Arizona republican., 1922-06-09
He THOUGHT THE
XII kLUX CLUB Of
BUSINESS MEN
Co. Atty. Shepherd Tells
Bar Assn. He Signed APP
plication Card And Paid
Fee; Later Withdrew

he at one time DecdTle JellpOld ldIiIS
affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan. He
admitted signing an application card
and paying the military fee of $40. but
explained that he did this with the
understanding he was applying for
ness Mems association, and not the
Ku Klux Klan.
Later / found out that the busi-
ness mems association was the out
side mar for what is known as the
Ku Klux klan.' he said, so / de-
manded the application card and 1t
was returned to me-.
Attorney Shepherd said that be-
fore the ku KluX Khan was even
heard of in this, county. stranger
walked into his office and represent
ed that he was getting members for
the Anne ~ican Business Mems asso-
citation.
Hundred Pair of Eyes
Now, YOU men knows as we'll as
do that a man in politics is legit-
innate prey to every person chat comes
along,,' he continued in his talk be-
fore the Bar association. He began
talking to me and to get rid OF him
signed his card because | saw there
was nothing wrong in it, and 1T 1t
stood for what it said it did. I knew
it was correct thing. He told me
that instead of one pair OF eyes, thar
they had a hundred and that as
member wou d have a hundred pair
of eyes
Later on found out that thS
Business Mems association was the
outside name for what is known as
the Ku Klux Klan. | demanded my
application card back and got 1t. He
told me I could not have my $40 and
told him to keep it. / never knew
when the Klan was formed here. l
never signkd anything to bring about
the formation of t, and the man who
says that | ever had a hand in it or
encouraged any OF the outrages is a
damnabls liar"
Asked kIan Connection
Generous applause interrupted the
speaker at this point. His talk on the
subject was called forth by direct
question from J. I. B. Alexander
member OF the Bar association. ask
ing the county attorney whether he
had been or was now member of or
connected in any way with the ku
Klux Klan.
Referring to the trial OF J. y. Wal
Ter and Ills son, B. r. Waller. charged
with having participated i nthe whip
ping of Rollin Jones, which brought
out considerable evidence as to the
personnel of the ku klux Khan, At
torney Shepherd said:
Il stood here in this court room
the other day and got hung jury.
You can take me out and hang me
and draw and quarter me, but stand
for Americanism, and / stand for the
principles of this government as
have always stood. | want to say to
YOU that If it is disclosed before the
special grand jury who these men
were who did those whippings they
will be prosecuted just the same as
the men We're the other day in the
court room: and if you don't think
they We're prosecuted just ask them"
Previous to his talk a motion had
been put before the Bar association
by A. Henderson Stockton. recon-
mending that the county attorney ap-
point for his deputy or deputies to
assist in the grand jury investigation
such member or members OF the Bar
association as Judge r. c. Stanford
would designate. Partly in answer to
this motion Attorney Shepherd said:
The people have elected me TO OF
flee. They may have made a bad
choice when they elected a man who
was born in Missouri. but they didn't
elect a coward. stand upon the law.
| stand upon my rights and | will
hold this office until the people who
elected me remove me from it."
Gets Vote of Confidence
This declaration brought more ap-
plause from those present, and a mo-
ton from J. L. e. Alexander that it
be the sense of the meeting of the
Bar association that the explanation
given by Attorney Shepherd be con-
sidered satisfactory and that he be
accorded a vote of confidence. This
motion was carried, while the motion
made by Stockton concerning special
appointments was lost.
Several members of the Bar asso-
citation made forceful talks question
ing the ethics of Attorney Shepherd
in insisting upon conducting spe-
cial grand jury investigation of an
organization to which he had made
application for membership.
..Whi1, accepting the county at
torney's explanation concerning his
affiliation with the Ku klux Klan,
will the public, knowing that he
signed the application ana PAID IN
the military fee, have confidence in
the sincerity and thoroughness of his
activities in conducting the special
grand jury investigations" argued r.
c. Struckmeyer. and this point was
later reiterated by F. j. Hayes, who
declared:
Il cannot imagine it being ethical
for an attorney formerly affiliated
with the klan, to insist upon con-
ducting an investigation into its ac-
tivities.'2
Thomas w Nealon, president of the
Bar association, presided at the spe-
cial meeting. At the opening of the
session le announced the following
had been named for the executive
committee of the organization: ]. L.
r. Alexander, Frank o. Smith Floyd
Nj. Stahl. r. II. Hayes, Herman Lew
kowitz, r. Moore and M. j. Daugh :
erty; and for the grievance commit
tee: John L. Gust, Arthur Price and
Leon S. Jacobs.
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