Evening journal., 1923-01-25
PUTS PARISH
MURDERS Up
To THE KLAN


vealed by the evidence" said Coco.
The proof Is convincing that since
the advent OF the Ku Kiux Klan in
this parish there has gradually
arisen a condition OF disorder and
lawlessness which has ripened into
a super-sesslOn OF government Of
It's own from which a reign OF terror
and Chaos have resulted. and the
parish was on the brink OF riot and
bloodshed when the governor sent
the militia here and these proceed
ings were Initiated.
while Il may be conceded that
many klansmen did not actually par
ticipate In or encourage those many
acts OF lawlessness and crime which
finally eliminated in the murder OF
Watt Daniel and Thomas +. Rich
ards. they must nevertheless be
deemed responsible, therefore, by
reason OF their silence and inaction.
These offenses and crimes were
committed in the name OF the or
der under the protection OF its
regalla and In the use OF its recog-
nized methods and practices and
under the leadership OF its Of
fcers. the principal OF which has
for the last six months at least.
brought about a condition In this
parish which is a blot upon our
civilization and brings into question
the proud title OF American citizen
ship.
THE logging OF citizens, their
deportation and Punishment and
other kindred onenses were but
mere pastime and Of such frequent |
occurrence that they were accepted |
as commonplace things. the protest |
against which was itself sufficient I
grounds for deportation.
without going into any details I
We beg 10 say that the conclusion /
we have reached Is that many per- |
sons have been Identified and con-
nected with these many acts OF vio- |
lence and crimes. leading 10 and In |
cluding the kidnapping on August "a
and the murder OF Daniel and Rich /
ards. and 1t Is the purpose OF the |
State 20 present this evidence TO the |
grand jury for It's consideration and !
action as soon as we can get a tran !
script OF IT,"
The hearing closed with the tes- |
timony OF L. L. Jones. OF Moselle, I
Miss, who told OF two automobiles I
carrying hooded men 10 the chores |
OF Lake La Fourche the night OF /
the kidnapping and murder OF Dam
lei and Richards.
Jones. formerly a rig builder in /
the oil fields in Texas, said he had .
been forced to camp near the lake
while travelling by automobile from
Texas TO Mississippi
About midnight, after his auto
mobile broke down, his wife woke
him.
Look. there's the Ku KIux." she
said. Jones testified.
Il raised up and looked out at !
them and IL was. They were right I
close to us because our car had 4
broken down in the middle OF the 1
road"
What OF masks or hoods ala
they wear?" Jones was asked.
Black"
Were there any men In the cars
who We're not maked?"
Yes. two OF them. One Of them
was sitting in the front seat Of tho
touring car with a sort OF white I
rag tied around his face and the
other was in the back Of the
truck"
What did they do after they
chased you?"
They kept right on until they got
out OF sight around the bend and
then nthe other side OF the curve ]
we saw their lights against the
trees on this side of the lake. Then
their lights went out. After n bit !
the lights came up again and the ,
ear started In the direction OF our {
car. When IL got TO within IS {
yards Of us It stopped and the lights
went out. Ny wife went right out
Of the car and into the potato patch
nearby and 1 took the baby and ]
went too"
Did you arm yourself?"
Eyes and their lights went on ;
again and the car went on back TO {
he lake and then we got back in 1
he car"
What happened next?"
well. about an hour or so after
he cars went down to the lake
he lights went on again and the
TWO cars came back
Did they pass close to you?" I
Within a foot or two"
Were there the came people in
here who were In before when the
,ars went down to the lal5e?"
NO. sir; the two men that didn't
lave black hoods on were missing"
"Did you see any other cars that
iight?"
Yes; one about two o'clock in the
and two or three coming
d h. M. l,nnI- frnr., AI,n tnl-n