Fiery Cross, Volume 2, Number 12, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 February 1923 — Page 1
, ' J vfeiLy x ' f' v V r ' ; -lnnr tf W?t Iftirf America. I a -
"OW COUNTRY In her intercourse with foreign
nation, mag she always be right but right or wrong, our country still!" Stephen Decatur.
FlilLCB
"Breathes there a man with soul so dead Who never to himself has said This is mg own, my native land"
tpot of earth; to practice en ttntelfoh-and exalted
patriotism towards oar country la "a pleasure.
"We respect all honest men In their sacred convictions whether same are agreeable with our requirements or not"
VOLUME II-N1IMBER 1
INDIAKAPOLIS, IND., FRIDAY, FEBBUABY S3, 1923.
FIVE CENTS PER COPY
KLAM
Gil
i
F
3
Ull
MARION LOOKS INSIDE THE CUP"
Al SEES TIE DOEGS
IN HM
KLAN PLAYS PART OF GOOD SAMARITAN TO MODERN MAGDALENE
Same Old Story But a New Influence, Organized and Militant, Decides to Empty the Dregs and Polish the Cup.
Not a Piece of Fiction but the True Story of the Barnacle on the Beautiful and Picturesque Mississinewa River.
not a member of the Klati either. I couldn't be, because I'm not a native'."
WILLARD KLAN STARTS THE BALL ROLLING
(By Special Investigator.)
Marion. Ind., Feb. 19, 1923. Marion,
world. He did not-know how to deal
Ind., la a typical lloosier city, nestled j with it. consequently the gang cut od the banks of the Mississinewa riv-; rings and circles around him. Dugan nr Thlnuo liuio crnnr. fin hay a fnp thr. , got Control of the DOliCe fOTCe ailrl the
last 20 years as they have in many In-' venerable mayor did not know what dlana cities and politics has been ! was going on. played here for the last quarter of a , Daniels, "One of the Boys" century according to the old and time-. In 192i r. George R. Daniels was worn rules of the political game. Poll-; elected mayor. George had been one tlclanB have come and gone in this ; o tne boys tor Beverai years. He said
rlfu Ihov nova in mhava hut tho I . . -. . ... ...
- . iih riMii nnn it irr or PYnpnnnrp wnn
ui.io vi ii v fciimc ac uot MaKu. hnnMrr, eamblcrs and law viola-
GOLDEN-HAIRED GIRL, YET HER TEENS, GIVEN NEW CHANCE.
IN
BUCKEYE CITY PICKED BY BURNS CROWD FOR THIRD "OPEN HEARING "--WRECKING SQUAD GETS IN ACTION.
FLAMING CROSS BURNS AT END OF MYRTLE AND WOODBINE STREETS.
U' tmiiucmu lias iiiuivej nuuviici
In succession yet conditions have remained unchanged.
The principle followed by the gangs, the cliques and the gratters has always been, "get what you can while the getting is good," and "to hell with the public.' This has had its effect, not only on the business and financial conditions of the city but upon its moral atmosphere as well. Enter Jim Bachelor
r Kamblare
tors and could nn be fooled by them
The good citizens were promised that if he were elected that he would absolutely enforce the law and live up to his oath of office. They believed him and elected him. Soon after his entry into office, Daniels, in order to make a grand-stand play of enforcing the law, forced the removal of card tables from all the pool rooms. No one had ever played anything except "seven-up" at these
Willard, O., Feb. 19. Considerable excitement was created here Tuesday night by a fiery cross at the end of Myrtle and Woodbine Sts., supposedly the work of the Ku Klux Klan. Rumors were afloat following the discovery of the "sign" that a meeting was held and that 167 men were Initiated into the Klan. Whether or not the report was true has not been learned, but it is true
the crosswaa ablaze and its signify
There are many more .good people ! Pul)io c.aru tab,cs- But George figured
In Marion than there are bad. In fact, the great majority of the citizens do
Biro good government. They have Mr ii long time been trying to remedy conditions. Hack in 19K5 the good citizens of the town rose tip in indignation and elected James O. Bachelor,
by forcing them out he would make a big hit with the moral element of the city. Rut while he made the pool-room owners remove their seven-up tables
from the public gaze the poker games flourished in the cellars and the attics
and the bootlegger and the dive keep
the cross was amaze ana its signin- members of the raiding caace wwtatteitMto faffed: iHf fiOTtmw
agine. It is said one woman was so
frightened by the spectacle that she
called in a neighbor to spend the
night with her.
