Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-15
EVANS SIMMONS
ROW FLARES ANEW
BEFORE KLONC|L|UM
Formers Attorney Cites AUDI
it Report in Denying Lat
ter's Charge That Evans
, Got Excessive Fees

-, A statement late Saturday night
from Colonel William Joseph Sim
mons, emperor of the ku kluX Khan
and founder of Kamelia, woman's
organization similar to the khan. and
assertions by those closely as
ISOLATED with the Simmons faction
revealed a breach between Colone,
Simmons and Imper Wizard H
w. Evans, which appear-l even
more serious than that which
seemed to have been healed recently
by arbitrations, agreements and
court orders.
Colonel Simmons, in his statement.
charged Imperial Wizard Evans and
J. A. Conner, grand dragon of the
khan for the realm of Arkansas, with
forming a "collusion" to discredit
kamelia and to establish under their
personal supervision and control an
other organization for American
women.
He further charged that Imperial
Wizard Evans had received eXces
aive fees from the order, in addition
to a salary of $4,000 year.
False, Etheridge Says
Attorney Paul $. Etheridge, OF
counsel for Imperial Wizard Evans
and a member OF the kloncilium,
branded these charges as absolute
1y false
Close associates of Colonel Sim
mons declared the recent court or
der by Judge E. d. Thomas had mot
healed the breach between Colonel
Simmons and DR.. Evans" but had
''simply transferred the proceedings
from public court to the private
and inner circle of the imperial klon~
cilium"
They declared representatives Of
the Simmons faction appeared be-
fore a meeting of the kloncilium on
May to prefer the charges, but
that the kloncilium refused to hear
them, postponing the hearing until
July.
They further declared that a board
OF arbitration, consisting Of eight
members, four from the Simmons
faction and a like number Of the
Evans faction, had entered into &
private agreement in which the
Simmons contingent reserved the
right to prefer the charges men
toned above, and others, before the
kloncilium.
Defends KIonciIium
Attorney Etherilge declared no
such reservation had been made by
the Simmons faction and that the
matter of charges had not been
discussed" and further denies the
kloncilium had refused to hear
charges from the Simmons faction,
declaring that body "only met to
perfect it's organization preparatory
to receiving the order of the court
This board of arbitration, | it was
stated, consisted Of the following:
Attorneys Hollins Randolph, Paul
Etheridge, Judge Charles J. Orbi-
son. of Indiana, and GutZon Borg
lum, all of whom represented DR..
Evans, and Judge Arthur Powell,
Attorney J. V. Poole and Ben Sui
Ivan and DIR. W. E. Thompson, of
Virginia, all of whom represented
Colonel Simmons.
Among other things, supporters of
Colonel Simmons declared, the board
of arbitration awarded $4,000 in
attorneys fees to be paid to the
lawyers for both sides in the recent
khan litigation, to be divided equally
between the lawyers for the Sim.
mons and the Evans factions.
DR.. Evans was out of the city, Sat
urday night and could not be
reached for a statement In his alb
sence, Attorney )Etheridge issued
the following statement:
1.-The charges contained in Colonel
Simmons statement are absolutely
false. In the light, however, of the
actions, doings and utterances OF
Colonel Simmons and his friends,
w. E. Thompson and others, during
the past six weeks, nothing that
Colonel Simmons would say or do
would occasion any great amount OF
surprise to those who are in a posi-
ton to know the facts.
Khan Books Audited
There is absolutely no foundation
for Colonel Simmons charge that
Dr. Evans has received excessive
fees. A recent order of the finan-
cial affairs has been made by the
firm of Ernst & Ernst, nationally
known certified public accountants
Their report, together with the re
port Oh the financial committee o.
the AN. has been =. roadcas
throughout the country to al
klans, that members of the ordel
might be informed as to the order!
financial condition and as to Wha
had been done with it's money.
mo business was transacted a
the melting of the klonciIiUm, a
which, friends of Colonel Simmons
charge, they were refused permits
sion to prefer charges against Dr.
Evans. 1t was simply, and purely
meeting to perfect the organiza
ton of the gloncilium preparation.
to receiving the decree of tn
issued. Nothing whatever was sai'
preferred against anybody.
"As to the claim that a specia
provision allowing members of tn
Simmons faction to prefer charge
against DR.. Evans was in the pri
waite agreement arrived at by tn
arbitration board, that is nonsense
The matter was not even discussR'
and such an agreement would ha-