Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-10

the talk about the ku-klux, and the neces
sity for the Ku-Klux law, was all CANNON
The organization, they told US, fit ha(
: any existence, was sort of sky-larking
harmless affair, and as for its fearful atroci
, ties, they were the inventions of the carpet
a 5aggers and administration organs, and We
should hear nothing of them after the cleo
/, ton.
Well, it is some time after election, and
we still hear of Ku-Klux trials. The fol-
, lowing account of some recent ones, we find
telegraphed to several opposition journals
! Advices to the Department of Justice state
that at Columbia, ). c., this week, nine
prisoners, most Of whom were young men,
all considerably intelligent, confessed to
having been engaged in the ku-klux raids,
III which several negroes and white Repub-
lieans were whipped and murdered. They
were all sentenced to pay fines and serve
terms of imprisonment varying from two to
five years. Their testimony showed that
none of the published accounts of the brutal
and horrible practices of the Ku-Klux have
been exaggerated. Among the prisoners
was n Baptist Minister named Rev. John ).
Eel, Of Spartanburg. who was shown to
have taken prominent part in the organi-
Zation Ofthe klan and often sat in the cOun-
ellis when it was decided to take the life of
obnoxious persons. lie was sentenced to pay
a fine of $500 and be imprisoned for five
years. The following IS a specimen of the
testimony
.Iohn Whitelock, whopleaded guilty, stated
that he was in both raids on the,Unio Jail
the night Of the massacre; was in the raids
| on Stern, on Phil, on Dogma, on Gist, on
| Inf. Il Nv
Seipio Clark and others; joined the khan
three years ago; was seventeen years of
age then; didn't know anything about what
| 1t was for, was sworn in blindfOlded, on
his knees, with men in front of him, in
George Bonney store at JoneSyille; helped
whip Kit Stern: didn't know what he was
whipped for; three or four of the party
whipped him; didn't take his family out;
/ Stern made little noise while being whipped;
was in the Ward raid; the crowd killed
! Ward didn't know a the victim had been
| doing anything; he was a very quiet man;
was on the rand when Clarke was whipped
| for having two wives; Littleiohn got Leon
ard to head the raid when Ward was killed;
! Ward and he had fallen out about some
thing was present on the Mon raid, when
/ the negroes We're taken ont and killed
didn I help kill them three or four were
| taken out on the first raid. seven. eight or
nine on the second they We're all killed
never got off his horse all were disguised.
The prisoner was sentenced 10 pay fine of
500, and five years imprisonment
The case of the clergyman referred to was
peculiar one lie is described as a man of
ability, intelligence, and influence with his
flock His counsel submitted afidayits and
petitions in his behalf, praying for mercy
The reverend gentleman himself read a
written statement, telling all about his con-
nection with the khan. He had Joined be-
cause nearly everybody else in the country
belonged to it. and lie thought it good
thing. He repeated the oath of the kan,
binding the parties to forever oppose the
Republican party, to do all in their power
against the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fif-
tenth Amendments, protect women, regu-
late society, prevent crime, etc. The pen
atty for divulging any of the secret, Of the |
khan was death. He Joined in ISL He |
had never been on raid, never saw one,
and he thought that by joining and par
ticipating in the klan councils he had pre- |
vented many persons from being troubled. |
He was now sorry that he had ever be- |
longed 10 ~aeh on organization it had
turned out not to be such good thing as
he at first supposed. One of his objects in
joining, be said, was to restrain young
men, and prevent them from going to ex-
treme>. At this voice among the negroes
in the COURTROOM exclaimed, T. That's too
thin -
We copy further from the report Of the
trial of Mr. Eel
Judge" Hayeyou now a congregation ,"
Yes, sir my church and congregation
are at Spartanburg.'
- How many Of your congregation belong
to the ku-klux?"
- | do not know but the most of them.
| suppose. Nearly every body in that neigh
borhood had joined the khan. and among
them are, of course. number Of my CON
gregatiOn.'
Did you ever preach from the pulpit
against the organization or any Of its
?'
No, Sir for, if had been disposed.
such course would not have been safe
Nor, indeed, did ! believe there was safety
outside the khan
- Do You now think you should not have
joined -
- From the turn matters have taken.
think | would have been better off not to
have joined
" Did YOU ever know. any other clergy
man to belong to it"
" No. Sir
- Didn't the Rev. Mr.. Carpenter run {
away for fear Of being arrested for belong '
ing to it?''
/" Oh, yes, but he i Methodist am
Baptist minister Laughter t
Then, even if You did not agree in the
llogy, you agreed in the creed of the Ku-
Nlux, didn't you - !
Wei, yes sir it would appear So !
Did you ever advise the breaking up Of
he organintion?" O
- Yes, sir; | have attended no meeting of n
he khan since June last, when | advised
hat it be broken up" o
- This was after the act Of Congress wa, i,
'asSed, was it not?''
- Yes, Sir
" If it was charitable organization, or c
,ood organization, why the need of break t
ng it up?'
Because IN some localities it was being
arried too far" E..
The Judge was silent for moment, a. if
lot sure what course to take with the Sor- e
1
entcnt before him. lie then said ''Mr. h.
.zell, find myself placed in a very embar-
aSSing position. Other parties. your in =
eriors in intellect. influence. and every Il
hing else-the~e prisoners here have sen bi
eneed-these young men had a right to 40
)ok up to yOu for advice, and yon should
ave counSeled them TO have kept clear of co
lch a murderous organization. Instead OF II
hlS, find that You have been a member of 81
he KAN, sitting IN It's councils, and encour- =,
glng II with your presence You appeal -
D me for mercy, although You show no da
God reason why you should have mercy. -
GU must make your appeal for mercy to ~
he President ! can show you no leniency '0
ere. The sentence of the Court is that YOU re
e fined $500 and be imprisoned five years" be
1t is matter for universal congratulation.
! which some Of the Presidents opponents
re now at liberty to join, that by the wise Of
'gisation Of Congress. and the iudicious ali
'tion Of President Grant, these bands of ia
Sgui~ed rufians have been suppressed. tel
hey have failed Of their object, and the sci
me Is not distant, we trust, when no man mi
Ill be willing to own that he ever belonged SCI
them. te!
col
TnE Vienna ExPcsITIoN.-If the United I'M
ates is to be represented at the coming pa
Jenna Exposition, it is to be hoped that by
II showing will be commensurate with th'
II Importance in the family of nations. an
We have much to be proud of, cal
peeially in the direction of labor-saving the
'plianees, a branch of invention in which A. A.
{ old world Is far behind Us. But a par eri
Il and incomplete representation, withi OF
e space allotted Us only half filed, will do I'm I'm
, in the eyes of other nations, more harm ter
an none at all. What We know to be but
Ill -