Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1923-01-17
KHAN THREATENSII
B. F. KNEESKERN
Message Signed N. X. X" and
Threatening kneesken Found
in Court House. Has
Trail of Blood.
PAPER TURNED
OVER TO THE JUDGE
Rude Drawing in Center of Paper
Could Not be Interpreted Ex-
cept Trail of Dots Labeled
Blood"

A notice purporting to be from
the Ku Klux Khan was picked up in
the court house at Charles City on
Tuesday afternoon, says the Charles
Ci:y Press.
The message consisted of two short
written portions, one reading that
we salennly swear to come to get
B. F. KneeskeIn if he is found
guilty" and 81 of us is a plenty, if
it isn't there is plenty more of us
The message was signed with a
triple TX" and bore numerous X
X H inscriptions. A rude draw
ing in the center could not be
interpreted except a trail of dots
labeled "blcod" and apparently a
figure of a man at one side.
The paper about seven inches wide
and four inches long, was found by
Sheriff Cutler and turned over to
Judge Kelley. 1t bore no address,
The Dubuque Times-Journal COM
ments on the incident as follows:
Stand by the Law
The finding of a threatening note
bearing the signature of X. X. X
near the court house at Charles
City, where Frank Kneeskern is
now on trial for murder, may be the
resus of a prank by some person
with a perverted sense of what con
| stitutes a joke.
There is possibility, however
! that there may be something more
| behind il. The authorities of Floyc
county will do well to press the in
vestigatiOn they are now making o.
the matter TO the limit.
It is for the courts 20 decide
whether or not the defendant in thi!
case is guilty of the crime charge,
against him, and if he is found gull
~ he will be duly punished. Ii il
right that he should be punished i
he is found guilty, for the Grim,
l'committed was revolving one. o
the other hand, if the court shout,
determine that he is innocent, re
spect for law and order would re
quire that even those people mos
prejudiced against him abide by tn
finding of the legally constituted au
! thorities.
! In the *. X. X" note, a threa
was made to get Kneeskern" if h
is found guilty. This, evidently, j
a threat TO commit murder, rattle
than allow the state of Iowa to met
/ out legal punishment.
The transfer of the KneeSkerl
case for trial from the county il
which the crime was committed Il
| Floyd county was made upon ordel
of the first trial Judge because III
agreed with the plea of the defense
| that prejudice against the defend
ant would make it impossible fol-
! him to have a fair trail in the home
county. If such a prejudice does
prevail in the home county, the
change Of venue was meant to avoid
its influence in determining the out
come of Kneeskern's trial. Any de-
PENDANT is entitled 10 a fair trial
and real Americanism demands that
he receive it, 1t is a world-famous
trait of Americans that they stand
for the fair deal, and the Times
Journal believes the people of Win
neshiek county are imbued with this
spirit.
The prosecution of the KneeskeD
case is in capable hands in the
Charles City court. The evidence
in the hands of the state is being
carefully presented TO the jury, anc
no citizen of Winneshiek county has
reasons to doubt that the case will
be decided on its merits.
Any verdict Influenced by threats
growing out of prejudice would be
un- American. No consideration 9th
err than the showing of evidence and
the law in court should have any
weight in determining the outcome.
All of which leads TO the firm con-
clusion that the author of the
threatening note should be appre-
hended and punished, if that is pos
sible Of accomplishment.