The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-12-09
KU KLUX PARADE
AND CEREMONIES
Monster Demonstration Success
fully Carried Out Thurs
day Night.

Into a lane. fenced Off by paling
of packed humanity. six hoode,
horsemen rode at the head of the XII
Klux- Khan parade here Thursda.
night through the downtown dis
tricts and out to the municipal play
ground. What is probably the mos
correct count taken Of the masked
marchers is given at 301.
In solemn silence that added t.
the eeriness and impressiveness oi
the ghostlyA garbed throng, the
mute-mouthed marchers a-foot fol
lowed the slow, sedate pace set by
the six on the shrouded horses. A
hush of absolute stiffness settled ov-
er the crowd Of spectators as the
head of the white-robed parade pass
ed. 1t was as though each specta-
tor held his or her breath for mo-
ment or maybe two. Then, as the
tension gradually lessened, whis-
per here, a murmur there, with
occasional muffled applause, told
of the realization by the crowd
that no harm was to be feared from
this body of silent men.
Banners borne by the marchers
carried such legends as Freedom of
Press; "Freedon of Speech; Sep
aration of Church and State"; bet
ter Schools; white Supremacy
etc. Each banner was greeted with
more or less applause; in some pla-
ces along the line hand-clapping was
timid and short-lived; at other plac-
ces it was hearty and prolonged.
One hooded figure on horseback
caused any amount of speculation
and surmise on account of the differ
ent color of his robe, which was a
rich red, and seemed to be of silk
or satin. 1t was surmised that the
wearer of this robe is high official
in the realms of the Klan. A negro,
in discussing this odd colored robe.
said it meant blood"-a comment
that caused many of his colored bre-
thren to show greater expanse Of
white around their eyes.
Following the downtown parade,
which was orderly in every respect,
the shrouded paraders entered the
ball park enclosure for the purpose
of initiating number of new mem
bers into the mysteries Of the Klan.
The largest crowd ever assembled in
the grandstand and bleachers wit
messed the interesting scene in the
moonlight from distance of some
fifty yards. Guards marched con-
stantly up and down the wire fence.
to see that no one Of the curious at
tempted to get too close view Of the
ceremonies by climbing over the
wall.
The deceiving light of the moon,
and the distance away, made it inn
possible for any one to get distinct
idea Of what was going on. There
was marching and counter marching,
forming hollow squares with the
four sides a solid wall of white, and
some sort of in-and-out marching
that resembled the "old Virginia
Reel" Of bygone days.
The crowd of spectators on the
streets and at the park
has been ssarioasly estimated ct from
5000 to $4,000.
Regardless of what people think
of the Ku Klux Klan, there is no
denying the fact that Thursday
nights parade made a profound i'm
preston. The older ones have not
forgotten what conditions existed
in the South following the Civil war
nor the heroic. part played by the
Klansmen of the Sixties and Seven
ties in reclaiming the South from
the Shiny hands of the Carpetbag
gers. These memories, SO previously
priced. still cast halo of sacred
ness over the name of Ku Klux.