The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-02

the roads large railway shops there, as
 we'll as to secure diversified industries and
 bring other railroads into the district. E. Attracted by the activities of Mir. Astor and associates, Patona was rap idly assuming the shape of city. But 1t was just at this jundture that there occurred one of those events, wholly local in import apparently, but which have been known to alter the course of nations. William M. Luke had taken pity on the poor ignorant negroes Of the south and he came along with the other settlers to establish his sch hool and incidentally to preach his doctrine of social equality This, 1t will be recalled, was during reconstruction days in the south, but three years after the close of the war and but five years after MT. Lincoln had signed the emancipation proclamation. The so-called race problem was at an acute
 stage and 1t was soon observed that the influence of Luke was becoming
 pernicious But the people of Patona, who, like all others in the south, had become patient, tolerant and reason ably submissive under the counsel of
 Robert D. Lee, their beloved leader, would never have resented Luke's ed- ucational mission had he exercised pru- dence in exploiting his social equality views. Instead of this.' however he became defiant and when one Sunday evening there occurred fight between
 one Pat Craig and some negroes the blacks were melted to riot by Luke, 1t is said, as result of which they fired into a body of worshippers as they were returning from church and in
 1ured several white ladies.
 For this act Luke paid with his life. That spirit which found an organized expression in the Ku Klux Klan, an institution which, in It's beginning, was considered essential to the preservation of Anglo-Saxon rule and the safety of the homes of the south, was still alive. So when the il advised Canadian repaired to Is home on the following Monday evening he was paid visit by the white-robed knights and there was little surprise occasioned the next morning when his lifeless body togeth- CT with the bodies of four notorious negroes, was found dangling from the limb of an old oak tree, with rope around his neck and a placard on his coat to tell the tale of his ignominious death.
 The hanging of Luke was followed by famous trial at Piedmont every ef- fort being made by the federal author tiles to ascertain the identity of the Ku Klux and to bring the despatchers of Luke to account for their deed. Ex
 
 employed to prosecute the case and Fed eral Judge Busteed of infamous mein- ory, was called upon to sit at the hear Ing, which lasted for 60 days. The trial, however, was a complete fiasco, and the lynching of Luke was never avenged.
 Excusable as 1t was, the hanging of the Canadian was regrtable incident, and, in the light of subsequent developments. 1t becomes deplorable, for 1t was the straw that broke the back of Patona, subverting the building of what would to- day be one of the greatest cities of the south. It was four years after this that Samuel Noble founded the present city of Anniston and about an equal number mingham was undertaken. Both of these cities have had hard struggles for exis- tenuce at times and have had to over- come many obstacles in their growth. Patona had all of their natural advsn- the millions and influence of Astor and his associates, who could easily have tided it over any period of depression.
 But the lynching bee revealed such chaotic conditions in the south at that time following as 1t did upon the heels of other incidents of like character, that the builders of Patona declared that they would not undertake to develop nor ad- where such conditions prevailed; so, like the proverbial Arabs. they folded their tents and silently stole away"
 Thus 1t was that Patona. the Alabama city conceived by millionaires. died in