The Nation's Peril Part 10

K. K. K."

The consternation of the freedmen was so great upon the receipt of the above warning that not a colored preacher dared to show himself in the vicinity for months afterwards.

The Klan oppressed everyone not members of or in sympathy with their organization, and sought to over-ride all law and equity, upon the principle that might made right. To this end they issued warnings to business men who had come into their vicinity from the North, and who were disposed to invest capital and establish trade, but who were not of the right stripe politically--and this meant who were not sound Democrats.

Numerous instances of this kind are on record.

Two enterprising business men--Messrs. Gottschalk and Hughes--purchased a mill property in Atalla, Ala., belonging to one J. B. Spitzer, and made their arrangements to get out lumber. Messrs. Gottschalk and Hughes were under suspicion of not sympathizing with the Klan, politically, and a pretence was made that Mr. Spitzer, from whom they had purchased the saw mill, was indebted to persons, whom the new firm were politely requested to accept as their creditors. This they refused to do, and the following warning was sent them.

"DEN OF THE GREAT GRAND HIGH CYCLOPS OF ETOWAH COUNTY, ALA.

To Messrs. Gottschalk & Hughes:

His royal highness, your great, grand high worthy master, notices with much pleasure that you have purchased and become the owners of the saw mill, lately owned by Mr. J. B. Spitzer. He understands very well, everything connected with that mill transaction, and it is his great pleasure that you call on the creditors of J. B. Spitzer in the morning, and approve of the debts of Mr. Spitzer. He wishes an answer to-night what you will do in the matter.

By order of his royal highness, _The Great grand Cyclops of Etowah County, Ala._"

Messrs. Gottschalk & Hughes paid no heed to this missive, and on the night of the 13th of November, 1871, the Klan a.s.sembled and set fire to the mill, destroying it entirely, and compelling its new proprietors to leave the place.

Mr. William Gober, residing in Dade County, Georgia, was an avowed Unionist and Republican. He was active in politics and expressed his sentiments with great freedom, and was consequently cla.s.sed by the Ku Klux as a carpet-bagger and a scallawag, and warned to leave the country, in the following terms:--

"DEATH. K. K. K. DEATH.

Take heed for the pale horse is coming. His step is terrible; lightning is in his nostrils. He looks for a rider. Now this is to warn you William Gober, that carpet-baggers and scallawags cannot live in this country. If you are not gone in ten days, we shall come to you, and the pale horse shall have his rider.

By order. K. K. K."

Mr Gober smiled at this doc.u.ment, but the sequel shew that it meant something more than a threat. At midnight on the 13th of September, 1871, his house was surrounded by about twenty of the Klan, armed and disguised.

He was then dragged out and whipped with great severity. Previous to the infliction of the punishment he fought desperately with his a.s.sailants, and succeeded in displacing several of their masks, and recognizing them.

He was left for dead by the Klan, but recovered his consciousness, and secretly made his way to Atlanta, where he made an affidavit, upon which six of the parties were arrested and held for trial.

Thousands of warnings, similar to the above, many of them obscene and blasphemous, were sent to as many persons in various parts of the South.

One more is herewith appended, as showing one of the extremes to which the Ku Klux went in their crusade against Radicals. It was found hanging to a small dagger, stuck into one of the doors of the University, at Tuscaloosa, Ala., with several others of similar import, addressed to some of the students of the University, and read as follows:--

"K. K. K.

STUDENT'S UNIVERSITY.

DAVID SMITH.--You have received one notice from us and this shall be our last. You, nor no other d--d son of a d--d Radical traitor, shall stay at our University. Leave here in less than ten days, for in that time we will visit the place, and it will not be well for you to be found out there. The State is ours and so shall the University be.

Written by the Secretary.

By order of the Klan."

THE MURDER OF WM. C. LUKE AND FIVE NEGROES.

One of the most brutal outrages to be found, even among the dark and b.l.o.o.d.y records of the Ku Klux Klan, was enacted on the night of the 10th of April, 1870, at the village of Cross Plains, near Paytona, Ala. The details of this occurrence here given, have been collated from various sources, a portion of them having been obtained from eye witnesses to the affair.

William C. Luke, a Canadian by birth, and a gentleman of education, had come to Paytona, and taken charge of the day school there. He was a prominent worker in the cause of religion, entertained and advocated Republican principles and took an earnest interest in the welfare of the colored people, by whom he was surrounded. This drew down upon him the malice of the Klan, and he was doomed to death. Luke had preached to the negroes at times, and had taken occasion in his sermons to express his opinion that negroes were now ent.i.tled to the same rights and privileges under the Const.i.tution of the United States as the whites.

This course could not be tolerated by the K. K. K., and they only awaited a favorable opportunity for carrying out the Edict of the Camp.

On the 10th of April, Mr. Luke had preached at Paytona, and on the evening of that day had returned to Cross Plains. He was there informed that the Ku Klux had determined to come for him that night, and at once returned to Paytona, accompanied by several negroes, who seemed fearful that he might meet with violence. Up to ten o'clock nothing had transpired to cause alarm, and Mr. Luke retired.

Between twelve and one o'clock he was aroused from his slumbers by three armed and disguised men, who informed him there had been a fracas in the village of Cross Plains, about which it was thought he knew something, and he was requested to go with them to the latter place. He signified his willingness to do so, dressed himself and went out with the party. Upon getting out of the house he was surprised at seeing a large number of men similarly disguised, and who had in custody the five negroes who had accompanied him to Paytona.

