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9 


KU-KLUX  KLflN  No,  40. 


A  NOVEL. 


By  Thomas  J.  Jerome. 


RALEIGH,  N.  C: 
Edwards  &  Broughton,  Printers  and  Binders. 

1895. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1895, 

By  THOMAS  J.  JEROME, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress, 

at  Washington. 


11 


PREFACE. 


Ku-Kluxisra  is  dead,  and  I  have  no  desire  to  re-open 
the  wounds  inflicted  by  its  bloody  hands.  I  would  to 
God  that  the  very  recollection  of  the  existence  of  such 
an  organization  could  be  lost,  and  that  all  record  of  its 
deeds  could  be  effaced. 

"  Secret  political  societies  are  dangerous  to  the  lib- 
erties of  a  free  people,  and  should  not  be  tolerated."— 
Constitution  of  North  Carolina  (1875). 

But  while  the  hand  of  Ku-Kluxism  is  stained  with 
blood,  yet,  considering  the  sufferings  the  South  endured 
during  the  brief  existence  of  that  organization,  it  is  the 
purest  and  whitest  hand  ever  raised  by  an  outraged 
people  to  repel  the  assaults  of  their  oppressors.     Under 
the  reconstruction  laws  of  Congress  the  people  of  the 
South  were  required  to  overthrow  tbeir  own  State  gov- 
ernments;  to  repudiate,  not  only  their   State   debts, 
but  their  own  private  contracts,  as  well ;  to  ratify  the 
taking  from  them  by  force,  and  without  remuneration, 
almost  their  entire  property,  and  to  adopt  Constitutions 
for  their  government  which  stripped  them  of  the  right 
dearest  to  every  citizen— the  right  to  vote  and  hold  of- 
fice, while  the'  ignorant  black  man  was  clothed  with 
all  the  rights  and  immunities  of  citizenship.     Is  it  any 
f^        wonder,  then,  that  the  people  took  refuge  in  Ku-Klux 
\^  Klans,  that  they  might  strike  against  the  ruin  and  deso- 

•^  lation,  peculation  and  violence  that  threatened  to  de- 
^  strov  them?  When  Federal  bayonets  were  used  to 
•to  -^ 


4  Preface. 

enforce  the  intolerable  exactions  of  the  government  in 
the  way  of  taxes,  and  the  arm  of  the  negro  militia  to 
sustain  black  demons  in  their  violation  of  the  sanctity 
of  homes  and  the  chastity  of  women — is  it  any  wonder 
that  men  rushed  into  secret  societies  for  the  defense  of 
their  wives,  their  mothers,  their  sisters  and  their  homes  ? 

Long  before  a  Ku-Klux  was  ever  heard  of  in  the 
South,  armed  mobs  of  negroes  and  low-down  scalawags 
and  carpet-baggers  were  marching  through  our  towns 
and  country,  insulting  citizens  and  spreading  terror 
among  all  classes.  Carpet-bag  judges  so  interpreted 
the  law  that  scalawag  juries  found  it  an  easy  task  to 
acquit  these  demons  when  charged  with  crime ;  but  if, 
perchance,  a  conviction  could  be  had,  a  Republican 
Governor  stood  ready  to  pardon  the  offender  for  his 
vote.  The  result  was  that  all  good  men  were  alarmed 
for  the  safety  of  their  property  and  families,  and  they 
very  naturally  looked  for  some  measures  of  protection. 

But  the  cloud  that  overshadowed  the  South  has  van- 
ished, and  the  sunlight  of  peace  and  prosperity  now 
lights  up  every  pathway.  Hope  has  returned,  and  the 
statue  of  liberty  has  thrown  its  torch  into  every  corner. 
Life,  liberty  and  property  are  as  safe  in  the  South  to- 
day as  anywhere  on  the  globe,  and  while  the  acquisi- 
tion of  power  by  the  better  element  may  not  fully  par- 
don the  method  of  obtaining  it,  yet  justice  will  declare 
that  the  use  of  this  power  by  the  better  classes  in 
building  up  the  country  clearly  vindicates  their  right 
to  it. 

