Daily Kennebec journal., 1924-03-29

! in the interests or Khan work with
i the woman in question, but that in
order to guard against criticism an
other woman had always been a
member of the party. Experience in
other places where he had learned
| on how slight provocation leader
! of q movement may be attacked had
Farnsworth said.
Mr.. Farnsworth said that likewise
there had been rumors circulated
with regard to his management of
the funds of the Women's organiza-
ton connected with the Khan, Of
which he Is supervisor.
This organization was run some
what differently from other women's
organizations allied with the Khan,
he said, because an imitation fee was
IS. 4
"These fellows q little overstepped
themselves" said Mr.. Farnsworth.
referring to local klansmen. They
got this big piece of property on
their hands before they were ready
to. Some way had to be devised of
raising money for the building fund.
and so / hit upon an arrangement
whereby We should charge double
the initiation fee in the local
women's body and apply the addi-
tional S5 to the building fund. L
keep the accounts of the wOmen's
organization entirely separate from
all other accounts. When l heard
that trouble had arisen in the
women's organization and that there
was an implication of the misuse OF
some of the funds | called a meeting
! and had my secretaries and account
/ =, pt hnn 1nNl rf omen
no all the accounts of the organiza-
ton so that this might be complete
ly disapproved. The matter was
Strengthened to the complete salts
faction of everybody"
II always enjoy attacks on my
self" Mr.. Farnsworth added. "be-
cause they give me good publicity.
There is nothing in my life which
l desire to conceal. 1t has been lived
| out in the open. / always provoke
my opponents. and the press, II pos
sible, to personal attacks. because
it gives me an opportunity to answer
them"
Mr.. Farnsworth asserted that the
calling of a special meeting at klan
headquarters on Forest avenue last
night had nothing to do with the
telephone call which he received
early Wednesday morning in which
certain threats were made against
him. He also said that he had now
decided to treat this call as of negli-
gible importance. He said that the
name of DR.. w. II. Witham. which
was at first connected with the con-
versation, was not mentioned In the
brief telephone query which follow
ed his being awakened at 3 o'clock
in the morning by the violent ring
ing Of the telephone bell.
1.-The man who spoke to me said
he was a man out on Pleasant ave-
nue." Mr.. Farnsworth said. Il told
him didn't know who he was, and
he kept insisting until finally 1 said
is it Doc? He said Yes and that
was why I assumed that 1t was DR..
Witham. I have talked with DR..
Witham since. and I am now con-
vinced that it was not"
Mr.. Farnsworth said that DR..
Witham not only is not now. but has
never been Kleagle OF the local Klav-
ern OF the Ku Klux Klan. but re-
fused to name the Kleagle, merely
saying that William Bancroft, one
Of his lieutenants, Is Kleagie for
Cumberland county.
Mr.. Farnsworth said that he call
ed last evenings meeting Of both
mems and women's organizations for
the sheer purpose of presenting to
them two other opportunities that
lay before him besides the continu-
ance of his work in Maine, and ask
ing them whether 1t was their de-
sire for him to stay. or not.
He said that he had been In WASH
ington recently for a conference
with Imperial Wizard Evans. and
that he left Portland without an
nouncing his destination because he
did not desire to have the confer
ence made public until he had
reached q decision as to whether
to go with the national organization
or stay here.
His sudden departure without an
nouncement gave rise to the story
that he had left Maine foreverand
did not dare to come back, he said.
To his absence from Portland at
the time Of the recent caucuses he
attributed what he termed the fall
ing down" OF the Khan forces in the
caucus. Had he been here to organ
ize the Klansmen and handle the
lineup for the caucuses, he said. .
Brewster win would have been un-
questioned.
Mr.. Farnsworth said that at the
Khan meeting last night he put up