The Washington times., 1921-10-01
CHIEF
RELIGIOUS
F0RPR0F|T
FeiIow-Members Convict Clarke
at Church Trial Of Various
Rascalities.

ATLANTA. Oct. i,--I.yisg, aLsat-
.n9i laundering, extortion Of funds,
hypocrisy, and treachery-these are
some Of the violations of the moral
code imputed to Edward Young
Clarke, now Imperial Kleagle of the
Ku Klux Klan and one Of the domi-
nant figures in the national secret
order, when the congregation of his
church in Atlanta voted to expel him
from membership several years ago.
Expelled After Trial.
"Such a disgusting mixture of pro-
fessions and prayers and vanity and
ambition and fraud and injustice, that
some at. least find II impossible to
trust him or have any confidence in
any professions which he does or may
make" read one section OF the charges
against him upon which the congre-
CATION voted and drove him out of toe
church.
II was the First Congregational
Methodist Church Of Atlanta from
which Clarke was expelled, following
an open trial before the members OH
against him by the Rev. Rolfe Hunt.
pastor of the church, and committee
OF the members. DR.. Hunt now lives
in Enterprise, Miss.
C1arke's sensational expulsion from
the church followed a series of events
In which he gained unpleasant noto-
riety. He attempted almost the first
Of the series Of ventures in promo
ton and publicity, of which the great
est was his most recent gigantic ven
ture, that OF selling" the Ku klux
Khan to the United States.
Used Church In Schemes.
In the first he used religion and
loyalty to church to entice investors
into placing their money in his hands.
just as in the Ku Klux he has made
100 per cent Americanism" and re-
ligious and racial hatreds the basis
OF appeals for donations"
Court records and affldavits filed
in connection with bankruptcy, pro-
ceedings contain the story OF how
Clarke organized the Congregational
Methodist Publishing House, and
with the Rev. Rolfe Hunt. incor-
porated It on July /, 1907. with
capital stock of $4,000.
Stock in the concern was sold by
Clarke among members OF the church
and others, but within two years the
assets had disappeared and, on jan
uary "a, 1910, the company was
forced into involuntary bankruptcy.
Clarke had claimed assets of $751;
96S.05 for the company not long be-
fore II went to the wall.
In his final report. Harry Dodd,
trustee in bankruptcy appointed hy
the Federal District Court in Atlanta,
stated that the total value Of all as
sets, including money obtained by
disposal Of all property. was 81:
1885. Creditors were compensated
on basis of 2ls per cent Of their
claims and stockholders were left
out in the cold.
Deceived Directors.
The court records show not only
that Clarke used his inflated esti-
mate of the value Of the assets OF
the company to deceive the directors
as to the true condition OF the con.
Germ, but he used the same state
ment OF assets to induce investors
to purchase stock In the concern,
to the sale of stock which
was worthless and which he knew
was worthless as charged In at least
one affidavit filed in the bankruptcy
records.
The difference between the real
value OF his assets and the value ne
placed upon them js shown by ex.
cerpts from the records Of the bank.
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