The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-21


ton and keep strictly within the lines of
preserving law and order. The leaders
were very able politicians. Their chief
efforts were to be directed first to terror
izing the negroes without injuring them.
A very mysterious uniform was devils
ed. All the members of the Klan went
mounted. The hoofs of their horses were
done up in half tanned leather. This si'
lenced their footballs, go that an entire
troop of Kuklux would pass along the
road without q sound. The horses were
then covered with white cotton ticking
down to their fetlocks. Each rider wore
over his ordinary clothing long black
calico garment, which, being divided into
pantaloons, descended until it hid his
feet. Over the head of each rider was a
black calico mask, which fell over his
shoulders. Each rider wore what he
pleased on top of this mask. Some
devised fantastic head dresses. One
ingenious Kukluxer used to wear skull
with candle cleaning in the interior.
ONLY AT NIGHT.
All new members of the society after
their first meeting in the church we're in
itiated at midnight in some deep woods.
It was one of the rules of the Kuklux to
never meet except at night. Any mem
Der of the Klan who permitted himself
to be seen in the uniform of the society
in daylight subjected himself to the most
rigorous military punishment. Three
members of the Klan were shot for dis
obeyiug the order of only appearing at
night. These men ueed the nane and
uniform of the society for the purpose OF
committing daylight robbery. They
we're tried that very night, shot and
buried at the place of trial.
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 taught the various signs, be-
cause in the ritual of the Kuklux no
words were spoken. Everything WAS
done by signs. Executions when order
ed were all carried through by q Ian.
guage of signs. After candidate had
accepted be was given little book, q
pamphlet of some eight or ten pages,
which contained all of the signs of the
society. These the candidate had to
study and master before he would be &C.
cepted as full-Aedgsd member. These
signs were of the simplest possible char
acter. For instance, the question !:
care you member ofthe Kuklux Klan ?"
was made by simply placing the thumbs
inside of the belt with the hands pointing
downward. The answer of Eyes" was
the careless pushing back of the hair
with the right hand. All Of the natural
gestures were employed as the language
of the society.
My informant says that during his con.
nection with the Klan there was never q
single punishment committed by the 30
ciety except for the crimes of murder or
outrage. They did order g number of
men to leave the country, and whore they
refused to 60 made it impossible for
them to live in the neighborhood. But
in each instauce, he said, the men driven
out were mischief makers and stirrers up
of the evil passions Of negroes. This
statement will be perhaps disputed by
those who do not look at this organiza.
ton from the Southern point of view. 1t
is reasonable, however, to concede that
the main motive. Of the organization
we're for the preservation of law and
order according TO the ideas of the for
merly dominant class.
GRoTEsQUE RAIDS.
Some of their midnight masquerading
bordered upon the grotesque. They did
not always go out to tie up criminals for
whipping or for an execution. Their
first midnight raids we're for the purpose
of simply creating spirit of uneasinesa
and terror. They would ride up to the
house of some negro who WAS conspicu-
GUS for his disorderly qualities, surround
the house and burn white lights or red
lights as the cavalcade would file past.
The negroes would generally swoon with
terror and swear afterward that they had
been visited by ghosts.
After time tho story was circulated
that they we're the ghosts Of their former
masters, killed on the field of battle.
One Kuklux joker emphasized this story
by concealing under his black shirt a
vessel made of skins which would hold
twelve or fifteen gallons. BE headed a
cavalcade one night which stopped at the
house of one of the most superstitious
negroes in the County. They surround
ed the house and under cover of re.
volver made the negro como out. lie
came ashen With terror, and receiving
only the signs doubled himself to the
right and the left in his eagernes5to car
~ out the orders OF his visitors. The
Kuklux joker signed for water. He made
the negro bring water to him, which he
pretended to drink until he had slowed
away some fifteen gallons. The more
water be poured down the wilder became
the terror of the negro. When the last
bucket had disappeared the Kuklux
leader said in hollow, sepu!chral voice
"That's good. That's the first water
that has passed my lips since I fell al
Manassas"
At this the colored man utterly col
lapsed with fright and fell to the ground.
In another moment this small army oi
phantoms had disappeared in the dark
ness. This story was enlarged upon until
the mere word Kuklux Klan was enough