Fiery Cross, Volume 2, Number 13, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 March 1923 — Page 1

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VOLUME II-NUMBER 13

HIR FRAME-UP Tn niinui iiiim

10

McDonald, Judas Iscariot Extraordinary, is ''Kidnapped," Not by the Ku Klux Klan, but by Authorities of Miami County, on an Arrest Warrant While Attempting to Leave for the Pacific Coast.

Entire Conspiracy of Jesuits of Springfield Exposed Proven Will be Followed by Next Step to Rid Springfield of Its Crooked Officials.

(By Eyewitnac Springfield, Ohio The net of evidence proving conspiracy and "frame up on the part of the Jewish Proee- . outor, Justine Altschul, and his Knightt of Columbus assistant prosecutor, J. Patrick Malone, in the arrest of Wm. Courtner, Kleale and organizer of the local Klan, on a charge of "riotous conspiracy," was clotted ia completely and a definite xpo of their dastardly methods coqmdk as a culmination of a weeks" Spanish Inqnisttion" was the arrest of Edward McDonald, Judas Iscariot, the prosecution's "star witness," on a charge of abandonment of his wife and two children in Troy, Ohio. By the arrest of McDonald another step in the ' frame up" was effectively thwarted. News of liis "kidnapping" by the Klan was to have beu given out to the papers, but McDonald was arrested at the Bit? Four Station In Springfield, by officials from Miami County. In his pocket was found a ticket to Los I

Angeles, Calif., and a letter from on file against McDonald, for nonChief of Police R. E. 0'Brienr whosuPP' t and other charges. Some of had charge of the recent raid on I these affidavits had been withdrawn Klan headquarters here, recommend- Dv Mrs. McDonald who said that "she log McDonald for a position as offic- could get along better without him.

er on the Los Angeles police force. There was also found $427.00 in cash, which is IG00.0O, less the cost of his ticket to Los Angeles. Other evidence directly connecting him with a conspiracy to "frame" Courtner was secured. McDonald was the man, who on Thursday, testified on the stand, of specific acts that were tended to show that Courtner committed a crime in "conspiring to riot." Coming as a climax after Prosecutor, J. Patrick Malone had given his "professional word" of honor that a definite and specific crime would bo proven, it. was a most remarkable break down, and amaiing failure to show a caae. ATler almost a week of wrangling, and after Judge Davis had informed Prosecutor Malone that he could not introduce much more evidence "on his professional word of honor," but must show some specific act or evidence to prove that "conspiracy to riot" had been planned by Courtner and the local Klan, McDonald was calted as the State's "star witness." McDonald testified that on the 12th of February, he took the oath, and became a member of the Klan, that he attended the. meeting that evening and that Reverend Woodward of Columbus was the speaker of the evening. He testified that he was a detective, a "capper," a Judas Iscariot, a man without honor, and a wife deserter, McDonald testified of specific acts which were supposed to show Cour tner's guilt. In that Mr. Courtner, as Kleagle. introduced the speaker of the evening, who had in turn made statements which would "incite to riot, to-wit: (a) That 8S y of tho public offices of the L'nited States

forgery;

High officers in the Ku Klux Klan have authorized The Fiery Crose to make the statement that any telegrams sent to President Harding opposing the appointment of 8enator Htw of Indiana to the position of Postmaster General are rank forgeries, and the perpetrator will be apprehended and prosecuted. i It is only another dastardly attempt to create dissension and disorganization in the ranks of the Klan In Indiana. The Klan Is fightlog no one's political battles. The Klan Is not in politics, and has lasued no statement pertaining to any political situation or used any prsssurt, tlther directly, or Indirectly, In behalf of or agalnat Senator . New.- ' t ,. .. . . . . : . J: -

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WITNESS" BY KLAH.

