Imperial Valley press., 1924-11-01
KLAN RIOTS RAGING IN OHIO CITY
Troops Called
As Factions In
Bloody Combat

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. L.
Gov. Donahey late today order
cd two state military units sent
into Niles Immediately to dis
perse all gatherings.
The order virtually amounts to
p-oclaiming martial law al
though military authorities will
not have completeocontrol.
At $3.50 p. m. machine gun com
pany of about 100 men arrived from
Youngstown. They started at once
for the khan field on the outskirts
of the town.
Sheriff Thomas went to the Niles
field where several hundred klans-
men were preparing to parade
through the city today and warned
khan leaders that their demonstra-
tions must be confined to the field.
''This is about my last move,o
Thomas said. "The Knights of the
Flaming Circle will certainly attack
the klansmen if they come through
town and / am almost powerless to
prevent rioting."
Klan leaders said they would dis
cuss the sheriff s warning among
themselves but that they were Z" fnr
from ready to call off the parade. :"
Shooting General
At p. m. shooting became gen
eral throughout the town. Two un-
identified klansmen were reported
killed in one skirmish on the out
skirts.
The klansmen were beginning, to
troop into town from their demon
stration field and were challenged
along the way by members .of the
Flaming Circle.
At 2:3O p. m. gang of Italians
congregated on the main street and
began stopping incoming interurban
ears. Klansmen were dragged from
the ears and stripped of their robes.
Numerous fist fights were started.
The sheriff said the report that
men were killed was erroneous. One
man was shot and another badly
beaten but neither was killed, he
taid.
NILES, Ohio, Nov. 1.-The threat
Gned pre- advertised war between the
knights of the Ku Klux Klan and
members Of the Flaming Cirle
broke out almost with the birth of
this day.
When Niles, birthplace of Presi
dent, awoke, the toll of wild and
exciting night was:
Five men in the Trumbull /
county Jail at Warren.
One, man the son Of an anti
khan leader, near death from a
bullet wound.
A bombing that rocked the
city, thought to have been set ;
off in an open field outside OF
town as scare move.
An attack on Colonel E. A.
Watkins, Mahoning county khan
political boss, by mob of anti
klansmen when Watkins visited
the Niles city jail last night.
Several assaults on klansmen
and anti-klansmen during the
early morning hours.
Further trouble between the khan
and anti-klan appears tO>be unavoid-
able when the two organizations con-
vene here today.
The son of the anti,klaT leader,
who was wounded, is Frank Me
Dermott. He was hit three times
when eight shots were fired into a
group on a street corner from pass
ing automobile.
Visitors Pouring In
The crowd Communicated an auto
mobile and gave chase to the car
from which the shots were fired.
An hour later Sheriff Thomas ar
rested two brothers at their home
in connection with the shooting, but
they said they had been ut home all
night.
Early today the road from Youngs
town to Niles was jammed with
autos bearing West Virginia license
plates and said to be bearing mem
bers of the Flaming Cirle and their
families to the celebration.
Prior to the meeting of the circle
last night leaders were quoted as
saving ''thcre will be no klan meet
ing in Niles Saturday"
The little town is seething with
excitement. Strangers on the streets
are being stopped and questioned
40 "a their business