Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-30
'sNATHAN RIOS,
"STARLING You've.
THE WORKING OF An ISFANNsDs
ANA.

The following article from the jackson
(iiss.) Clarion exposes the villainous
character of what is known as the ku-
Klux act-how, under that law, the best
citizsns of the State may be harrsssed
and annoyed TO crafty the spite of some
mean fellow. 1t appears to have been
enacted specially for the benefit of that
class of men. Under this law any citizsn
maybe arrested and taken before United
States Commissioner upon the most frivo-
lous charge, and it matters not how much
time and money it may cost him, he has
No redress. The title of this law should
have been can act to encourage friYo-
Ious and malicious prosecutions, for that
is precisely what it is doing. The ClaTN
ion says in its issue of July p.
sOn Monday last, Messrs. Thos. Keith,
lawyer, M. J. L. Hoy, (merchanl, of
the firm Of Russell e Hoy, and Eugene
Carlton (public school teacher), well
known citizens of Newton county, were
arrested By Deputy Uuited States Mar
shat Reed, and brought 10 this city and
confined in jai, until released on bond to
await the finding of the Federal grand
Jury, en- the charge of violating The Ku-
Klux act, at the instance OF one &. S.
Swami, carpet-bsg Clerk of the Circuit
and ChancgTy Courts Of Newton county.
The charge is that they were guilty of
banding and conspiring together with
others to Cypress aud intimidsie the said
Swami, with intent to deprive him
of his privileges as a citizen OF
the United States Mr.. Keith
has no knowledge whatever of
the specific grounds of his arrest, having
had no intercourse or dealings with
Swami. Mr.. Carleton, as public school
teacher, having claims for services, insis-
ted on his right to inspect the county
school warrant book in the keeping of
Swami. which had been removed from
the Office, as Carleton believed, for fraud
ulent purposes. He (Carleton) brought
the conduct of Swami in removing ard
secreting the book to the notice of the
board of directors, and in the course OF
his observations to the board stated that
be would bring the case of Swami to
the attention of the grand jury of the
county. No threats of personal violence
were used. The conspiracy and intimi-
dation consist in this action of Carleton.
The case of Mr.. Hoy is of piece with
the other. He had redeemed some lands
and claimed cancellation of the deed
or receipt for the money he had paid,
which was refused. Some sharp words
were interchanged in the course of which
MIR. Hoy remarked TO Swami that Che
would slap his jaws" if he were not IN
der bonds TO keep the peace. Hoy is five
feet four inches, and weighs ninety
pounds. Swami is about five feet nine,
and weighs about one hundred and sew
enty pounds! Neither Carleton nor Hoy
were armed when these occurrences took
place, as they can prove. There arc I'M
impeschable witnesses to all that hap
pened. 1t is upon frivolous charges like
these that citizens are dragged, under
Radical Federal law, from their homes
and occupations to be srraigned FOX trial
on er pGrte testimony before Federal
Court Was there ever such mockery
of law and of justiceY But OF such is
Rsdicalism!"