The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-18
PROPOSED PROBE
 OF'NU KLUX KHAN
 NOT ID BE HELD
House Rules Committee Votes Unanimously Not to Call Any More
 Witnesses
Ny Associated Prn.s

Washington, October 1.-The pro- posed investigation of the Ku Klux Klan by Congress blew up today.
 After tom minute session behind closed doors. the House rules commit tee. which at morning and afternoon sessions put William J. simmons, the klan's imperial wizard. through a rigid examination, voted unanimously not to call any more witnesses at this time
 Announcement of the committee's action was made by Chairman Camp bell, and while the chairman and members refused later to make any comment beyond the bare statement as to witnesses, 1t is expected that an adverse report will be submitted to the House on number of resolu- tions providing for an investigation. Final action, however, will not be taken until several absent members return to Washington. but House members accepted 1t as settled that they were done with the Ku Klux, unless the department of justice. com ducting an inquiry of its own, comes forward with unexpected evidence.
 still showing the effects of his iiI- ness the Imperial wizards voice weakened as he sat all day answering a whirlwind of questions. As on pre- vious days he entered a categorical denial of charges of lawlessness by the klan and reiterated that the total membership of the organization was slightly under 100000.
 Excitement at Stsrt There was an exciting moment at the outset, when Simmons. dramat- ically declared that according to in- formation given him by Representa- tive Upshaw Of Georgia man who 1 was supposed to have been present stated that Chairman Campbell and Assistant Attorney General Grim had ] characterized his collapse last week as "a cheap theatrical attempt to gain sympathy"
 l Quick as 8 flash Chairman Camp bell declared there was not a word i of truth in if. Mir. Grim. jumping to his feet In the confusion. declared the chairman's answer went for \ him and the wizard. still smiling, | said he was glad to know it.
 As he left the stand Mfr. Simmons, apparently with deep feeling, said 1 that he wanted to thank the com
 mittee for It's consideration and courtesy. | Reference to the daily presence of 1 the assistant attorney general and the one day stay of William J. Burns, di-
 rector of the department of justice
 bureau of investigation, was made by Representative Pou, democrat, North Carolina, while he was exam l ing the wizard. Asked if he had been | intimidated by the presence of MT.
 Burns, whom he characterized as the | Sherlock Holmes of the United States" Mir Simmons said he had not, and that he had faithfully tried to give the committee all the infor- nation 1t was seeking. MT. Pou as- 1 serted it was tho first time in his 2l l years of service that the department of justice had sent representatives to listen in" on the rules committee. Black Sheep -Ousted
 In rounding up what he termed
 the good point of the organization
 MT. Simmons said that the military -tbranch' was not any more militarlst
 than the patrol of the Mystic Shrine;
 that members Joining were required to help enforce the nations laws only as citizens and that when black
 sheep crept in they were Kicked out, if found.
 Mir. simmons had no personal in- formation as to whether the chief of police of Norfolk, Va. was a mem- Der. he said. adding that while there
 was no printed roster of members on file at Atlanta, headquarters. each
 klan or lodge kept list of it's own There was no rule, he said. prohib-
 iting publication of membership lists.
 Getting down to the personal side
 MT. Pou asked the wizard how much
 he was worth, and MT. Simmons re- piled that all of his savings had been
 spent during the early fight to put the kIan on its feet.
 q have no financial standing' he said. T have had no pocketbook of
 my own these past six years and God being my witness, have tried
 to steer this organization clear away from commercialism."
 Simmons, answering Chairman Campbell denied he had claimed a
 membership of hundreds of thou
 sands who would go after Congress hitting 1t hip and thigh, if 1t at tempted to crush the klan. He aske Congress to go ahead and in- vestigate.
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