Evening star., 1936-03-29
BY JUNIUs B. WOOD.

TAMPA, Fla, March 20 (N.A.N.A0.
One evening Frank L. Ferguson, IA
years old, stepped from the front door
of his home in Orlando to run his car.
which he had left at the curb, into
the garage for the night. Two callers
had Just left and the coast was clear
for the men who had been patiently
waiting In an automobile parked
across the street.
Two of them met Ferguson as he
crossed the lawn. They invited him
to come to their car. He declined.
suggesting that any one who wanted to
talk with him come into his house.
They grabbed him, one on each sldi
Ferguson, at his age, was no physical
match for two husky rufhans, but
voices were raised and neighbors
started to appear. A big man jumped
out of the car. (Under the dim street
lights, he fitted the description OF a
Klansman who had been pointed out
as active in flogsing parties0
+Get busy! Hurry up!" the big
man shouted.
The men beat Ferguson over the
head. A cut, which required several
stitches, and two welts on his scalp
were the result. He was carried to
the car and thrown in. his feet stick
ing out Of a door. The car sped out
to a quiet spot in the country. Mr..
Ferguson was not flogged, but given
warning that he must stop disturb
ing the ministers" He had recovered
consciousness sufficiently to protest
that. as far as he knew, he had dis
turbed only one clergyman, whom he
named. He was left TO make his
way home as best he could. Another
aged wife now has constant legacy
of fear whenever her husband Is
absent-one of the terrible accompani-
ments of these deeds of violence.
Weapon Mysteriously Disappears.
His physician ordered him to stay
in bed. The next day two men called
upon him at his home. One, whom
Ferguson knew. introduced the other.
After a short visit the two callers
departed.
The next day, a couple of Fer
eusons friends located the secluded
scene of the lecture" They picked
LID a sawed-off hoe handle which may
have been discarded when weapons
were no longer needed. 1t was SUBJ
iected to examination for fingerprints
and later it strangely disappeared.
brief sketch Of the 74-year-old
man will dispel any impression which
some persons may hold that such acts
of violence are directed solely against
radicals. labor organizers and others
who frequently are In trouble OF thell
own making.
Ferguson is publisher Of the Or
lando Shopping News, which consists
entirely of his own editorials and ad-
vertisements. He organized the Tax
payers League, which, among other
things, reduced municipal expendl-
lures by half and in successive refer
endums prevented the sale of the
citys utilities to private corporation
The leagues activities are approved
by those in Orlando who pay the
taxes, but not necessarily by thos'
who spend them or want to own the
utilities. His disturbing the minis
ters" was an editorial allowing that
while the title ID. D." stood for doc
tor of divinity" it might also signify
doctor of depravity," naming one whit
was a straw bondsman In Police Cour
for fees, member Of the Taxpayers
League and presumably of the Kr
kluX Klan.
In None Of Tabooed Glasses.
Ferguson was graduated from Yalt
IN 1888, went to Milford. Conn, anc
married the daughter of Samuel Max
we'll, who for 81 years was chief JUS
tice of the Supreme Court Of Ne
braska They moved to that State
where he published the Cadron Jour
nal, was pastor Of the communit!
church, founded school of higher
education and ran 4,000-acre ranch
He went TO Boston as manager o
the American Education Society O.
the Congregational Church, becam
chief investigator for the distribution
Of 100000 to American colleges b,
the late D. K. Pearson Of Chicago
president of Ramona College in Cali
fornia. He returned to Massachusett
and became a member of the CIT,
Council in Winchester. He was il
the real estate business In Jamaic
and Brooklyn, N. Y, was Chairman