Nearly  all  the  scenes  described  in  this  book  are 
founded  on  well  authenticated  historical  facts.  The 
pictures  here  given  have  been  gathered  from  the  his- 


Preface.  5 

tories  of  the  Southern  States,  and  a  truthfulness  of 
portraiture  is  the  only  merit  claimed  for  the  work. 
Born  in  October,  1859,  I  was  too  young  to  take  any 
part  in  the  operations  of  the  Ku-Klux,  or  to  know  much 
of  their  actions,  except  what  I  have  learned  from  his- 
tory. So  far  as  I  know,  no  relation  of  mine  ever  be- 
longed to  the  Klan,  though  my  father  was  deprived, 
for  some  time,  of  his  right  to  vote  by  the  Federal  au- 
thorities— an  indignity  his  son  will  never  forget. 

The  Author. 

Albemarle,  N.  C,  1895. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I.  PAGE. 

Violence  Threatened ., ,—      9 

CHAPTER  II. 
Another  Carpet-bagger  Invited 19 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  Discovery 28 

CHAPTER  IV. 
How  a  Ku-Klux  Mandate  was  Executed 46 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Viper  Enters 57 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Partisan  Justice 72 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Love  or  Gold  ? 94 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Two  Villains  Meet 105 

CHAPTER  IX. 
A  Ku-Klux  Outrage 123 

/   CHAPTER  X. 
The  Two  Villains  Meet  Again 130 

Chapter  xi. 

Insurrection 142 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Klan  Meets 165 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  Conflict  of  Authority 172 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Death  Chamber '. 192 


8  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XV.                                    p^GE. 
Still  Weaving  Bloody  Woof 199 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
A  Heroine  Appears 212 

CHAPTER  XVn. 
The  Judiciary  Exhausted 223 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
A  New  Scheme 227 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Pro  Bono  Publico 237 

CHAPTER  XX. 
A  Last  Effort 243 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Rescued 250 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
The  Election 255 


KU-KLUX  KLAN  No.  40. 


CHAPTER  I. 


VIOLENCE    THREATENED. 


"KlanNo.  40!" 

"A  white  man's  government!" 

"Death  to  scallawags,  carpet-baggers  and  niggers!" 

Such  were  the  exclamations  of  a  tall  and  athletic 
young  man,  as  he  entered  the  almost  impenetrable 
woods  at  the  foot  of  Glen  Echo. 

He  was  a  Ku-Klux,  and  the  first  exclamation  given 
above  [simply  announced  the  number  of  the  den  to 
which  he  belonged ;  the  second,  the  annual  password, 
and  the  third,  the  universal  motto  of  the  Klan  respect- 
ing political  matters. 

The  hills  around  Glen  Echo  were  covered  with  tall 
and  stately  oaks  and  poplars,  and  a  dense  undergrowth 
of  laurel,  and  under  this  shadowy  foliage  the  young 
man  secreted  himself.  He  was  reclining  quietly  on  a 
bed  of  leaves,  when  the  pensive  tranquility  of  the  even- 
ing was  disturbed  by  the  sound  of  horses'  feet  on  the 
road  crossing  at  the  foot  of  the  glen.  Raising  himself 
on  his  elbow,  he  peered  through  the  laurel  to  discover 
who  the  intruders  were. 

The  first  glimpse  of  the  riders  brought  the  young 
man  to  his  feet,  with  a  flush  of  indignation  on  his  cheek 
and  a  scowl  of  dissatisfaction  on  his  brow.  Shaking 
his  clenched  fist  at  the  male  intruder,  for  the  eques- 


10  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

trians  were  in  fact  a  young  man  and  young  lady  taking 
an  evening  ride,  he  muttered  between  his  teeth : 

