Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-03
Of PAPERS
CHARGED To WOMAN
BY KHAN ATTORNEY

Following the alleged theft last
Saturday from his law offices in the
Silvey building of a brief case con-
tanning papers involving the Ku KluX
Klan, Attorney Harry B. Terrell, a
memb-r of the so-c~ d insurgent
faction of the khan, has sworn out
warrant char2}r larceny against
Annie Mae Garland, alias Helen Cath
crime Steele, / woman who insti-
tuted a 100000 breach of promise
suit against Edward lung Clarke,
former acting imperial WiZal of the
order, several weeks ago.
This is the third time in the last
several weeks that the Steele wom-
an has been prominently identified
with the many-angled litigation sur
rounding the Ku Klux Khan.
She first appeared in the lime-light
when she filed her breach of prom
Use suit against Mr.. Clarke, and was
mentioned Monday for the second
time when an affidavit purporting to
have been made by her was read
in the hearing on petition for a
receivership for the khan filed by
David M. Rittenhouse, of Philadel-
phia, and others.
In this deposition the Steele wom-
an declared the breach of promise
suit had been framed by enemies
of Mr.. Clarke in an effort to pre-
vent him from reassuming leader
ship of the khan. She said she con-
scented to take part for monetary
considerations promised her by Tom
Akers, a travelling representative of
the order.
In taking out the warrant for her
arrest Mr.. Terrell said the woman
had approached him and asked him
to represent her in the prosecution
Of her suit against Clarke. This, ne
said, he refused to do.
Terrell's Statement
at did not like Miss Steele's story
and told her that before I could &C.
cept employment I would have to
have the consent Of counsel already
in the case,' said Mr.. Terrell, land
that it would be necessary for her to
write out what she claimed the facts
to be. She agreed to write out the
alleged facts and also to make affi-
davits that they were true. She
came to my office frequently during
the next few days.
ION Saturday afternoon last I
was compelled to be away from my
office for a few minutes, and during
my absence Miss Steele came in, in
quired for me and asked to use the
telephone. My brief case was in my
private office accessible to her and
she was in my office. Except for
my law partner no one other than
Miss Steele was in my office while
I was away. She was seen to leave
very hurriedly and to avoid the ele'
vator and go down the steps from
the seventh floor of ne Silvey build
ing, where m yoffice is, leaving her
purse and a coat suit in her hurry
to get away.
my brief case contained original
affidavits, papers and documents,
certified copies of court records, etc,
which l expected to use in the hear
ing of a bill for receiver against the
knights of the Ku Klux Khan then
on the calendar for the following
Monday in Fulton superior court and
then set for hearing Immediately fol
lowing the hearing on the Ritter
house case now being heard before
Judge HUMPHREYS. The papers have
the intrinsic value, and would,
think, be of little interest to anyone
not connected with the litigation re.
ferred to above.
Reward Offered
more than a year ago the brief
case Of Mr.. u. r. Upchurch, who
has been associated with me in the
khan litigation, was stolen from him
at Brookwood station, but immedi-
ately recovered. I now have in my
possession an affidavit that a former
employe of the khan was Offered
very large sum Of money If he would
steal my brief case. I have had
many warnings that my brief case,
containing khan papers, would be
stolen and I have guarded it with
the greatest vigilance, taking 1t
home with me every night and sleep
ing with it by my bed. not daring to
leave it in my office.
"I have information that Miss
Steele-who, she tells me, is really
Anna Mae Garland Of Knoxville.
Tenn, and that Helen Katherine
Steele is an alias-is still in Atlanta;
that she was seen last night. I also
have certain clues regarding the
whereabouts Of my papers, but have
so far been unable to recover them,
and L will pay a liberal reward for
the recovery of my documents"