The San Francisco call., 1906-10-28

corresponding TO a Congressional dis
trict. The next lower offcial In the
Khan was the Grand Giant. whose au-
thority extended over a single county.
while the Grand Cyclops ruled over
den" comprising single local organ
ixation. There might be one den or
there might be q hundred of them, ac-
,ording TO conditions, within the juris-
dlction OF Grand Giant
The Klan held Its meetings in secret.
IT had It's code OF signals. written and
verbal. 1t had Its rules and regulations
and these were reduced to most ieal
ously guarded little blue books OF
which probably less than half dozen
copies are now In existence, and these
so closely kept that none but their
proper guardians may even now look
upon their pages.
The manner of appealing to the sup
erstitious fears OF the negro was
unique. On some dinly moonlit night
the members of den" comprising
possibly hundred mounted men, would
ride swiftly down the pike and call at
the home of some negro whose budding
impetuosity 1t was deemed wise to
curb. He was hoarsely summoned to
the roadside, where he would behold
ghostly train sitting In funeresl silence
upon white caparisoned steeds. each
wearing a weirdly devised uniform Of
white trimmed with black. each visored
and hooded until only the indistinct
outlines OF grisly countenance. which
might have come from the n1oldcring
trenches OF battlefield as easily as
from elsewhere. were visible.
The negro was sharply and briefly
commanded to bring bucket Of water.
When he complied the leader of the
mysterious troop raised it to his head
ana apparently drained its contents at
a SincrfA drafvhf n raaiif1- no ,71oraJ,-
emptied ii into q rubber bag concealed
inside his flowing uniform. Then,
handing back the bucket. lie remarked
in hollow voice that this was the
first water he had TASTED since he fell
in the battle of Shiluh
That sufficed for the negro. The troop
rode on its way and was heard of no
more for weeks. No negro was inter
fered with or in any way intimidatcd
who Kept his proper place and whose
words and deeds contained no menace
TO white supremacy.
That was one of the phases OF the
Klanis work. Another. no less import
ant. was the protection OF innocent men
against whom the machinery of the
laws was put in motion by uhscruplI-
lous carpet -baggers or their frihnds A
single truthful instance will SERVE to
illustrate.
Soon after the organization oil the Ku
Of Holly Strings. Miss. a. horss] trader
from East Tennessee. This mad going
about his business. happened tot recog-
nSze young man from his own section
OF the country wtro had, during the ex-
citing times of the war. killed a guer-
rilla in the mountain country. This
guerrilla was ostensibly Federal
trooper. In reality he was one of that
numerous band of harpies which ho-
vered about the edge of the war to
make prey of the defenseiess on both
sides.
The horse trader caused the arrest OF
the young man on the charge of mur-
der. The arrested man refused to be
taken from the State without requisi-
tion papers The trader left to procure
them. That night the ISu Klux Khan
got busy Before morning the accused
man was on his way westward mounted
on the best horse In the country. He
was provided with relays and with re-
freshment until he was landed safely
upon the west bank of the Mississippi
River, with 800 expense money in his