Paragould soliphone. (Paragould, Ark.) 1918-1950, 1922-11-20
FORTY FARMERS ARRESTED IN
CONNECTION WITH TRAGEDY IN
GARLAND COUNTY OVER KHAN
Continued FROM Page one)

church of this city, was the prlncl-
pal speaker. The subject had been
largely law enforcement, until it
turned direct to the suppression Of
liquor and then so masked and
hooded Klansmen appeared at the
doorway of the Lonsdale church,
paraded to the altar, handed the
speaker note and passed out.
The note contained a warning to
liquor violators that their violation
of law would not be tolerated.
Marble township had learned of
that Lonsdale community meeting
and perhaps there were those who
! did not welcome the repetition of the
program in Marble township. At
any rate, there was a division OF
sentiment. Five automobiles loaded
with Klansmen from this city went
to hill point on the road about a
quarter of a mile from the Marble
township church, where the Rev.
Mr.. Coombs was to speak. They
parked their cars, stationed a watch
man or outer guard, and the klans-
men went to the church.
Guard Scents Trouble.
1t is said that soon after the Rev.
Mr.. Coombs had started his speech,
one of the Hot Springs Klansmen
had heard whisperings of probable
| ct c1inna6 TO
the rostrum, it is said, to inform
| the speaker that it might be well to
be little less emphatical in his
declarations, or at least to be care
full not to invite trouble from the
mountaineers. The minister probab-
| ly resented the temper of Marble
township. AZ any rate, trouble did
follow later.
| AT the conclusion of the meeting
the Klansmen walked through the
dark wood to their outer guard and
their cars. They did not hurry,
nothing had indicated the yelled
threats would be carried out. Then.
as if a spark had been touched off,
there were shots from the dark OF
the wooded slant of the hill. The
shot rained and poured. There
may have been 60 to 80, or less, &C
cording to the tension Of the moment
on the part of the guesser.
The Klansmen drew off up the
hill, to try 10 seek shelter from
their ambushed enemy. 1t seemed
at first that the enemy was moving
forward, too, and that they would
be pursued. The outer guard, who
had been watching the cars, had
built a fire of pine knots near the
road This fire had burned bright
ly, and still was burning. The am
bushing enemy seemed to draw to-
ward the road until realization
came that it's safety in darkness was
being lessened, and then there was
scurry back into the woods and
the ambushers were gone. High ex-
citement prevailed.
The Klansmen gathered their dy-
ing brother into a car and started
hurriedly to the city. The wound
ed Klansman, Newkirk, also was
given help. Howell did not live to
reach the city 1t was early Thurs
day morning when the Klansmen
reached here. They had lost some
time in securing the woods for
IJnoo hGo111
They searched the dark woods and
called, but there was no response.
Marble township had won its
first round, but its victory was short
lived.
Posse Pursues Ambushers.
Perhaps 100 Klansmen before
daylight had armed themselves with
rifles. shotguns and pistols, and
were hurrying to reach the summit
of Cedar mountain, near the Marble
community, so they could soar down
at the break of day and make a
cleanup. An hour later, or "by
SUM-" as they say in the country,
80 Marble township citizens, most
of them youths, were huddled about
large pine knot fire. The Klans-
men had built that fire, and were
guarding it, and those about it.
Officers and Klansmen secured the
countryside, and brought in every
suspect. When perhaps 80 had been
herdcd in who might be either guilty
or know something of value to the
prosecution that is to follow, the
chase was ended. One young coun-
tryman, Ed Wilson, was approached
at his home He ran. The Klans-
men, now all officers, because by
this time they were following the
directions and leadership of Sheriff
Downen, called on the young man
to halt. He did not do so. Then
a shot was fired. Another shot
Then another, each getting close tc
his fleeing feet. That last one
convinced him and he stopped, UNI
wounded He was one of the first
to "crack' under the police investi-
1 cation that followed. He denied