The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-07-02
Story Of the Ku Klux Khan
WAR oNFAMoUS ORGANIZATION ENDED, AND EASTERN
KENTUCKY FEELS SAFER

The Whitesburg, KY, company of
state militia has been mustered out.
The members considered the work
for which this company was organ
ized had been completed, they failed
to meet regularly to drill. The state
authorities considered their work
we'll and permanently done, The
company, when it was mustered out
recently, was composed Of sons and
relatives of men who were the origt-
nal members.
That is the way news item might
be written. Ordinarily. the local
newspaper OF a town that boasts OF
a company of militia, would add to
this item the names Of the men. The
metropolitan newspapers of a state
In which company of militia is dis
banded would use bare mention OF
the fact if the item did not get lost.
But the Whitesburg company did
work chat is nationally famous.
The fact that it has been muster
ed, out means volumes to those who
reside in eastern Kentucky.
To those who once resided in east
ern Kentucky, many of whom will
never dare return. it recalls deeds
that are never discussed except far
away frGn the scenes. To many Of
the exiles, the news mean that posi-
bly, they can return, perhaps to fight
again.
For the Goals of hate are smolder-
ing in the mountains OF eastern Ken
lucky.
To many, the fact that the com
pany recently was composed mostly
of sons and relatives of the original
members would be significant That
in itself shows the spirit of the Ken
lucky mountaineer-''S Sons and Rela-
tlves." 1t is the feud spirit that will
last at least through the present gen
Grafton.
The Whitesburg Company of the
eKntuck mountain history, was
organized to exterminate band
Of Ku Klux Khan, which was
terrorizing Letcher and adjoin-
ing counties, and whose infu-
ence was growing constantly The
Whitesburg company Immediately
began waging a conflict similar to the
United States punitive expedition
into Mexico. That Is why only sons
and relatives belonged to the com
pany in 1916.
The deed that caused the forma-
ton of the company was the assassi-
nation of twelve persons-men, wom-
en- and children-as they rode in a
wagon along lonely mountain trail
near Whitesburg,
This aroused all Eastern Kentucky
and the company of militia was I'M
mediately formed.
In the same county, but not con-
nected with killing Rock" as the
bowlder has been known since the
massacre, is a cemetery containing
thirty graves. Twenty-Five Of those
buried were murdered, it is stated
by people who live in the county.
Beginning now on the feuds Of the
Kentucky mountains, and especially
the Ku Klux Khan, 1t can be said in
the outset that in every county in
that vast region can recite Of das-
tardly crimes and assassinatiOns OF
the Bloody K. X. K, as 1t is often
termed. Breathitt County saw its eX-
citing days during the CoCkrell-
Hargis feud 1t has also been af-
fected with more or less Ku Klux
Khan depredations.
Pike county on the east saw its
Hatfeld-McCoy feud waged with
deathly fervor for the ten long years
of its reign. The Hatfield-MCCoy
feud has been halted indefinitely, but
there are yet sympathizers in both
factions that delight in relatings Of
doing of each other with burn
ing hatred that may one day termt-
nate in something desperate to the
peace and quietude of Pike County.
Pike county has also been the hot
bed" of action for many Ku Klux
Khan depredations.
Perry county, on the south, wit
messed its dark days of terror dur
ing the fifteen long years of the
French-Eversole feud-the war that
entirely extermlnated both factions
of the feud-and, as has been said,
Dead men tell no tales"
Fifty persons we're killed, while
every effort to suppress the lawless-
ness rampant during the terrible on
slaught was without avail. The last
victim was Judge Josiah Combs, past
20, assassinated as he sat at his sup
per table in his home in the town of
Hazard, enjoying his supper meal.
Some years later there was an oc-
casional outbreak of the Ku Klux
Khan in Perry county and number
Of innocent, helpless women were
mistreated Then the lawbreakers
dispersed" into Bloody Breathitt
County. Harlan county, on the
southeast, has had a feud-the How