The New York herald., 1875-08-27
Further Particulars Of the ROut and
Capture Of the Ku KluX.
A Chapter Of Outrages Upon
Men and Women.
THE PEOPLE ARMING.
The Son of a Baptist Minister at the
Head Of the Gang.

CHICAGO August a. 1878
When your correspondent telegraphed, Saturday
last account of the deep and bloody stain which the
vendetta in Williamson county and the Ku Klux out
RACES in Franklin had left upon the fair escutcheon Of
Illinois, he compelled devote most of his space
TO q RESUME Of the murderous feud between the Bu-
ners, Hendersons, Russels Cairns ct al, only ganc-
ing comparatively the troubles Franklin-troubes
which, he is confident, and sensational
as any like outrages perpetrated in the South during
the Ku Klux days These, especially tho
BATTLE MADpox's LANE
should be fully told
First let me give you a brief description OF the
OF both the private butchery and the Ku Klux lawess
ness. Faanklin, williamson and jackson counties are
in the southern portion Of the Stae-"Egypt" it is
populary known. Jackson has OF about TOO
square miles and population from 90 900 to $4,000
1t abounds in coal and is rich agricultural products
the soil, in most Illinois counties being remarkably
fertile. Franklin has about $50 square miles and pop
ulaon of from II 900 to 15 900 souls 1t raises annually
million Of dollars worth Of wheat and
Williamson has an Of 500 miles and population OF
about Is, 900. Its products annually amount to
s., 500 0Oo Railroads these counties north and
SOUTH east and west; but the schoomaster is not
abroad to the extent that he should be.
Neither the Williamson the Franklin affair has
any political significance the being as my des-
romantic, wholly brutal and lawess but not partisan In
fact the Hendersons loyal refugees Tennessee
during the war; and than OF the Ku Kux were
federal soldiers Political parties at present pretty
evenly divided in egypt" and there is pretence
In any quarter that the troubles melted for
political reasons. 1t was bad blood In
one case; inherent "cussedness" in the other
The wonder is, not that warning families
should kill another that masked scoundrels
Illinois scoundrelsm should have ourished for such
a length Of time without the punishment Of q single
felon-
HISTORICAL
Ny man purpose In this letter Is to describe In detail
the fight the shers posse and the Franklin Ku
Klux with the incidents leading it, For some unac-
countabe Isaac Vanc old farmer the border
of Jackson county incurred the dspeasure OF OF
the parties In the county Of williamson They visited
his house night, put him on horseback and subse-
quenty hung him TO tree This performance seemed
have suggested to bold and awless fellows the
idea Of forming a secret organization the Ku Klux
plan They perfected their company and were seen oc-
casionaly OF nights mounted horses disguised with
drapery, their uniform being grotesque and ghastly
Their bodies covered with long white cotton
masks, over their ordinary dress Their faces
were hidden behind white masks fantastically
daubed with black at the openings for eyes
and mouth and their heads we're surmounted
by long, peaked hats also of white clotn. Like
the apparitions seen by Macbeth the heath Of
Forres, they would appear suddenly and as quickly
vanish into thin air. Frequently their excursions
amounted to nothing, and were undertaken seemingly
for the mere pleasure of errorzng honest folk But
they became absolute power. People feared them,
and it only necessary that they should make their
commands known 10 have them implicitly obeyed.
Occasionally they would to be cham
pons Of the law and delinquent
incur their displeasure But such illegal service in
aid Of law would be offset by the ravishing of girl
the plunderng of farm house, the woundng or kill
ing of man. They had little excuse for force, since
their warnings, symboloally conveyed, ordinarily
ceived prompt compliance. There were exceptions as
in the case OF Henry Carter, farmer, who, being
visited by portion Of the gang fought them off;
also in the Of Bill Dungee another farmer who
suspected the author of the warning TO him and boldly
trounced him within an inch Of his life.
After enduring this terrorism for two years the people
led by series Of outrages and crush
this devish band and the story OF their triumph IS
well worthy the narration The outlaws commenced a
series of men furnishings and women ravishings that
appalling People told another OF the terrible
with bated breath but no move at retaa-
tion. They were fearful for their lives. Finally
two respectable and courageous men, John II. Hogan
and J. b. Maddox warned that they would speed
lily be visited They determined resist and the
suit the baltic Of Maddox lane, OF which have
teegraphed you
! must premise that three weeks before It's occur
four Of the Ku Kux by night the house Of
one Brown forced him from sick bed and compelled
him 10 indicate the route to Maddox's house Brown
kept his counsel and next morning measured tho
horses tracks in his yard He kept on measuring such
tracks in various places and under various circum-
stunces until he was morally certain that one Of the
men who visited his place named Moore, and he
strongly suspected another man named Neal that he
burted out his suspicious through all the country side
Just before raid on Maddox they called at Browns
reused him from bed beat him black and blue and left
him to die before morning
Neither Maddox Hogan had been idle The latter
went To the Governor with his story the former 10 the
Sheriff The truth Of their narratons and the
tremty OF their danger could not be denied The Gov
aFnArn rad n oh and tKan
Springfield TO Franklin county and arrange for the
organization Of militia company 10 receive them. But
the Sheriff was more active. He summoned twenty
trusty fellows TO his aid and from Benton, the
county seat for Maddoxs place. ave miles distant The
Ku Kux, with utter contempt for danger their i'm
munity having emboldened them to proceed usually
In devil nay-care manner having notified Maddox
they would sup with him about midnight of the 10th
inst The Sheriff and his party hand consider
ably before that hour Maddox place remote from
the highway and reached only by long lane Sheriff
Mason for that is his name disposed his along the
fence and in and about the house 1t q moonlight
night, and they crouched low in the shadows waiting
coming of the despcable scoundrels and towards
who had promised themselves the sport of torturng a
single man In the presence Of his terrified family Mid
night passed aud il was feared that the Ku Kux had
threatened in wantonness for they did
not come Still Mason's party kept their ambush
and their patient waiting rewarded for about
O'CLOCK they heard the Jingling Of spurs and the
march Of
THE oScox1So BANDrrrr
They appeared hideousy attired as was their Gus
tom, and advanced confidently down the lane toward
the house. They fifteen number, a portion
only Of the band, and were armed like swashbucklers
10 the teeth.
They had almost reached the house, and were NOV
ing on without fear, when the Sheriff commanded
halt and demanded a surrender. The Ku Klux
thoroughly surprised 10 halt or rather their
horses doubled, and the party was thrown into
confusion. second demand was made the
Sherns party never firing a shot but 1t |
was met with an oath and bullet Thereupon Flani-
gan, lawyer Of Benton, OF the sherfs posse fired
and a ku klux tumbled from his saddle The firing
then became general, the Ku Klux retreang through
the ane receiving as they went the IRE Of the abus-
cade.
Fearing that there larger party in the rear the
sheru decided not 70 pursue immediately but TO guard
Maddox's house until morning The wounded man who |
had aen into the clutches Of the law In the full
costume OF his crew. and received the kndest
from the family he was about to outrage He proved to
be young man, Duckworth by name, well known !
In the county. Ho exhibited the deepest remorse, say
Ing 70 OF tho rnnLlnman nInuaned