The Washington times., 1922-11-24
BILL
|SPUT IN
HOUSE
Congressman Rainey Asks
Probe of Rumored Meet
ing in Capitol.

An investigation of the report
that the Ku Klux Khan held in
ftiation ceremonies in the United
States Capitol was demanded
in the House this afternoon.
CONGRESSMAN John w. Rainey,
of Illinois, introduced reso-
luton providing for a sweeping
inquiry of the report.
Bill Gives Wide Powers.
The bill provides that the invest.
cation be made by committee of
the House which will have power to
summons any and all witnesses who
might be needed.
A report. current in the Capitol,
that the initiation ceremonies were
held IN the office of Congressman
Upshaw of Georgia, was vigorously
denied by Mr.. Upshaw's secretary.
who declared the Congressman was
out of town on November IA, the
night the ceremony was said to
have been held.
Capitol officials vigorouly deny
the published report that the local
branch of the Knights of the Ku
Klux Klan held initiation cere-
monies in the United States Capitol
Building at midnight on November
IA.
A like denial was made by Lieut..
Col. c. o. Sherill, officer in charge
of Public Building and Grounds,
who denied rumors Of the Klan's in
vasion of the State. War and Navy
Building.
Call Charges False.
''It would have been impossible
for any such ceremony to have been
held in the Capitol" said Joseph G.
Rogers, sergeant-at.arms of the
House, today.
Capt. Alfred Montfredy, in charge
OF Capitol police force, said that he
was sure the Klan did not meet in
the Capitol.
1.-The guards who are doing night
duty in the building did not and
would not admit a dozen or more
men," he said. II have made
hasty investigation which assures
me that these reports are absolutely
false"
Col. Elliott Wood, superintendent
of the Capitol, emphatically declared
that he did not think there was
tHt
Colonel Sherrills office made in
quiry today among the guard force
in charge of the State, War and
Navy building and statement was
later made that the report could not
be substantiated Colonel Sherill
said that he could find no indication
Of Ku Kluxers ever meeting in any
of the three buildings.
The report had it that twelve
Kluxers took a candidate into the
Capitol building on November IA. At
midnight, according to the rumor,
the Kluxers, in an office under the
rotunda, donned their white robes,
which they had secreted under their
clothing before entering the Capitol
Then initiation ceremonies began and
a high government official was
taken into the Klan, according to
the report.
1t was also rumored that on
previous occasions the Klan held
initiation ceremonies in the State,
War. and Navy building.
Local Klan officials, in the alb.
sence of Samuel Poindexter, King
Kleagle or big Chief" for the Dis.
trict. branded the reports as fancy
dreams"
There is absolutely no foundation
for such rumors," one Klan official
said today. "the Knights OF the Ku
Klux Klan did not on the night of
November II meet in the. Capitol
nor did they hold any meetings IN
the State. War and Navy Buildings.
ATLANTA, Ga. Nov. 24.-OffIcials
OF the Imperial Palace OF the Ku
klux Klan today denied all knowi.
edge OF reputed initiation Ceremonies
under the Capitol rotunia and I'm the
state, War and Navy building 81
WASHINGTON.
4