Chief of Police Eberly, who was J
back on the job following a several days' illness, received a calf from the sheriff at'Norwalk who wanted to substantiate the rumor that a Klan was being organized here. Indications are tire Klan is growing everywhere because it represents such a wonderful cause that is at this time in need of being perpetuated.
(By Special Correspondent.)
South Band, Ind., Feb. 19. A night raid initiated by the South Ben Klan and conducted by Chief Barrows and men of the Mishawaka police department, promises to place ,the Knights of the Invisible Empire in an entirely rew role.
In a raid on a notorious roadhousw known as the Bird's Nest Inn, Klan operatives and Mishawaka police found tiiree women habitues, among them a golden-haired girl yet in her teens. She had been held practically a prisoner since, a visit to the place three weeks before, in search of what she had been told was "big money," in order that she could keep her young baby alive, and out of the orphans' home.
To the Klan she told her story. It was not a plea for help but the simple narrative of a girl, who, against her
will, was leading a life of shame. The Klansmen immediately deter
mined to- lead a .helping hand and
members of the raiding party,; re
iTapers-'as ; th
'citizens' party,"' took the matter up,
interested their wives in the girl s
misfortune and a position in a private home was secured where she is now employed, her baby with her, and her past a closed book. Among the records of the South Bend Kleagle's office is the written story of the girl's life, over her own signature under oath.
It is said that the entire matter
will be placed before the federal
grand jury in Indianapolis in a de
termined effort to complete the sub
jection of the Bird's Nest Inn, Which
has been operating under the" very
noses of the local authorities for
years.
Liquor secured in the raid will he
held as evidence.
Excitement at Mendon
When Cross Burns
Rockford, Ohio, Feb. 19. A large
cross was burned at Mendon, about 10 miles from here, last evening at 7:30 o'clock and was witnessed by many
persons who were on their way to a
basket ball game, and caused con
siderable excitement. This is the sec
trad cross to be burned in this county in the last two" months -the other be
ing plae(T-at(Ota' Wlattiwnkerecf
The "Klan1 is growing rapidly- in Mer cer county.
ANOTHER "FRAMEUP" AND "TRIAL
BY NEWSPAPER" IS BEING RESISTED
Catholic Manager, Gatholic Chief, Catholic Cops, Jewish Prosecutor and Agents of Knights of Columbus Draw Klan Fire.
The Fight Starts From School Board Situation and Ku Klux Ktan Kleanup of Catholic City Officals Klan Will Finish Fight and Justice and Fair Dealing Will Again Pevail In That Otherwise Good
and Progressive City.
a school teacher, as mavor. Bachelor VT PIiert his trade and sal?S merrily on.
ran on the Bull Moose ticket and his opponents were John O. Wilson on the Itepubliran ticket und Alva Gibson on thfl Democratic ticket. Wilson w,s tho mayor at the time and during his whole administration had let the bootleggers and the blind tigers flourish as though there was ii' law against them. Gibson was an open and avowed wet. The decent ;ind law respecting element supported Bachelor, hence bis election. But the law-abiding and moral citi-
eens had failed to reckon with two things, viz: One, Hill Dugan, and the other, a man's weakness and ambition. Dugan is the master mind of the gang in Marion. He is uncultured, uneducated, unprincipled and often crude in his manipulations. But he understands men. He knows men's weakness. No one understands the power of money and the irresistibility of women better than Dugan. This is why bo succeeds.
Exit, Jim Bachelor Dugan had fought Bachelor, but art-! er Bachelor became mayor he paid
court to him. Dugan and the mayor became great friends within less than
a year after the mayor's inauguration
However, once in a while some po
liceman who believed in doing hts duty as an officer would bring in a liquor law violator. This was a great embarrassment to the mayor, for ho was up against it. He did not want to he too hard on his friends and he did not wish to acquit all those brought before him, for the mayor wants o run for congress or he re-
KU KLUX KLAN
OPEN MEETING
INDIANAPOLIS CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE MUFFS THE BALL
MEN IN REGALIA AND ON HORSEBACK CALL CROWD TOGETHER.
