Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-07

These junkets have been organized
usually with two or more imperial
officers and a large company of at
tendants composed of clerks and
body guards. They have travelled in
royal splendor and have lived in
royal luxury.
Hits Espionage System
can espionage system has been
built up and extended until it rami-
fies every organization in the
knights of the Ku Klux Khan. Paid
spies are on the inside of every Or
gained khan in America to report on
the conduct and utterances Of klans-
men within the klaverns. The in
visible empire under the present adj
ministration became a government
by b1ackmail. The cost of the sys-
tenn was appalling. During the month
of March more than $68,000 was
diverted from the treasury of the Or
ganiZation and went to this depart
ment. I am determined that the
American citizens associated with
this organization shall no longer be
subjected to this system of espion-
age, and that the moneys coming
into the treasury of the organization
shall no longer be diverted to the
purpose of Matchmaking klansmen.
THE funds pouring into the I'm
perial Palace through regular chan
nels have run into many hundreds
of thousands of dollars. These
moneys have not been placed. into
the treasury OF the khan and made
subject to the check of one respon
sible, bonded official, but the funds
have been deposited to the credit of
individual accounts in a number of
banks and made subject to the per
sonal checks of the depositors. In
addition to all this, large sums of
money have been stored inNsafety
deposit vaults. Why the trust
funds of the knights of the Ku Klux
Khan were taken from the treasury
of the organization and SO distrib-
uted and SO deposited and so used
has not up to this time been ex-
planned to me.
Recently proclamation emanat'
ing from the Imperial Palace made
it a capital crime, not exceeded in
enormity by treason or murder, for
a k1ansman to give aid or, encourage.
ment to any woman's organization.
This was an attempted exercise of
arbitrary authority without parallel.
L speak reverently when I say that
even Almighty God has never exer.
cised such authority over the free
will, the free conscience and the free
conduct of man. Such misconception
of the prerogatives of position and
such abuse of authority cannot and
shall not be tolerated by klansmen. y
Misrepresentation Charged
The introduction of numerous affi-
davits by DR.. Evans and other high
khan officials to the effect that the
court order that ousted DR.. Evans
Monday was "fraudulently obtained
and fraudulently> executed through
Misrepresentation by Colonel Sim
MONS" featured Thursday after
moons hearing before Judge Thomas.
At the opening Of the hearing At
torney J. V. Poole introduced an
amendment to the original petition
of the Simmons faction, charging
that F. L. Savage last month re-
ceived $68,000 of the klan's fund,
and kept it in bank subject to his
personal check, and charging fur
Their that DR.. Evans received So from
every new member for his personal
use. :.
Judge Thomas allowed the amend
ment to be introduced, subject to OBJ
lection and demurrer. Attorney
Etheridge stated to tn ecourt that he
would vigorously object to any. evil
dence in support of the charges Of
misappropriating funds of the order.
He said such evidence was not ger
name at this time.
DR.. Evans affidavit was the first
introduced. He told of the klon-
vocation of all the I<lans in the
country here last November 27 at
which time, he claimed, he was
elected imperial wizard of the khan
on nomination by Colonel Simmons.
Prio~ to tfat time he sw ore, he had
been imperial kligrap of the order.
Says Simmons Resigned
On the second day of the klonyo-
cation, his affidavit recited, Colonel
Simmons made the following state.
n:ent to the assembled klansmen.
81 have deliberated on my knees
all night, and T have reached the con-
clusion that the best interests of the
Khan will be served by my resigna-
ton
He said Colonel Simmons then
suggested that it would be a gra-
cious thing to do to elect him to the
office Of emperor, giving him charge
of all ritualistic and philosophical
work of the order.
You should have a wizard to do
the work" he quoted Colonel Sim
mons as saying, land let your pop
sit up in the corner and smoke and
tell you about the war;
He said the klonvocation then
cleo ted Colonel Simmons emp%or
and chose E. Y. Clarke as imperial
wizard to succeed him. Mr.. Clarke
Immediately resigned, DR.. Evans
stated, and Colonel Simmons then
placed DR.. Evans in nomination.
Followig his election, he said, Col
onel Simmons placed his. hands on
him and anointed him imperial wiz
ard, according to the tablished GUS
tom of the order.
Affidavits from J. A. Conner and
Attorney Etheridge, both of whom
said they attended the klonVocation
and witnessed the proceedings, were
introduced and substantiated the
statement of DR.. Evans. Attorney
Etheridge added that Colonel Sim
mons had been voted a salary of
$1,000 a month as emperor of the or.
SaniZation.