Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-09
Kukluxism in Missouri.

The Missouri Democrat, August 3, speaks as
follows of the recent and still continued kukux
outrages in the several counties named:
at affords US no pleasure to record the brutal
outrages that occur almost every day in south
east Missouri. For the honor of the state, we
would prefer passing such occurrences by in
silence; but the cause of justice and civilization
demands that the perpetrators of these dark
deeds should be punished, ana it is only through
the press that the authorities can be brought to
a realization of the situation, and induced to
discharge their duties in the premises. The
state government owes to every one of its citi-
zens the protection of its laws, and should not
permit bands of irresponsible men to infict cor
poral punishment for any offense whatever. 1t
is the business of the officers of the law to pun
iSh offenders against the law after trial and con-
viction in regularly constituted courts. Mob
law is always to be deprecated and can only be
excused, if ever, in cases of an extraordinary
nature When state permits within its borders
bands of armed men, disguised and acting I'M
der the cloud Of night to visit the domiciles of
citizens and apply the lash to their backs, to
satisfy the vengeance of some personal or poiti-
cal enemy, the executive officers of that state
are unworthy Of their trust, aud should be i'm
peached for incompetency and imbecility.
That such bands of midnight marauders ex-
ist in several counties OF this state there can be
no question. The counties Of Reynolds, Stod-
udIu, CdTl6T, ItullSCOL ana DOlllnger
are all infested with bands of this kind, called
"kuklux" for want of a better name. III each
and all of the counties named men have been
taken from their beds at night and mercilessly
tloggcd by these kuklux scoundrels, and scarcely
week passes without some new victim TO the
wrath Of these mobocrats.
The governor, we are informed, did some time
ago send an agent to the southeast to investigate
tine kuklux outrages, and it is reported that his
officer, instead of protecting the peaceabe citl-
zens, organized kuklux band himself and led
them on to deeds of lawlessness. Such a state
ment comes to us from reliable source.
This state of affairs has been endured long
enough. Ii the people of the counties named do
not put down these regulators" or whatever
they may be called, and if the governor turns a
deaf ear to the appeals of men with lacerated
backs and tortured limbs, then it becomes the
duty of the general government to interfere
and save the nation from ignominy and dis
grace.
In the case of Rev. Mr.. Callahan, who was
scourged and driven from his home in Reynolds
county, several of the accused parties were ar
rested by the United States marshal, and put
under bonds to answer the charges; but this
has not deferred other bands in adjacent coun-
ties from committing similar acts, and some
thing more prompt and decisive than the slow
process of the law seems to be demanded.
The latest case of kukluXism that has come
to our notice occurred in Carter county, in the
Col. VIM. Lawson, well-known through the
state as a representative of Carter county in
the general assembly, and his son, Thomas Law.
son. We arc not informed of the date of the
occurrence, nor of the offences alleged against
the old man AMI his son; but those who know
Mr.. lawson will be 10th to believe that lie could
have been guilty of any offense deserving of
such treatment The facts are given in the fol-
lowing letter. received yesterday by a United
States official IN this city:
"IRoNToN, Aug 1, 1922
"Dear Sir: The kuklux have run Colonel
and Tom Lawson out of Carter county. Tom
Lawson came TO Ironton last evening, and went
before Zwait and swore that eight or ten klkluX
came to his house, all masked, whipped him
and ordered him and his iahcr to leave the
county, which they did.
81 saw the marks Of the hickory on Tom.
They did not give him as much ms Callahan got,
but he got plenty. Zwait has issued warrants
| for them. There is no one here TO 20 for them.
Herman Davis is away.
at is about time that there is an example
made OF some of those internal hounds. Tom
| Lawson says there are dozen cases OF a similar
character down there, but the parties are afraid
| to do anything, for fear that they will not be
protected"
There can be no doubt about the truth Of the
| statement, as warrants were sworn out yesterday
| before Mr.. Zwait at Ironton, for the arrest OF
| eight or ten men charged with the otfense. We
suppress their names for prudential reasons.
lronton is a sort Of refuge for the victims Of
| the kukluX. There are now at that place Rev
| Mr.. Callahan, who was whipped and driven
from Reynolds county; Col VIM. lawson
driven from his home In Carter county; Thos
| lawson whipped and driven from Garter
county; DR. NJ. Mckenzie, whipped and driven
| from Reynolds county Many other men have
been similarly treated, and are 'fugtiyes from
their homes, afraid to inform upon their perse
cutors, and waiting for the authorities to restore
them to their rights. Gov. Brown boasts thai
che gave peace to Missouri" The iugitve'
certainly Cant see il" and would like to know
how long this reign of"peace" is to continue.