"  You  miserable  South-hating  carpet-bagger !  How 
dare  you  come  in  here  and  try  to  usurp  my  place  in 
the  affection  of  that  girl,  whom  you  know  I  love ;  that 
her  father  despises  you,  and  that  I  hate  you  ?  I  swear 
by  all  the  energies  of  my  soul  I  will  yet  win  her,  and 
save  her  the  offense  of  marrying  a  radical  carpet-bag- 
ger if,  in  order  to  do  so,  I  shall  have  to  dip  my  finger 
in  your  heart's  blood,  and  write  K.  K.  K,  on  the  lid  of 
your  coffin  ! " 

This  ominous  threat  was  not  heard  by  either  of  the 
riders.  On  the  contrary,  they  stopped  their  horses  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  young  man  in  the  thicket,  and  the  gen- 
tleman on  horseback  plucked  a  sprig  of  laurel  and 
handed  it  to  the  young  lady,  who  placed  the  stem  in  her 
bosom,  and  then,  plucking  a  tiny  twig  containing  only 
two  leaves,  she  leaned  forward  in  her  saddle  and  pinned 
the  leaves  to  the  lappel  of  the  young  man's  coat. 

During  this  time  the  young  man  in  the  laurel  bushes 
was  compelled,  much  to  his  discomfiture,  to  listen  to 
the  following  conversation  : 

"  I  have  been  thinking,  Minnie,"  said  the  young  man 
on  horseback,  addressing  the  young  lady  in  tones  which 
indicated  the  deepest  passion,  "that  the  condition  to 
our  union  which  you  impose  makes  it  utterly  impossi- 
ble for  us  to  ever  consummate  our  wishes  in  marriage. 
You  know  your  father's  aversion  for  a  carpet-bagger, 
and  you  know  he  refuses  to  recognize  me  by  any  other 
name,  or  to  see  in  me  anything  but  the  infamy  and 
disgrace  which  such  an  appellation  implies ;  and  I  fear 
that  your  promise  to  marry  me  only  on  condition  that 


Yio^£nce  Threatened. 


11 


I  first  obtain  your  father's  consent,  is  to  pla^e  an  insur- 
mountable barriOT  betwixt  us,  and  one  thay  will  remain 
there  forever." 

ut   despairing   tones  o/  the   speaker 
g  lady  to  sigh  deeply,  but  still  she 


The  earnest 
caused  the  yo 
answered  firm 

"You  must 


be 


convinced,  Judge  Farwell,  from  my 
promise  to  nikrry  you  at  all,  thougli  the  promise  be 
coupled  witty  the  condition  of  whitfh  you  complain, 
that  I  cherisp  for  you  an  affection  phich  makes  our 
marriage  necessary  to  my  own  happiness  as  well  as,  I 
hope,  to  yours ;  but  I  should  have  to  consider  myself 
very  remiss  in  filial  duty  to  take  ppon  myself  such  a 
fearful  responsibilit}^  without  the  consent  of  my  father." 

"  Excuse  me  for  pleading  with  you,"  answered  Judge 
Farwell,  "  and  now,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  retaliate,  I 
will  promise  you  never  to  mention  this  part  of  our  sub- 
ject again,  on  one  condition :  that  is,  if  you  will  answer 
me  one  question,  the  answer  to  which  I  am  anxious  to 
know." 

"  I  suppose  I  might  allow  you  to  ask  your  question," 
said  the  young  lady. 

"But  you  might  consider  it  a  silly  one." 

"Then  I  would  advise  you  not  to  ask  it.  I  have 
never  known  you  to  do  a  silly  thing,  and  I  would  be 
sorry  to  have  you  detract  from  your  reputation  in  that 
respect." 

"  But  jealousy  demands  it,  and  I  must  ask  it  even  at 
the  risk  of  being  considered  foolish.  I  want  to  know 
if  you  love  John  Latham?" 

"  There  was  no  necessity  for  such  a  question,  and  I  am 
surprised  at  it,"  answered  the  young  lady.     "  Indeed, 


12  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

I  am  tempted  to  refuse  an  answer,  not  simply  because 
I  think  it  a  silly  question,  but  because  I  consider  it  a 
reflection  upon  my  honesty.  It  seems  to  me  you  give 
me  little  credit  for  sincerity  if  you  think  I  would  prom- 
ise to  marry  you  while  loving  another." 

