Evening star., 1936-05-30

Isaac White. one-legged former De-
troit policeman. Ricca said a Black
Legion leader known as Col. Peg-Leg'
has been mentioned in at least three
phases of the inquiry.
One of the references to Col. Peg
Leg" was made in New York by John
r. Leibungut. radio engineer who said
he was forced to join an order known
as the Black Knights" here several
years ago. He said an organizer he
knew as Col. Peg-Leg" gave him a
.45-caliber bullet with the warning:
This is half your badge. If you
ever desert you'll get the other half. u
Whatever remains untold of the
secrets the night-riding Black Legion
guarded with lash and pistol seemed
fated for exposure in multiple in
quiries that took definite form today.
- Eighteen mer we're in custody in
Michigan as the investigation of the
order that ostensibly warred on Com
munism under the deaths head in
sigma went into its second week.
The eighteenth was detained for
questioning last night. Reticent de-
tectives of the homicide squad, who
identified him as Virgil Morrow, said
they wanted to question him about a
meeting at which the execution" of
Charles Poole alegedly was planned.
Thirteen men who attended that
meeting face murder charges here.
At Jackson four others are charged
with kidnapping and assault in con-
nection with the 1ogging of Black
1egionnaire who refused to attend
meetings.
Grand Jury Probes to Open.
In the privacy of grand jury rooms
ip Detroit and Flint, Investigators
will attempt next week to ascertain
whether there is evidence to connect
the night riders with numerous other
f1oggings and a dozen deaths ascribed
to them by informants, many of them
anonymous.
In Washington, members of Con-
gress said they would make a con-
centrated effort to obtain an imme-
diate congressional investigation.
Wayne County Prosecutor Duncan
c. McCrea. who said he had received
letters, many of them anonymous,
indicating that the Black Legion had
chapters in most States, assembled
evidence to bolster his request for
Federal Bureau of Investigation as
sistance.
United States Attorney General
Homer S. Cummings awaited that evi-
dence in Washington before deciding
whether the Federal Government
would enter the inquiry.
From several of the 13 men accused
of the Poole Staying, and from others
who have admitted membership in the
order came indications of the Black
Legion's defense against the charges
that it created a veritable reign of ter
ror and had visions of a super gov
ernment" with Black Legionnaires in
control
John Bannerman, a native of Scot
land and one of the IS defendants,
who will be examined in court Tues
day, declared that I'VE never intended
any harm to any one; it was Just
some crazy fool who did the shooting"
He said he was not witness to the
Staying.
There were some good things in it,
Bannerman continued, referring to
the Black Legion, like protecting our
industries from cheap foreign competi-
tion. I figured some of the things
didn't like didn't mean anything
anyway"
The average age of the 13 defend
ants, - of whom will face court ex-
animation Tuesday, Is 3S. Most Of
them were born In small towns and
are machinists or factory workers.
None has a police record. The thir-
teenth defendant Is LII.