Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-13
MER ROUGE MAYOR
ON STAND REVEALS
SECRETS OF XII KLUX
CycIopS Skipwith, DR., Nc
Koin and Two OtherS1 Are
Named by Dade as Men,
berS of HoId-up, Party

attorneys announced early today
| that Captain J. K. Skipwith, exalted
cyclops of the Morehouse parish ku
Klux Khan, has requested confer
ence with Attorney General A. v.
Coco and his assistants in connection
with the hooded band atrocities in
this parish.
| Captain Skipwith is said to have
requested the conference in order to-
go into the full details of the opera
| ton of the Morehouse khan since its
organization and at the same time to
establish that the operations of tie
black hooded band was not under
the supervision of the khan.
Assistant Attorney General Kuion
said that the klansman's reques.
would be granted. No date was fixed
for tn conference, it was said. Il
is probable it viii be helG immc
diately.
Robert L. Dade, mayor of Mer
Rouge, today named DIR. B. M. Nc
Koin, Captain J. X. Skipwith, Kelly
Harp and Ed Ivey IS members of a
Ku Klux Khan band which held up
and disarmed Watt Daniel, w. G.
Andrews and Harry Neelis, Mer
Rouge citizens, near the village of
Gallon, La, several months prior
10 the kidnapping and murder of
Daniel and Thomas F. Richad, last
August.
Wore Black Masks
Dade also testified today in the
open court investigation that on
one Ku klux Khan raid in which he
participated he wore black mask
He, declared all the other members
of the party wore white hoods.
On that occasion, Dade said, the
party We're investigating a report
that a negro near Stampley, La, was
operating a gambling house in which
white persons were permitted to
gamble with negroes. Dade told of
the band having held up and lectured
Watt Daniel, Harry Neelis and w. c.
Andrews, Mer Rouge citizens.
Kelly Harp, who followed Dade on
the witness stand, admitted he also
was in the khan band on that night,
and that he wore black mask. Harp
said members of the khan furnished
4Loot Ito
Can you say whether J. D. Hig-
senbotham was with the band?"
George S. Guion, assistant attorney,
asked.
~ am not positive" Dade replied.
"What was the purpose of the
trip"
I'VE started up to investigate
report that a negro was running
gambling house in which white per-
sons were permitted to gamble with
negroes"
Did you find that condition to
EXIST"
mo, the house was dark"
Bringing his narrative to the hold
ing up of the three men. Dade con-
tinued:
"Neelis, Daniel and Andrew had
stopped their automobile up the
road and were sitting in the car.
Some of the men approached and
asked them who they were"
Were they Whipped?"
"NO, there was no violence, but
their guns were taken away from
them"
WAS there anything else con-
templated or suggested?" was asked.
There was some talk of giving
them a whipping, but l said, 'fe-
lows, that will not do, have known
those boys all the time and 1 cannot
stand for that
Dade said the men were lectured.
"Who gave them a lecturer"
Captain Skipwith.''
What kind of lecturer"
"a moral one, about drinking and
e. nblng."
did Kelly Harp have anything to
say?'
'He spoke his mind. He said they
were his friends and he did not want
to see them punished"
GLOW was the party organized I'd
go on this gambling crusader"
ROW 10 NF Iao
bank in Mer Rouge. They asked me
to so with them. They were in three
automobiles
Where did you get your mood and
gown"
Edward Ivy gave it to me. He
used to live in Bastrop. TTe had an
extra gown in his car. There were |
some men in the cars [ did not know. |
Laurie Calhoun was there, 1 be- |
I've"
DIR. McKoin Along
Did they pick. up anybody else in !
Mer ROuge?"
Yes, sir; DR.. Nick oin."
HE provided himself with a
mask?"
Yes, sir"
All oil you were masked!
yes"
What color were those masks?"
Mine was a black one"
Were there any other black /
ones?"
Il believe I had the only one"
You are certain of this"
Yes.
who else joined your
"Kelley Harp
What did they call themselves
the band as a whole?"
members of the ku Klux Khan
"WhO was the leader?"
captain Skipwith.'
who was it took the pistol from |
Continued on Page 6, Column p