The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-31
1870 INDICTED
FOR FL0GGING
Alabama Enters Finish Fight
on Masked ViOlence-Grand
Jury Investigates

Birmingham, Ala, Oct. 31.-fF-
The state of Alabama has entered a
finish fight on masked violence.
In a series Of sensational inves-
LEGATIONS and trials, reaching into
virtually every corner of the state,
Attorney General Charlie G. Mccall
has obtained IL convictions and more
than 1870 indictments of persons ac-
cuscd of completely in midnight
whipping parties"
Starting but three months ago
with the investigation, trial and con-
viction of seven men accused of
whipping Jeff Galloway, youthful
farm worker at Oneonta, in Blount
county, the attorney general has
moved swiftly into jefferson and
Crenshaw counties, where state in
vestigators have laid bare more than
score of lashings.
1O2 Indictments Returned
The most sweeping of the fog
ging inquiries was made by a grand
jury sitting at Luverne, in Cren-
shaw county, where 102 indictments
for kidnapping and assault and bat
terry were returned October Is
against 45 persons after they had
been charged with completely in 20
or more masked floggings.
In it's report to Circuit Judge A.
f. Gamble the grand jury said all
of those indicted were members of
the ku Klux Khan and with single
exception all of the whippings were
committed by men wearing the
robes and hoods Of the Klan.''
Men high in the affairs Of the
state and county were called before
the grand jury. Among those who
testified were James Esdale, said to
be grand dragon of the Khan in
Alabama; George H. Thigpen, state
superintendent Of insurance; Ira B.
Thompson, Luverne attorney, and
reputed exalted cyclops of the Luz
Verne Khan unit, and the Rev. L. A.
Nails, pastor Of Luverne Baptist
church.
klavern Records Seized
The investigating body seized rec
ords and regalia O. the Luverne
klavern.
Trial Of the as indicted men will
be held at Luverne. The attorney
general has indicated that he will
direct tn. prosecution personally.
Moving on to jefferson county,
Mccall examined the cases against
II men indicted by a jefferson coun-
ty grand jury of kidnapping in con-
nection with the flogging Of two
white men and negro and an
nouncel that they would be brought
to trial next January.
Foremost among the defendants
in these trials is w. j. Worthing-
ton, Birmingham attorney, accused
of whipping Arthur HIT, a negro
farmer, and terrorizing him into
selling GO acres of land below its
value. County real estate transfer
records show Worthington to have
been the purchaser of the property.
Eugene Doss, Lee Clayton, J. A..
Clarion, Louis Albright, Ira Davis.
Andrew Glaze, j. o. Sizebore, &. j..
Scale, Ellis Ratliffc and julius Lum-
pkin arc other defendants in the JEFF
ferson county whipping trials. All
are cHdISeu WITH COlnpllCItH Ill Tie
flogging Of Hit, John Bolton, a
capenter, and Dan Mitchell, COM
mercial artist.
Given 1O-Year Terms
Doss and Clayton already are UNI
der sentence Of ten years in the
penitentiary for the. whipping Of
Galloway. They were tried at One
onta last July, when five other men
also received prison sentences for
their part in the flogging. The
state contends that the pair aided
in the Bolton Mitchell whipping
while out on bail awaiting appeal
from their first conviction. The
case against them and their alleged
colleagues on the newest charges
awaits the outcome Of their pending
appeal.
The first flogging convictions in
Alabama came during the first week
in July, when two women and three
men were fined in Lauderdale coun-
ty county for taking Mrs. Bertha A
Stay from her home and whipping
her with an automobile fan bell
and limbs of trees.