The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-28

witnesses, returning indictments, etc. Crowley asked the Way county cir. cult court to appoint Q judge to function thus.
 Evidence Secret
 Pending the federal reply, Me- Crea would reveal none of tho evi- dence he said revealed the legion as Q functioning army of terroriSts in "15 to lS states" Tn petitioning Attorney General Cummings for fed- eral aid yesterday, he said:
 T know definitely that the Black Legion is now operating in IS to l8 states. know that 1t Is very active in the cities of New York and Chi- cago.
 T have reason to believe that the activities of the legion have in. cluded the hauling of bodies across state boundary lines, which is Q fed- eral offense."
 Continuing, he told Cummings that his evidence showed that many serious crimes have been committed in states other than Michigan"
 of course, am unable to in- vestigate these," he said, land for that reason l have sought the aid of the department of justice"
 Seek 12 Missing
 McCrea's own investigations and six members of the Detroit homi- eide squad were searching for the i2 fugitive legiornaires.
 The preliminary examination of l2 of the 13 men already held for Pooles death was adjourned yester- day until next week, over the ob- jections of their counsel, to permit McCrea to find their alleged accom- plices.
 At Jackson, Smith, the Black Legion victim, whose cruel punish- ment was the subject of the grand fury investigation, threw e new light on the organizations technique. He said:
 1.-TWO neighbors invited me to . party about Q year ago. went and pretty soon we got to a place where there were three men in robes. They called themselves Black Knights. One man held a gun against me and they gave me the oath was sacred. I can't remember the oath, but they did give me 8 bullet and one of them said, the next one we give you will be out of a gun.'
 One Meeting Later
 q went to one meeting after that. When they told me there was going to be another meeting, I said l couldn't go to 1t. Well, about last November some of them came around to my house and said, Your superior officers want to talk to you. I went out to their car. They pushed me into the back seat. They drove about 8 mile. They told me to get out of the car. They took me into a house and tied my hands. Some- body said, Whats the verdict guilty or not guilty?' They yelled guilty and somebody said, six lashes.'
 "They pulled my shirt of. They gave me six lashes. It felt like a blacksnake whip. It hurt. Then they put me back in the car and we drove a while. We were near my house.
 "They took off the blindfold and told me to walk home. I went to one meeting after that in Decem- ber I've been a nervous wreck ever since."
 Report Denied
 Boston, May 28--(UP)--Captain Thomas P. Stokes, head of the Mass sachusetts state police, today denied reports that state police had asked local authorities throughout the commonwealth to report any evi- dences of Black Legion activity.
 We have taken no such action and contemplate none." Stokes said. T assume that if any local police department uncovered such activity they would Investigate 1t indepepd- ently and perhaps afis our coopcra- ton should it appear of . serious nature"
 Thus far. Stokes said, he had