The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-10-19
Imperial Wizard
Simmons Faints
Col. Simmons Exhausted by
Experience as Witness Be
fore Committee

Washington, Oct. l3.-Closing
an all day defense of the Ku KluN
Kian, William J. Simmons, it's inn
periaf wizard, toppled over in a
chair today while the chairman OF
the house committee investigating
the order was attempting to stop
the. applause which broke before
the crowd knew the wizard had
collapsed. Friends Of Mr.. Sim
mons rushed to his side and sup
pied stinaulants, but as it was evi-
dent that he was in no condition
TO continue the examination, the
hearing, filled with many dra-
matte incidents during the day,
was adjourned until tomorrow
Physicians later reported that Mr..
3 Simmons condition was not Sc
ricus.5
Bundled up about the chest,
Simmons returned to the afternoon
! session with unsteady feet and
voice hcarse but apparently eager
to- denounce what he characteriz-
ed as outrageous charges against
the organization he founded in
Georgia FIVE years, ago.
A solemn stiffness prevailed at
times while the wizard, holding
aloft the ritual Of the klan. read
partsof the oath taken by klans-
men. And then in husky tones he
told the committee that while Ju-
hus Caesar had his Brutus and
Washington his Benedict Arnold,
he, too, as Imperial wizard of the
Ku Klux, could enter that fellow
ship because he had suffered from
{ the reasonable conduct of those
within
this organization is unworthy
then Iet me know and 4 Will de-
stroy il" )" he exclaimed, "but if it
is not then let it stand
Turning to the crowd, Simmons
declared he wanted to "call upon
the Father TO forgive those who
had persecuted the Aan," and as
the words left his bps he3tumbled
into aheap.
The first dramatic incident Of
the day was the sudden appear
anee of Senator: Thomas E. Wat
son Of Georgia, who, edging his
way through the crowd, stepped
ss;fs, and seized the wizard >by the
hand. Whispering something he
tngned and sat down but a moment
later he was on, his feet demand
ing the right to question the wit
mess In the interest of Fair play"
Chairman Campbell broke in to
say. that the witness was getting
that, and that it was not liz line
with regular procedure TO permit
questions by outsiders.
Senator Watson insisted that he
had the right, first announcing,
s however, that he was NOT aak1ans-
man. although in sympathy with
its aims, and the chairman cut
through the eaIoquy by directing
the senator to proceed. The sena-
tor merely asked the wizarddf he
knew OF the big salaries being
voted by congress for shipping
board lawyers, reaching cas- high
s as s35, ,e00, which the people had
! TO pay: With thatSMr. Watson
left.
Through the testimony Of Mr..
Simmons the committee learned
that the total members Of the klan,
heraided as having passed the half
million mark, actually was around
10000. The witness declared that
Its growth East and West had been
8 greater than in the south but his
Illness prevented questioning de-
signed to bring out facts bearing
on some of the present strong
holds Of the organization. Asked
If he had not claimed "a million
4 membership Mr.. Simmons smil-
ing replied he might have done so,
but that he was speaking general
~, not by the card.
Representative Garrett Demo
craft of Tennessee took the wit
ness in hand to find out something
about its revenues and profits, ask
ing If the membership fees had
been listed as donations rather
than fees to prevent collection Of
federal corporation taxes. Sim
mons replied there was never a
thought Of that declaring that
( when the tax law first became eff
! fectiye he went to the revenue Of
fee ar Atlanta and was informed
that the khan did not come under
the law.
1T it does it is not my fault"
the wizard said, and il it is shown
we are liable we stand ready to
meet our obligations
Denying huge profits from the
sale Of robes, the witness. declar-
ed. that less than 80 per cent. Of
the klansmen owned regalia "Our
robes are not worn for the purpose
OF tesrorizing people," he shout
ed. They are as innocent as the
breast Of an angel"
The witness was pressed by
Chairman Campbell for an expla-
nation of the recent clash between
a sheriff and marching klansmen
near Waco, Texas, and while he
replied that his information was
based largely upon newspaper re-
ports, he added that the parade
had been authorized by the mayor,
and that the sheriff in attempting
to stop it, seemed under the in
fiuenee of liquor Simmons said
he had called for an official report
but that it had not been forth