and wero held by Catholics, (b) That foreign immigration must stop, (c) That the Jew was getting too strong in America, (d) That they were going to hold a parade in Springfield, and that the Klansmen should secure robes for this parade, (e) That they were going to burn some Fiery Crosses in Springfield. Folowlng the Introduction of thi testiihony, attorneys for Courtner imihtldiately moved dismissal of tho aavisemeni by Judge Davis, and a decision to be rendered within the next few days. Action was immediately taken to detain McDonald, knowing lull well that the prosecution would "frame" up a "kidnapping" case, ana attempt to get McDonald out of the way. This was blocked by a deputy sheriff of Miami county, who arrived shortly afterward with an affidavit for McDonald's arrest. He was rushed immediately to Troy, where it develoDed that there were four additional affidavits and warrants which had been man with him, that he was "faithless, selfish and treacherous," and that she "would rather take in washings and live independently, than accept his ill gotten money." This blatant "frame upland devilish conspiracy on the part of Spving(Continued on Page 8.) WHO TIPPED MOONSHINER? JACKSON COUNTY MYSTERY DRAWS ATTENTION. Seymour, Ind. In its usual process of ferreting out crime, and aiding in law enforcement, investigators of the Klan in Jackson county recently gave evidence of a still which was operating in full blast in the southeast corner of Seymour, to the chief of police. At the time of giving this evidence to Chief of Police (ieorj-e Melsch, Knights of Columbus, the still was in full operation, dispensing moonshine whiskey that was eating out the vitals and destroying the minds of Jackson county youth. In furnishing the evidence, a carefully prepared chart was furnished, showing the exact location of the still but between the time this was furnished to Chief of Police Geo. Meisch. and the time of the raid, which was delayed a few hours, the owner of the still made his "getaway," as is usual in cases of this kind. Just who tipped it off, and why, is for Mayor Charles Kessler to ascertain, and citizens of Seymour, and Jackson will take county are wondering what action he

INDIANAPOLIS, INB FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1923.

BACKFIRES PRESSURE CAUSES WITHDRAWAL OF SCHOOL GITY BILL Attempt ta Place Unlimited Authority in the Business Director of Indianapolis School City Withdrawn. Senator Winfield Miller of Indianapolis, Tuesday, withdrew his bill proposing to give the business director of the Indianapolis school city almost unlimited authority and at the same time strip the majority faction, Dr. Marie Haslep and Messrs. Gadd and Emhart of many of their present powers. Senator Miller said he introduced the bill by request and made no explanation of its withdrawal. It is understood, however, to be one of the direct results of the decision of the directors and members of the education committee of the Chamber of Commerce, which decision - was iTCuuett 'law iremenaoiur nreaaure The bill was mtwdute.il with ihd Idea that if the Chamber of Commerce failed to put Earry in a position to dominate the school situation that the bill would then be forced through the legislature, which would strip the majority faction of its power and invest it in Walter J. Twiname, as business director. (Continued on Page 5.)

GALLING A SPADE A SPADE

Public Not to be Confused by Details in School Situation. Just One Issue in School Board Fight. Is There Obstruction?

Facts and Actions Show That Zoercher on the State Tax Board, and Barry on the School Board Have Fought, and are Still Fighting Against School Development in Indianapolis.

(By Eye-witness) Sometimes realism of facts is essential, and requires bold, sharp, perhaps sensational statements of naked truth to bring them fully into the public consciousness. It would have been more pleasant by far to have glossed over the germs and bad spots in the school situation, but by so doing the future results would probably have been just as pleasantly and indefinitely glossed over. That the influence holding back the development of the city schools has been going on for years, and that not until this year did the majority faction, Gadd, Emhardt. and Haslep realize and recognize this influence and put their heel upon it, is evidence of its subtlety, and the great cloudy back ground behind which it has been, and is still at work. If it were a question of the people voting the funds and whether or not we shall have adequate school buildings for our children, or whether we shall save money, and not have them, there would only be one answer, and that would be affirmative. Therefore, the only way for the Barry influence to obstruct the school building is to attract the attention of citizens in other directions, confusing their minds, and at the same time killing every constructive measure to carry out this program. Now that they have been forestalled, it is evident that this whole school matter will be muddled with petty personal bickkerings and news for the purpose of Influencing the public to uphold the Tax Board In refusing the bond issue which will soon be asked for by the present School Board, to carry out the present building program. It is the selfsame interest which blocked the last program for bond issue and that Btarted the fight. Philip Zoercher was one of the three members of the State Tax Board refusing the old petition before tne jix ppara, and c&aries I Barry

