The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-23
BLack Slayer Group
 Of Killers Caught
toontlnued from Paea D

only find more members of the sec- ret, night-riding society but victims of it's moral crusade. Detectives be- lieved almost all its past victims had been tied to trees in lonely woods and logged. Most of the victims, police believed, were charged with unfaithfulness to wives, of seducing girls, and other moral lapses. Though the literature of the legion described it as anti-Jew, anti- Catholic, and anti-C Communist, 1t was not believed that it had taken direct action against any individual of those groups for his religious or political beliefs alone.
 Had Many Victims
 "The legion undoubtedly has had many victims," Inspector Henry l. Navarro, commander of the police homicide bureau, said. "Juet how many, we can't say at this time." Navarro believed the victims of the legion had been taken largely from among relatives and acquaintances of it's members. He and his investi- gators already had determined that Poole was ir1nnocent of the charge for which the legion tried and executed him. His wife, who gave birth to Q son the day after he was slain, said he had never beaten her. Authorities of Herman Keiffer hos- pital, where she was confined, said her body had shown no bruises or other indications of violence.
 All Factory Workers
 The 16 men held, ranging in age from i6 to 60, all factory workers, and all seemingly more proud than afraid, maintained Q close-lipped silence. Navarro indicated that death was the legion's penalty for rnem- bers who told it's secrets, and that the men held were afraid of the vengeance of their brethren still at large. He believed that the legion had 60 members, and he ordered the arrest of the other A. Urban Lipps, 32, one of the men held, was the most communicative. He admitted having taken part in the execution of Poole, but said he had partici- pated in no other "jobs." He had been a member for six months, he said, and he understood, that the legion had taken care" of Q num- Der of "rats."
 Initiation Ritual
 Lipps described to police the rite ual of initiation. After he had been accepted as worthy of membership Protestant and white), he was tak- en to a secret meeting place. The members of the legion surrounded him, dressed in flowing black robes, masked, the white satin of their skull and cross-bone insignia, on breast and cockaded hats, fiittering in the poor light. At a command, he knelt. A legionnaire pressed @ pistol against his heart and he was told to raise his right hand and take the oath. Lipps intimated, police said, that one of the requirements cf membership in the Black Legion was membership in the Ku Klux Klan, which still survives, weak shadow of its strength a decade ago. Lipps. understood that the le- gion had chapters in all parts of the country and hundreds of Il1em- bers, but he knew no details of the national organization.
 Along Military Lines
 Police said the local chapter was organized along military lines. The chapter commander was called a colonel and below him were cap- tains, lieutenants, sergeants, cor- porals and privates, the latter corn- paratively few in number. Each member paid 10 cents a month in dues, but was liable to assessments. Harvey Davis, 38, one of the men held, admitted being the colonel. All 16 men will be brought into court again today for continuance of a hearing for a writ of habeas corpus filed by their court appointed attorney yesterday. The hearing was continued 50 as to give police time