The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-25
CHAPTER NV.

HOW CIVILIZATION WAS SAVED.
The next day the town was unusually
quiet. Tim had business with the Com
mandant OF the company of regularS still
quartered at Hambright. He spent most
OF the day with MIN. and walked about
the streets ostentatiouSly showing his
Familiarity with the corporal who accom-
panied him. \ guard OF three soldiers
was stationed around Tins house for two
nights and then withdrawn.
The next night at twelve o'clock two
hundred whitc-robed still -shod horses as
scmbled around the old home Of Mrs. Gas
ton where Tim was sleeping. The moon
was full and flooded the lawn with sill
Yer glory. On those horses sat two hun
dled white-robed silent men whose close
fitting hood DISCUSSES looked like the
linked mail helmets Of ancient knights.
1t was the work of q moment to seize
Tim, and bind him across 2 horses back.
Slowly the grim procession moved TO the
court house square.
When the sun rose next morning the
~lifeless body of Tim Shelby was Can
CLING from a rope tied to the iron rail Of
the balcony of the court house. His
neck was broken and his body was hang
ing low-scarcely three feet from the
u LID iiitn 1iBo bSCh ShAAh
with a sharp knife and from his teeth
huns this placard:
The answer of the .An~glo-Saxon
race to Negro lips that dare polute
with words the womanhood of the
SouIh.-K. K. X"
And the ku Klux Khan was master of
Campbell county.
The origin Of this Law and Order
League which Sprang up like magic in \
night from the James TO the Rio Grande
and nullified the programme Of Con-
gress though backed by an army of q
million veteran soldiers, is yet a mys-
terry.
The simple truth is, il was a spon-
taneous and resistless racial uprising OF
clansmen of Highland origin living
along the Appalachian mountains and
foothills of the South, and it appeared
almost simultaneously in every South
ern State produced by the same terrible
conditions.
Within one week from its appearance.
life and property were as safe as in any
Northern community. Ezra Perkins haG
his Negro League to meet every night to
drill receive orders. and keep alive the
spirit with which he had imbued than.
g AAtoh iltNdiSo III lit
law to protect his property from their
thefts, his house or barn was promptly
burned.
The White Knights surrounded Per-
kins' house one quiet starlit evening.
The leader demanded admission.
For Gods sake gentlemen. you Will
not kill an unarmed man." cried Ezra il
quaking terror.
Not tonight. YOU white Hyered c,r"
was the answer. We have only called
to give You a notice. II another white
mans house or barn is burned in this
county, within twenty-four hours we Will
hang your carcass from a tree in the
court house square at twelve o'clock i'll
broad daylight! Do YOU catch that?"
III do my best. gentlemen whined
Ezra. Not another fire occurred in six
months.
When the negroes came home from
their League meeting the next night they
ran terror-stricken past long rows Of
white horsemen. Not a word was
spoken, but that was the last meeting
the Union League Of America" eve;
held in HambTight.
The success OF the Ku Klux Khan was
50 complete its organizers were dazed.
It's appeal to the ignorance and supersti-
tion OF the negro at once reduced the
race to obedience and order. It's threat
against the scalawag and carpet-bagger
struck terror to their craven souls, and
the Union League" RED Strings" and
Heroes OF America" went to pieces with
incredible rapidity.