Evening star., 1936-05-24

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Poole was killed because he had
beaten his wife, began an investiga-
tion OF the possibility the young w. P.
A. worker was executed" because he
knew too much Of the inner workings
OF the hooded order.
Reports that scores of other citizens
had been victims of mob terrorism
poured into the prosecutors ONCE.
Many Report Beatings.
McCrea said he had received
numerous telephone calls since the
roundup Friday of IS members of
the Black Legion. from men who said
they had been abducted and beaten
by black -robed night riders wearing
the deaths head insignia Of the
legion.
"All indications are that this Is
powerful organization. and one report
is that it has 10000 members in Wayne
CDetroiU County" McCrea said.
Our investigation will not stop
until we get to the bottom of this"
four of the men that Poole was put
to death May Is because they believed
he had beaten his wife were too
fantastic 10 believe
I'VE have not been told the real
motive" he declared. The men IN
custody say tkeir lives are not worth
a nickel if they talk too much, and'
those who have talked say they want
to stay in jail for safety.
There have been all kinds Of wild
rumors that the Black Legion has a
huge membership throughout the
country. that it is seeking political con-
troll. and that it is closely organized in
every county in Michigan. but we
haven't got any definite evidence on
them"
Murder Warrants TO Be Issued.
Murder warrants will be issued Mon
day. the prosecutor said. for Harvey
Davis, a colonel of the Black Legion:
Dayton Dean, who has confessed firing
five shots into Poole's body as the
Young father of two small children
knelt before his captors; Irwin Lee.
Urban Lpps, George C. johnson, Paul
r. Edwards and Edgar Baldwin.
Detailed confessions obtained from
the first four named. McCrea said,
would form the basis for charges the
other three we're present at the Staying.
Murder charges also may be placed,
McCrea said. against Lowell Rushing,
q relative of Poole's wife by marriage.
and Hershell Gill. who are accused of
instigating mob action against Poole.
Mrs. Poole, 81, denounced as .
wicked lie" the accusation against her
husband. Charles never beat me" she
said. He was always good and kind"
McCrea summoned Leslie ]. Black,
president of the Wolverine Republican
Club. to which the Is men under arrest
belonged, to his office today, but Black
said he had not known of the Black
Legion until the arrests were made.
Club Denies Link.
"The league is purely political"
McCrea quoted him as saying. If any
members also are members Of the
Black Legion, they will be kicked out"
Police records show that "Col."
Davis and Rushing were involved in q
case last August in which terrorism
was charged by Albert Bates, Ford
Motor Co. transportation superintend-
ent.
The jackson officers said Clarence
Ernest, neighbor of the Everys, and
Glenn Ernest, Of Napoleon. Mich,
brothers of Ray Ernest. and Frank
Maull were named by Mrs. Every as
members of the group of masked men
who flogged her husband.
As q result of Mrs. Every's story,
Ernest j. Rogers. justice of the peace.
called. for q court stenographer and
issued summonses for the men named
as he prepared to sit as q one-man
grand jury to investigate the death.
Tells Of Husbands F1ogging.
Several men came to the house
one night in February. when he
Every was trying to withdraw from
the organization" Mrs. Every was
quoted as saying her husband had
told her. "They put him in car,
blindfolded him and drove him to q
farm house about 21z miles away.
There they took OF the blindfold and
took him into the building and logged
him. They threatened to string him
up he said, II he failed to attend the
next three meetings"
In q raid tonight at the home OF
Ernest officers said they found liter
ature concerning an order identified
only as IL. o. T. p" and a supply Of
black hoodi and robes. an automatic,