(Continued on Page 2.
Address is Given by Rev. V. C, Blair Birth of the Organization.
WELL! WELL! WELL!
Judge Commends Knights, and Chicago Tribune, the World's Greatest Newspaper, Prints the Story.
School Situation Handled Gingerly, and With the Skids Greased to Oust Majority Faction, Board of Directors Sees Light and Sits Tight.
Majority Faction, Emhart, Haslep and Gadd, Strike Back Hard and Have Barry Staggering.
Chicago, III., February IS. The "Chicago Daily Tribune" says today on the front page: "Severe criticism of 'foreigners who come here merely to make money
and are ruining the country,' was
H' l. - i : . . T . . . ; '
. ' , , - , r V " launched by Municipal Judge Henry
and women figured conspicuously.
Bachelor was a young man and many things appealed to him. Moreover,
the gang put It into Bachelor's head that he was the very man to run for congress. He fell for all the bait thrown out. The gang had the money and Bachelor needed money to make his campaign. As a result Bachelor soon became as putty in the hands of Dugan and the gang. He ran for the nomination for congress on the Republican ticket but was defeated. Jim Bachelor is the outstanding example in this city of a bright, and promising young man ruined and humiliated by Dugan and his henchmen.
And Then Comes Hulley In the primaries in 1917 the Republicans nominated Klkanah Hulley for mayor and elected him in the November election. Hulley was one of these old boys with chin whiskers. He .was known as a clean old man, morally upright, and most of all past the age of susceptibility to any modern Delilah or Cleopatra". Hulley became mayor and undoubtedly did his best to clean
M. Walker In East Chicago Avenue court yesterday in connection with the case of Mrs. Katie Lawkoski, on trial charged with making and selling moonshine liquor. Praise for Klan Methods
"Incidentally, Judge Walker indi
cated his admiration for tne meth
ods of the Ku Klux Klan, which, he declared, 'goes in and handles a case
when and where the police fail.' " 'You are a travesty on mother
hood,' charged Judge Walker, point
ing an accusing finger at Mrs. Law
koski. 'You have children of your
own and yet you persist in destroy ing other mothers' children by ped
dling this vile poisonous moonshine
to them.' Husband's Fine Reduced "Mrs. Lawkoski lives at 2550 Car
men avenue and had, along with her
husband, been found guilty of boot
legging on Thursday and fined $200
At yesterday's hearing Judge Walk
er reduced the One to $100
Bloomington, Indiana. February 20. Having been announced early in the day by two masked horsemen who were in full regalia and went up and down the streets and about the square, the first open meeting of the Ku Klux Klan was held last night
and was attended by 300 or more peo
ple of various classes and professions The placo was the Carpenters and
Joiners union hall.
"We are not against anything, any
race or any creed, said Rev. v. C Blair, the speaker. "We are for everything good, and we are here -and here to stay," he said. "At its first organization the Klan was not against
the negro as a race, but was against the duping of the negro by the north-
(Continued on Page 8.)
SUPPORT FOR MARION
Y. M. C, A. GIVEN
Some of these foreigners come
dp the town. -The old man would have here to make money, and find moon
TMiralried a DOOtlegfCer II ne COUUl snimng me easiest way vi uoing ii.
hava cotten hold of him. But the the Judge said. 'I will say that we
- trouble with Hulley was, he had never need the Ku Klux to put a stop to I up" campaign now being successfully .had much experience with the under- tome of these practices. And I'm 'waged in. Marion.
KLAN, NO. 13, PRESENTS LARGE
PURSE AID CHEERFULLY ACCEPTED.
Marion, Ind., Feb. 17. F. E. Clark, Kleagle for Mississinlwa Klan, No. 13, created agreeable consternation when he stepped into the local campaign for Y. M. C. A. funds with a cash gift of 40O. At a dinner held for Y. M. C. A. boosters, Kleagle Clark made a short address urging whole-hearted support of the "Y," and also gave a brief outline of the Klan and its nrincioles.
