New Britain herald., 1923-09-17
war To THE Death
AGAINST KLANSMEN
Martial Law in Oklahoma City,
Machine Guns In Streets
GOV. ACCEPTS CHALLENGE
Responds With Troops to Kians'
Threat That He Gould Not Bresk
Ibem-Passes For People Who
Have to 10 On Streets AZ Night.
BY The Associated Press.

BY The Associated Press.
Oklahoma City. Sept. l7.-Ths
spotlight played on Oklahoma Cit,
today In the second act OF oklahoma'i
martial law drama.
since martial law became effective
throughout the state Saturday mid.
night. the military has superseded the
oklahoma city police heads: machine
guns have been levelled ht the city
police station and county court.
u grand Jury has been cancelled and
a military court of investigation SUBJ
stitutcd and state martial citizens
have told when 10 so 10 bed and
when TO get up."
Troops Are On Duty
Oklahoma City. Tulsa and Sapulpa
and their respective counties of Okla
homa. Tulsa AID Creek, are under
absolute martial law" Troops are
on duty In the two larger cities. and
adjacent territory. Gen. Baird H..
Markham In command at Tulsa Is ex-
pected to arrive here by airplane to-
day. His hurried flight is unexplained.
Troops have not appeared at Sapulpa.
according to latest information from
that city. Apparently the remainder
of the state is not to feel the pres
sure of military occupation although
neither Governor Walton nor Gen.
Markham had made any statement to
that effect early today.
Grand Jury Discharged
A special grand jury called to meet
today to investigate charges that Gov
ernor Walton used state employees In
checking initiative petitions recently
filed with the secretary of state was
suspended last night by orders from
Col. w. s. Key, in command of Okla
homa City. A military court was Or
dered to proceed with investigation
work" at the direction of the chief
executive. The scope of its investi-
CATION will include matters which the
grand jury would not have consid-
cred it is understood.
Accepts Klan Threat
Governor Walton declared in his
martial law proclamation that Okla
hoina City was the headquarters of
the Ku KIux Klan in Oklahoma and
that it is here where the sovereign
power of the state was defied when
the grand dragon of this semi military
organization publicly proclaimed In
substance that the sovereign state Of
Oklahoma could not break the power
of the lllan.
Further asserting that "the power
of this criminal organization" must |
be destroyed and that "the source of
the power must be destroyed, the |
executive is expected to guide the mill
tary court inquiry into Ku I<lux Klan
state headquarters activities.
Klan Cross Flashes
While machine guns frowned on
strategic points here last night, a
huge electric cross nearly 80 feet high |
blazed from the top of downtown
building the symbol of the khan.
The cross was erected recently by
The klan when it became apparent
that the governor was directing his
military action against that organiza-
ton.
Fight In City
The first disorder growing out of
he imposition of martial law occurred
when Campbell Russell, former chair
nan of the state corporation commits
,ion and political opponent of Gov
srnor Walton, was knocked down in
ront of a downtown hotel, by Leo
lark, son of w. j. Clark, former Ok
ahoma City chief of police under
he governors administration as may
,r of the CITY,
Must Keep OFF Streets.
An infantry company and a ma
.hine gun. company received equip ,
nent at the Oklahoma City armory
and were reported stationed
throughout the residence sections of
he city during the night to clear
treets of traffic between midnight /:
nd five a. m, in accordance with
.eneral order number one issued last
light. They were ordered to wear ,
rms as inconspicuously as possible.
Goth companies are Oklahoma City
nits. :
Street car schedules were being re-
ised today so that all cars might be =
4 the barns by midnight tonight :
hysicians and night employees whose
york Keeps them on the streets dur
lg the restricted hours will be is
led passes by the commanding Of
GER. !,