The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-06
AGED GRAND CYCLOPS GIVES DETAILS OFT KLUKL UXKLANS WORK AFTER CIVIL WAR

the south claiming its purpose was to test the loyalty of the south. Finally it came to the place where any white man who spoke out for his people or who in any way shared his sympathy for them, could not safely go beyond his door after nightfall. His life was in danger, or he was likely to meet with bodily harm Thousands of people sat in their rooms at night, in state of darkness, with doors fastened and window blinds se- curely barred fearing the approach of wicked, incindary or cowardly assassians. There were times when the evildsoer got in his work even with this precaution. It is not possible to picture with the pen the living hell that existed through out the whole south. This was the begin ming of the end man will stand so much and no more The blood of the Confederate comrades were supposed to be crying out from the graves for their oppressed people and the terrible condi- tions then existing.
 RELIEF LIKE A GOD SEND
 Relief came. It was like a Godsend. It came in the organization of the Invis- ible Empire, better known as the Klu Klux Klan.
 Doubt still exists as to where the or ' have originated near Pulaski, Tenn. with Gen. N. B. Forrest of Confederate fame and the wizard of the saddle as the orig inator of the first Klan.
 One memorable night, in the minds of the southerner, the greatest feeling of re- lief came to these tired and suffering people and on the following morning just before the break of day, like unto the invisible falling of the dew, the whole southland, from the Potomac to the Rio Grande was covered by the Klan. The shrillness of the famous whistle was heard. The south was saved The Klan came as creature of necessity. This whistle, the terror of the wicked,
 was a small round whistle about an inch and half in length, and had a pea or gravel on the inside to give it the shrill- ness with a carrying force of easily a | quarter of a mile on a still day. l The organization of the Invisible Elm | pire was first formed into "dens' of ap- | proximately 100 members, frequently less. | The dens were commanded by captains, with headquarters in the ground and cemeteries of Confederate soldiers. The
 dens were organized into Klu Klux Klans under the command of a cyclops, with 1 headquarters in the moon. These klans were organized into grand Klu Klux di- visions, under the command of grand cyclops, with headquarters in the sun. 1 These grand divisions were organized l into Grand Invisible Empire, under tho 1 command of grand wizard (many be lieve to have been General Forrest, witt headquarters in the air, not to be seen l but to be felt This Grand Invisible Elm. | pire was supposed to have been composeo l of the spirits of those Nho had thf I cause of the south at heart and who fel upon battlefields in cause they firmly l believed to have been right.
 NO RECORDS PERMITTED l Memoranda and records of the organ 1 ization were not permitted. These mat l ters were secretly kept in the breasts o
 it's members Death would have been th' ! verdict to any member found with an. | rcords whatsoever The laws and regu 1 lations of the Klan were never written | solely in the hearts of it's members, ana ! were transmitted to true men, in all com ing generations, alone by tradition al
 never word was written. The grea principles of self preservation upon whicl 1 the Klan was founded are not dead, bu sleepeth and may be easily awakened any time
 The members themselves remained in l visible in the daytime, and were neve seen at night unless disguised. They sai' they were the spirits of Confederate sol ldiers who died upon the battleheids an' I had been permitted to return to tn south. the land of their nativity, to brin: l relief to their comrades. It is said 0 the Klan that many of the members wen Unto the cemeteries of the Confederat sol diers and dwelt there in the shades O night, that they might thereby be in spired to greater deeds for their coun try
 It is said tha the Klan, in its quee
 disguise, had much amusement on som of its rides, especially so with the col pred people and the uneducated whites Those seeing them did many unnatura things and wonderful ghost stories re
 suited from their appearance.
 The long white disguises of the mel
 were perfect The animals were dis
 guised, and where severe punishment
 were to be executed, the horses were sho l in falt esneciallv was this the case i