San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-10
BY ALDRICH BLAKE.
Executive Counselor,

The second chapter of "The Story
of Tulsa" opens with a high official
of the Ku klux Khan upon the wit
ness stand
No flowing robe with pointed hood
protects him from the glare of the
uniformed court. The invisible en-
pire, which this man serves, is power
less here. Slowly, fearfully, with la.
bored breath, he bows before the
majesty of the visible government and
answers the questions of the military
tribunal.
There is no third degree-only the
grim faces of the officers clad in the
uniform of their country. 1t is enough
He is sworn. The examination begins.
"When you succeeded Mr.. - IAN.
other high official in the klan) what
were the conditions that existed in
his district"
THAT part of the district. as it now
stands" the witness answers, "was
in a dcplorable condition. There mad
been numerous whipping reports from
that. part of the district, while
in the southern portion there had
never been report. j thought the
conditions were serious"
what made you think the condi
tons serious:"
''The whippings above mentioned
and seeming tendency throughout the
district mentioned (meaning Tulsa
to refuse to help the civil officers en-.
force the law"
did you find any correspondence
showing that Mr.. - had ordered
any whippings"
Yes sir. A letter had been written
him from a khan reporting a party
and his letter answering same in
structed the khan to take the man out
and attend to him."
WAS it Mr.. IS policy to order
and sanction whippings, as far as you
could ascertain"
Yes sir, to a great extent"
"Was any information ever turned
over to the civil authorities of Tulsa
county by the khan concerning any of
these whippingsf"
Officials Khan Members.
mo, sir, not to my knowledge"
las matter of fact, practically
all the civil authorities belonged TO
the khan, did they not?'
Yes sir, that was my understand.
ing"
For an hour the merciless examind.
ton continues. The visible govern
ment triumphs. The witness is ex-
cused. Another is called.
This man at first denies member
ship in the khan. He has paid no dues
He has never been in the khan hail.
He has never been asked to join. The
officers search him. In his pockctbook
they find his membership card in the
invisible empire. He trembles and
pales. He has perjured himself for
the khan. Many do that. The answers
come more slowly now. Clearly the
witness is trying to evade. The court
becomes impatient. exasperated.
TO whom do you feel you owe al
legiance first" suddenly thunders one
of the officers, ito the Knights of the
ku klux Klan or to the United
States government
The witness refuses to answer.
And now it is victim who is
sworn. He tells how he was decoyed
from his home and then says:
Thrown Into Car.
Il turned around and started back
to the house after my coat and some
one grabbed me. We had quite a
and skinned my leg. From then on |
didn't see anything until they let me
out. They blindfolled me and tied nv
hands. They tried to accuse me of
everything to make me own up to
something. didn't. They unbut.
toned by clothes and pulled them down
to my waist. 1t was awful cold-the
snow came that night. They hit me
about go lashes. One fellow was pretty
good to me; he gave me a raincoat.
! was cold as the dickens. I almost
died"
The owner of filling station takes
the stand. He is reputcd to know a
lot about affairs. His standing in the
community is high. He is examined
DO you know anything abou,
whipping parties out there:'
II heard that they tried to whip
-. He was a member of the h. X
X. and when they came after him he
fired. The trouble started, | think
over Governor Walton's campaign.
He was for Walton"
Where DO these parties take
placeT