New Britain herald., 1924-07-21
RIDICULE HURLED AT KHAN K0NKLAVE
About s,O0O, With Many Women
 Present, at Cheshire Meeting
lsrselaI to ths IIsr.ld.l

hn klnN klsn, numbering it is estir
 mated nearly s,0eo, gathered in q Na- cant lot, owned by Hiram Andrews close 10 the Milldale line Saturday
 night shortly after o'clock and held a konklaNe and ihitiauon. The klans-
 men came from all parts Of the state and fully 80 per cent of the attend- anee sas made up of women. Large crowds ef people either inimieal to the klan CT out ef curiosity, gathered in the vicinity of the lot and many at. tempted to set by the sentry lines, with little success. The usual white robes and white headEear which dis- iinguishes the members Of the order were much in evidence and although the majority Of those who presented themselves 10 the publie's gaze were masked. there were many who were either unmasked or unrobed standing guard at the entrance to the field on which the gathering was being held.
 Charles Mullins. A reporter. was roughly treated earlier In the evening, when he attempted 10 gain access 10 the field past the guards set up 10 ward of any intrusions, Several of the klansmen seized his notes and him in the back with clubs, forced him onto the state highway, where he retired from the scVe.
 $50 Pass Guards
 About 9.50 o'clock about sjo pco- pie. not members Of the klan, gath cred at the outposts and succeeded in down the guard stationed At the Junction of the state road and the road leading to the entrance of the Andrews lot. They then gathered at the entrance of the lot and all night long kept the guards busily en- gagged in keeping them from entering the holy precincts.
 The crowd became more and more beligercnt until finally, the small out 1 er guard was forced to blow on for help and about 200 Of | the members from the inner lot came | clubs which were broken from nearby | trees. One voice of klansman who | seemed 10 be a leader was heard to ,ry out Don't shoot until they cross he field" and this set the crowd on he outside into frenzy of bowling | and jeering while insulting epithets were thrown at the klansmen from Ill sides
 klansnan Assaults Boy
 When the automobiles were leading rom the field, a klnnsman riding motorcycle came through the lanes of people swinging club and he hit Harry Seward, age 19 years. of South ngton over the head inflicting long rash In his scalp. It was stated that tate policeman later on in the eve ling apprehended the man who swung he club.
 Interspersed among the crowd were newspaper reporters from Wa erbury. New Haven. Meriden, New Britain and other towns and cities. Many of these were busily engaged in the numbers of the automo- 'iles as they entered the field and later IS they left. It was seen that several if the automobiles had their number dates covered. Although all of the re- 'orters made attempts to get into the neeting, as far as is known, none of hem was suCceSSful.
 Makes Anti-CathoItC Speech
 A trip along the Waterbury Merident turnpike and turn over 8 back road , the left however, would bring an utoist close to the place of the meet lg. Here the speaker who ranted gainst the Catholic church was heard l the course of his speech to shout We have accomplished one wonderful ,ing since the last meeting. We have lcceeded out in Ohio, of getting the I ate board of education rid of all I ,tholics and also of all foreigners ith the exception of three, and those [ ,ree are members of good standing ( , this order" Other remarks made ! V the speaker were direct attacks t l the catholic church. He said also r lat We have at the present time 6S s in congress and after
 @ next election, we will have three t mes that many" He warned the o that every member should c , his utmost to secure new members a Id stated that because there were so n any women joining, a. womans a ixiliary would soon be started in this q ate. c Following his speech, the initiation q
 candidates was carried out and the tl er-of-ceremonies could be heard c
 shout Now all here will fall back is Id we will form hollow square and c oceed with this initiation" The II ndidates wer ethen duly initiated be- re the flaming cross, which contrary '
 the usual practices of the klan was aced in a hollow hidden from the ew of the world, instead of an a lltop. D This is the first meeting of the kan e this section that has been so widely al vertised. The time and place of the u nklave was known for nearly ci ,ek ahead and early Saturday morn- 5, signs were placed on poles leading B
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