The Washington herald., 1922-03-18
KLAN GIVES:
WEIRD SHOW
Ku Klux Parade Towns
In Virginia at Mid
night.
250 IN AUTOMOBILES
Populace Turns Out as
Strange Procession Mo-
tors Through.
25O IN AUTOMOBILES

The Ku Klux Klan invaded the
Old Dominion last night Two hun
dred and fifty strong, In forty-six
automobiles, the white-robed.
masked army traversed the prin-
cipal highways and some of the
by-ways of nearby Virginia. A bat
terry of movie camera men and
newspaper reporters acted as rear
guard.
Assembling from nowhere in par
ticular. the ghostlike Klansmen
started from a mysterious point
somewhere between the Washing
ton Country Club and the Chain
Bridge. Without warning they ap-
peared first in one part Of Ar
lington County, and a few minutes
later in another part miles away.
No one could trace their move
ments. No one knew whence they
came or where they were going
The line of march is. and will re-
main. a dark secret.
Viewed by Populace.
Residents OF Virginia only know
that the Klansmen were seen at
certain places. and that they disap-
peared quickly after entire COM
munities had turned out to see
them. 1t is rumored that in making
short cuts between the unusually
good highways of Arlington County
the white-robed army travelled
some outrageous roads.
Led by a flaming mystic cross.
mounted on a truck, the Klansmen n
passed silently through the county.
Every man was robed in white and
masked. Signs bearing the follow
ing inscriptions were carried by the
masked figures: We are for Law.
and Order" I'VE Were Here Yes
terday, We are Here Today, We
Will Be Here Tomorrow" Our Of
ficers Have Sworn to Do Their
Duty"
While the exact movement of the
Klansmen is not known, il is stated
with authority that they paraded
through Falls Church. Clarendon.
Cherrydale, Ballston and Rosslyn.
In each community they were greet
ed by practically the entire popu-
lace. which lined the streets in won
der at the midnight paraders. Hear
ing that the Ku Klux was in the
county. residents congregated on
the highways along which it was
thought the parade would pass.
VI Ol oil dStS So"
the unusual display.
At Cherrydale the Klansman were
held up by camera men, and several
hundred feet of Aim was made. with
the aid of flares and flashes the sur-
roundings were like day as the
Silent figures passed. Because OF
their masks, however, no one could
be recognized.
Disband- Quickly.
Among the onlookers were numer-
Gus children. One little girl, cling
ing excitedly to her mothers hand,
asked: Mama, are these the
cuckoos?" A masked figure stand
ing nearby, hearing the query,
laughed and turned to the little lady
and soon made friends with her, his
mask notwithstan nding.
The Klansmen were disbanded
after midnight at a lonely point on
a dark road. No one knows who
they are or where they went.
Last nights parade was to have
been held in Hyattsville. Due, how
ever. to protest of the citizens. the
permit was annuled and the Klans-
men selected Virginia instead. Coun-
ty officials stated last night that 1t
was not necessary for the Ku Klux
to procure a permit to parade in
Arlington County, there being no in
corporated towns in the county.
A large number of the paraders
came from Baltimore and small
towns adjacent to the District of
Columbia.