Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-01-13
Butler County Mans Trial Be-
gins at Bowling Green,
Kentucky.
RAID DETAILS RECOUNTED
Jenkins Brothers Testify as to
The Night Rider Bands
Organization.

Bowling Green, KY, Jan. ~
Both sides announced ready in the
Warren Circuit Court in the case of
the Commonwealth against George
.Sweezer, As, of Huntsville, Butler
county, charged with being a MEM
Der of band of men who, it is al
legged, went to the home of Jim Ray,
colored, 80, at Rochester, Butler
county, on Sunday morning, Novem-
Der 8, 1914, and whipped him. The
jury was selected and the case was
stated to the Jury by the attorneys on
both sides at 100 o'clock Ray was
put on the stand and said that he was
awakened about $3.50 o'clock on the
morning of the alleged whipping, by
between 175 and 1870 men coming up
on his porch and throwing half tie
against the door. He said the door
was opened and the men came into
his room with shotguns and flash
lights. They placed a shotgun in his
face, he testified, and two caught hold
of him, when several said: Blind
fold that negro"
He was taken in his nightclothes
and bare feet about 425 steps up the
road near Rochester, where he was
tied to a telephone pole, he testified.
He said Reno Nichols, colOred, pull
ed up his nightclothes and the mer
began whipping him with strap fou
Inches wide until the blood came. He
declared the men accused him witt
having improper relations with
white woman.
81 am innocent" he declared, 'anc
before tell lie on a white lady
will die here.
He said afterwards he was severe
ly whipped. From the effect OF the
fogging he testified that he did not
recover for four or five months. Ray
said he recognized a number of men
in the band.
Silas jenkins testified that he join
ed an order called "The Amalgamat
ed Workers of the World in August
1914, at Union Grove schoolhouse il
Butler county. He said in the frs
organization members were led to be
! lieve it was formed for the farmers
and poor people and against the rich
| Afterward people from Muhlenburl
county met with them and introduced
what the witness called pistols, knives
and halters, the witness said.
T These latter meetings were no
p held in the schoolhouse where the or
ganization was born, he said, but in
: grove. The applicant for member
+ ship, ne testified, was made to knee
in front OF an altar erected with pts
tolls, upon which was placed leathe
= strap, switches and a halter. Kneelinl
: in this position the candidate took tn,
, oath, he said, and was told that tn,
; switches and leather strap were to b'
p used by themembers of the order il
their work Of regulation on the out
t side, but that the pistol and halte
were for use on the INSIDE, that is
upon the members. Members, h,
= said, were pledged to come at tn
call of the president whether day o
night, and to obey implicitly all ord
, ers issued by him.
, Pres B. Jenkins, who was convict
ed in the Warren Circuit Court il
April, 1915, charged with whipping
the Webster family near Huntsville
Butler county, was put on the stan'
and declared that he is president O
the organization. He admitted beini
in three raids, at which times Jir
Ray, the Websters and Hub Mile
} were whipped, and testified tina
Sweezer was a member Of the part
. that whipped Ray.
The commonwealth finished its ties
, ltimony at O'Clock and the defens
4 began its testimony today.