Palisadian., 1923-09-21
MILITIA RULES
IN OKLAHOMA
Entire State an Armed Camp as
Governor Walton Answers
ku KIux kIan.
GRAND JURY IN TURMOIL
Slowly with Ousting of Local Police
Authorities-Publc Barred from
! Streets After Midnight.

OKiaQOma City. - WQ1lo mdCuluS
guns frowned on strategic centers
here and officers of the Oklahoma Ma
tional Guard completed plans for put
ting the city under complete martial
rule pursuant to a proclamation of
Gov. ]. c. Walton, in which he an
nounced his intention to drive the Ku
Klux Klan from the State, huge cleo
tric cross, nearly thirty feet high,
blazed from the top Of downtown
building, the symbol of the Klan.
The cross was erected recently by
the Klan when it became apparent
that the Governor was directing his
military action against that organiza-
ton. Similar crosses, it was an
nounced, were erected in other cities
Of the State.
General orders embodying the essen
tial regulations under which the State
capital will live during the suspension
of civil authority, were ssued by Lieut.
Col. w. S. Key. in command of the
troops
Ray Frazier, chief of police, and Ed
Snelseon, assistant chief, were de-
posed by an order of Key, and Capt.
Nelson J. Moore of the 160th Supply
Company Of Tulsa was placed in
charge Of the department. Captain
Moore is police captain at Tulsa.
Machine guns were mounted around
the City Hall, the police station and
the county court house here. Super
vision of the Sheriff's office was as
sumed by the military, but Sheriff
Tom Cavnar was not removed. No
other county Office was taken over.
A report that the Ku Klux Klan had
removed all files from its State head
quarters here to place outside the
State was current, but the Klan head
quarters was deserted and the report
could not be confirmed.
Crowds that braved steady rain
milled about the streets watching the
few manifestations of the military oc-
cupation. They were not molested by
the guards.
Approximately 800 troops are under
arms here.
In Sapulpa, county seat Of Creek
county, which, with Oklahoma county,
was placed under absolute martial
law" in The proclamation issued by
Governor Walton, no evidence of mar
tial rule had been seen after day of
waiting. Both the Sheriff's Office and
the police department were function
ing normally, and no troops had been
mobilized
In Muskogee, recently a center of
Governor Walton's anti-Klan cam
paign, the National Guard Armory was
deserted.
Kingfisher and Caddo counties, in
both Of which the Governor recently
pushed Investigations into mob out
RACES, likewise reported no evidence
Of the coming Of the military.
The first disorder CGme when Camp
bell Russell, former chairman of the
State Corporation Commission and a
political opponent of Governor Walton.
was knocked down in front Of a hotel
by Leo Clark, son of W. J. Clark, for
mer Oklahoma City Chief of Police,
under the Governors administration
as Mayor of the city.
Public assemblages called Tor the
purpose Of creating opposition to the
enforcement Of martial law" are
banned, as Is also publication of arti-
cles having tendency "to incite to
riot or violence or obstruction of the
military"
Special interest has attached to the
Grand Jury session in view Of the fact
that 1t was called in response to petit
tions charging Governor Walton
with using State employees to check
signatures of an initiated petition for
an election on a constitutional amend.
ment to grant the State Legislature
specific authority to convene without
call by the Governor Such use of
State employees, it was charged in the
Grand Jury petition, is in violation of
the law.