Evening star., 1924-07-30
2P|TCHED BATTLES
STAGED WITH KLAN
Attempts of Masked Order to
Meet in Bay State Towns
Stir Trouble.
FIVE HURT IN LANCASTER
Autos Showered With Stones.
Charges Of Rock Salt Fired
From Shotguns.
FIVE HURT IN LANCASTER
By the Associated Press.

by the AsSoclated Ffess-
LANCASTER, Mass, July 3o.-After
night of disorders and clashes, in
which scores were injured, crowd
of men, who had engaged in a night
of hostilities with members and spec
tators at a Ku Kfux Klan meeting
in field near here, were dispersed
with the arrival of additional state
500 men. had engaged in the fighting
during the night.
Five Badly Hurt.
The list of injured today, following
the nights fighting, included five
men whose injuries were so serious
as to require treatment at hospitals
One was policeman, who was struck
on the head by a stone
One of the injured was in a hos
pltal suffering from broken back
and three others were suffering from
wounds believed to have been caused
by shotgun loaded with rock salt
Many others are known to have
been hurt by clubs, flying stones and
other missiles. Two automobiles were
partly demolished by showers OF
stones and missiles.
Roy Grover OF. Clinton, q spectator
at the Khan meeting, was taken to
the hospital in Clinton with an in
1ured back. He later was DISCHARGED.
Paul Kittredge of Clinton, said to
be halfback on the Holy Cross
loot ball team, another injured. is
suffering from 40 wounds, believed
to: have been caused by rock salt
discharged from a gun. He is ex-
pected to recover.
Climax of Hard Feeling.
The hostilities last night came as
elimination of bitter feeling for
some time.
while the fighting was beginning
here similar outbreak occurred in
Spencer, 30 miles away, when q
crowd showered with stones cars
carrying persons away from a
ku ktux klan meeting there.
State police dispersed the crowd and
arrested five men. At Westminster.
near here third meeting was held.
but without disorders.
Two Clashes Take Place.
Two clashes took place here durine
the night between the crowd within
'he held and those outside. Rocks
were thrown and a shotgun, appar-
emily loaded with rock salt, fired,
GroVer's back was broken when
ne attempted to run the gantlet of
the crowd outside in an automobile.
AS the night wore on the police.
handicapped by their lack of num-
oers, the scattered position of the
complaints and the darkness, were
aoie only to keep the road clear.
When dawn broke $50 men still rs-
mained in the road outside the field
and similar number Of men were
WITHIN the field. But with the COM
Ing OF morning the crowd in the road
way gradually broke up.
Police reinforcements DISPERSED the
remainder, and those who had been
forced to remain within the inclosed
held were enabled to leave.
Gets Beyond Police.
The small local police force wa.
unable to cope with the situation
when. shortly after s o'clock last
night. trouble began between the
crowd within the field and those in
the road outside. A few guards had
been posted along the low stone wall
that ran between the field and road
When the crowd outside attempted
to enter the field help was summoned
from tho state police at Holden. OK
ford, Brookfield and Lunenbere. But
the dozen officers were unable to ham
die the situation.
.When at 10 o'clock the first real
clash occurred at the entrance to the
held. rocks were thrown and the
crowd outside withdrew.
The second most serious clash mr.
CURED at about 1880 am, when q
second rush for tho opening into the
Aeld brought general fighting in
which stones and clubs figured. A
shotgun was fired into the crowd.
Policeman Injured.
Officer Peter Sonia, who was riding
on the running board Of an ambu-
lance which had been summoned and
which was carrying an injured man
from the field. was struck on the head
by q piece of rock,
Two autos were partially demolish-
ed when they were driven out in the
early morning in an effort to run
through the crowd and were drawn
back into the inclosure. A man who
termed himself a kleagle, but who de-
clined to divulge his name. told news-
paper men who made their wav
through the besiegers' ranks under
the protection of police that only q
small minority of the crowd within
the field were klansmen. The remain.
der. he said. were interested listen
srs at meeting called for tho purpose
OF telling of the aims and purposes
Of the Klan. No ceremonial was held,
he said. The fleld, he said, was rented
and guards remained within the rent
ed land. He said no klansman had car
ried guns, although ordered within
a month to defend themselves.
State police said that no action
would be taken to discover the per-
son firing the shotgun or to prose
cute unless formal complaint should
be lodged.
Hylan Home; Silent on Plans.
NEW YORK<JuIv 30-Mavor T.h,