at Oxford, and who was present
en- the occasion inquestion. Dupree was
charged with no crime; but it is said he
was noisy Republican and would speak
his mind" The penalty on freedom OF
speech in this part of Mississippi seems to
be heavier than that on murder.
March 9th.-Witness was lodging al
the house of one Geo. Il. Ross. He was
taken out by a gang of 12O masked and
mounted men in white robes, and, on re-
fusing to promise that lie would leave the
State, was beaten till he tainted, receiving
seventy-five lashes with stirrup strap
The particulars of this case have hereto
fore been made plblic through the press
Witness was threatened with certain death
should he remain III the COUNTY longer
than ten days. = eaa s.
Mr.. Farmer, teacher of colored school
severely whipped and orfler.d II to leave h;