AUDITOR FESLER HITS ZOERCHER'S TAX BOARD

CHARGES BODY ,IS INFLUENCED BY POLITICS. Denunciation of the State Tax Board because "it allowed politics to influence its action" was made by Leo K. Fesler, Marion County auditor, before township assessors and their deputies Saturday. The meeting was to discuss the annual spring drive to assess taxes, which will start March 1. Kesler's speech followed a plan by W. C. Nusbaum, representing the State Board, to follow the law. "Marion, county has a balance of $300,008 and no temporary loans, while the state, city and school boards are millions behind," said Fesler. "The county can do very well without interfereAe." Fesler's break with the tax board came when it reduced the tax rate of Marion county 1 cent, which action the auditor opposed on the grounds that "the board did it to play politics." Rev. Adkinsoi) at Rockville Rockville, Ind. Reverend Adkinson, of the Rockville -Presbyterian Church, addressed a large audience Sunday erening, on the , subject, "The Fires of X5od," .reading the Twelfth Chapter: of R&hans, taking as his texfthe 11th and 12th verses of the Thtrd Chapter jot Matt. The audience evioeed unusual attention and remarkabte interest la what the Bevered Adkinson had to say. Reverend AdkinsoB etophasijed the need; fe ?to0o6r(SiBa. pTea' fosra opgaaixeA tiahlty. , He referred to the Influence whieli controls our theaters, our movies, and our press, and made a plea for open-mindedness and acceptance of truth. Near the close of the sermon, Klansmen entered and silently contributed to the church, and as silently disappeared. appeared against his collegeaus on the School Board and openly opposed the bond issue. Barry, in anticipation of another early demand for an other bond issue, and Barry in full knowledge that the present School Board had employed architects who were working out definite plans and were ready to proceed, and realizing that something must be done to block it quickly, furnished the sub-commit tee of the Chamber of Commerce with information gathered by the School Board themselves. This Zoercher sub-committee, acting as a com mittee themselves, not the Directors oi me (jnamoer or uommerce, proceeded to openly crticize and condemn it, at the same ttme publishing it in the city papers, and giving it wide publicity as a Chamber of t-ommerce measure, before the di rectors had even seen it. When the members of the advlsorv committee, taking it for granted that their presence would be needed at the deliberations of the sub-committee were definitely informed that they were not wanted. It ia- even yet not ciear wny tnis sub-committee, act ing without authority of the directors of the Chamber of Commerce have so manipuiated this affair, and why the Chamber of Commerce has not taken pains to investigate nH find out why it is that the. Chamber oi commerce be made a catspaw, and tool for thTee individuals, acting in the, name of the Chamber of Com merce. In order that there may be no confusion of the situation it is pointed out that there were just "four aces in the hole" by which Mr. Barry and nis aanerents hope to throttle the School Board immediately that it became evident that they, the present majority faction, would from now on until the close of 1923. actively con struct buildings, and place under -neaoway the full building program, unless some genius could devise sufficient objections and means, to sio& it. (Continued on Paje .)

