The Washington times., 1936-05-26
GRAND JURIES
WILL PROBE
ACTIVITIES
100000 Members
Claimed by Head
of Weird Group
CONTINUED from Page II

of the Black Legion under arrest
here and accused Of Poole'S muir
der and IL John Does" being
sought also are members Of the
so-called Republican Club be
lieved used as a front" to hide
their sinister purpose. The sheriff
said:
At the time Bielak and the
other man were slain we believed
it to have been because Of labor
trouble between two rival unions,
but now / am convinced that
both men were slain by the
Black Legion, and possibly that
one band of the Black Legion
had been formed as labor
union"
Bielak was shot five times, and
witnesses saw two carloads of men
leave the scene. Poole, whose death
May IS unveiled the weird Black
Legion clans, also was shot five
times. Two carloads of the outlaw
bands also took Poole for his last
ride, intending, according to cult
lists confession, to lynch him but
finally shooting him when the
man with the rope failed to
show up.
One Man RearreSted
Jackson authorities today rear
rested Ray Ernest, suspended Jack
son prison guard, and jailed his
two brothers, Glenn and Clarence,
and another man, Allan Basom, on
the vagrancy warrants, and also
limited at more arrests.
Prosecutor Owen Dudley there
said he was marking time In the
investigation of the death flogging
of Prison Guard Every pending a
probe into the beating of Harley
Smith, kidnapped and flogged last
fall because he refused to join the
fantastic order. The wife of
Smith, the latter now a WPA
worker at Novel, Mich, made the
complaint.
Hunting leaders Of the night
riding band in suburban Ecorse,
reputed stronghold Of the terror
ist cult, investigators from the
prosecutors office and Ecorse po-
lice early today staged raids on
four homes and a gasoline station
and reported they found an arsenal
of rifles, shotguns, revolvers and
ammunition at the homes of two
eXtrustees.
Threaten Policeman
The Ecorse raids were made
after Patrolman Robert McWhir-
ten reported he recently was
threatened by members of the
Black Logon. Raiders said the
weapons were found in the homes
of Charles D. King, former Ecorse
trustee, and Jesse ]. Pettijohn,
township clerk and former trustee.
Both were released after question
ing when they denied they were
Black Legion members.
County Investigator Harry Col
burn said:
king and PettijOhn ex-
planned the guns were all
registered and that they had o
legitimate right to them. King
said two of the guns in his home
belonged to former policeman.
The guns were turned over to
the police department for dis
position"
Prosecutor Duncan c. McCrea,
who has charged Is alleged mem.
bers of the xlan-like group with
murder, today was awaiting re-
Spouse to the proposed tri-State
crime conference to which Ohio
and Indiana authorities have been
invited.
Reports the organization in.
tested many parts of the nation
remained unconfirmed, although
the reputed Major General" of
the Middle West, v. H. Effinger,
boosted in his Lima, Ohio, home
that the society IS a member
ship of 100000 in the United
States.
Effinger, along with Arthur H.
Lupp and William Shotgun"
Shepherd were named by Prose
cutor McCrea and State police as
being among the leaders"
AffiliatiOn Denied
In Bellaire, Ohio, DR.. William
]. Sheppard denied he is the viii.
liam Shotgun" Shepherd police
here were hunting for questioning.
While he admitted he was a for.
mer Khan organizer, he denied con.
nections with the Black Legion.
He expressed belief the legion was
formed by disgruntled officers Of
the Khan.
Emerging from hiding, Senior
Commander" Lupp in Detroit de-
nounced the fellow members who
killed Poole because, police now
believe, the WPA worker threat
ened to expose the society.
Lupp, reputed commander of
Michigan, had been sought by
police since letters between Lupp
and Effinger were found at the
home of Ray Ernest, Jackson pri.
son guard, held in connection with
the fatal flogging of Paul Every.
fellow guard. He was ordered to
appear for further questioning
today.
While Prosecutor McCrea was
checking reports the clan was a
power-crazed group and reached