Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-22
KL|GRAPP RAMSEY
DEFENDS K[ANSMAN
ACCUSED At CHICAGO

CHICAGO, March 20.-H. K. Ram
sey, of Atlanta, Ga, imperial Kill
grapp of the Ku Klux Khan, and Rob
ert E. Shepard, treasurer OF the
American Unity League and Man
ager of Tolerance" a publication
opposed to the khan, were the prin'
cipal witnesses Monday at the hear
ing before the city civil service COM
mission Of charges filed against Otto
Novotny, who with William Greene.
was discharged from the city fire de-
partment for being a klansman.
Repartee between attorneys ana
witnesses kept the hearing room IN
an uproar most Of the afternoon. Mr.
Ramsey submitted what he said was
the official oath of the khan, the
prosecution having charged that
member of the khan would be pro-
hibited from revealing another mem
Der if he were guilty Of any crime
except treason, rape or malicious
murder, these three being excepted
in the oath.
Mr.. Ramsey defined the khan as
a patriotic organization and declar'
ed a person cannot join unless ne
believes in the Christian religion.
Roman Catholics and Jews are not
precluded, he said, adding that they
precluded themselves. Negroes are
precluded because the organization
is Caucasian, he said.
Mr.. Shepard testified that "Tol'
erance' hired several investigators
to seek out the khan membership and
secrets. His investigators had been
going to khan meetings since last
June, he said, and added that his
publication had printed the names
of over 5000 klansmen. Shepard
said he knew the signs, passwords,
signals of distress and other secrets
of the organization.
"Well, give the khan signal Of dis
tress, because they are going to
need it," Attorney Patrick O'Don'
nell, Of the prosecution, said.
Shepard placed the first finger OF
his right hand in the center of his
forehead and drew it down over the
right eye to the center of his right
cheek.
KLEAGLE'S DEFENSE MOVES
SUSTAINED BY COURT
SPRINGFIELD, o., March 20
Motions made by the defense to dis
miss the defendant, return the prop
erty seized and to throw out all evil
dence and testimony offered by the
state were sustained by Judge Col
den C. Davis in police court this
morning in the case OF w. M Corr
ner, Ku Klux Khan kleagle ana Or
ganizer, charged with riotuos con-
spiracy.
In sustaining the motions Judge
Davis said that the prosecution
might desire TO take the case to the
grand Jury on it's own initiative.
1.-THE court earnestly desires TO
have it clearly understood that 1t
will not in any sense whatsoever
consider such a course as an lndt
cation of personal discourtesy or any
judicial discourtesy, said Judge
Davis.
"On the contrary, this court feels
that such action would be fully JUS
titled because of the apparent genera
and widespread interest in the mat
ter and because all the PAL L4eo IA
terested would probably feel better
satisfied after an investigation and
inquiry by a grand jury composed
Of fifteen persons than with a find
ing by an examining board consist
ing of one person"
The prosecution did not indicate
what action it would take. Cortner
was arrested by a police raid on
khan headquarters en- the night of
February IA. Books, papers, regalia
and other articles belonging to the
ku Klux Khan were seized.
Cortner was held in Jail that night
and during Thursday, but was re-
leased on Friday on 81 200 bond. A
charge of riOtous conspiracy was
filed against him and the prelim'
mary hearing opened Tuesday, Feb
ruary 16. This lasted for four days
and was bitterly fought. Following
the conclusion of the states testi-
mony the defense filed the motion
to dismiss the defendants, return the
property, throw out all evidence and
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