Evening star., 1924-11-02
TROOPS BREAK UP
NILES KLAN RIOT;
DOZEN ARE HURT
Victims Are Shot or Suffering
From Beatings-Some in
Serious Condition.
SIGHT OF MACHINE GUNS
QUIETS WARRiNG GROUPS
Fifty Arrested, Quantity of Arms
Seized, as Flaming Circle
Battles Ku Klux.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NILES, Ohio, November. 1.-Stats
militia tonight patrolled the streets
OF Niles following a day of rioting
between members of the Ku kluT
klan and Knights of the FIamin.~
Circle. and quiet was rapidly r.
turning. Military control, howeve,.
was not established until after a-
most a dozen persons had been siIo9
or badly mauled. Some are in no
pitfalls in serious condition at Ware
the county seat of Trumbull Count.
five miles away.
Gun Fights Increase Toll.
Gun battles between Flaminr
Circle adherents and ku klux Khan
men had occurred near the meetinG
places of the rival factions. Pistc
fights between speeding AUTOMOBILE
of klansmen and klan foes added to
the casualty toll.
Several times, shots were fired b.,
the opposing factions into their rival
camps. Many Of these shots went wild
as large numbers OF men fell nat on
the ground as the firing started
Arrival of the uniformed troops was
the most welcome sight which citizens
of this city had seen for some time, as
it meant immediate disintegration oil
the opposing forces. AS the big motor
trucks rolled through the streets loaded
with soldiers and machine guns mount
ed on their hoods and tops, shouts and
cheers went up from the crowds which
lined the streets.
Parade Caused Trouble.
The trouble resulted from an an
nounced intention of the klansmen
to parade through. the streets of the
city today. A permit to hold the
parade had been issued by Mayor
Harvey C. Kistler a few days ago.
Knights of the Flaming Circle then
announced they would parade also,
but had made no formal request for
permission. The mayor had stated.
however, that he would not permit
both factions to parade the same day.
knights of the Flaming Circle then
served notice that they would not
permit the Klan parade. The situa-
ton was intensified by the bombing
of the mayors home early in the
week.
Expects NS more Trsusle.
Sheriff John E. Thomas said this
evening after a tour of the city that
everything is quiet and l don't expect
any more trouble"
The sheriff, with scores of special
posing forces from coming together ell
masse until the arrival of State troops.
His efforts in preserving order, however.
did not prevent numerous sporadic
clashes among detached units of the
opposing forces, resulting in the casua.-
ties.
Il am tickled to death that it was
no worse was the only statement
Sheriff Thomas would make tonight.
I. g Of he In
fantry. who was placed in command
of all troops ordered to Niles by Gov.
Donahey, in statement to the citi-
Zens of Niles, said it was not his in
tention to impose unnecessary mill
tary regulations on them and urged
all to cooperate with him in main
tanning order.
Kept on Train.
Tonight practically all Klansmsn
from other points had left the city or
were rapidly leaving by back routes
or avoiding entering the city. A spe
cial train carrying several hundred
; klansmen from Kent and other citie.,
arrived over the Erie Railroad after
military authorities had taken charge
of the situation. They were not per-
mitted to leave the train.
Many business places were closed
tonight All banks were closed
open on Saturday nights.
Throughout all today's tense period
Mayor Harvey c. kistler was not at
his Office, which he left last evening.
No one connected with the city ad-
ministration professed to know where
the citys chief executive was Police
Chief i. J. Rounds said he thought
Mayor Kistler probably is in the city
somewhere attending to his official
duties"
80 Are Arrexted.
Until the arrival of the first units
of the militia about 3 o'clock this
afternoon, Sheriff Thomas and his
deputies and local police had arrested
almost SO persons, most of them spe-
cial klan police" who had been sent
out to patrol the streets along the
proposed line of march Of the parade.
Some were heavily armed. A bushel
Dasket would not hold the pistols that
were coniiscated. and in a corner of
Police Chief Rounds Office tonight re-
pose about dozen rifles and shot
guns. Ammunition belts filled with
loaded cartridges, besides handsful of
loose-loaded cartridges, helped to
make up the booty.
Patrols of the Flaming Circle also
brought into police headquarters n
number of persons carrying firearms.
Most of the .klansmen were brought
to headquarters, but no serious charge
was filed against them, and they were
permitted to leave after the military
had assumed cnntro! oi the city. They
were loaded TITO large busses at police
station, and under military guard
AIKEN to the klan meeting place, about
two milessfrom here.
Several SttIl Held.
Several persons still were being
held in custody tonight on charges
of carrying concealed weapons. Two
charged with shooting with intent to
wound were released under bond at
Warren.
The belief was general among off,
cials andp rivate citizens of Niles that
there certainly would have been much
more serious trouble had the city not
been placed under military control.
They believe that the timely arrival
of troops was all that prevented many
lives being sacrificed and the CITY
being turned into shambles.
Evenf after the welcome news had
been received that Gov. Donahey fin
ally had yielded to the numerous ap-
peals for military aid and that troops
were on their way. the expression
was sfrequentl, heard on the streets.
on II they only get here in time!"