"  Oh,  I  did  not  mean  to  question  your  sincerity  in 
the  least,  I  assure  you,"  answered  the  judge,  "but  you 
know  jealousy  is  the  torment  of  every  newly-accepted 
lover,  and  knowing  how  popular  you  have  been  in  the 
town,  and  how  assiduous  Mr.  Latham  has  been  in  his 
attentions  to  you,  I  could  not  keep  the  monster  out  of 
my  heart." 

"  Then  if  you  really  consider  yourself  entitled  to  an 
answer,  I  will  give  it,"  answered  the  young  lady  :  "  Mr. 
Latham  and  I  have  been  reared  children  together,  and 
I  have  always  esteemed  him  a  very  true  friend,  but  I 
have  never  thought  of  him  as  a  lover,  and  I  do  not 
know  that  he  has  ever  wished  me  to  so  regard  him. 
He  has  my  sincerest  friendship  and  utmost  confidence ; 
nothing  more," 

"That  was  very  kindly  spoken,"  answ^ered  the  judge, 
"and  with  (this  assurance  I  will  banish  the  monster 
from  my  breast,  and  trusting  you  as  implicitly  as  I 
would  have  you  trust  me,  I  will  content  myself  with 
the  hope  that  the  rancor  of  party  spirit  w^ill  soon  sub- 
side in  our  community,  and  that  the  inveterate  malig- 
nity engendered  by  the  late  war,  and  intensified  by  our 
late  political  struggles,  will  soon  be  displaced  by  a 
broad  charity  that  will  enable  men  to  disagree  in  poli- 
tics, as  in  other  things,  without  hating  each  other ;  and 
that  our  marriage  may  then  take  place,  not  only  with 
the  consent,  but  with  the  benediction,  of  your  father." 


Violence  Threatened.  13 

Just  at  this  moment  another  young  man  turned  a 
bend  in  the  road,  about  a  hundred  yards  distant,  which 
brought  this  conversation  abruptly  to  a  close.  As  the 
second  young  man  walked  leisurely  down  the  road  the 
riders  went  to  meet  him  at  a  brisk  trot,  as  if  they  had 
only  stopped  a  moment  to  get  a  switch  with  which  to 
urge  their  horses  home  more  rapidly. 

This  second  young  man  doffed  his  hat  familiarly  to 
the  riders  as  they  passed  him  in  the  road.  Keaching 
the  glen  he  turned  into  the  laurel  thicket,  but  was 
halted  at  the  first  step  with  the  command : 

''  Halt !  who  comes  there  ?  " 

"  A  ghoul,"  answered  the  young  man  who  had  just 
come  up,  and  "  a  member  of  Den  No.  40." 

"Advance  with  the  password,"  answered  the  voice 
in  the  bushes. 

The  young  man  went  forward  to  meet  and  exchange 
the  secret  password  of  the  den  with  his  friend,  John 
Latham. 

Before  proceeding  further  with  this  narrative  it  is 
necessary  that  the  persons  who  have  so  far  appeared 
should  be  introduced  to  the  reader. 

The  young  man  whom  we  first  found  in  the  laurel 
bushes  was  John  Latham.  He  was  a  handsome  fellow, 
and  possessed  a  magnificent  physique.  His  father  had 
been  killed  in  the  war,  and  his  widowed  mother, 
her  efforts  to  rear  her  son  and  provide  the  means 
of  his  education,  had  well-nigh  spent  all  that  was  left 
her  after  the  ravages  of  Sherman's  army  in  his  noto- 
rious "  march  to  the  sea."  Youjig  Latham  was  desper- 
ately in  love  with  the  young  lady  whom  he  heard 
speak  of  her  plighted  faith  to  her  companion  of  the 


14  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

evenina:,  but  from  some  cause  he  had  deferred  men- 
tioning his  love  to  her. 

