Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-08-31
SECOND ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE KLAN
FRUSTRATED BY MOB WHICH STORMED.
odd FELLOWS HALL HERE LAST NIGHT

part, it was found that members Of
Valhalla Lodge of Odd Fellows. had
assembled for a meeting. A member
Of the lodge in the Anti-Klan mob,
conversed with one of his brother
members and when it was found they
were not connected with the Klan
meeting, the crowd was told to al
low the Odd Fellows to depart by
the fire escapes and through the
back yard, unharmed.
While the two or three hundred IN
the rear permitted the thirty or more
Odd Fellows to depart, the police
with the patrol backed to the curb
started to take persons from the
Klan meeting from the building,
There were many punches swung
and bricks thrown as the men, q
great many from this city, were
placed in the patrol wagon
Along the line bricks were thrown
at the police patrol, damaging same
and also hitting the occupants II
was then that Officer Frank Gunkel
arrested Emil Hobner, of this city.
for throwing a stone at the police
car.
During the departure Of the khan
members from the building the
second arrest on a concealed weapon
charge, was made. William Gray.
of Red Bank. was taken into cus-
tody by Officers Egan and GunkeI.
when found to have a gun in his
possession. He told the authorities
that he left his permit at home.
When the movement OF the pa
troll loads of khan members from
A4Ff1 4r4fo h t4xr
| persons aiming blows at the depart
/ that Smith street from High 10
State streets be cleared.
! Ten motorcyclemen cleared tho
road and the patrolmen cleared the
street Later the crowd on the road
and Sidewalks OF King street were
pushed back to Market street, as
the stone throwing became so heavy
that the lives of the patrolmen were
endangered.
Close to fifty OF the persons in The
meeting were removed from the han
between 10 o'clock and 1880. The
balance in the hall decided to try
and outwait the mob on the outside
The patrol loads were emptied IN
various sections of the city, one at
the corner of Penn and Jeffries
streets. Automobiles followed each
load and a great many of the Klans-
men were set upon within a block
or so from where they were left by
the police patrol.
Big Demonstration
! Members of the Anti-Klan mob
made another effort to enter the hall
at about 1880 when gathering was
collected at the corner of State and
4 Smith streets, and a circle made up
/ of cloth about a tire rim and soaked
1 in gasoline, was set afire. The cir
Gle Is the Anti-Klan emblem. About
/ three hundred participated in the
march for the building, but the gath
ering was dispersed by the police be-
fore the building was reached.
The state police left the scene az
about 1895 O'Clock, but all OF the
police department members were
kept on the job. Several officers
were detailed to various parts Of the
city to investigate reports that per-
sons were being beaten. These re-
ports were received several times
/ during the night.
Windows Were Broken
An amusing aftermath Of the riot
I last night was a printed sign whicn
i appeared In the shattered show win
dows of Cannon & Sheehy's mems
furnishing store early this morning.
! The sign read as follows:
This wreck was not caused by the
/ terrible Morgan explosion"
When the bricks began 20 fly dur
/ ing the riot both show windows OF
the Cannon & Sheehy establishment
were broken and the windows in the
! front of Odd Fellows hall also.
Shortly after the departure Of the
state police the crowd still several
thousand strong, started to advance
to the position they held earlier in
the night. The police had their
hands full ketping the mob off the
two blocks Of Smith street. All the
time, the one hundred and twenty
five remaining khan members were
lcuddled up in the darkened room Of
1.-THE Odd Fellows building.
When things quieted down after
lo'clock, the members of the mob, II
lis said, started out to strip automo-
lbiles and do whatever damage pos
lsible, to the cars along the various
streets, believed to be the property
of the klansmen. When some OF the
iklansmen tried TO go off in their cars
were unable TO get a start because
of engine damage.
Two Manasquan residents, who
lwere unsuccessful in getting into the
Injecting, reported to the police early
this morning that they were unable
Ito move their car They were told TO
have the car towed 20 a garage and
ito return to their homes by train.
Klansmen Depart
After o'clock this morning.
everything appeared to have quieted.
down. so It was decided to take tb1
remaining klansmen from the bull
ing by way of the rear fire escq
About one hundred of the mob
Remained in the vicinity and VIII
WORD of the departure was receiv
jefferson street was made for.
(Contiuued on page
Don't Just sit around-ths great