The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-03
GRAND JURY
WILL PROBE
TEXAS kLAN
Travis County Judge Calls
Them Masked
Cowards'.

Austin. Texas. Oct 3-United
e, Press s.)-The Travis county grand
jury which was empaneled today.
was charged by District Judge
James r. Hamilton, to make rigid
probes of the ku klux Klan in this
county.
This is the seccnd grand Jury to
be given such instruction by Judge
Hamilton. the other jury having
failed to unearth any facts in con-
neotion with the white robbed or
ganization.
LOrena Riot Brings Action.
A recent parade in Austin of the
Ku Klux Klan and the tarring and
feathering of J. d. Jeans in this
city last week, together with the
riot at Loreua Saturday night,
prompted Judge Hamilton to ask
for another investigation of the
Travis county and Austin contin-
gent of the ku Klux Klan.
I Judge Hamilton insists that such
organizations are clearly in viola
itio1 of the law, and he is determ-
ined TO go the limit of his authority
in breaking them up.
I Five Austin citizens within the
past As hours have received alleged
Ku Klux warnings and nuless in
terference is made by legally con-
stituted authorities, further trou-
ble will occur in the Texas capital,
it is feared.
Jurist Gets Threats.
Severe arraignment of the ku
Klux Klan and similar clandestine
orders was made by Judge Hamil-
ton in his charge. Prefacing it,
! Judge Hamilton read to the grand
jury two letters which had been re-
ceived from the ku Klux Klan, both
warning the recipients to mend
! their ways or leave town. One was
warning against stopping around
with bootleggers," and the other
gave warning against "bootlegg1ng
and wild women"
This court has received threats
of violence through anonymous let
ters," Judge Hamilton said in the
opening part of his charge. But if
] had been killed as many times as
/ criminals of this district have
threatened to take my life, there
would not be enough vacant lots in
the city cemetery to give me a de-
cent burial For 40 years l have
lived in the city of Austin and 1
hope to be rocked to sleep in her
arms and buried in her bosom.
Nothing but a mob of masked ply
sical towards, by death, can place
a paddock upon my lips or stop the
pulsation of my heart
| "UphOld Constitution.o
The grand jury was instructed to
uphold the constitution of the
United States, the constitution of
/ Texas, the penal code and the code
of criminal procedure of this state
and hold sacred the bill of rights
embodied in the federal and state
constitutions, for the purpose of
insuring and safeguarding the liber-
ties and rights of every man, wom-
an and child in the United States
regardless of creed, color or condi-
ton of life
The judge called attention to ac-
tivities of the ku Klux in various
parts of Texas and referred in
directly to the Lorena riot last Sat
urday night.
Khan Victims Improved.
Waco, Texas, Oct. 3.-United
Press. THE three men most SER
iously wounded in the clash be-
tween Ku Klux Klansmen and
county authorities at Lorena. near
here, Saturday night were report
ed slightly improved today and
their chances for recovery were
believed greatly improved.
The sheriff, Bob Buchanan, who
led the attempt to stop the Klan
parade and who was the first to
fall with a bullet in his shoulder.
was not being allowed to talk by
his physicians at the hospital here.
Members of the Klan could not
be found.
Any action that might be taken
viii depend on the investigation to
be made by the McLennon county
grand jury which was expected to
start within few days.
Town Defends "Knights.-
Deputy Sheriff NJ. Burton decIar-
ed this morning that nothing would
ne done until the grand jury met.
| he said that although two of the
| kiansmen were unmasked. he did
not know who they were. The
paraders, he declared, were mem
oers or some khan outside of Lo-
rena, as they drove away in auto
mobiles headed toward Waco. He
said that he believed one klansman
had been wounded.
The little town of Lorena today
was firmly behind the khan and a
committee of 300 citizens have ask
ed that complaints be filed against
the state officers who attempted to
stop the parade. 1t was declared
that the shooting was precipitated
when the officers attempted to take
the American flag away from the
klansmen who bore it at the head
OF the parade.
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