The Washington times., 1936-06-05
COURT CLERK
ALSO LINKED
TO GROUP
Quits Job, But Denies
utilization With
Black Legion
CONTINUED from Page II


Investigation of the legion.
Meanwhile Dayton Dean, con-
fessed two-gun trigger man" in
the Poole murder, and IL OF his
confederates we're closely guarded
in the county Jail pending their
temperance in court Monday for
further examination.
Mrs. Poole, the slain mans
widow, revealed to International
News Service that for days prior
to her husbands death he was
very nervous and constantly bit
his finger nails" He lost conSid-
cradle weight. What was preying
on his mind she could not say. al
though he had been out Of work.
Sensation Created
Some Investigators have enter
tanned the theory that Poole was
not killed because Of the spurious
gossip that he beat his wife," but
because he knew too much" or
was personally disliked by certain
Black LegionnaireS. Poole was a
Catholic.
The flogging of Penlan created
a sensation when it finally be-
came known. Ever since last
October the victim had kept silent
about it. The affair was brought
to light when three Of the alleged
kidnaperS- A. Gulley,
Thomas F. Cox and Earl Ang.
stadt-were arrested and ar
raigned in court. They were held
in custody under bonds Of $4,000
each for examination next Mon
day.
Gulley told an amazing story.
He said Penlan was taken from
his home at the point Of pistol
to a lonely spot in Oakland county
where he was Strengthened out. :"
The victim was tied to tree and
orSe-whipped.
The complaint against Penlan
at the "open air trial" was that he
had been failing to attend Black
Legion meetings regularly. A
group estimated variously from
$50 to 500 attended the trial"
Penlan Denies Flogging
Only with the greatest reluct-
ance would Penlan make a state
ment to the authorities. He de-
MED he was flogged. He said he
talked his way out of it,"
The six subsequently arrested in
connection with the Penlan kid
mapping were Jesse j. Pettijohn,
Dearborn township clerk; Charles
King, former trustee of the sub
urb Of EcorSe, in whose home
raiders found guns and anti-Negro
literature last week; James Stew
art, a former detective, discharged
for being "overactive politically;
Harold Lawrence, Ed Wineinger
and Harry ClaWSon.
Mrs. Penlan, an attractive dark
eyed woman who speaks with a
southern drawl, said her husband
never said anything to her"
about being flogged. She ad-
mitted he was a member of the
Black Legion.
In the meantime, other develop
mertS became known and excited
much public interest. Chief among
them was the charge that Clyde
MARYLAND, clerk in the court of
Judge Chenot who is conducting
a grand jury probe of the legion,
had attended meetings Of the
hooded organization.
Clerk Quits Post
Judge Chenot disclaimed re-
sponsibility for MARYLAND being
in his court, saying he had not
appointed him, and demanded
the county clerk assign a new
clerk to the court. MARYLAND re-
signed, although he insisted he
did not belong to the Black Le-
gion.
At the same time Judge Chenot
ordered the utmost secrecy to
surround his investigation into
the legion. He warned all city,
State and county police that they
may be sent to Jail if they re-
veal the names of persons they
subpoena.
Ray MARYLAND, an investigator
in the prosecutors office and a
brother of the court clerk who
resigned, also denied rumors that
he was a member of the legion.
Patrolman John A. Goodwin, of
Highland Park, suburb, de-
clared the alleged meetingS-.Hf
legionnaires at his hoS6e u,ora
merely gatherings OK neiobhor.
hood dart club He exniained
a dart cluh~gs ~ot HeaatIoor
WHERE Gathered darts are tossed
at a bulls-eye on the wall
A raid on a massage parlor and
15-room home of Mr.. and Mrs. Will
liam Guthrie on the fringe of De
troit's downtown district disclosed
the place to be a legion headquar-
tiers where literature Of the or
ganization was printed. Guthrie
was arrested and is held incom.
municado.
Turns Over Bullet
Mrs. Guthrie turned over her
membership bullet" to Prosecutor
McCrea. She claimed she was in
Quoted into the women's auxiliary
of the legion against her wishes.
Legion members had a habit OF
Tipping a bullet in their hand to
indicate they belonged to the myS-
FERROUS organization.
She turned over to the authori-
ties a mass of literature printed
on a press in the basement of the
place. Her husband, chiroprac-
tor, admitted membership in the
legion.