the gift was gladly accepted and on every hand all heard words ot com-
I mendation for this act and the "clean'
(By Eyewitness) With the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce standing for a situation of status quo, and with the appointment of subcommittees by Philip Zoercher as chairman of the Educational Committee, the fight to oust the majority faction of the Indianapolis School Board by the Chamber of Commerce developed into the second stage Thursday night, with the white flag flying. Those well informed believe, how
ever, that this is simply the passing of a temporary defeat of the Barry faction and is considered good strategy on the part of the influence of the "invisible hand" that would throttle our ech'ool building program, it is thought that anyone who believes that Charles W. Barry , will stand idly by and watch the successful and harmonious development of our school problem, are only deceiving themselves. It is pointed out that it is utterly impossible for the leopard to change its Spots, and that Mr. Barry will not soon forget that the present fight was primarily
started in January, 1922, when Com
missioners Kmhardt, Ilaslep and Gadd refused to appoint Simon Roach,
Catholic, Knight of Columbus, assistant Superintendent of the
Schools,
While the meeting at the Chamber
of Commerce was fraught with tense
situations, the majority of those present "corked" their feeling and
at no time permitted direct hits or even the use of ammunition available to completely unhorse Barry. No mention was made or excuse given for the fact that the "Indianapolis News": was furnished in advance with - e. fopy of the sub-committee's reporu In typewritten form, which differed', materially from the
printed report hS forwarded to members of the School Board at a later date by special delivery letter.
No mention waa made as to why
the forms had heerr held at the print
ers with the idea that copies of the report would be printed and given wide circulation, or why such plans were held up at the last minute, or why Col. Reynolds, Secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce, sent one copy of the report to the "Indianapolis News;" sent a different copy to the "accused" members and refused the
"Fiery Cross" any copy at all. No mention, or explanation was given as to why the fiery and vitriolic address of Charles W. Barry before the School Board, condemning the Masons, as a "slimy, hypocritical organization," was changed on the min
utes of the School Board records to read, "committee" instead of "organization." No mention was made of the fact that the present fight in the Indianapolis School Board is but a part of
a State and National program of dis
organization of city schools and
school systems put on simultaneously from coast to coast, and from the Gulf to Canada.
It was plainly obvious, however,
that the Chamber had acted on the
report of the subcommittee before hearing the defence or answers of
Messrs. Emhardt, Gadd and Dr. Has
Springfield, Ohio, February 19 Win, Mahoney, City Manager; R. E. O'Brien, Chief of Police; "Mike" Abele, Catholic cop; John O'Donnetly, Catholic cop; Justin Altschul, Jewish Prosecutor, and J. P. Malone, Assistant "Persecutor," are the cen
tral fisrures of the "Smash-UD SoTiad." the lists and forged names to them,
"Shock Troops" Extraordinary, assis- according to the "Springfield Daily ted by N. J. Fischer, Burns Opera- Sun," which states that he changed tive and Private petective, employed the name of Walter C. Grube, "eoal
by the Knights of Columbus in this, dealer," to waiter E. Grube, Buc
the third Burns Frame-un on the Ku eye incubator to,
Klux Klan. Working with FiBcher, Knights of
With Klan investigators, secret Columbus investigator, this same
service men and a battery of legal O'Erien gave out lengthy interviews talent and a. fiehtine Klan in Sorine- and proceeded to "try the case in the
field, the Knights of the K. K. K. ac- newspapers," which is in violation of
cents the challenge. tegal procedure but the usual Burns
FnlljvwtTiiy the Mer Rouep exnose in O'Brien procedure,
Louisiana, and with the "All Nations A mighty wail was sent to WashRallv" held in Chicago this week, ington for Federal aid and Thomas
now comes the third in a series of H. Marrow, United States District at least eijrht fullv nlanned "frame- Attorney at Cincinnati, with remark-
ims " and starts the battle here, that able alacrity, gets busy, gives out
will go down in history as the some more interviews, wires Wash-
"Springfield Almost Riots." And ington ror "lnsirucuons" ana nasuiy "Riots" they have been since Fischer, sends John Eckhart, special agent, to
ttrniifrh riiotanhone claims to have Springfield
heard W. M. Courtner. Kleagle of When the troopa will arrive has
the Ktan here and three or four mem- not yet been announced
bers of the Klan plan a parade, in Chief of Police O'Brien lied to the robes, at Snringfield. newspaper reporters when he gave
HAnrtnor wa arrested Wednesday out a statement to them for the ap
night in a raid on the Klan head- parent purpose of deceiving the pub-..,.-,.. ci,it thta ennnnaed lie in Springfield.
