The Washington times., 1936-05-29
CLAN RALLIES
FOR DEFENSE
IN COURTS
Group Reported Hold
ing o pen Air Meetings
To Map Course
Continued from Page u

fend themselves against all enc
mics. foreign and domestic"
The oath says:
II sOlemnly swear / will obey
the orders of Harold Dugas.
my commandment chief, and the
orders of officers appointed by
him.
Baked at many turns in their
drive against night-riders of the
Black Legion. Michigan author
tiles today prepared to invoke the
States broad syndicSliSm law to
stamp out the secret cult, fore
casting possible wholesale
roundup of Black LegionnaireS.
Two Probes Ordered
While one-man grand jury
probes were ordered in two
counties and Detroit police
launched an investigation to de-
termine how many of its 1000
members were hooded terrorists,
Prosecutor Owen Dudley, of Jack
son county, said today he would
confer with Michigan Attorney
General David Crowley over plans
to use the syndicaliSm law, which
would carry long penitentiary
terms and fines on conviction.
He said:
"Any person who by word Of
mouth or writing advocates or
teaches the duty. necessity or
prOpriety of crime, sabotage.
violence or other unlawful
methods of accomplishing In
dustrial or political reform is
guilty Of violating this statute"
He recalled the blood oath" of
the night-riderS.
Recalls Blood Oath
Attorney General Crowley was
to confer today with Judge James
E. Chenot in Detroit where Cir
cult Court judges. sitting en- banc,
yesterday appointed Judge Che
not to conduct one-man grand
jury probe. It was believed the
probe here may start as early as
next week.
Investigations here into reported
murder, whipping, kidnapping, tor
ture and arson plots charged
against the legion received two
setbacks. Prosecutor Duncan C.
McCrea's plea for a second grand
jury was denied and the Depart
ment of Justice at Washington
said it could not enter the case
until evidence Of violation of Fed
eral laws was uncovered.
However, it was reported here
that local G-Men were conducting
an investigation and ready to
pounce on Black Legionnaires If
they can find proof for any of the
rumors which reported victims
may have been taken across State
lines and flogged.
Help Of one other branch Of the
Federal Government was almost
certain as Elmer Trey, chief of the
Internal Revenue Bureaus intelli-
gence unit, announced he was con-
sidering reports from Michigan
that leaders of the band may have
failed to make proper income tax
returns. Prosecutor McCrea re-
quests the income tax experts to
make an investigation, claiming
dues of 10 cents a month from all
members were collected by Black
Legion heads.
Some Members Known
Police here, meanwhile, were
trying to find out to what extent
its department was honeycombed
with cultists. Six or seven officers
were known members, and reports
were given Police Commissioner
Heinrich Pickert that as many as
so or 10 might belong to the secret
band. Rumors that one out of
every 10 policemen were Black
Legionnaires were not credited in
official circles.
A one-man grand jury investiga-
ton also was ordered at Flint,
where there are said to be about
2,100 members of the terrorist
society. Prosecutor Andrew Tran
sue pointed out to- Judge Edward
D. Black, who ordered the probe
to begin this afternoon, that
threatening man at the point of
a pistol constituted a felonious as
sault under State laws. When
members of the Black Legion took
their blood oaths," a revolver was
pointed at their hearts, according
to ritual of the society seized by
police.
In addition, many unwilling"
Wearers of the black robes have
told police they were forced to
Join up" at the point of gun.
Because of the difficulty in OBJ
tanning evidence and witnesses, it
appeared today that the investiga-
lions in this State would verge
toward use of the assault and
criminal syndicalism laws.
Meetings are Held
At Jackson, State Police Lieu
tenant Van A. LOOMS was given
information, he said, that bands
of Black Legionnaires were still
conducting open air meetings in
farm fields under night skies but,
he explained, there is no question
but that the meetings are dealing
with problems for their defense
rather than plans for new often
siveS."
At one Of the meetings, he was
told, man in Shirt-sleeves in
one car was quickly showed into
the midst of a mob of men. He
could not find verification Of re-
ronrtc thu man had ham flnnnnd