Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-14
kU KLUX LEADER PUTS
NUMBERS AT 10000
Membership Is Ear Below
Figures Generally Credited
to Order.
hE IS NOT tctni:IiE,u
>smm"ns denies ns ..tbSurd tntruth"
. Rrport Tint 1irS. 1!:rr l. "iio>s-
"f Organization.
LNy Ass,rLnl.l i,rcns-

BN Associated Press
Nv NAsl!iNGTON. oct. l3.-t,!oS!uE an
al!-day defense OF Tho Ku Kltix Khan.
William j. simmons. it's imperial wiz
ard, iopplei over Sin chair today
while the chairman or House Com
mituc Investigating ihn order was
Alternating to stop tho applause which
broke before the cr1yd knew the viz
ard had collapsed
Friends or Mr. simmons rushed to
his side and supplied stlmuiants. bu,
AZ 1t was cvidcn, that he WAS in no
condition TO continue the cxamlna.
Ton. the hearing. nlled VITA many
tfa'natlo Incidents during the day.
was adjourned until tomorrow.
fhys'csans later reported that MIR.
simmons condition vas not serious.
BUNDLED up about the chest. SIM
mons returned to th" afternoon Scs-
sion unsteady pf feet. his voice hoa-,e.
hut apparently eager 20 d.nouncc
what lie characterized AZ outrageous
charges aea!nst the orSan!zaiion he
founded in Georgia I'VE years ago.
Reads kiansmrn's Onth In pnr,.
y solemn stiffness prevailed at
times while the wizard. holdins alof,
the ritual ~ tho iinn. read part OF
the oath by Klansmon and then in
husky tones he told tnn hGmnliitcc
That while Julhis Ceasar hUa ;is- Bru-
ins and Washington HIS Rcnedict
Arnold, he. too. as imperial wizard OF
the ku klnN, could onter that .cl-
lowship because he had suffered from
the treasonnble conduct of those
within.
'lf this Organization is unworthy
then let me know and w:il destroy
IT," he exclaimed. but Il 1t is not.
then let it STAND -
Turning to the crowd simmons dc,
ciarcd he wantcl 10 "call upon rae
Father to forgive those VINO had
.rrrsecr'"d The K an" ndlas thc words
loft his lips he tuinplcd into a heap.
Watson Clasps .Wixardi. IInnd.
The first drpmatic Incident OF the
day was tho sudden appearances OF
Senator Thomas T.. Watson. %: Gcor-
gia. who. rdgins his way ,hrough the
crowd. stepped up ana seized thr-w!Z-
ard by the hand. Whispering some
,,hing, he turned and sat down. but a
moment later he was on his feet de-
''''''t ~A'' '~bi Ap question tnH
witness ir ''lhc interest OF, fair piay.'
chairmsn C,nAbcn broke in TO
say that the witness was getting that.
and that /, was not in line with rcgu-
lar procedure Ia permit questions by
outsiders.
Senator Watson insisted ,aa, he
had the right, first announcing. how
oyer. that he was not "a klansman.
although in syippathy with it's aims.
and the chairman cut through the
ronoqucy by directing; tho SerAlor 10
proceed. The Senator merely Mixed
the wizard IL h. knew OF the big
salaries being voted by Congress for
Shipping l:pard lawyers, reaching as
high MS $4,000. which the people
had To pay. With that Mr.. Watson
left.
Membership Hut O3.cG0.
Through the testimony OF Mr..
Simmons. the committee learned thar
the total membership or the, khan.
heraldcd as having passed. the half
million mark, actually was around
10000. The witness declared that it's
growth East ami Wes, had been
greater than in the South. hut his
illness prevented questioning de-
signed To bring out facts bearing on
some of the present strongholds OF
the organization. Asked ii he had
not claimed "a million membership"
Mr.. Simmons smilingly replied he
was speaking generally, not by the
scard.
Representative Garrett Democrat,
Tennessee. took the witness In hand
to find out something about its rev
ohues and profits. asking if member
ship fees had been listed as dona-
tons rather than fees to prevent
collection of Federal corporation
taxes. Simmons replied there was
never thought of that. declaring
mat when the tax law frst became
eHcctiVe. he>wcnt to thu revenue. Of
nee NJ atlanta and was informed thar
''' I'm . uiu not come under the law.
Ready to Meet Obligations.
IF 1t does II is not nv fault" the
/. wizard said, and If IL is shown, we
2are liable We stand ready to meet
our obligations.s
Denying huge profits from the sale
or robes, the witness dcclareu ma;
less than 80 per cent OF the EI,ns
men owned rcgalia.
(; our robes are not worn for lh,,
purpose OF terrorizins people, he
shouted: they are as innocent as tho
breath of all angel"
The witness was pressed by Chair
man Campbeii for an explanation OF
the recent clash between, ssbcrin
and marching klansmen neur Waco
TeSas, and, while he replied TINT his
Information was based largely upon
Newspaper reports 'he added that the
parade had been authorized by the
Mayor. and that tho shcriff, In M.
teMpting 20 stop 1T seemed unde,
tcsntinued on iPT15 =, Col, 1;5 - -