Pvidn.A nhtained hv Fischer. On Saturday of last week he told
Th .tAr-o in the raid the public through the newspapers
whih -oro ndnetd and hased on that he had received a threatening
" " " " I
an affidavit charging "conspiracy,'
in that it charged that Courtner, the
Kleagle, and certain members of the Klan conspired, and did assemble to
unlawfully commit a misdemeanor,
to-wit: "Disorderly conduct and inciting to riot," which stated in plain
language means simply that Court
ner and some of the Klansmen met in the headquarters to plan a parade.
(Continued on Page 7.) HOUSTON WOMEN MET
A BIG PROBLEM
WOULD AID PROTESTANT CIXIS
(Continued on Page 8.)
INDIANAPOLIS KLAII
BY THEIR DOINGS
This "crime" is referred to .by the Demonstrate That They Stand
for jus! uauses ana tseueve
In the Perpetuation of Good Institutions.
as positive evi
dence that the Klan was planning
an overt act which would lead to riots
and serious . trouble. '
When the raid was pulled was
when the "Riots" started. Bursting
doors and smashing through a bar
rare nf Catholic coos and detectives.
Chief O'Brien, without any right or le- The following letters are samples
gal reason, under the cloak of law en- of what it is doing to aid needy fami-
forcement violated every act of legal jiea and the support It is giving
procedure and common aecency, ana WOrthy church movements:
S!" ' ' T,:. imi.ii.poii m. rt. 17, ts!s.
Mr,. Will. 8,l,..n jjjjwg.
WOTU 1T1 .7- I Dear Mrs. Stephenson We are
quarters, -iwng uungs la takin tte llbrty Df sending
lor in tne warrani ana nnaana; bow; u .n wWca we will bft of.
ing caiiea ior in uw wmtwm, ne ui muth w t0
nis Hiot SJQuaa aioie ioage .?(,-
Ha. taken m violation oi xne iaw,i H(n w ,a iti nniM wm
membership lists taken in violation nave rec0Vered from their Bickness,
ot the law. miuais or an antnonzea, vo main,
legally formed iraternity; in vioiaupn inerelv vonn.
Of the law, Ttersonallettera and cor- Knlghts of the Ku Klux Klan, Indi-
responaence in vioiauon oi me taw, anapolls Klan, Realm of Indiana,
ocioiai commission ot me ivieagie,
his private property, m vioiauon oi initUMnnlM-'lnA.. lfth 18. J923.
the law and with these lawless acta Rev Lemuel O. Canes, Beech Gtwe
tinier utmea ia no p. J M. E. Church, . Beech drove, ind,;
He then, with the usual Jesuit nnor nnverend We. the KMirhta
contemptibleness stooped so low and 1 0f the Ku Klux Klin, nave observed
Houston, Tex., Feb. 19
The Houston League of Protestant
women has set a stimulating example for the Protestant women of the U. 8. in the establishment of a "Protestant boarding home and training' school" for employed girls, especially reaching out a helping hand to the young girl who comes from the rural district to find work in the city, and whose first wage will probably not permit her to pay more than a very nominal sum for board. With her future In
mind, and in order that she may be
able to acquire greater efficiency, the quinine :. mnnaa . im ' Aaf atillfihcuf
along lines of stenography, book-keep-1 -degraded himself and prostituted his
hension. He wantonly betrayed his fellow townsmen and injured innocent persons, by the previously planned release for publication of such private papers and names, while holding Courtner without bail and in defiance of all legal procedure. Courtner was arrested Wednesday night, but waa denied the right to be arraigned In court Thursday morn
ing and Chief O'Brien refused to give any reason for such actions but held Courtner till the newspaper had foil opportunity to- broadcast the names
Of alleged kjbb memnersr: - "-.
Chief of Police 'O'Brien even to
the private kafrs of Mr. Courtner fifTi
uis residence aoa lor.nis jock, dox in the United States poetoffice, with tne avowed intention of burglarizing his postoffice lock bolt, in violation of the laws of the United States. Chief O'Brien even "proof-read"
ypu In your time of Bick- ' if
Ing, typing, salesmanship, etc.
I public office beyond human cofttpre-l
.(CooUaufd.on Fu S.X
- rig-. - .!) - f ' 5 rr Vi 1 ' -T i -t. -
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