The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-27
Black Legionnaires
 On Trial M Detroit
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 tivities of the Legion, requested tn adjournment that his office nigh finish its inquiry.
 He promised the court that with in four or five days I anticipate VI will be able to bring other defend ant sinto court and have a hearing for all of the mat one time"
 John Doe" warrants charging l: other members of the Legion witt the murder of Poole, who "knev too much" about the inner working of the band, have not yet beer served.
 New Members Beaten
 The Black Legion obtained new members by beating them until they agreed to join and kept them as members by brutal terrorism, four legionnaires charged today.
 This development came as author. ities prepared for the preliminary examination of l2 legionnairei charged with the murder of Charles A. Poole, Q PWA worker, and Attor. ney General David Fl. Crowley opened Michigan's campaign ir Wayne county (Detroit) to break the terToriStic society of night-riders, one of whose leaders boasts of G. 100000 members.
 The charge of the four legion- naires was made public by Arthur T. Milford, chief intelligence officer of the municipally owned Detroit Street Railway. He discovered them in following inc command of Mayor Frank Cou2ens to weed out all le- gionnaires on the city payrolls. All four were suspended because of their affiliation.
 Invited to Party
 Another employe Of the railway, a man dead who had been believed a suicide but is now listed by authori- ties as c possible victim of legion vengeance, invited them to a party, the four men told Milford.
 They thought 1t was an ordinary function dedicated to routine con- vitality. Instead 1t was q conclave of Black Legionnaires. They were asked to join. They refused. They were beaten until they swore the terrible oath of the organization which prescribes death for members who betray It's secrets or refuse to obey orders.
 Milford did not divulge their names. But the man who took them to the party vas Alfred Roughley, who was found dead in his automo- bile, victim of carbon monoxide. His was one of number of supposed cases of suicide reopened by the ex- pose of the flight-riders, who are al. legged to have killed in such Q way, in some instances, that their vic- tins appeared to have killed them selves.
 Could Not Withdraw
 Authorities obtained more and more evidence that the legion per- mitted no member, oEce accepted, to withdraw. Several legionnaires arc said to have bOasted that i've have no ex-members-our ex-members are oil six feet under the sod"-and the l2 alleged slayers of Poole are accused of having been motiVatcd by e fear that he "knew too much" about the society.
 The 12 were to be brought into court this morning for 6 hearing that probably will last all day. All pleaded not guilty at their prelim- mary hearing, but four had con- fessed, describing in detail Poole 5 death. The 12 include Dayton Dean, who admitted firing the five shots that felled Poole, lifeless, into a roadside ditch, and Harvey Davis, colonel of the regiment.
 Confer with Governor
 Before leaving for Detroit this morning to confer with Wayne County Prosecutor Duncan c. Mo- Crea, Attorney General Crowley planned to confer with Gov. Frank Fitzgerald in Lansing over possible emergency measures to obliterate the legion. He will open a state grand jury investigation in Detroit and Wayne county today. Similar investigations will follow in the counties of Genesee, Oakland, Jack son, Monroe, and others where the legion is believed organized strong ly.
 There's too much significance to the Black Legion for any local in- vestigation," Crowley said.
 McCrea Vas Bitter
 In a radio Salk last night McCrea bitterly denounced the Detroit Times, which had published a story saying that on application card for membership In the legion. bearing a signature similar to McCrea's. had been found. McCrea denied that he had been member of the legion or had applied for membership.
 Tn Jackson county. where four men were charged yesterday with