SECOND ACT OF

DRAMA OPPOSES RETURN OF AUTO FEES TO COUNTIES HOOSIER STATE ASSOCIATION MAKES STATEMENT THAT ARE THE FACTS. Politicians Would Plant a Whole Orchard of Plum Trees. WOULD MAKE JOBS FOR THOUSANDS Absolute disapproval was expressed by the Hoosier State Automobile Association in a statement just issued, against the return tc the counties of any part of the automobile license fes, as proposed In an amendment to the auto license bill In the Indiana house Thursday. "The state highway commiasioniiit Indiana has made ft most drnirafole r-.ji.&.w w-uQ legisla ture and- every eitteen ; in the State of- Indiana." the tntnt " Any one who drives the roads of this state knows that this statement is true, and furthermore that the work of the highway commission has oeen an object lesson and a means of education from which every county in uie state nas Deneilted in the construction and maintenance of its county and township roads. It is a backward step of the very worst character to return any part of the auto license fees to the counties. Only Way to Finance Commission "The public should understand that the license fee money is the only way whereby the state highway com mission can be financed. No political party will permit very much of a tax levy for state highway purposes and we cannot issue bonds, therefore, we must have the license money in the state Highway commission rnnrt fund. It makes no real difference to the counties, for the reason that if they finance the highway commis sion at an they do it either with a tax levy or a license fee. or both and since they cannot, have much of a tax levy in the state, but can put the license fee money in to the state road fund, why not let it go there? The total amount of taxes is the same in either event, I he Hoosier State Automobile Association has been opposed to tak ing away a single dollar that hereto fore has been going to the state hieh way commission road fund, and has favored an increase in automobile li cense fees sufficient to tak rare nf the increased needs of Indiana's high way program, ana we estimate that a 4) or CO per cent, increase in license rees would do this. Since Indiana is under the average of other siaies, nonody should oblect tn unch an increase, but even if it were a mue larger increase and everv do! lar of it went to the state highway commission, it would be the best in vestment that the motoring public in me state or Indiana could make, Gasoline Tax Opposed "We have opposed anv nronosed Increases in automobile license fees In excess of the amount needed by the highway commission and we have (Continued on Page 8.) ALL RIGHT! LET'S GOMembers of the sub-commltteeB of the educational committee of the cnamoer or commerce unanimously agreed yesterday noon at a luncheon held at the Chamber to co-operate In every way with the IndianannH Board of School Commissioners to Improve school conditions in furtherance of recommendations made in a report recently adopted by the; committee. , T - A communication will-be. sent to the School Board members notifying them of the decision of the members of the sub-committees. The subm mitteeB Included city school planning,' health and sanitation, architectural, uuauv uuu personnel. 4 5 a - :

FIVE

IR ROUGE OPENED

IN CHICAGO

LAST MONDAY NIGHT

Rally Every Night This Week, at Which All Nations

Except America Will be Represented.

Gov. Al Smith, Gov. Parker, Attorney General Coco, and Other

romicai Aspirants Will Sell Their Birthrights Under the Direction of Patrick H. O'Donnell. Nothing Will be Said About National Welfare Council or Its Insidious Report.

TOLERANCE SPY: FORGED WRIGLEY'S SIGNATURE SCRIPT EXPERTS PRQNOUNpE iaV-J tGN ATURE Chicago, 111. William iWrlgley, Ir.'s signature on an alleged Ku Klux Klan membership application blank was declared a forgery by handwriting experts and bank officials at a hearing before Judge Ira Ryner. it was the publication of the purported questionnaire that disrupted the editorial staff of Tolerance, the anti-Klan publication, and caused the present fight for control of the maga zine. Howard A. Rounds, penmanship ex pert, noted for his testimony before Judge K; M. Landis in the I. W. W. cases, declared that comparison of Wrigley's signature on personal checks with that on the alleged appli cation indicated that the latter was spurious. Denies Wrigley Pledge Similarities were found in the sienature with script on other nortions of the blank admittedly not in Wrigicj a uauuwnung. Kounas asserted the same individual who signed Wrigley's name also inserted that of W. J. Winston, who was said to have solicited the gum manufacturer for membership. Earlier in the hearing Winston made affidavit that he had not optained Wrigley's pledge. The signature on the application. Rounds asserted, was a rough copy of the signature used in fac-simile on chewing gum wrappers. John W. Hagey, vice-president of the First National bank, declared the signature dia not resemble that of Mr. Wriglev in file in his institution. W. H. Stanley, secretary to Mr. Wrieiev. also testified that the purported signature was a rorgery. Got Alleged Klan List Renegade Klan officials furnished Tolerance with Hats of supposed Klansmen, according to Lionel Moise, co-editor of the paper, who, with Grady K. Rutledge, president of the publishing company, is seeking to wrest control from Robert E. Shep herd, treasurer of the American Unity ueague. "Rutledge obtained most of the uauies, ivioise saw. "some came from Shpnhftrrt onrl ontviA 4m r u, M,u unj iiuiu uuc Hill. It is hot true that the Imnp paid $5,000 for the names. The names printed in the first seven issues came from a former Klan official, a friend of Rutledge, whose name I won't mention." Won't Accept Challenge , Attorney Harry D. Irwin's proffer 6t a 500 charitable gift If substantiation of klan membership was shown against his brothers, Frank and Arthur Irwin, was met with the refusal of Attorney Patrick H. O'Donnell to "tip his hand until the proper time." . ....-: k ; . ; -. - f Irwin's - brother. Arthur, fnllnworf the attorney on the atand, asserting that Hill, named as one. who furnished names of .Klansmen to Tolerance, :vu a former disgruntled and discharged employs," Rfevauge .promoted Hill to "expose? his former employer,-Irwin declared. , r ---

