Evening star., 1921-10-17
SIMMONS CLASHES
WITH CAMPBELL At
K. K. KHAN HEARING
Head of House Committee
Hot|y Resents Wizards
Words at Session.
DENIES SAYING COLLAPSE
OF WITNESS WAS "FAKE"
utterly Without Foundation" His
Reply to Charge, Which Also
Involves Attorney.

SPAJ w SAoA6Ss VAASA AAASo
Involves Attorney.
A sharp clash between William ].
Simmons. imperial wizard of the Ku
klux klan, and Chairman Campbell
the reopenfng today Of the wizards s
examination wren the Klan head
touched on the question of his ply
sical collapse last week.
Simmons declared that Assistant At
torney General Grim remarked at the
time: Damn such taking; I've been
expecting it all along"
II was also told" Simmons added,
that Mr.. Grim and Chairman Camp
bell had said it was cheap theatricals,
intended to create sympathy"
Denial by Chairman.
Chairman Campbell broke in with a
bang on the table:
If all tie rest of your statement is
as false as your statement as to me,
1t is utterly without foundation. The
conversation you mention did not oc-
cur. l made no such statement"
Representative Rodenberg, repub-
lican. Illinois, declared the witness
should not dignity such reports to in
suit the committee.
Mr.. Grim took hand.
Il have no reply" he said. Mr..
Campbelis reply covers it,
Representative Cpshaw. democrat,
Georgia. undertook to speak, but was
ordered to sit down.
Demand was made for the name of
newspaper correspondent who is
alleged to have said that members of
the committee looked upon the wiz
ards collapse as a fake.
Simmons could not give ii, but Rep
resentative Upshaw said it was the
correspondent of the New Orleans
Item. whose name he did not know.
Representative Pou, democrat,
North Carolina. insisted that the wiz
ard have fair play, and Campbell said
he was getting it.
Il heard comment in th.s room that
Mr.. Simmons collapse was stage play.
Anybody could see the witness was
ILL.," said Mr.. Pou.
In beginning his statement today
Simmons launched into an attack
against the New York World. declar-
ing that newspaper in publishing an
alleged expose of the Ku kluX had
never presented any evidence to sup
port its charge that lawless acts had
been committed by klansmen.
Seeing great circulation gains by a
rival. the wizard said. the Hearst
papers reached out for a part of it.
employing "a former klansman who
had been discharged by Edward Young
Clarke" head Of the ku KiuX publicity
bureau.
Everybody grinned when the wizard
declared the World was preparing to
have one of its representatives tarred
and feathered in an effort to make 1t
appear the crime was the work of the
ku KluX.
Asks Concrete Information.
Taking the wizard in hand for di-
rect examination. Chairman Campbell
announced he wanted some concrete
information-and short answers
The order was called the ku KluX
klan. Simmons said, "aS a memorial to
the men, north and south, who served
in the old wartime organization and
to perpetuate it's spiritual purposes"
Prior to 1920, he said, the member
ship was around 5000. Until June,
1920, the "order went slowly" he tes-
titled. collecting in that time about
$151.O0O, as indicated by exhibits,
which Simmons said were not exactly
correct.
Simmons was questioned at length
about financial operations. Beginning
last August, his salary was $1,000 d
month, he said, but the Grand Council
recently directed that he be paid
$4,000 year back salary, running
back for period Of five years.
Simmons said he had no personal
knowledge of the news letter sent out
confidentially announcing that the
chief of police of Norfolk, Va, was a
member.
Stating that the Norfolk chief had
denied membership. Mr.. Campbell
asked what the wizard thought of
sending out false information.
ITS unjust to the organization and
will be investigated" he said. eff any
trick has been put over on me. l eX-
pect to get at the bottom of it,"
The wizard said the report that
200 masked men who entered an Ok
lahoma church and announced to the
minister that he was not with them,
but that the order was with him,
three thousand strong" was a bit
unconventional" He said. however.
that he had no direct knowledge of
the alleged occurrence.
Our order stands for no act that
contravenes the law" he exclaimed.
Chairman Campbell said the main
he is reearded esnnd the
wizard as man of high ideals. We
asked the witness if he regarded it
as good policy to keep up masked
parades in view of the charge of
sixty overt acts against the organi-
zation:
These things have only been al
leged.' said the wizard.
Reverting later to the Norfolk chief,
Simmons said he did not know wheth-
er that officer was member.
simmons Sdlu ne ulO IlOt huOW tHdl
Clarke and Mrs. Tyler split profits
fifty-flfty. Representative Garrett.
democrat, Tennessee, said the news
letter about the chief showed on it's
face that Clarke undoubtedly has re-
.ceived information from Norfolk that
the chief had Joined.
Chairman Campbell wanted to know
if a revival of the old Ku klux name
and regalia was calculated to create
good feeling. even in the south.
yes" he replied.