Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-01-06

Institute. Johns Hopkins Hospital
where he has been taking post grad
nate course The arrest was made IN
compliance with a request from Cover
nor Parker of Louisiana, which aSReI
that the former Mayor be held for the
Louisiana authorities in connection
with the recent alleged Ku Klux Khan
murders at Mer Rouge.
DR.. Mckoin asserted that he was not
"A fugitive from justice and that he
came to Baltimore on October 1 to
take a course in urology under DR..
Hugh Young at the Brady clinic. He
insisted that he knew nothing OF the
murders of Richards and Daniels and
that he left the town after he had
been shot at one night as he was re-
turning from attending q false cali.
II am practically ruined financial
ly, he continued. physician friends Of
mine are providing the money to en-
able me to study here. My friends adj
'vised me to leave because my work re-
,quired me to go into rural communl-
ties much at nights. Shot ut once from
ambush and Just missed, 1 was told
;that could not protect myself from
such attacks.
.MCKOIN TELLS OF THREATS
s"The trouble, so far as 1 was con-
cerned. began six years ago when
was elected Mayor of the town for Il
period of two years. did not want the
position hut the best people of Mer
Rouge wanted me to run. They elect
ed me and did my best to stop the as
sociation of white men with Negro
women, gambling and other evils. Mer
Rouge is n town of between $50 and
i 900 people 1t is surrounded by n pros
porous farming community. You know
how things are in small town when
any change is attempted One-half Is
with those who are in. The other half
is against them.
When | had finished my first two
years received letter telling me not
TO run again After such q threat, or
course. / had to run. ! was elected. l
finished my second term in 1920. Since
then there has been some disorders at
various times. Last summer some or
the men who were opposed to me used
TO come out in front of my house and
fire off their guns and shout 1t fright
.thnt it be stopped, but it wasn't
stopped"
DR.. McKoin then told of how he had
been called by false message to at
1end an aged Negro woman who ha
not asked for him, and how Ire had
been shot at in his car on returning
home. Federal agents who examiner
his car after he left Mer Rouge he'd
'Ghat the shots which punctured the
car would have killed the driver, anu
that because DR.. McKoin escaped UNI
hurt the shots must have been hred
from within the car. After relating
that. following this occurrence, he
had received letter telling him that
they would get me the next time he
continued.
1T was then, after my friends ha;i
told Tie that / could not practice medi
cine, make my calls and protect myself
from such night attacks as that that
got out. received this letter on Friday
and left Mer Rouge on Tuesday. That
was last August. While l know moth
ing about the death of Richards anu
Daniels. the attack of the mob on these
men and on j. l.. Daniel. w. G. An
drews and C. G.. Davenport occurred
after / left / do know the men,
Were they identified with yoj
when you were Mayor" he was asked
mo. not especially" he answered.
DENIES HE IS KLANSMAN
"All know is that both men whc
were killed were on the bad side-the
side OF the bootleggerS, gunner ana
men who kept Negro concubines," he
continued. Il had fought that element
while / was in the Mayors chair and
had hard time doing it.
Just before / left Mer Rouge boy
of good family was shot in the bacF
there. What did the Sheriff and thc
Governor do? The case was dismissed
after a jury filled with bootleggers anf
the vicious element declared the alleg
ed murderer innocent.
NOW, however, when bootleggsl
and some one else is killed the Cover
nor Joins in the investigation. This ar
fair in my opinion will decide whether
the decent or good element of the towr
will control. The town has a reputa
:tion for being rough"
He asserted that lawlessness was ,
common occurrence et Mer Rouge ant
that he was among those who started
t. clean up the place. The result, HI
said was hard battle with bootlegger'
noonshiners and men Of bad reputa
ton.
Were you identified with an,
church," he was asked.
Yes; 1 was deacon in the Baptis
church.
"Were the church people with yol
w1en you we're Mayor"
eyes. generally"
WAS the Ku Klux Khan active ii
the neighbf hoCd"'
well. they used TO parade around
great deal with their robes and thei
masks on but never knew of any
thing like this that they did"
care you a member of the Ku Klu,
Klan?"
DR.. McKoin refused to answer thi
question.
DR.. McKoin was locked up pendin
further word from tho ouioiopo noN