Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-18
KHAN IMITATION
HELD IN CAPITOL.
MARQUARDT SAYS

The ku Klux Khan initiated sew
eral new members at ceremonial
held in Room 321 of the state capitol
on the closing night of the Georgia
legislatures recent session, Louis P.
Marquardt, an attache Of Solicitor
General John A. Boykin's office,
testified in Fulton superior court
Monday on the stand as a witness
in the hearing of a contempt Pc
tition brought by Nathan Bedford
Forrest Khan No. 1 against imperial
officers who are charged with enlist
ing members of the second khan
branch in Atlanta in violation of a
restraining order issued by Judge
George l.. Bell.
Room 321 is the headquarters of
the state game and fish department.
When the legislature adjourned
Frank Rhodes, of Athens, YVES game
and fish commissioner, but has s4nCe
been succeeded by Peter S. Tw:tty,
of Dublin.
No one at the capitol seemed to
knew who issued authority for the
ceremony to be held in the game
warden's office.
Il knew nothing in the world
about it, and had never heard that
room 321, which is my office in the
capitol, was used for a khan initia-
ton until told of this testimony"
Mr. Rhodes declared.
However, if the gentlemen who
used the office were friends of mine,
L am sure they were welcome, as l
found nothing in the room that had
been disturbed. when 1 got there the
next morning"
II am just taking over the office
today" said Mr.. Twitty, land this is
the first I have heard of a khan
ceremonial being held at the CAPT.
toll"
T. E. Massengale, of Norwood,
was custodian of the capitol on the
closing night of the assembly, but
has since resigned. He was out of
the city Monday and could not be
reached for a statement.
Mr.. Marquardt testified that he
was one of the new members taken
in at the capitol ceremonial, and
that Representative J. o. Wood and
NJ. o. Dunning, chief of staff of the
Georgia khan, officiated. The initia.
ton began Immediately after the
assembly adjourned sine die after
midnight. he said.
Mr.. Marquardt was placed on the
stand in an effort to prove that
members had actually been enlisted
i ma second Atlanta khan in viola
ton of the courts injunction order.
"There were six or seven new mem
bers taken in," Mr.. -Iarquardt tcsti-
fled. 81 was one, and there were
men from Augusta and Dawson. I
do not remember the others"
Asked whether he was indicted
into the Nathan Bedford Forrest
khan or into another Atlanta trar CHI,
the. witness said he did not know
which of the klans ne belonged to.
Henry J. Norton, exalted cyclOps
of the Forrest khan, followed Mr..
Marquardt with testimony that Mr..
Dunning had no connection with the
Forrest khan but worked under the
office of General Nathan Bedford
Forrest as an organized from "Klan
No. %
General Forrest, Imperial Wizard
II. W. Evans and Attorney Ben H.
Sullivan were the three defendants
in the proceeding. More than
dozen witnesses testified during the
morning, and when court adjourned
at l o'clock, Attorney w. S. Coburn,
representing Nathan Bedford For
rest Khan No. /, had other wit
nesses waiting to be called.
Practically all the witnesses put
up by Attorney Coburn said they
had heard of the organization of a
rival khan in Atlanta, and some of
them said they had ben asked to
join. On cross examination, ques-
tions were asked seeking to bring
out that these witnesses were asked
to join the rival organization prior
to the court injunction.
After court adjourend Judge Bell
went into conference with attorneys
on both sides, who finally agreed to
drop the proceedings and take no
further action until the main ques-
lions involved, now pending in an
other suit, are settled by the court.