The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-06-10

4OA6y OAAC fOoOhbOAO VI bAAN NNAO that plotted destruction of Jews, Catholics and Negroes has been broken according to Duncan c. McCrea, Wayne county prosecutor, and the mad dreams of its leaders imprisoned with them.
 The spark that was touched off by the finding of the body of Charles A. Poole, slain WPA work CT, on lonely Gulley road one spring morning in 1886, led to secret in- vestigations that thrust the Black Legion into headlines throughout the country and revealed the ske- teton structure of an organization that presumably intended to over throw the Federal government on Sept, l6, 1886.
 Some Cases On Calendar
 Prompt investigation of all chan nels of the terrorist groups power and influence brought equally prompt prosecution. Now all that remains of the once potent legion is a handful of calendared court cases and record conviction of 31 key leaders, authorities believe.
 The terroristic order, revived and organized by clinging fringe of an earlier decades Ku Klux Klan, was set up along the lines of its pre- decessor, according to Jack Harvill and Charles Meehan, police detec- tives, who conducted the first in- vestigations into the cult. Its lead- CTS preached the doctrine of reli- gious and racial bigotry. They in- famed the passions of members by appealing to the base hatred of their natures. They enforced their orders with whip and gun.
 Harvill and Meehan provided the first clew to the legion's existence when, in penetrating the mystery surrounding the strange and ap- parently motiveless murder of Poole, they discovered a collection Of curious robes and deadly wea- pons in the homes of his neighbors. Friends supplied information that Poole was a Catholic, had married a Protestant Southern girl, and by so doing had aroused the animosity of the girls family and friends.
 Confession Starts Inquiry
 FEom this beginning, discovery after discovery was made into the mushroomed organization of the le- zion. The arrest of Dayton Dean, "triggerman" in the killing of Poole, brought a confession that supplied the vertebral column for mcSt of the subsequent prosecution. Arrested leaders, who had taken a blood oath" of secrecy, talked readily enough, facilitating the work of McCrea and his assistants, wh@ prepared court cases that inn prisoned 31 leaders and drove oth- CTS into exile.
 Confessions disclosed that the Black Legion, in it's essence, had been founded during the recon struction days in the South, had declined to obscurity and inactiv- 1ty for decade, but was revitalized | in Detroit whne workers flocked to this city of industry to find themselves competing with immi- grant labor
 Organizing Michigan into a ter rorist hotbed were William (Shot- gum Shepherd, of West Virginia, and Virgil (Bert) Effinger, of Li- ma, O. They were aided by Isaac | tPeg Leg) White, one-time Detroit motorcycle policeman who lost a leg Tn a traffic accident
 Appealed To Deep Bias
 The legion made its appeal to those who nouriShed racial and re- ligious grievances. Communists | were included among its enemies, | but assertedly more for expediency | in advancing its avowed Amer icanism" principle than for any great hatred or this order. Recruit | ing officers worked in auto factor ies, political meetings, and social gatherings, invitign potential mem- bers to initiatory sessions under the | ruse of going out for little beer"
 These nocturnal meetings brought | the potential cult candidate his first | contact with the black robe, the | hood, the whip and gun. The cults | aims were explained, and its pledge | of death rather than violation of | its oath, read to candidates. Those | unwilling to proceed with member ship ceremonials after this violent | Introduction to the cult generally | were frightened into joining.
 After discovery of the Poole mur- der, and the thrill" staying of Si- | las Coleman, Negro World War veteran, the Detroit detectives un- covered chain of kidnapings, flog- | gings, arson threats, prosecutions, | conspiracies and rumors of other murders
 Grand Juries Called
 Members were found in high 1 places. It was even charged that Prosecutor McCrea himself was a member-a charge that was refuted Grand juries were called in many Michigan cities, and active chapt- CTS were discovered among prison guards, police officers, and muni- cipal employes-places where le- zion leaders felt influence could be brought to bear in executing their revolution"
 Dean told officers the cult in- tended to wrest control of the gov- ernment in a national coup.
 Prosecution in the cults major murder cases broke it's grip in De- troit, according to McCrea. Tn the Poole staying of 12 defendants were convicted of first degree mur- der and sentenced to prison for life, and four were convicted of sec ond degree murder.