The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-09
TW0BO[QES.
PLANTED
intake
Missing Mystery Man Reveal
ed That One Of Alleged
Slain Is Prisoner.
Copyright, 1924, by International
News Service.D
Reproduction in Whole or Part
Absolutely PrOhibited)

Reproduction in Whole or Part
Absolutely PrOhibited)
ATLANTA, Ga, April "a
group of five desperate men, all
members of the Ku Klux Khan,
plotted the infamous hooded mob
murders of Mer Rouge at a mid
night conference in a Texas oil
town in August, 1922, according
to the "inside story" of the crime
revealed by DIR. A. C. Busev,
''man of mystery" before he dis
appeared from the Federal prison
here.
AS a result, new investiga-
ton of the murder mystery was
under consideration today by the
Department of Justice, on the
basis of information turned over
by International News Service.
Wide Search Begun.
Nationwide search was meanwhile
continued for Busey in the belief he
might solve the tragedy which
stunned the nation more than a
year ago and which has since de-
fled solution.
The Texas conference, Busey
claimed, developed into a Ku Klux
Khan uprising in Morehouse Parish
a few weeks later, ending ultimate
~ in the revolving murder of Watt
Daniel, world war veteran, and the
travelling Imprisonment" of his
bosom friend, Thomas F. Richards,
whos had betrayed the former soldier
to his doom.
Before he disappeared, Busey told
friends the names of clergymen,
town official, two wealthy oil men
and a planter. all klansmen, who
attended the Texas conference and
turned thumbs down" on Daniels
life. The death verdict was decreed
by these five men because. Daniel
ran" bootleg liquor into Texas oil
camps.
Fake Bodies PLANTED"
In his story of the plot and
murder, Busey charged the State of
Louisiana with planting in Lake
LaFourche two fake bodies, culled
from. medical school and charity
hotel in New Orleans, to be later
Identified as those of Daniel and
Richards. The body of Daniel, ne
said, was. still hidden in an i'm
promptu burial ground beneath O
loo 70 h. IL
Richards is still alive, he added, and
captive Of Daniels slayers.
The plot, launched in the Texas oil
town, spread like prairie fire.
Busey said. 1t led to the daylight
kidnapping of five parish citizens, in
Guiding Daniel and Richards, and
eliminated in the brutal murder of
the war veteran. Although three
score Klansmen were participants in
the kidnapings, it was said only a
carefully chosen murder squad" Of
six Klansmen carried Daniel and
Richards off to their final reckon
ing. 1t was Busey's claim that
while this squad murdered Daniel, it
banished Richards to captivity
that has lasted twenty for months.
In this murder squad" there were
three strange Klansmen imported
from Arkansas, a parish official and
two parish planters. One of its men,
bers told j. L. Daniel, aged father Of
the veteran who was kidnapped and
whipped on that fateful August
night, that lone of these men may
come back; the other you will never
see again."
In the original plot, Busey said.
Richards captivity was to have end
ed when things died down." but the
unexpected nationwide publicity and
the finding of bodies in Lake La
Fourche caused his captors to con-
tinue. their bondage lest he betray
them to the tolls of justice.
In Lake Four Days.
A recent development in the
mystery has lent some color to
Busey's story of the crime. In q
statement to the press, DR.. Charles
Duvel, state pathologist who exam.
ined the bodies found in Lake La
Fourche, declared they were in the
lake less than four days" At the
time of the Bastrop "open hearing. :"
the state maintained the bodies had
been in the lake from August. 1922
until December when a blast of
dynamite drove them to the surface.
Evidence in the hands of the
Department Of Justice proved the
dynamiting was done by Klansmen.
led by one of the murder suspects.
A report to their superiors by Khan
detectives, who investigated the
crime, confirmed this. The Khan
investigators said it had been done
to destroy the fake bodies which
were tossed into the lake two davs