The  young  man  on  horseback  was  Judge  Richard  Far- 
well,  who  had  lately  come  South  from  the  State  of  Mass- 
achusetts. He  was  at  first  greeted  bv  the  inhabitants 
of  Westville  by  the  opprobrious  epithet  of  "  carpet- 
bagger," but  by  his  gentlemanly  deportment  and  manly 
courage  he  had,  by  this  time,  so  far  won  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  that  very  few 
now  applied  to  him  that  reproachful  title.  Indeed,  so 
acceptable  to  the  people  had  he  become  that  when  the 
resident  judge  of  the  judicial  district  died,  he  was 
appointed  judge  of  the  district.  This  was  done  be- 
cause no  other  lawyer  in  the  district  could  accept  the 
office  on  account  of  the  "  iron-clad  oath "  which  the 
Federal  statute  required  to  be  administered  to  all  per- 
sons inducted  into  office.  This  oath  required  all  offi- 
cers to  swear  that  they  had  never  given  aid  or  encour- 
agement to  the  enemies  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment, nor  accepted  office  under  any  government  hostile 
to  the  United  States;  and  very  few  persons  in  the 
South  could  take  it.  Judge  Farwell  was  a  man  of 
conspicuous  ability  and  broad  culture,  but  his  legal 
knowledge  was  quite  limited,  behaving  obtained  license 
to  practice  law  only  a  few  weeks  before  his  appointment 
as  judge,  under  a  statute  then  in  force,  which  allowed 
any  person  to  become  an  attorney  by  simply  paying  a 
tax  fee  of  twenty  dollars.  He  had  never  attended  a 
law  school  or  prepared  himself  in  any  way  for  the 
duties  of  his  chosen  profession ;  but  he  possessed  an 
astute  and  logical  mind,  and  by  close  application  to 
the  study  of  the  law  during  leisure  hours,  he  so  far 


Violence  Threatened.  15 

mastered  the  rudiments  of  his  profession  as  to  sustain 
himself  with  tolerable  credit  on  the  bench,  though  he 
sometimes  made  ludicrous  mistakes,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected. He  was  tall  and  handsome,  and  as  gallant  and 
courageous  as  any  Southern  cavalier. 

The  young  lady  was  Miss  Minnie  Wyland,  and  no 
fairer  flower  of  womanhood  ever  grew  on  Southern 
soil.  She  would  be  called  a  blonde,  had  blue  eyes, 
rosy  cheeks,  pearly  teeth  and  was  tall  and  graceful. 

She  was  the  daughter  of  Major  James  Wyland,  who 
fought  on  the  side  of  the  Confederacy  throughout  the 
four  long  years  of  the  war,  and  who  came  out  of  the 
war  and  still  remained,  an  "unreconstructed  rebel." 
He  was  very  tenacious  of  his  own  opinions,  and  intol- 
erant of  the  opinions  of  others,  and  hated  capet-bag- 
gers  and  scallawags  w^orse  than  a  Christian  hates  the 
devil.  He  was  a  lawyer,  and  so  fond  of  controversy 
that  if  you  happened  to  agree  with  him,  even  in  com- 
mon conversation,  he  would  immediately  take  an  oppo- 
site view  of  the  subject,  simply  for  the  sake  of  argu- 
ment. 

The  other  young  man,  who  announced  himself  as  a 
"ghoul  of  Den  JSTo.  40,"  was  Albert  Seaton.  He  was 
a  young  man  of  noble  family,  polished  education,  chiv- 
alrous disposition,  and  was  as  generous  and  unselfish 
as  any  man  that  ever  lived.  He  had  joined  the  Ku- 
Klux  from  a  sense  of  duty. 

The  reader,  no  doubt,  has  already  surmised  that  the 
meeting  of  Albert  Seaton  and  John  Latham  was  not 
by  mere  accident,  and  this  conjecture  is  entirely  correct. 

