The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-05-22
PLUNKETT
Tells Story of the Klu Klux
Klan,s
The Superstition of the Negro FIJI ..Se Days
of Reconstruction Turned to Advan7
tage by Politicians.
For The Constitution,

This is Line creek swamp" said Plunkett,
as the wagon rolled off the bridge that SPAWNED
| a little creek and went jolting over the poles
| that were laid across the road to keep the
| wheels from sinking into tho mud. The old
| man continued:
"Erlong erbout the time that old Grant run
| for president the first time this here swamp
was or pretty lively place, leastwise it was
thought to be no place for er fellow to be driv-
ing slow and er spinning of his yarns, but it
haint that way now, and so I'll just tell you of
| some of the scares that used to be Ground here
IN the days of what they called reconstruction
| and how the youngsters worked to carry their
| pint at the elections, from which grew the re-
port of there being ku-klux in tho country.
ut got norated Ground that the soldiers
what was killed in the war had formed spirit
brigade and that they were ermong us to pro-
tect us if needs be.
at was said that the click of the hammer of
a gun went X. X. X. and that this was the
password ermong tho spirits, and for
short time these spirits were known as X. X.
KS, but pretty soon they got up the name of
| hll-kluX-klan, and that was tho way they
| were known to folks off at or distance.
Tho first scare was one night when there
| was er gathering to raise or school house up
on the hill up the road yonder, and all of er
SUDDEN, after the night had got as dark as
bringers, there was er powerful screaming for
help down on the creek, and everybody thought
| it was someone erbout to drown, and out the
whole crowd-black and whte-put TO rescue
who ever it was that was in so much distress.
| Down the creek they went, falling over
! logs and bushes and getting into the briars,
and the same distressful scream for help,
help, help!' was kept up, but the noise seemed
| I, ,t
by the crowd when they first started out, and
| the niggers begin to sorter back their ears and
| get spicious, till pretty soon the whole crowd
had stopped, and were holding er consultation
over the matter. Some lowed it was some
persons in er bateau in distress and that they
were floating down stream, and it was the duty
of the crowd to rescue them if possible, for the
, screams of great distress was going
| erlong all the time, and out the
| crowd put ergn, but they stayed right to-
| gether, and thore was one fellow in the crowd
| that was er talking erbout ghosts all tho time
| and had got some of the whites and all of the
niggers worked up on the spirit question when
all Of sudden not morn tweenty feet in front
of the crowd thar raised up er fellow ut least
| fifteen feet high, that looked like he was eat
ing fire, his mouth looked like 1t was full Of fire,
and his eyes looked like two balls of fire, and
| he lowed:
| "Stand your distance-K. X. XII"
"The crowd stopped. Some fell on the
ground, some rolled in tho creek and some
| broke through the woods like the devil was
arter them and never stopped this side of At
lanta, and that was the first ever seed of the
| doings of tho ku-klux and I found out arter
that what it was, and how it was managed,
and it was nothing in the world but er big
pumpkin fixed with holes In 1t for mouth and
| eyes, and or candle put in it and fastened ON
! er pole, dressed up and operated by fellows up
in er tree over 1t with ropes tied to it, but I'd
i or swore 1t was er ghost when first seed It,
and there are nggers that were in that crowd
|sthat believe to this day that 1t was or ghost,
and you can't mako 'em believe nothing else.
'The lection business was pretty hot erbout
then, and the niggers got nightly stirred up,
and some of EN- talked mighty brave erbout
what they'd do if any ghost was to come or fool
ing Ground them, and / never will forget old
Jack who was er mighty big talking niger,
for the way he moved erway from his own
house and come up to get me to protect him or
pray for him, for he gave it up, and it was this
way:
"Er great big follow--I think he was stuffed
with something, for he looked low up and high
erround--drv up TO old Jacks fence jist at
dark. Old Jack was or feeding his mule at
| the time, but he soon stepped out to see what
the fellow wanted, and found out he jlst want
| ed er drink or water. Jack told one of his
| gals to bring or gourd of water, and the fellow
| he set there on his horse, and Jack says he
! never opened his mouth nor winked his eye
| till the water came and then he grabbed the
| gourd outen Jacks hand and sorter turned to
one side and gulped it down and then handed
| the gourd back and said:
"Smore!"
"Jack told his gal to bring ernother gourd full,
and he gulped that down, and lowed
"Smore!
"'And then another gourd was brought,
| and he gulped that down, and lowed:
"'S'morel"
"'Jack lowed to his gal, 'getthat biggest
gourd there, OF your mama's, and give the
| gentleman enough water at once sos lie can
| 90 on lis way The gourd come, and it held
at least or gallon, but the fellow jist gulped it
down and lowed:
| gilmore"
"'Draw that water dar, honey lowed Jack
! get the other gourd and bring the little one
and tho big one full TO dc gentleman and let
him get erong-its getting dark The two
gourds were brought this timo and the fellow
! gulped em down as quick as Jack could hand
'cm up to him, and he lowed:
"'S'more
| "In de name Of dc Lord, old oman, lowed
! Jack, hand the bucket erlong out here with
the gourds, and let the gentleman get his
water and re or going A large bucket was
handed to Jack, and he was just fixing to dip
out the water and hand it to the fellow, when
that individual reached down and took it from
jacks hand and gulpcd IL down, and then he
| lowed
"S'more.'
"But Jack was er getting erway from there
by that time, and him and the old oman and
all the children come up through thefeld back
or my house er screaming at every jump. and
err bouncing over the corn rows like or India
rubber ball.
~ found out arter that the fellow had rub
Der tubes fixed erbout him, and poured the
water into them, but you can't mako Jack nor
his folks believe nothing else but what there
was spirits in them days and that they called
! themselves the klu-klux-klan." SARGE.
A Sweet Opera Singer Strikes High Note.
1