The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1918-06-04
PARIS VISITED BY THE WHITE
SHEETED VIGILANTS,

Ii was like scene from THE Birth
of A Nation" or a chapter from 1.-THE
CIansman" Saturday night, when the
big crowd on the street rubbed their
eyes at the strange apparitions that
greeted them. In double file mount
ed steeds, clad in flowing white from
head to hoof and tail, with their rid
ers clad in the same ghostly colors,
peaked caps with only eye-holes be-
traying the physical presence under
meath, marched solemnly up the
street, followed by fifteen automo-
biles, all white-clad, their occupants
looking in their white vestments,
like inhabitants of another world. In
the rear seats of the last machine sat
a somber, black-clad figure, snuggled
up between the two white-clad hood
the arm several of the riders carried
rifles and shotguns, emblematic of
something likely to be doing" in
case of necessity.
Not a word was spoken as the
ghostly cavalcade stalked noiselessly
handbills, bearing the wording in
red ink:
NOTICE!
EVERYBODY MUST WORK!
Work means six days a week. No
loafng will be allowed here. No dis
loyal acts. No foolish acts tolerated.
Everybody must work.
this MEANS EVERYBODY"
The strange-appearing visitors ap-
parently came from nowhere and van
ished to the same airy place after
they had passed through Paris. Their
work apparently done, they simply
vanished, and no one on the crowded
streets was any wiser than when the
Khan first appeared. No violence was
attempted by the visitors, who seemed
grimly intent only on seeing that the
circulars they were spreading reached
everybodys hands. The effect was
at once visible. A hush fell on the
noisy crowds, as it became apparent
that the visit was a business one, and
no picnic Expressions of approval
welI-known characters who have
been living on nobody knows what
and how, took alarm, and skunk
away. No warning could have been
more effectively administered, and af-
ter the Khan had passed on their way
there was a general discussion among
those on the streets, in which it was
finally the opinion that everybody
had better find some work to do" 1t
was also the opinion among a major
ity of the people that the visitation
was the outcome of the agitation
among farm hands and other laborers
caused by developments in the case
of the three men who were tried yes
terday for conspiracy.
For some time there has seemed to
be a spirit of unrest among GER
tain element of the laboring class OF
colored people here, believed by many
to have been the secret work OF some
German propaganda. Government
agents working in conjunction with
the city and county authorities have
discovered evidence pointing to plot
to embarras farmers and others in Sc
curing labor for planting and har-
vesting their crops through making
labor scarce, and those who would
work demanding exhorbitant wages,
some of them as high as $500 per
day, and a guarantee that they would
be taken to and from their homes In
automobile trucks.
The effect of the night visit of the
Khan was very noticeable on the
streets yesterday and labor was will
ing to go to work on the farms at
reasonable wages rather than risk
something worse. Opinion differed
among many as to the wisdom OF the
display, some alleging that it was
wrong, but right or wrong, it has had
its effect and the labor situation, so
far as Bourbon county is concerned