Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-21
CYCLOPS
TALE.
Of INTRIGUE
HOrse-thief Detective AssO-
Citations and Gun-TOting
Preachers
SEEK CONTROL
Sensational Story of Indi-
ana Politics Testified in
Deposition

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Feb. 20 lP,--
A sensational tale of alleged political
intrigue, involving the Ku KluX khan,
horse thief detective associations, gun
toting preachers and the Indiana
nti-Saloon league, was unfolded here
today by Hugh F. (Pat) Emmons. a
former khan cyclops. ina deposition
given to Attorney General Arthur L.
Gilliom. The attorney general will
use it in connection with suit he
brought recently to oust the klar
from Indiana.
Emmcns, who between 1923 and
1926, inclusive, said he was associated
with Valley klan No. SO of South
Bend and st. Joseph county, declared
he had been told by w, Lee Smith.
Indianapolis, until recently grand
dragon, that the secret order was
formed for the purpose of getting
political control of the United States.
For eight hours Enmons unraveled
the story of how, he said, the kan
stuffed ballot boxes, used whisky TO
win elections, raided men ''in bad"
with the organization, and boycOtted
Catholics and Jews who were in
business.
"It was kind OF double crossing
proposition" he said, after alleging
that men were brought into the khan
on one set OF principles and given
another set to follow when they had
taken their oaths.
Joe Huntington, of Evansville, pres
ent grand dragon, was described to
Emmons by w. Lee Smith as "the
fastest man with a gun that had
ever been brought into Indiana
Enmons said he and Charles j.
Orbison, Indianapolis attorney, helped
huntington in the Evansville city
election in 1926 and that later Huf-
fington told him (Emmons) that sit
took a lot of whisky and money and
some stuffing of the ballot boxes to
put that election over" Herbert
Males was elected mayor.
Orbison, an attorney for the klan
and former superior court judge.
represented that organization at the
deposition taking, frequently object
ing to the questions that Gilliom put
to the witness.
Lavish expenditures of money by
prominent klan leaders, orgies at read
houses, e-inspiring speeches, boy
colt of business establishments and
the attempted boycott OF at least one
newspaper in Indiana, were charged
by the witness. He said that Valley
khan No. So finally lost it's charter
when it no longer would give money
| to the state and national organization.
On one occasion, Emmons said,
Hiram Wesley Evans, imperial wizard
of the khan, told him that if the
I situation at Herrin, ILL.,, did not i'm
prove, he would send gunmen down
/ there ito clean things up" The
conversation with Evans occurred in
I Chicago just after Emmons had re-
turned frcm Herrin from the funeral
! of S.. Glenn Young, the witness said.
! Emmons, as exalted cyclops of st.
Joseph county, was advised by a
representative of the. imperial office,
| that the way to get members was to
''beat up on somebody" and use some
! tar and feathers. He said man
named Sirnlan declared the South
Bend khan needed little more south
ern spirit and that IF they took
i someone out in this Catholic city and
gave them good beating tSld tarred
and feathered somebody membership
would increase by hundreds" Emmons
said Sirman told him.
/ Not one dime, the witness added,
OF khan finances, so far as he ever
heard OF, was spent for charitable
purposes, Emmcns continued.