Imperial Valley press., 1922-04-25

mony warranted the issuing Of charges
Of attempted murder.
Woerner Describes Shooting
frank Woerner, stern looking young
night marshal at Inglewood, whose bull
let ended Mosher's life, was one Of the
first witnesses called.
Woerner calmly related his thrilling
experiences Sunday, when he was sum-
moned to the scene Of the raid by re-.
port that a holdup was in progress.
eWhen I rode up on a motorcycle
with Clyde Bahama, q masked man
stepped out in front Of US and ordered,
throw up our hands.
g Throw up your hands, told him.
Il am an officer flashed my light on
my badge and covered the man with
nv revolver. tTwo more men came
up with handkerchiefs over their. faces.
II could see lights flashing behind show
! ing there were many others in the neigh
borhood. The man covered didn't
show any signs of throwing up his
hands, so pretty soon we were Dotn
shooting. 1 dom know who fired first.
"I emptied my revolver, getting down
bv the side Of the road, SO could have
what cover there was. Then / reloaded
my gun and kept on shooting. Every
time l saw light plugged at it.
| "Tn minute or two someone began
yelling for me to quit. The gang was
clearing out.
81 looked at the face Of one Of the
men who had fallen in the fighting, anu
saw it was Mosher.''
-.s.-Ku Klux Klan Chief on Stand
| g Cn1 n
the Pacific Realm, knights OF the ku
Klux Klan. was next called to the stand.
/ Coburn asked permission to read the
oath of initiation taken by each member
of the khan. The obligation pledges tina
members to uphold law and not to en-
gage in violence. Coburn strenuously
denied that his organization had any OF.
ficial connection with the raid Sunday.
Questioned by Deputy District Attor-
ney Doran Coburn admitted that some
klansmen might have been present az
the raid.
"But if they were, they were acting
as individuals and not as members OF
the Ku Klux Klan, " he asserted.
w. c. Price, king kleagle Of the klans,
testified to the same effect. Both ne
and Coburn were at the sceno OF the
raid shortly after the tragic battle.
/ seWe were informed that a raid was
| IN progress and that the Ku klux Khan
was being blamed for it,, said Price
explaining his presence in the district.
Fidel Elduyan, Spaniard, whose mousse
was the objective of the raiding party,
told how he and his family had been
routed out Of bed and how he and ms
brother were taken cut and threatened
with hanging and shooting py the
masked mob.
The night riders told him they were
looking for an illicit still in his home
he testified.
officer with Raiders ana 81
The inquest took a surprising turn
at noon when Blake E. Shambeau, In
glewood traffic officer, was called to
the witness chair and admitted his con-
nection with the night riders, who per-
petrated the raid.
Shambeau unwillingly told how the
raiders went to get evidence against
a supposed bootlegger and were to turn
over the evidence and prisoners to him.
Another surprise was sprung when
I Donald Parker, photographer for the
Los Angeles Examiner, said he had
gone to the scene Of the raid in re-
sponse to telephone call; that he was
a member of the Ku Klux Klan but
had handed in his resignation Monday
morning
R. D. Knickerbocker, q reporter on
the same paper, said he had joined the
raiders at the Inglewood garage.
"There were half a dozen machines
there,' he said. 81 was introduced to
the men in them. The raid was plan
ned at this garage. Later plans wero
laid in field near the Fidel Elduyan
home.
"The party which was to descend on
the Elduyan home consisted of some
where between $50 and $50 men, posst-
bly, more. 1t was divided into squads.
Doran asked the witness if any or
ganization was mentioned.
"NO,'' said Knickerbocker.
"What was the real object Of the
raida"
"Elduyan and his brother were to be
taken prisoners and forced to confess
to their bootlegging activities.
evidence was to be resorted to-
then?"
"One of the men said, believe, not
to do any shooting if it could be helped
better knock man out than shoot
him.
4 Elduyan incurred the wrath Of the
night riders by allegedly selling liquor
to young boys, and engaging in other
! enterprises which had earned him two
: | WARNINGS m loava TuO1oxwonx ~ l. -.