Almost  immediately  after  the  exchange  of  the  pass- 
word of  the  den  between  Latham  and  Seaton,  other 


16  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

members  of  the  Klan  began  to  assemble  at  the  foot  of 
the  glen,  and  each  one,  as  he  approached  and  entered 
the  laurel  thicket,  was  halted  and  required  to  give  the 
password  of  the  evening.  These  passwords  were  changed 
at  every  meeting  of  the  Klan,  in  order  to  exclude  from 
participation  in  the  proceedings  of  their  meetings  any 
person  who  was  not  at  the  time  actually  co  operating 
with  the  Klan. 

The  place  selected  for  the  meetings  of  the  Klan 
seemed  to  have  been  specially  prepared  by  the  hand  of 
nature  for  such  a  purpose.  Glen  Echo,  in  fact,  ap- 
peared to  be  nothing  less  than  a  great  natural  amphi- 
theatre lying  between  two  mountains,  with  only  one 
possible  way  of  entrance  or  exit.  For  some  distance 
from  the  mouth  of  the  glen  the  passage  between  the 
cliffs  was  narrow  and  difficult,  and  through  this  the 
ghouls  marched  in  single  file  until  they  reached  the 
broader  surface,  some  distance  back,  where  their  secret 
meetings  were  held. 

Albert  Seaton  was  Cyclop,  or  master,  of  the  den.  A 
local  den  had  no  other  officers. 

As  it  was  one  of  the  rules  of  the  Klan  that  no  word 
should  be  spoken  after  entering  the  glen,  or  cave,  ex- 
cept on  matters  pertaining  to  business,  the  Klan  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  the  discharge  of  the  business  be- 
fore it. 

"I  will  hear  a  report  from  the  committee  to  investi- 
gate the  conduct  of  Peter  Tinklepaugh,"  said  the  Cy- 
clop, adjusting  his  cap,  which  was  over  two  feet  high 
and  on  which  was  painted  a  rattlesnake,  coiled  and 
ready  to  spring. 


Violence  Threatened.  IT 

Peter  Tinklepaugh  was  a  genuine  carpet-bagger  from 
the  State  of  Connecticut.  He  had  been  tempted  to 
come  South  by  the  same  philanthropic  motive  that 
prompted  so  many  others  to  come  from  that  home  of 
virtue,  viz.,  a  willingness  to  take  charge  of  some  lucra- 
tive office  in  the  gift  of  the  newly-enfranchised  negro ; 
but  poor  Peter  had  been  disappointed  as  an  office- 
seeker,  and  had  found  congenial  employment  as  a 
school-teacher  for  the  colored  children  in  the  vicinity 
of  Kenneth  Grove.  It  was  reported  of  Tinklepaugh 
that  he  not  only  taught  the  negroes  social  equality 
with  the  whites,  but  that  he  had  actually  set  them  an 
example,  that  fixed  at  once  his  status  in  the  social 
circle,  by  taking  unto  himself  a  wife  from  among  the 
sable  daughters  of  Ham.  It  was  this  charge  that  the 
committee  had  been  appointed  to  investigate.  The 
committee,  however,  owing  to  the  distance  to  Kenneth 
Grove  had  not  completed  their  investigations,  so  the 
matter  was  continued  until  next  meeting. 

"Any  charges  to  be  preferred  against  any  one?" 
again  demanded  the  Cyclop. 

Here   Sam   Washburn   handed   up   the    following: 

"Richard  Farwell,  judge.     Charges — 

"  1.  Appointing  a  negro  as  an  officer  of  court,  to-wit : 
the  appointment  of  Dick  Madison  as  court  crier. 

"  2.  Causing  negroes  to  be  empanelled  as  jurors. 

"  3.  Refusing  to  allow  challenges  to  jurors  on  account 
of  color," 

Sam  "Washburn  was  an  active  and  influential  member 
of  the  Klan,  and  had  the  honor  of  being  one  of  the  ten 
genii  of  the  empire. 


