Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-04
TOWN REPENTS
ORGY OF HATRED
AND BLOODSHED

NILES, Ohio, Nov. 2.-Church
bells tolled peacefully while the sun
blazed cheerfully today over the
battle field of religious and racial
hatred, where members Of the Ku
Klux Khan and the knights of the
Flaming Circle, anti-klan organiza-
ton, battled yesterday.
Little children in bright-colored
coats, on their way to church, stared
at the khak-clad soldiers who ar.
rived yesterday after IL persons
were wounded and just in time to
prevent pitched battle between the
klansmen and members of the flam-
ing circle.
Although more of the injured vic
TINS in the preliminary skirmish be-
tween the two factions died during
the night, two OF them, G.. E. Vic
tor, 3S, Of Farrell, Pa, shot through
the back, and Ellsworth Keyser, %,
of Youngstown, Ohio, shot and
stabbed inCthe shoulder, were not eX.
pected to live.
MajOr-General Benson w. Hough,
in charge of the els men and GA Of
ficers who are enforcing qualified
martial law here, said today he would
cooperate with the civil authorities
in bringing to justice the leaders of
the warning factions.
General Houyh conferred with
Major Harvey C. kistler, Prosecutor
Harvey Burgess, Chief of Police J..
l.. Round, and Sheriff John e. Thorn
as, today and promised to aid them
in their investigation. A few fist
fights and gun battles were reported
during the night from the outlyir. Z
districts of the town, but d check-uu
revealed no serious casualties, Gen
eral Hough said.
Some of the troops will return
home tonight, but the qualified mar
tial law probably will continue i'll
effect for couple of days, it WAS
said. Citizens neutral in the conflict
expressed sorrow that it had been
necessary to call out the troops.
Trouble Long Feared
Trouble has been brewing here
for some time, according to Sheriff
Thomas. Khan organizations through
the entire Mahoning Valley are very
strong, he indicated, and about a
year ago the anti-klan feeling crys-
tallized and a chapter Of the organ
ization, known as the Knights of the
Flaming Circle, was formed. Hatred
between the two orders, based on
religious differences, was fed by
petty arguments and grew to dan
Serous hostility. For the last three
months, he said, members of both
organizations have been carrying
guns.
About a month ago, Thomas said,
when the khan announced it would
parade here on November ], the anti
Khan hatred famed higher.
Permission for the khan to hold
its parade was granted by Mayor
klstler, and when the knights of
the Flaming Circle gave notice they
would hold a meeting on the same
day. kistler refused them permits
sion to parade. This was followed
by declaration from the Flaming
Circle that they would stop the
march of the hooded order.
About 500 to 900 members Of the
Khan assembled in field just north
of the city on Saturday for the pro-
cessiOn. About 200 were armed, re-
ports said At about the same time,
about $50 anti-klansmen, armed with
rifles, pistols, shot guns and clubs,
took up their position on Main.
street, near the city limits, along the
proposed line of march.
About IL O'Clock, as the two fac
tons assembled, guerilla warfare
broke out, pot shots" were taken
by rivals, clubs and fists flew in
minor skirmishes, and mob rule
reigned
Newspaper men flew about at
tempting to get Nictures and inter-
view the fighters. One photographer
had his camera shot away, while an
other lay flat on his stomach while
a volley of anti-klan shots poured
over his head. A klansman had
come within range and about thirty
shots were fired at him. He fell
with eight wounds, none of which
have as yet proved fatal
Twenty Injured
In the fighting probably about 20
persons were injured, the majority
being removed to their homes, in
stead of\hospitals.
Federal avenue, an intersecting
street, was set as the dead line. The
members of the circle defied the
klansmen to cross the line. The
number Of armed men was too great
for local authorities to cope with
the situation and the appeal for
state troops was renewed.
Suddenly a touring car came dash
ing over the deadline. Two persons
were in the car, one driving and the
other in the rear seat. The man
in the rear seat let forth a volley
from repeating rifle into the crowd.
All shots, however, went wild.
The two men were captured by
anti-klansmen and marched to the
Geadiine, where one was shot down
and the other beaten into insensi-
bility. Many newspaper men saw
the vengeance taken on the pair and
were certain that both were killed.
The anger of the nti.klansmen
was so wrought up by this time that
they were prepared to attack the
klansmen in the field.
White-robed figures could be seen
forming ranks and one witness said
that a khan leader, in flowing red
robes, stepped out and called for for
ty armed men.
At this juncture, Sheriff Thomas,
seeing that a bloody battle was
about to begin, begged both forces
to wait twenty minutes. A truce
was agreed on and just as it was
about TIE expire, the factions pre-
pared for battle, huge motor trucks,
containing the first national guard
troops, from Warren, came roaring
down the road