The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-01
PROSECUTING THE GIDEON1TEs.
Chairman Wilson, CT the North Carolina
Third Party Arrested.

RALEIGH, n. g., January 22.-S
Ohio Wilson, chairman of the Peoples
Party State committee of North Caro-
lima, was arrested in this city, and on
yesterday was bound over in the sum
of $500 for his appearance at the March
term of Wake Superior Court.
The charge against Wilson is belong
ing to and promoting a secret oath
bound political organization in viola
ton of a statutory law Of North Caro-.
lima, passed by the General Assembly
of 1901, as follows:
"If any person, for the purpose OF
comprising or furthering any political
party or organization, or for resisting
the laws, shall join or in any way con-
meet or unite himself with any oath
bound secret political or military Or
ganization, society or association OF
whatsoever name or character, etc.
~ Every person so offending shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor,
and upon conviction thereof shall be
fined not less than ten nor more than
two hundred dollars, or imprisoned, OF
both, at the discretion of the Judge OF
the Superior Court"
About two weeks prio:' to the late
election it was discovered that there
was in existence in this State secret
oath-bound political Order known as
Gideon's Band; that it was composed
of members of the Farmers Alliance
and numbered several thousands. The
chief object of the organization seems to
have been the defeat of Grover Cleve-
land. The Order existed in Georgia
and several other States, and it is said
that every member was bound by an
oath to vote against Cleveland. The
oath of initiation appears to have been
an iron-clad one, and it is said the
penalty for betraying the secrets of the
Order was death.
The organization had been in exist
ence over year, it seems, before it was
exposed by Ex-State Lecturer Bell and
another member of the Alliance, after
it had captured that organization and
turned out all the officers of the Alli-
ance who refused to support the Third
Party Movement. The exposure, it is
thought, largely contributed to the
large Democratic plurality which
carried the State for Cleveland.
It is likely that large number Of
prosecutions will follow the trial OF
Wilson, as eleven Of the twelve prose
cutting attorneys, or solicitors, of the
State are Democrats, and the demand
is imperative that the Gideonites be
punished.
Among the charges set forth in the
bill of Indictment against Wilson is the
following:
"That S. Otho Wilson on the 18th Of
May, 1892, used a certain sign for the
purpose Of the promotion and advance
ment of the following political object
Preventing the endorsement by certain
of the delegates attending the Stats
Convention of the Democratic party
in the city of Raleigh, of the appoint
ment of delegates to the National
Democratic Convention in Chicago
and also endeavoring to cause certain
men to be elected to public office in the
State; that the signs used were the put
ting forth of the tongue from the
mouth, drawing the hand across the
mouth, and certain password, name
ly, Three hundred, and also certain
grip"
1t will be remembered that after the
nomination of State officers President
Butler, of the Alliance, and consider
able number of other Alliance delegates
withdrew from the Democratic Con
| Vention and would not vote for elec
tors or delegates to the National Con
vention.