Norwich bulletin., 1921-10-03
Posse Fired 0n Ku
 kIux Kan Parade
At Lorena, Tex.-Ten Men Were Wounded Including Sheriff Three Perhaps Fa- tally.

tally. { ....A
 Waco, rex, c.2-County Attorney F. B. Tierey here late today refused the demand of a committee of one hundred prominent Lorena citizens that he file complaints against Sheriff Bob Buchan- an and Deputy Sheriff Burton in connec- tion with last nights fight at Lorena be- tween parading Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and sheriff's posse, in which ten men were wounded, three perhaps fatally.
 The county attorney declared that the grand jury here would be called to inves- tigate the incident and that pending it's action he would take no steps in the mat ter beyond an investigation by his de- partment for evidence for submission to the grand jury.
 J. D. Willis, local attorney acting as spokesman for the Lorena delegation, charged that the sheriff and his deputies precipitated "promiscuous shooting and cutting affray which endangered the lives of Lorena men, women and children Following the meeting with the county attorney, the Lorena citizens drew up a resolution, signed by 200 additional Lo- rena citizens.
 Tn order Chat the world may 1 desire to make public the following statement:
 T We do not believe that the mem bers of the Ku Klux Klan who staged parade violated any law or that they had any intention of violating any law.
 "2 We attempted to prevail upon the sheriff of this county and his deputies 1 through the medium of dozens of repre- sentative citizens to permit the parade to be held guaranteeing that it would be law abiding and orderly.
 ''3 We induced the leaders of the parade to accede to the sherifs demands that two of the paraders should be un- masked.
 A. We implored the sheriff not to jeopardize the lives of our women and children.
 ''5. We unequivocally place the blame for the shedding of blood on the sheriff.
 "6. We admire and we honor the spir- it of the individual that kept the Ameri- can flag from being trampled to the earth l v. We conclude by affirming our be- lief in the preservation of America for Americans and by offering tribute to the little band of men who last night show ed by their calm and determined action that their lives supported this principle" ,"
 The third statement in the above res olution repudiates the assertion of Sheriff Buchanan last night when brought to a hospital here to the effect that the masked men would not unmask.
 Physicians attending Sheriff Bunchan- an would not permit him to be question ed, in. view of his serious condition He did not make formal statement last night.
 The fight took place when Sheriff Blu | pban9O win DaDntipS : attempted to disperse the marching Klansmen who were masked and robed
 after, according to the sheriff, they ha( refused to divulge their identity H. had agreed to permit them to parade, ht said, if they would allow him to identify those participating.
 After conference with two maske,
 leaders at house on the outskirts O a town where he tried to pursuade th U Klansmen to desist from violating wha I he interpreted as the law against un known masked men marching in a pub = lie demonstration, the sheriff declare . there would be no parade, according t : witnesses
 Immediately afterward, the throng o f raore than 5000 people gathered to vii l. ness the parade saw the column of whit IS clad figures begin their march towar
 
 l. Waco.
 y As the marchers advanced, cheers fror if the crowds which lined the road greete
 them. l. When the leader of the column bearin
 an American flag reached point bloc g from the main business street of the tow d Sheriff Buchanan followed by his tw II deputies and a crowd of curious specta l. ors halted the standard bearer and gral ts pied with him in an attempt to snatc s the mask from his face. in Other marchers then came to the a 5e sistance of their leader and in the mel, II which followed the sheriff was knocke k down.
 A single pistol shot was heard and ; le the sheriff fought hIs way to his feet, fl ce teen or twenty more shots were fired Fl rapid succession.
 Id Unsheathing his knife after he w It heard to exclaim:
 e Somebody got my gun while I WI ei et down." Sheriff Buchanan quickly clear, 'AA a space around him but soon after he w ox seen to totter and fall. -Robed figur T then picked up the national emblem al Il the flag of their organization and wi this as their signal, the marchers quick tb formed into line and marched off, lat of disappearing as phantoms in darkness. n- Several bystanders who seized and he c- Deputy Burton early in the fight, aid re Sheriff Buchanan to his feet
 All of the wounded except Sheriff R ha chanan were reported to have been UT nocent bystanders and today could gi ss no information as to their assailants.