The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-09-21
K|ansmen Stage Big Ceremonial
In View of Thousands Assembled
to Witness Naturalization Rites
Would
rAustin

IFairmont, Preston, Rushford, Roches-
ter, Red Wing, Cannon Falls, Zum-
brota, Faribault, Pipestone, Ovation
ma, Mankato, Spring Lake, Candy,
Montevideo, St. James and other
towns scattered over the state. Many
Klansmen, without robes, mingled
with the crowd that massed ON one
side of the ampitheater to watch the
spectacle tonight.
Ghostly figures in white from peak
ed cap to the dragging hens of flow
ing gowns patrolled the roads about
Austin tonight in the role of traffic
police.
Thousands View Night Scene
The ceremonies started with thou
sands of spectators banked on one
hillside while the Klansmen in their
white robes were ranged on the other.
The two masses were separated by
the creek which cuts through the lit
tie valley.
Peter J. orn, St. Paul, editor of the
"Call of the North," the Minnesota
Klan publication, first delivered an
address on Klan policies. At the
conclusion of this address the great
crowd of spectators, visible in the
semidafkness only in the glow of red
fire, were startled by the sudden il
Elimination Of the sky by three 10000
candlepower bombs, throwing a white
light over the entire scene.
Red Fire Illumination
AS the light was fading, massed
hundreds, Klansmen came over the
hill, their ghostly white robes relieved
by the flaming red cross on their
breasts. Slowly they advanced ON
the platform, where Keagle Gross
and the state ritual team stood re-
splendent in silken robes of white
purple and burnt orange.
AS the Klansmen reached the foot
of the incline and stood before the
platform, red fire was lighted in all
parts of the grounds, throwing a
fiery glow over the scene: A band
played the "Star Spangled Banner"
while the Klansmen stood rigidly at
attention.
At the conclusion of the anthem
ritualistic fireworks called "Princesses
Feathers" were shot off, covering the
sky in a fan shaped figure. AS this
spectacle faded, three more white
light bombs were set off, and with
this as the signal 400 or more men
appeared through a lane of Klans-
men.
They were the candidates. Then
followed the ceremonial. The three
oaths required of candidates were
given by the Klokard, the Kaliff, and
the Kludd. These oaths pledge al
legiance to the Klan. AS the cere-
monial concluded, the candidates
knelt on the right knee and the band
played Nearer My God to Thee" the
three great crosses wrapped in oil
soaked gunny sacks were then light
ed, throwing blue and white light
that could be seen for miles. DR.. w.
S. Harper, Minneapolis, national lee
turer, closed the ceremony with pray
er.
minneapolis Tribune)
10000 Spectators Allowed Near
Scene Where Three Crosses
Burned.
Austin, Minn., Sept. 15.-Nearly
10000 persons assembled in a field
half mile south of here tonight to
witness an initiation ceremony of the
Ku Klux Klan.
Four hundred candidates were ini-
tiated.. One thousand robed but not
masked Klansmen took part in the
ceremony, headed by six state officials
of the >klan, including the King
Kleagle of St. Paul..
The Klan gathering was held ON
one side of Turtle creek, near here,
and spectators were kept on the other
side of the small stream, The pledge
of the order and most of the ceremon-
les were in plain view and hearing
of the vast gathering. ..
|, three large crosses, each rs feet
high, were burned and there was
program of fire works.
p soTwilinhf, Orn nf c. na.,l