Evening star., 1936-05-27
|OH|O Jobs FILLING
LINKED TO ORDER
Department of Justice Did
Not investigate Last
Fall, Says Sheriff.
BY the Associated Press.

~~@@~~@ss~N
LIMA, Ohio, May 27.-Disclosure
that the Department of Justice was
asked 10 investigate the beating of an
unwilling candidate for Black Legion
membership and testimony that
leader of the vigilantes claimed con-
troll of relief jobs extended today rami-
fications of the secret order, whose
members have been named in murder,
flogging and kidnapping charges.
While authorities in Detroit and
other Michigan cities reopened in
quiries into every unsolved crime of
violence there for the last several
years. Sheriff w. e. Kelley of Auglaize
County, Ohio, reported that he had
asked the Justice Department last
September to investigate the beating
and intimidation of William Smith,
55-year -old Waynesfield, Ohio, farmer
who refused to join the society.
Sheriff Kelley said he never had
received reply. so considered at the
time that Federal agents had not re-
garded the matter as worth going into.
[Attorney General Cummings said
in Washington today the Federal Gov
eminent has mo jurisdiction what
ever" in the Black Legion investiga-
ton He said he had received no re-
quest that the Federal Government
enter it, and that he was following the
case 'only in the newspapers.
Taken to Masked Band.
Smith said he suffered the beating
and a night of terror last September.
when he was led unsuspectingly by
friends to seek membership in the
organization.
Il was asked to join," he related.
without being very clear on what
sort of outfit it was. Some friends
took me one dark. rainy night to
big barn some distance from my
home.
There were armed guards posted
all around, all masked, and inside
there were IL other candidates and
about 200 men, ali masked, with
robed, hooded leader. They had
guns"
The farmer said he became appre-
hensive and sought in vain to find
his friends in the throng. The leader
began calling the roll and all the
new men answered except Smith,.
He Wanted to Leave.
"They then asked If I was there"
Smith went on. Il said I was, but
wanted to know what sort Of group
this was before I joined.
Outlaws" the leader replied.
IT said did not want TO join and
would like to go home. They all
cursed and threatened me and the
leader drew his gun and threatened
to hit me.
Il broke and ran outside into the
rain, but the guards caught me and
beat me up
Then, he said. he was imprisoned
in a nearby corncrib until nearly mid
night and was taken home with a
warming that if he mentioned the
occurrence he would "be killed with
in a. hours"
Nevertheless, he said. he told some
thing of the case to Sheriff Kelley,
who then asked the Federal aid.
Efinger Named as Head.
To Smiths story was added the dis
closure that witness before an Ohio
State Senate committee last Summer
had named v. F. Efinger of Lima
as head of the night riders and said
Ehnger claimed to be able to control
jobs in relief offices.
The witness, George Armstrong, re-
lief worker, testified that the legion
members aided each other in getting
relief Jobs and assignments as fore
men, discriminating against nom
member relief clients. He said he
once had been member and was
required to swear to lie under oath
if necessary to uphold Black Legion
comrades.
Committee records revealed that he
testified members swore to kill their
enemies if necessary, but refused to
say if he knew of any such slayings.
Effinger, former Lima electrical con-
tractor and twice unsuccessful candi-
date for sheriff of this county (Allen) =.
estimated the legion strength at
100000 members, but denied con-
nection with what he called mad
acts" in Detroit, where a slayer Is
under investigation and where the
prosecutor has voiced desire to
question him.