One of the negroes named Jacob Moore, endeavored to break loose from his captors, and had a severe fight with them. Being a very powerful man he succeeded in breaking away and run down the road. The Klan fired several shots after him, two of which took effect, and he dropped by the road side. Mr. Luke and the remaining negroes were then taken to the northern border of Paytona, on the Cross Plains line, where the band halted. The intended victim was now convinced that his death was meditated, and he said to the leader of the Klan, one Clem Reid, "Am I about to die."

"Yes, you have preached your d--d heresies long enough," was the answer.

"If you've got any prayers to say, you had better be about it."

Mr. Luke replied calmly, "I am not afraid to die, nor for such a cause. It is hard to die in such a way."

Leave having been granted him to pray he uttered a most fervent appeal to G.o.d, soliciting mercy for himself and the negroes, and forgiveness for those who were persecuting them and him for righteousness and opinion's sake. His prayers were rudely cut short, a rope was placed about his neck, the end thrown over the limb of a tree and his body suspended in the air.

The four negroes were next dispatched.

John Goff, an eye witness to the proceedings states that the Klan tried to hang two of the negroes, named Caesar Fredericks and William Hall, at once, but not being able to make the bodies balance, Pat Craig, a member of the Klan, shot Fredericks in the mouth, while Clay Keith murdered Hall in a similar manner. The other negroes were then hung singly, their bodies being drawn up slowly to increase their torture.

The defenders of the "white man's race" then separated, fully satisfied with having performed one more service in support of the "White Man's Government." This outrage was so flagrant that the farce of an investigation was gone through with, and the suspected parties arrested.

An examination resulted in their being discharged. The witnesses were all members of the Ku Klux Klan, and had sworn to regard no oath that would injure one of the brotherhood, and the murderers of William C. Luke still go unwhipt of justice. And these are the people who talk of their rights, of the oppression of Radical rule, of their determination to establish a Democratic Administration.

PROSCRIPTION.

It seemed to be the intent of the orders of the Ku Klux Klan everywhere throughout the South, to impress upon the people, the fallacy of attempting to entertain any opinion inimical to those put forth by the Klan. The attacks of the Klan were first directed to such of the people as were bold enough to declare themselves unionists and republicans.

Scourging, banishment or murder were the measures adopted to enforce silence, and these terrible agents proved fully potent to accomplish the end.

This enforced silence, however, appeared to be dangerous, and was certainly more ominous to the order, than the freest utterances of the most radical views. "Those not with the order, must certainly be against it," said the leaders, and a new crusade was forthwith inaugurated. The object of the new movement was to compel every able-bodied white man to join the Order and become bound to it by oaths, administered in the Camp.

Notices were accordingly issued by the respective Chiefs of Dominion from every Camp, requiring the presence of parties, for initiation into the Order. When these were not heeded, they were followed by warnings. If the parties were still refractory, then they received a visitation.

The two first cases arising under this new arrangement, were those of Paul Myers and John Chapman, of Jefferson County, Ala. These gentlemen were joint proprietors of a small store, and while inwardly opposed to the principles of the Ku Klux, had outwardly conducted themselves in such a manner as to give no cause of offence to the Klan. They were surprised in common with many others, upon receiving a notice to appear for initiation into the Jefferson County Camp of the K. K., and they resolutely refused to comply with the request.

They were then warned, that they would be "Ku Kluxed" if they did not come, and the threat was carried out, both of them being severely whipped, and their store pillaged. A second warning was sent to them, and this was succeeded by a second visitation, more terrible than the first. They were so badly beaten at this time, that their lives were despaired of, and as soon as they were able, they closed their store and left the place.

They then placed themselves in communication with the United States Officials, and under their advice returned, signified their willingness to join the order, and did so. By this means they were enabled to arrive at the names of parties engaged in various raids, and obtain all information necessary to the arrest and conviction of the leaders. This was one of the first steps that led to the breaking up of the Klan in Jefferson County.

Messrs. Myers and Chapman managed to impart information to the United States Officers, upon which several of the prominent members of the order were arrested and lodged in jail, and the visitations ceased.

In White County, Georgia, Mr. William Carson received a notice from the Ku Klux of that County, that he must join the order. Carson was the head of an intelligent family, a Republican in principle, but who avoided expressing his opinions as much as possible.

He paid no heed to the notices and warnings sent him, but pursued the even tenor of his way, remaining home as much of the time as his business would admit, and being especially careful about going abroad at night.

During November, 1871, he received the long promised visitation. The evening meal was through with, the early evening prayers of the children had been said, the latter were about retiring, when a number of the Klan, armed, mounted and disguised dashed up to the door.

Mr. Carson opened the door and mildly asked to know the object of their visit. The reply was a rifle shot, which was immediately followed by a second, and Mr. Carson fell dead across the door step. The Klan disappeared as suddenly as they had come. The grief stricken family raised up the inanimate form of the beloved husband and father, only to realize that the voice which had so long been the comfort and consolation of the little household would never be heard by them again.

This in a christian land! Within the sound of the sabbath bells, and almost under the shadow of the sanctuary of the living G.o.d. A christian gentleman refusing to bind himself with those who had sworn to overthrow the Government, and scourge and kill the negro and the radical; shot down within his own door, in sight of his wife and little ones, because, forsooth, he had the temerity to think and act, politically, as his conscience seemed to dictate.