"Wo rtspect all honsstmon in tholr sacred convictions whether same are agreeable with our requirements or not."

CENTS PER COPY (By Eyewitness.) Chicago, 111., Feb. 26. With the flag of the Irish Free State side by side with Old Glory on the Coliseum, the All Nations' Rally" against the Ku Klux Klan opens tonisht at the CnU. seum in Chicago. Started under the auspices or the American Unity League, with money taken In through the discredited publication, 'Tolerance, and by selling pf concessions in the, Coliseum, the oroeram -win errje fcar4 iilhytoass meet- ' It will be DrRidor-n-A.k -. ?P-xfcfi4 &tiMMoeou insa. GDWtorulKfiiMtw ri. roy -Fercr ef MtesissiBiu; fidTernoi'Ait aamn or ew YOTI, and Bishop Michael Gallagher of Detroit, who will explain to those present, "How to make America Catholic In 1924." The series of meetings was described yesterday by Patrick H. O'Donnell as "a meeting" of all races against the Ku Klux Klan." Mr. O'Donnell said that "each night there will be some nationally known person to tell the public of the dangers of this movement. Plans will be made for a permanent fight and for a national anti-Klan propaganda, and for a national anti-Klan convention, which will be held in Chicago, probably in May. The meeting will be anti-Klan m every way. It will be simply a gathering for America." It Is well understood here in Chicago that a recent communication issued by the Knights of Columbus, referred to Governor-elect Alfred Smith of New York, "As a faithful son of the church, who at the present time' it is planned to make the first Catholic President of the United States. Hearst and Hyland are mere stalking horses, as neither of them have sufficient mental capacity for the position of President, nor the backbone to do the things the first Catholic President will be called upon to do. -We have been successful In Isolating England politically from all her former allies, and as soon as Mr. Smith gets established as President, and in the White House, America will take its rightful position as ruler of the world." It is therefore significant that Got. Al Smith should attend and be one of the principle speakers who would discredit a 100, solidified, American organization, which stands in the way of his aspirations and the plans of those he represents. Gov. Parker Arrives Today Governor Parker will arrive today on the Illinois Central, at 11:30 a. m. and a committee from the city council, city offices and delegations from the American Unity League, Knights of Columbus, Ancient Order of Hibernians, and other similiar arganization will meet him "en masse," at the Illinois Central Station. The appearance of the American Flag, side by side with that of the Irish Free state, is significant In the decorations at the Union Station. trovernor Parker is to speak tonight, and again referring to the text of a letter sent to the councilors fif me lounn degree Knights ofColumbus we quote: "Referring to the Mer Rouge affair, we can get any kind et a statement against the Ku Klux Klan that we wish Into the daily papers, and especially In our mouthpieces; the Chicago American and the New York World,- The Klan can not get a single denial Into these papers or any other. The 'Alt Nations Rally will be the means of getting propaganda through the newpapera, and the will publish anything we wish tnem o. They dare sot take a stand against ns. The papers owned by the Frtrtestants "will print the propaganda for fear of losing their, advertisers. As proof 'of this, not a single newspaper protect' ed the X. &L a Ju against onr tropa ganda during the War; and now they will not protect the only Protestant

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