Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-01
|DR. EVANS ADMITS
XII KLUX PLANNED
OKLA. CAMPAIGN
Strove to Build Sentiment
for Law Enforcement After
Walton Complained Of
FIoggings, Wizard Says

Sensational statements charging
alleged activities of the Ku Klux
Khan in the recent trouble in Okla
homa and in seeking to prevent in
dictments of klansmen in the Mer
Rouge murder cases last January
were made in affidavits read Tues
| day before Judge John d. Hum
phries in the course of the hearing
on petition for a receiver for the
khan filed in June by David M. Rit-
tenhouse. Of Philadelphia, and 9TH
ers.
A sensation was caused by Judge
Walter 7. Colquitt when he read a
deposition by Imperial Wizard
Hiram w. Evans, in which DR.. Ev-
ans admitted the Oklahoma trouble
had been discussed and a speaking
campaign planned at four-day
meeting in Asheville, N, c., on July
Is, II, Is and 10
The deposition stated Imperial
Wizard Evans, Judge C. j. Oberson.
of Indiana; General N. B. Forrest.
of Atlanta, and Judge H. A. Conner,
of Little Rock, were present at the
meeting as an executive COMMITTEES
to handle the Oklahoma situation.
Law Enforcement Efforts
Governor Jack Walton" DR..
Evans deposition said, "had just is
sued statement to the effect that
there had been $500 whippings in
the state and that homes were not
safe there and had urged the pas
sage of law making f1ogging or
conspiracy to fog penitentiary Of
Tense.
.'At the Asheville meeting the sit
uaton was discussed and a speaking
campaign was planned to build up
sentiment in Oklahoma for law en-
forcement.
did you then issue propaganda
against Governor Walton?" Attorney
Colquitt asked.
1--WE did not start a fight against
Governor Walton any more than we
started a fight against the governor
of Georgia for urging that the Macon
flogging cases be prosecuted" was
the reply.
Big Expense Fund
Imperial Wizard Evans said he
! did not know how much money hal
been sent to Oklahoma, but that ii
had been supplied "as needed and
lthat he supposed "a good deal had
4 been spent since the July meeting
He said he could not even estimate
the amount.
Asked if Governor Walton was a
member of the khan, he replied that
the governor had applied for admis
sion, been obligated and had sent in
hic hI1t tho 1-1a nc yUl1
| he lived did not want him and hs
was not taken in"
Asked if the taking Of the khan
obligation did not carry with it actual
membership, he replied that eff Cow
ernor Walton was obligated he was
a klansman at large until properly
gotten out Of the order" adding tLat
| il Governor Walton was a klansman
che was taken in at the back door
and ought to be removed before the
eyes of America through the front
door,"
Not Political Fund
The deposition declared the khan
had not sent money to Oklahoma to
support any one candidate for pub
lie office, because the khan did not
back men, but principles" He said
the only fight in Oklahoma that the
khan had participated in had been a
campaign to build up a sentiment
for law enforcement.
The deposition declared DR.. Evans
| had never had word of difference,
cross word or dispute" with Colo
mel Simmons. Asked about the suit
brought against him byb Colonel
| Simmons .ast April he declared
there was 1ever any dispute about
nat"
DR.. Evans said he got $4,000 a
! year salary as imperial wizard OF
| the khan and that all other khan
monies handled by him had been
dlsbursed properly through the vari-
| Gus states. He admitted having de-
posted about $4,000 month to his
| bank account, but said it was moEey
to be used n propagation work under
h. Y. Clarke.
! An affidavit was introduced from
f. n. Littlejohn, who claimed to
| have been a special investigator for
/ the khan during the probe of the
MeT Rouge murders last January.
The affidavit further declared that
j. J. Bracewell, a Ku Klux Khan
| investigator, had told him when he
| went to Bastrop, La, to investigate
the disappearance of two men, that
there was no use for him to go to
/ Mer Rouge; that the two bodies
found in the lake had been tied or
| spread eagled' on logging cart
wheels and rolled down the hill
and that that was what crushed the
| heads off the two bodies"
Under Skipwith
| L1ttiejohn said that Captain Skip
| with, at Mer Rouge, urged Imperial
| Wizard Evans to keep him Gittle-
| john on the job there. Littlejohn
said that he was detailed to work
under the direction of Captain Skip
| with and that al other investigators
were sent away.
| Lttlejohn also said that Strong
arm squad or wrecking crew" had
| been formed and organized for work
| around Bastrop and Mer Rouge He
! said that these men were picked
/ from other districts, none of them
| being located around Bastrop or Mer
| Rouge SO that their identity might
| be concealed.
| Littlejohn's affidavit declared he
worked under the name of George
| K. Lawrence and that the other in
| vestigators were: Jim Hamilton of
| Houston: J. A. Bracewell Of At.
lanta; Lloyd C"Chicken'D nigel of
/ Atlanta; II. L. Taliaferro, of Allan
! ia; e. c. McIllwain, of Atlanta: jim
Murray. of Shreveport; o. D. Jack
son, of New Orleans, and Jim Mann.
| of New Orleans
Sent Code Telegram
Littlejohn declared each Of these
men were working under specific in
| structions rom the imperial palace
of the khan in Atlanta, to keep down
| indictments, and that when the
! grand jury Of Morehouse parish adj
| journed without returning bills, he