Evening star., 1923-09-11
OKLAHOMA KLAN
TO GVEUP MASK
State Realm Bows to Gov
ernor's Threat of Further
Martial Law.
.Rr the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
| OKLAHOMA CITY Okla, Septem-
Iber 1.-THE "invisible empire" has
Iaid aside its invisibility in Oklaho-
fma, submitting to the edict of Gov.
Il c. Walton against masked parades
and meetings.
All rnernbcrs of the Ku KluX klan
in the state have orders from the
grand dragon of the Oklahoma realm
that robes ana hoods must no longer
be worn in public.
The unmasIlIrg of the Klan left
Gov Walton in command of the field
In his war on the secret organizauca,
10 which he attributes floGSings ana
bther mob outrages, but is Was NOT
without violent protest that state
klan officials decided TO bow TO MS
bltimatum.
/ Grand Dragon n. c. Jewett made II
plain that only the governors threat
Of martial law for communities IN
which masked demonstrations were
held led to the decision to discard
sobes and hoods in public.
Hold Unmasked Meetings.
kIan meeting near BristoW last
hight was the first to unmaSk by lme
Governors orders. our ropes IA
been left behind because we DO not
want 10 give the governor an excuse
for martial law in creek countS,
kaid Rev w. Q. Beech. pastor o. the
Baptist Church at Bristow' adaress-
Ing the gathering.
fional lecturer Tor the KAN Wno us
hvered the principal ADDRESS, aecinii
ed that klarsnlen in Okiahoin1 49,
mot resist the "czar," but would satIs-
-. -, .,,.al,,ag With action at the next
: Three demands are required from
the Klan. Gov. walton announced:
u. The Klan shall unmask anu
cease all demonstrat ons OF sum
nature as to alarm and disturb tne
,''bIic and neace OF the community
"2. Flogging parties, threats anu
fntimidations and unlawfu! actlVlt'eS
must be banned.
"3. The Khan must cease 10 eNtl
else. or attempt to exercise ana I,nfI ~
fuence over municipa and county
officials, iuries and courts.
These demands will be appllcahle
70 ALI other organizations, the gov
ernor said.
Threatens Martial Law.
All reports leading to the nelleI
that local governments have become
subservient to any secret oragniza-
ton, ne Sdlu. "iti bS NJN'A ~
fnvestigation and, upon establishment
of sufficient proof. such cities or
counties will be placed under mill
tary law until such time as con-
stitutional government shall nave
been restored.
. reward of $1,000 for any person
that can prove that he ever signed
an application for membership IN the
ku Klux Klan was offered by the
executive last night. Klan oihclals
had made public what purported 70
be an application showing that the
executive had been "obltgated' IN
the Khan on February l3 last
Gov Walton denied that he mad
ever sought membership in the Kan
and declared that he had refused
to Join the organization after belns
urged for more than month:
In n formal proclamation the eS-
ecutive ordered all state and local
authorities to disperse masked dem
onstrations. Gatherings OF per-
sons masked or with their faces dis
guised," the proclamation declared'
fare deemed to he violations of the
constitution AMI laws of the state OF
Oklahoma and constitute the crime
of disturbing the peace. of riot, OF
rout and nnlaHful assembly, and are
hareby forbidden"