The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-10-10
FORMER KLAN
Chief FACES
ARSON TRIAL.
Samuel F. Withrow Will
Appear Before Court at
I Rockville Wednesday.
TWO SCHOOLS BURNED
Flames Ragged During Parke
] County's Bitter 1924
Campaign.
wv Times SDecinl

Bp Times Special
ROCKVILLE. Ind, Oct. TO-
Samdei F.. Withrow, eX-kligraph OF
the Ku-Klux Klan of Parke County,
will be arraigned in Circuit Court
here for trial Wednesday on an in
dictment charging him with arson
in connection with the burning Of
both high school and grade school
buildings at Bridgeton just before
the election three years ago.
The case grew out of the 1924
campaign in Parke County, cam
paign unique in the political annals
of Indiana.
Under direction of Withrow, a
Klan slate was Unexpectedly filed for
all candidates at the Democratic pri-
mary. AS this slate included can
didates to oppose the. denomination
of Sheriff Jacob P Smith and Pros
ecutor Hugh>L. Banta, serving their
first terms of two years and, by
precedent as old as the county en-
titled to a second term, the great
body of Democratic voters who Gid
not go to the primary were so out
ragged when the Klan by a narrow
margin defeated them, that a move
ment was started for an anti-Klan
ticket.
Late in September, the biggest po-
litical mass meeting in the county
was held in the auditorium Of the
Rockville chautauqua. 1t was called
to order by F. w. Leatherman,
prominent Stockn1an of Rockville,
and addressed by Mayor George R.
Durgan, Lafayette; Rev. John C.
Herrin, Terre Haute, and Harold
Henderson, Rockville, attorney for
the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea of Indiana.
Named Anti-Klan Ticket
At a conference after the meeting
It was decided to organize the Con-
stitutional Liberty parry. Both DEM
ocratic and Republican candidates
for Congress we're denounced for
Klan connections, and Col. Jesse R.
Burks, Rockville, Republican, was
later nominated against them. Isaac
r. Strouse, former collector Of in
ternal revenue, a Democrat, was
chosen county and district chair
man.
With less than month for Or
organization, the election of either
congressional or county candidates
was only forlorn hope. The ticket
was denied place on the ballot in
Parke County, in accordance with
the so-ealled "Lew Shank law" and
'sCol Burks was similarly treated in
Hendricks, Putnam and Clay
Counties.
Mandamus proceedings at Green
castle, heard by Charles John
son, Charlottesville, special Judge,
resulted in a ruling that the whole
'Lew Shank law" was unconstitu-
tional, and so the Constitutional
Liberty ticket obtained a place on
the ballot.
The anti-Klan campaign in Parke
County became so spirited that the
Klan was compelled to concentrate
on secretly selected candidates of
both parties. Colonel Burks received
more votes in the county for Con-
gresS than John r. Shannon, the
Democratic candidate. It was dur
ing the stress of the campaign that
the two school houses were burned,
and all over the county the charge
was made that "the Catholics"
burned them. The motive for the
alleged crime of Withrow was seen
by the prosecution as an attempt
to discredit the anti-Klan party at
the election.
Prosecutor Baked
An attempt to indict Withrow by
affidavit failed in June, 1925, when
G. Ray Ceilings. who had been
elected prosecuting attorney with
Klan support, refused to sign the
affidavit. No other movement was
made during his term of Office, but
after the election of Benjamin F.
Stephenson last November citizens
OF the township in which Bridgeton
is located again pushed the charge.
Stephenson called for a grand jury,
and an arson indictment followed.
Withrow's attorney, ex-Prosecutor
Ceilings filed a motion Oct. for a
change Of venue, alleging prejudice
in Parke County. Judge Howard
Maxwell overruled it, and Oct.
Ceilings filed a motion for another
Judge to preside at the triad. Judge
Maxwell granted the plea and
named three judges from adjacent
counties-Hughes, Putnam; Aikman
Vermilion, and Fine, Montgomery
The latter was left after each had
stricken off a name.
Prosecutor Stephenson will
be assisted by Joseph M
Johns of Rockville. The sheriff
who will serve at the trial is Jacob
p. Smith, who served in the World
War as captain in the 15Oth Regi-
ment field artillery, Rainbow divi-
sion, anti-Klan candidate elected
last November Pr0snclJt0y Stantey,-