The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-10-22

me about the Mayfeld case and Zum
brunn only did privately on the mat
ter at the times l met him before
Denies Klan Support
'In 1924 at the Republican ma
tional convention at Cleveland, Ohio
after this evidence was gathered in
was placed in nomination for Vice
President and it went over the wires
that l was the Ku-Klux candidate
growing out of some deals in the
Mayfield case.
This was all false. There was nc
kin dof an understanding or mo in
ference of an understanding on my
part.
"Of course. I FASTENED to denounce
the report and afterwards | remem
ber DIR. Evans issued statement Ia
which he said the whole thing was a
fabrication.
$50 far as the nomination was
concerned, that Mayfield, a Texas
Democrat. should make deal with
me, is preposterous. The report was
without foundation.
All Knew Steve
Now. as to my relations with d
G.. Stephenson, / know Stephenson
All politicians in Indiana knew ste
phenson. He was an active fellow
and went about at conventions and
gatherings. At that time no one
dreamed that Stephenson was {
criminal, and that he would do the
things he did, and of which he aft
erward was convicted.
mo one dreamed of such thing
or he would have been exiled.
never did give my confidence to Ste
phenson. Something always warned
me not to. He was human dynamo
and during his reign was said>to con.
| troll 100000 votes in Indiana
"At that time Stephenson was II
control Of the Khan in Indiana,
was not a candidate and never be
came interested in any. deal will
him. never made a deal with hin
in my life.
I Stephenson was never in my
room privately but once, and theI
nothing was said about politics o.
anything else. He said L came L
pay you a visit After talking ;
while, he left.
Il didn't know why he came AM
don't know now. l had gone to bed
when / heard a knock at the door
1 got up and let him in and we sa
and talked a while. Then he left.
"When politics was talked witt
Stephenson, other people conferred
with him because | did not desire tC
have any contact with him. rneveI
had any social contact with Stephen
son. nor do l know where his house
was.
Comments on Morgan
II want to interject now regarding
Mr.. Morgan's statement interim 2
that l had something to do with TAX
ing him out of Office because he haC
his agents keep a watch on drunken
parties at Stephenson home.
Nothing could be farther from
the truth, for 1 was in Washington
then and knew nothing Of arrange
ments at Stephenson's home. ! haf
heard rumors that wild liquor par
ties had been he'd in Stephenson 5
residence"
Reed said, II had not drawn thai
inference from Mr.. Morgan's testi
mony."
Morgan is a long-standing politi
cal enemy of mine," Watson con
tinued.
"Inasmuch as he Is against me
l do not think he would make a pre-
posterous statement. We do have
fractional politics in Indiana, but
there is nothing undetermined about
it. We fight it out and each person
takes his medicine.
Relations Singular
My relations with Bossert were
singular. For several years we were
friends. Then he, joined the other
faction. After that we were not
friendly. He was the head of the
Khan in Indiana.
Instead of having the Klan at my
advantage, as far as / have to do
1t was used to my DISADVANTAGE
Please, Senator. do not think that
am injecting politics into the matter
Evans was a Texas Democrat and
Stephenson who was head of the
Khan in his heyday in Indiana. was
a Democrat, running for Congress
in the FIRST district.
"Emmons was a Democrat and
w. Lee Smith was formerly Demo
crat. So far as the situation was
concerned, the Klan was Differed by
Democrats. Everyone knows It is
true, that all candidates sought the
secret support of the Khan.
Il was never candidate until now
while the Khan was in power.
have no understanding with Smith
Doctor Evans, Emmons or Zum
brun. There was no kind of un
derstanding with them about the
Court in Indiana in this campaign in
connection with my election.
THAT is about all. Do you think
of anything else? That's all of the
Ku-Klux end of it. I certainly APP
nreciate your courtesy in coming
here. No group knew who members
of the Klan were. and everyone was
careful about talking 1t was gen