The Washington times., 1923-03-14
BLA|V.
JURY READY
TOREPORT
Considering Last Of Evidence
IN Two Spectacular Hooded
Mob Deaths.
BY VIM. X. HUTCHINSON.
TmtnrmAflOna News Service.

b.ADsAV1AeAA :
BASTROP. La. March 1.-THE
secret grand jury investigation OF
hooded mob Outrages in Morehouse
Parish fieared adjournment today
when the State Of Louisiana con.
cluded its presentation Of evidence
involving score or more Of Par.
ish citizens in black mask NterrOrist
plots.
with the state delivering its final
blow at hooded mob activities, the
grand jury was to meet again to
consider the evidence in secret. It's
findings will be made public by the
end OF the week.
Reports were current today on
| the streets of Bastrop that the
grand Jury would bring In no indict-
| ments. Officials Of the XII Klux
Khan, publicly blamed for q series
| Of Otitrages, declared the evidence
would be termed too flimsy" Tor
| further prosecutions. although fif-
teen men have been identified as
members OF hooded rnobs.
| Believes Khan Freed
Cant. j. X. Skipwith. exalted
cyclops Of the Parish klan, declared
! the grand jury proceedings rad
completely freed the Khan q any
connection with the hooded mob
o,Ifrages which eliminated in the
fatal kidnapping Of Watt Daniel
and Thomas r. Richards
.sThe charge Of Judge Odom. when
| the grand ury convened, freed the
khan 81 connection with the kidna'-
| Ing OF Daniel and Richards. said
EEipwith. ''On top Of this, the at
torney general failed to present any
| evidence either at the open hearing
or before the grand jury which In
/ volvd the khan in any Of the NUM-
erOus alleged outrages.
The failure OF the attorney gen
eral to make good his many accuse.
lions against the khan is proof IL my
| opinion that his charges were false.
know the khan had nothing to do.
with these matters or with the dis
appearance or death of Daniel and
| Richards. 1t is time now for the at;
torney general to publicsS admit he
cannot prove the things he charged.
With the grand jury proceedings
about to end there was q wave or
| interest throughout the Parish In
anticipating the next move of the
| State authorities. Indications were
| the attorney general would institute
& score OF criminal charges against
alleged individual mob members
under special Louisiana statute.
Reports were also current that this.
action would be the signal FOR one
OF the bitteregt legal fights In the
history OF the nation with the whole
strength OF the Ku Klux Khan
thrown into Louisiana to halt the
prosecutions.
Witnesses Leaving.
The exodus Of State witnesses
meanwhile continues. III was
learned today that Dewey Brown,
b witness FOR the prosecution at the
open hearing had disappeared sAc-
cording to his friends, Brown fled
Morehouse Parish several weeks
ago, returning to q former home in
southern Louisiana. He was to.
have been called by the State at.
the grand jury investigation
The last witness summoned by
the State to reveal details of hooded
mob activities was Harry Neelis.
now OF New Orleans, but formerly
a Bastrop business man. Neelis
was the employer Of Thomas f..
Richards, slain by a hooded mob
when the victim was kidnapped on e.
previous occasion. Neelis witnessed
the kidnapping on a Bastrop street
and testified at the open hearing
he had protested In vain to Parish
officials against the eoutrages.
With the hooded mob proceeding
ended the grand jury will consider
other local criminal cases for Sew
eral days. The jury then will make
its report to Judge Odom and in
dications were it would be returned
by Saturday