Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-07-31
Khan Activities
lin Seven States
.Probed byU. 5.
Court Action Planned
If Federal Lows
Are Being Violated
By the Associoied Press

The Justice Department dis
closed today that it is investi-
eating Ku Klux Khan activities
in seven States to determine
whether Federal laws are being
violated.
The department said court action
will be instituted against the Khan
if such violations are uncovered.
Evidence involving any violations
of State laws will be turned over to
State authorities. if requested
The investigation is being made
under the direction of The depart
ment's Civil Rights Section in New
York, Michigan, Tennessee. Florida,
California, Mississippi and Georgia.
Seven Men Held.
Meanwhile. seven men. one
deputy sheriff, are Icing held for
the deaths Of two Mississippi Negroes
while Federal agents, snurred on by
President Truman, aid i. the search
for killers who lined W and shot to
death four Negroes beside country
road near Monroe, Ga.
At Lexington, Miss. Sheriff Walter
L. Murtagh said three of six men
held for justice Of peace hearing
into the death of Leon McTatie had
admitted whipping McTatie, Negro
farm worker, They were quoted by
the sheriff as saying they did not
think they had hurt him,
The body of McTatie, who had
been accused Of stealing three
saddles from one of the six men,
was found floating in a bayou The
six men were charged with murder.
the sheriff said, and the justice of
peace hearing was to decide whether
they will be bound over to the grand
jury
President Mortified
At HattieSburg Miss. Mayor J. D.
Arlington of Collins announced
Deputy Sheriff John Lewis was in
jail awaiting preliminary hearing
/ today on a charge of numbering
! Buddy Wolf. 81 year = old Negro
father of 10 children. Mayor AIRING
| ton said a murder warrant was is
sued by Judge j. P Tins on an affi-
davit Of VOLTS widow. The mayor
quoted Lewis as saying he fired on
Wolf in self defense.
| President Truman was quoted bv
Attorney General Clark as express
ing horror" at the massacre of the
four Georgia Negroes
The President directed the Justice
Department, which already has as
signed FBI agents 10 the case. to
push its probe with all its re-
sources.
! Apparently little progress was
being made in ferreting out the
killers Maj. William E. Spence,
head CT the Georgia Bureau Of In
Vestlgation. said at Monroe that long
and careful police work would be re-
CURED to solve the crime.
Complaints From Many Areas
In announcing its investigation Of
Khan operations, the Justice Depart
ment said complaints are being re-
ceived from all parts Of the country
about the resurgent KlanS activities.
The compliments include individ-
ualS. labor unions, civil rights
societies and other organizations.
Some name dates, places and per-
sons involved in alleged Khan acts.
AL such complaints are turned over
TO the FBI which makes investiga-
lions FOR the Civil Rights Section.
The department expects a sharp
increase in Khan activity as a result
of Negro voting in Southern pri-
maries, the diSlocation of popula-
tons resulting from the war. con-
gested living conditions and the
other aftermaths of war.
The department began checking
Khan activities shortly before Attor-
ney General Clark assaIed the
hooded order in a speech at Phila-
delphia on May Is.
! Negro Voting Causes Trouble.
At that time Mr. Clark said We
must rid ourselves of such things as
organized bigotry-and I mean spe-
officially such an eXcreScence as the
ku Klux Khan
The departments investigation
includes two specific complaints Of
ialleged Khan intimidation against
Negroes.
One complaint alleges that the
Khan co-operated with certain local
officials in Florida city, to intimi-
date Negroes from moving into a
housing project.
! The second complaint alleges that
before the Georgia primary election
a masked band of white persons Wis
tied number of Negro houses ir
one county, shot into several houses
tSee KHAN, Page A-4l
Rofrnc+ion piitS