Evening star., 1928-04-12
DENY KLAN CAUSED
PENNSYLVANIA RIOT
Witnesses in Suit Declare
People of Carnegie Start
ed Trouble.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH, April 12.-Many wit
nesses took the stand In Federal Court
here today and denied that members of
the Ku K1ux Klan were armed or
stirred up trouble with citizens OF
Carnegie. Pa. on the night Of riot
there In 1923, when one Kiansman was
killed.
The witnesses were called by the
Klan after former members rested their
case. The suit OF the ''banished" Klans-
men. who sought to have a receiver
appointed In Pennsylvania and an ac-
counting of SIS 900 900 collected in this
State was dismissed yesterday by Judge
w. II. Thomson for lack Of jurisdiction.
The Khan wants the court 10 enjoin
the former Klansmen from using its
name and award total damages OF
$500 600, claiming they collected that
amount without authorization.
People Sneered.
Ray Bowser of New Kensington tes-
tined people lined along the route of the
parading KlanSmen sneered at them.
John III. Connaughton OF Washington,
D. c., chief counsel for the klan. asked
Bowser, as well as other witnesses,
whether the Klansrnen carried any guns.
clubs or other implements In Carnegie
and the reply always was no"
= John Ogie, New Kensington. Pa. said
after Klansmen and citizens clashed at
q bridge leading into Carnegie. Sam d.
Rich, then grand dragon Of Pennsyl-
vania, ordered them to return TO q
nearby field Ito avoid any further blood
she'd"
Ogie testified three or four guards
carrying revolvers In holsters were sta
toned about the field where the order
held a demonstration before marching
into Carnegie.
Having thrown out the counter suit
OF the former members, who sought
TO restrain the Khan from operating in
Pennsylvania, and asked for receiver
ship for the order and an accounting
of all funds. Judge Thomson told Van
r Barrickman, defense counsel, TO read
only that part Of the deposition ma
terial to the issues now before the court.
Barrickman proceeded to read sec
tions OF the deposition bearing upon
the suit OF the Klan. which seeks $500,
900 damages from the i've former mem-
bers frcm interfering with the Khan and
from interfering with the Klan and
conducting limitations.
When Barrickman started to read
a part of the deposition dealing with
Stephensons story as TO how Hiram
w. Evans gained his position rs i'm
periai wizard of the Klan. Con-
naughton objected and was ustained,
the court holding 1t was controversial
and threw no light on the questions at
issue.
a-AL. nAtun1lnxs x,,.. ,,pt.aIA x,,lAas>
Barrickman started TO read Q question
he put TO Stephenson asking II Evans
had had anything TO do with Stephen
sons imprisonment In Indiana.
Connaughton objected TO another
question to Stephenson as to how the
Klan planned TO control courts and
legislatures.
Barrickman then came to that part
OF the deposition where he had asked
the ex-Indiana Khan leader who was re-
sponsible for the murder of Capt. w. s,
Coburn, Atlanta, Ga, attorney. Con-
naughton objected and Judge Thompson
upheld him, saying. Il don't want 10 go
into q murder trial In another State"
Witnesses yesterday told OF a watch
having been kept on public men and
officeholders throughout the country.
Their records were kept for reference
Barrickman, In arguing about admis-
sion OF the Stephenson deposition. told
the court he represented 70 local units
OF the Klan, having been authorized by
them To intervene In the suit on their
behalf.
This brought q statement from Con-
naughton that the defendants were
trying To jump In and out OF the klan
at tho same time"
Burning and Branding Chargea
6tephenson's allegation that the Khan
used women 10 beamirch the characters
OF certain men was stricken out.
Sections OF this deposition permitted
TO go into the record over objection by
Khan counsel were
Htephenson's charge that grand
dragons were instructed by Evans 10
follow his orders blindly and that II
they failed To do 80 they would be un~
seated, punished and their characters
attacked
6taphenaon's allegation that the
Black Mask Robe" gang was author
lied by Evans and that this was the of
fioial robe when klansmen went on kill-
Ing and whipping parties. especially In
the South.
stephanaon's charge that Evans told
him and boasted that a negro had been
burned at the stake In Texas; that
Klansmen had cut OF q negro's ears,
and that xxx" had been branded on
the forehead of another negro
Htephenaon's allegation that the
Purple Robe" gang ot Philadelphia,
also known a. the Death Battalion"
mas haaaad hy fshnFlAv I.AwIa and a