The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-29
Ku Klux Speaker
in Charleston
Col. j. q. Nolan Asserted
That He Came Only to Ex-
plain What the Klan Is

Charleston. NOV. Zo.-COt. j. u.
Nolan. "a representative of the Ku
klux Klan. from Atlanta. address
ed a capacity audience at the Ar
tillery Hall last evening. He
styled himself as the national lee
turer of the. .Klan;. and introduced
himself to the audience. saying that
he represented a secret order ana
that for a fellow Klansman to in
him would identify the lat
ter as a member of the order. He
stated that he was a personal rep
resentative of William Joseph Sim
mons of Atlanta, the Imperial Wiz
ard ofethe Knights Of the Ku Kiux
Klan.S
There was disappointment that
Mr.. Theodore d. Jervey was not
given permission by Col. Nolan to
reply to his Klan address. Mr..
Jervey's position, as set forth in
his advertisement in The News and
Courier of yesterday attracted
much attention in the community.
Mr.. Jervey attend I'd the meeting
last night He made this state
nent yesterday afternoon:
-sAt about 3 p.. m. was rung
up at my residence by Col. Nolan,
advertised TO speak at Artillery
Hall on Thursday at 8 8p. m. He
said he had seen my advertisements
asking him if I could speak at the
meeting and that as, he would
speak for about an hour and
twenty minutes, he did not think
1 should reply to him; but he was
willing to have me speak before
him: This / told him I had not
requested permission for: but had
requested the unknown head of the
organization here, to permit me to
reply; but that i had no idea of
thrusting myself on the meeting
and if it did not suit I was per
fectly satisfied. He said there was
10 head here, that he had come
simply to explain the purpose Of
the Ku Kl1lx and. if I followed him
that I might say something he
would like to reply to and that
would make the meeting too long.
I said that that waa perfectly sat
isfactory to me and if it was not
suitable for me to reply ] would
attend and hear his speech; that
Charleston was too, bospitable a
place to interfere in any way with
the privilege of a speaker to run
his meeting the way it suited him.
It was his meeting and I accepted
his reasons for not having me re-
ply: but did not think there was
any impropriety in requesting the
reply which I understood him to
agree with me and with some
pleasant remarks the matt e.y
ended"
Col. Nolan gave as his reason for
not permitting Mr.. Theo. D. Jervey,
who, IN an advertisement. in .Fhe
News and Courier yesterday morn
ing, addressed to the unknown To-
cal head Of the Ku Kux sk1an,
asked permission to- oerep1y to Mr..
Nolan, that he had quite a lot to
say to the audience and that if Mr..
Jervey replied he would be forced
to. make, replies to the words :ot
Mr.. Jeryey and that this would
take entirely too much time. He
said that he talked to Mr.. Jervey
over the telephone during the day
(stating5 that he had called at the
formers Office to see him and
failed to frd him in) and offered
to allow him to precede him, but
that Mr.. Jervey had declined this
offer. 5.
The meeting was, for the most
part, orderly. with the exception o1
several periods during which ques.
tions We're alurled from the audi
ence at the speaker. none Of which
he answered directly. to those ask
ing the questions. During these
brief periods, one of which threat
ened to become; boisterous, but was
Immediately quieted following the
removal from the hall Of "a mar
who apparently was the center OF
the storm, such questions as Wha
is the Ku KluN?'' why do YOU
wear masks pr and Tell Us wha
you are?" came from male mem.
bers of the assemblage.e Most o:
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