The New York herald., 1921-08-30
XII KLUX IS BLAMED
FOR TEXAS CRIMES;
50 VICTIMS ON LIST
Several Women Are Among
Those Tarred. Feathered
and Badly Beaten.
ANTS ORGANIZE ALSO
Klan Denies Outrages and
Charges Them to Law
less Posing as Members.
100000 NOW IN SOCIETY
Two-thirds Of Members Are
Said to Live North Of Ma
son and Dixon Line.
NOW IN SOCIETY

Speciol Despatch 10 TIE NEW SoRK HERALD.
P'oRr WORTH. Aug. a9.-With ap-
proximately fifty persons victims OF
ku klux Klan operations, or Of groups
Of men taken for Klansmen: with the
formation OF anti-I<lan organizations:
with several Judges calling for Grand
Jury Investigations; with the Khan
denying responsibility for the most
violent OF the puntshments and fire.
quently donating cash TO destitute
families, and lastly with Gov. Nef sug-
sesting to the Legislature that il pass
a law to break up tar and feather
parties" the ku Klux Klan has de-
veloped into big issue in Texas.
There has been a steady increase in
this lawlessness since the New YORK
HERALD described the situation several
weeks ago.
There is no question now that the
Ku kiux Khan is well organized in
Texas and that it has thousands Of
members in the larger cities. where
parades in full klan regalia have been
held.
Whether law passed BY the Legisla-
Khan can be made effective is doubtful
question. Already there are plenty of
laws on the statute books that tar par
ties might be charged with violating. 1t
IL one thing to enact law and another
TO arrest the men and prosecute them.
The klan operates in all secretiveness.
Collecting evidence against Its members
would be difficult The only witnesses
10 attacks by masked groups are It's
members themselves and the victim. The
victim is not able to identify any OF the
sssallants, as they are completely
masked and the members are mum.
which leaves officers, Grand Jury and
court little 10 work upon.
Two Parties Held TO Account.
Except In two instances there has been
no prosecution Of klansmen nor OF any
other set OF men who punished evil
doers. while In several towns where
klansmen dealt vigorously with men
VINO could not be reached by law there
was public approval. But early in JulG
when party of Waco men seized,
tarred and feathered X. Cummings. -four
men were arrested By police while IN the
nct of Furnishing the victim and tnreo
were held In 81 900 bond each. Al the
preliminary hearing these men were
cheered and prominent citizens went on
their bond including s. r. Brooks. PRES
ldent OF Raylor University.
At Ma.ador Six men were fined for
flosg,ng a citizen.
Recently when District Judge II. b.
Terrell OF Fort Worth was charging his
Grand Jury he criticised tho work Of the
kian but at the same time told Jurors
that failure 10 enforce the laws and
laxities OF the courts ana luries were
responsible for The Klan's operations.
The Klan was subjected to the sever
est denunciation by District Judge G. w.
Robinson OF Houston. who. in charging
his Grand Jury TO investigate all phases
OF lawlessness said:
I'VE are facing condition versing
on anarcny worse than Russia ever felt.
The practice or sel1ing men without
giving them n fnir trial and sublecting
Them 10 indiri.itles is 2 damna BILE. cow
ardly procedure. II we want tar and
feathers az punishment for crime we
should write ii IN our statutes. a mark
IS not necessary 20 show that a man
Is a true American"
Most Members in Worth.
Organization OF the Ku XIII. Kan Il
no. restricted 10 the South. In fact. an
official or the Klan has announced that
Of Tho G00.Oy0 mcmbers 401.ool live north
OF the MaSen ard Dixon line. Ten or
the largest cities in Kansas have or
aen.2sd chapters recently.
Hecause OF the frequent opera tians of
-. t,n Lac 4.
This State has become the centre Of .
firht for and ageiast the klan. In re-
construction days The Elan had az i:s
object the continuance OF white ST.
prenaacv In the South and worked
against both the negro eylldoer and the
etbagger with good effect. The rc-
vivcd order not only seeks white SO
premacy but goes further in advocut-
ing "one hundred per cent Amerian-
isin punishment and orsting or the
bootlecgor. gambler a0d moral psryert
snnctlty OF the American homo. protec-
ficn or women nnd children. rerp'trai
rule political and social OF native born
White Am sri-an~" In Khan parade
banners bearing these tencts have been
carried. along With the American fog
and The flaming cross--thc crcss which
was carried hy the hlansmen holf cen
tGr,- ago.
There II no question thot many nave
token advantage OF the Ku Klpx Khan
10 send threatening letters to individuals
warning them TO leave town. Most Of
those on investigate have been found 70
be spurious. "a tho Khan uses TT own
lstterhend and insignia In such work.
However many have received . sc5rc,
believing the Klan vns after them. Tho
Elau sends all of It's communications by
mcsscrrcr while most or the thrcn ten
in, letters were scrt through the mails.
Judge Dcdcs Anti-kIansmcn.
Some or the anti-Klan orgnriza.io
IN Texas have sent similar warnings TO
kl,rsmcn. or men whom they thought
were Klansmen. ordering them 70 leave
tovr. among them being Erwin !. Clark.
former District Judge of Waco, who
the "antis" said was a rslan leader.
However. clark denies that he is even q
member OF tho klan and has refused TO
budre." TO use his own words.
Gov. Ncff. IN speech before the Aus
Continued on Strtssrth pags