Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-28


| Everything Was Done BY signs.
| At the meetings Of initiation the new
candidate was made to take the most awful
oaths that he would faithfully obey the
commands Of the society. He was then
ritual OF the Ku-Klux no words were
spoken. Everything was done by signs
Executions when ordered were all carried
through by language of signs After q
i candidate had accepted he was given a lit
tie book, pamphlet of some eight or ten
pages, which contained all OF tho signs of
| the society. These the candidate had to
study aud master before he would be &C.
cepted as a full-fedged member. These
signs were of the simplest possible charac-
ter. For instance, the question "Are you
q member of the Ku-Klux Khan" was made
BY simply placing the thumbs inside Of the
belt with the hands pointed downward.
The answer of "yes" was the careless push
ing back of the hair with the right hand.
All of the natural gestures were employed
When there was to be Q meeting Of the
society the various members were sum-
moned always by someone living at . dist
ance. A member living Is miles away
would be sent to notify . neighborhood.
This was done by series of whistles i'm
itative of some night bird. No one ever
failed to obey these signals, as the penal
ties for refusal were very severe. When
the section of khan moved out at night no
one knew his neighbor. From the time
they started on the road until their return
no words would be interchanged. They
always rode in single file 80 feet apart
Where the number was large and two were
ordered up abreast, they invariably placed
the width of the road between them.
Punished Only the Serious Crimes.
Ny informant says that during his con-
nection with the khan there was never q
single punishment committed by the So
ciety except for the crimes Of murder or
outrage. They did order number of men
to leave the country, and where they re-
live in the neighborhood. But in each in
stance, he said, the men driven out were
mischief makers and stir ers up of the evil
passions of the negroea
Some of their midnight masquerading
bordered upon The grotesque. They did
not always 90 out to tie up criminals for q
whipping or for an execution. Their first
midnight raids were Tor the purpose Of
simply creating spirit OF uneasiness and
terror. They would ride up to the house Of
some negro WHO was conspicuous for hts
disorderly qualities. surround the house and
burn white lights or red lights as the caval-
awoon ~sh terror and sWear
afterward that they had been visited by
ghosts.
After time the story was circulated that
they the Of their former mas
Klux joker emphasized this story by con-
cealing under his black shirt vessel made
OF skins which would hold II or Is gallons.
He headed q cavalcade one night which
q n n
superstitious negroes In the county. They
surrounded the house and under cover of
revolver made the negro come out.
Drank . Tank Full Of Water.
He came ashen with terror, and receiving
only signs doubled himself to the right and
the LETT in his eagerness to carry out the
orders of his visitors. The Ku-Klux joker
signed for water; .,.E Hs e. made the negro bring
until he had slowed away some 10 gallons.
The more water ne poured down the wilder
became the terror Of the negro. When the
last bucket had the RnKux
"That's good. That's the first water that
has passed my lips since fell at Manassas"
At this the colored man utterly collapsed
with fright and fell to the ground. In
another moment this small army of phan-
toms had disappeared in the darkness. This
story was enlarged upon until the mere
word Ku-Klux Klan was enough to turn any
colored man in the neiyhborhood the color
of ashes.
One or the greatest demonstrations of the
Ku-Klux was made one night at Huntsville,
Ala. This town was then occupied by II 600
United States troops 1t was just before the
Presidential election of 1885, The demonstra-
ton was made on Saturday night. The cleo
tion was for the following Tuesday. This
parade was made Tor the purpose Of over
awing the colored voters.
This ex-Ku-Klux leader says that follow
ing Grants election as President the Klan
was formally disbanded throughout the
South. The reason of it Was that they had
army when it surrendered had created Tor
him throughout the South a most favorable
opinion. The le2ders OF the Khan were old
soldiers and they looked to General Grant
with confidence for fair treatment
About the Mississippi p an.
The Mississippi plan Of limiting the
suffrage by educational and property quail
fcations will soon be adopted throughout
the South. This is practicsl dislranchise-
ment of the negro. This Mississippi plan,
they say, Is strictly within their powers and
cannot be interfered with. think that the
political leaders in the South have come to
the conclusion that they will have to accept
the cutting down of their representation in
Congress. They Will have to consent to be
there by the number of votes
cast instead Of as to-day, by tile votes that
might be cast This, they claim, Is the only
real point of contention between the North
and the South. They regard the control OF
their own State affairs As Of vital import
ance.
With the representation in Congress recast
they say that the North then will have no
70 nney sond add ah thhs the
priety be extended throughout the North.
In Mississippi no man is allowed to vote to
day who cannot read or write or who has
~~..sA Eat. -
They say that these qualifica-
tions, II insisted upon In all of the states of
the Union, would result in a better admins |
owners were allowet to impose taxes. They |
say that this is the only way the race prob |
lem OF the South can be solved. This 10 an |
other point OF view and is Of I'M terest in con. |
nection with the inside story OF the Kn-Klux |
Klan and the objects for which II was or san- |
zed. T. C. CRAWFORD.