18  Kif^Klux  Klcm  No.  J(,0. 

Although  the  charge  against  judge  Farwell  was  made 
by  Sam  Washburn,  it  will  not  require  any  supernatural 
power  of  discernment  to  reach  the  conclusion  that  the 
real  author  was  a  young  man  whose  heart  was  wrung 
with  jealousy,  and  who  had  that  very  evening  sworn 
vengeance  against  his  rival.  It  was  a  rule  of  the  Klan 
that  all  charges  against  any  person  should  be  presented 
in  writing  in  a  disguised  hand,  and  that  a  paper  con- 
taining a  charge  should  never  be  presented  by  the  per- 
son complaining,  so  that  the  majority  should  never 
know  who  the  real  complainant  was. 

A  committee  consisting  of  Sam  Washburn,  John  Lat- 
ham and  Henry  Worthel  was  appointed  by  the  Cyclop 
to  investigate  the  charge  made  against  judge  Farwell, 
and  the  committee  instructed  to  report  at  next  meeting. 


Another  Carpet-hagger  Inmted.  19 


CHAPTER  II. 

ANOTHER  CARPET-BAGGER  INVITED. 

When  Judge  Farwell  separated  from  Minnie  Wyland, 
on  reaching  home  after  the  eventful  ride  mentioned 
in  the  last  chapter,  he  was  in  such  a  state  of  ecstatic 
bliss  that  he  actually  imagined  himself  in  love  with 
everything  that  surrounded  him.  The  town  of  West- 
ville  never  before  seemed  half  so  lovely,  nor  its  broad 
streets,  lined  on  each  side  with  stately  elms,  half  so 
enchanting.  In  the  exuberance  of  his  joy,  he  forgot  and 
forgave  the  animosities  engendered  by  recent  political 
struggles,  while  the  soft,  sweet  words  of  Minnie  Wy- 
land drowned  even  the  voice  of  unjust  criticism,  which 
had  lately  cried  out  against  him  with  such  partisan 
bitterness. 

It  was  in  this  state  of  mind  that  the  judge  entered 
his  room  at  the  Midland  Hotel,  where  he  found  an  old 
servant,  Ben  Wyland,  a  former  slave  of  Major  James 
Wyland,  just  kindling  a  fire,  for  though  it  was  in  the 
month  of  May,  and  the  flowers  were  in  bloom,  a  little 
fire  after  nightfall  was  not  uncomfortable. 

"Hello,  Uncle  Ben,"  said  the  judge,  "it  seems  you 
are  a  little  late  in  preparing  my  fire  this  evening." 

"Well,  jedge,"  said  Uncle  Ben,  "I  knowed  yo'  wus 
gone  out  ridin'  wid  Miss  Minnie  agin,  an'  I  didn't  'spect 
yo'  home  till  night  driv  yo'  in,  so  I  thought  I'd  have  the 
fire  jes'  started  like  when  yo'  got  here." 

"Yery  well,  Uncle  Ben,"  answered  the  judge,  "I 
have  no  complaint  to  make  of  your  tardiness ;  but  how 


20  Ka-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

came  you  to  know  I  had  gone  out  riding  with  Miss 
Minnie,  and  what  induced  you  to  believe  that  I  would 
remain  out  bevond  mv  usual  hour?" 

"  Nevermind,"  answered  Uncle  Ben,  "  I'se  gittin'  old, 
now,  and  I'se  waited  on  too  many  young  men  in  love 
not  to  be  able  to  jedge  by  de  praprations  an'  oder  ebi- 
dences  whar  dey  gwine  when  I  see  'em  start  out  in  de 
direcshun  ob  her  house,  an'  as  fur  stayin'  out  late,  why, 
ob  co'se  any  man  would  stay  out  wid  sich  a  gal  as  Miss 
Minnie  as  long  as  he  could." 

"  Then  you  are  well  acquainted  with  her,  are  you, 
Uncle  Ben?" 

"  Laws'  sake,  jedge,  ob  co'se  I  is,  when  I  wurked 
dar  all  my  life  till  dis  year.  I'se  knowed  her.eber 
sense  she  wus  a  baby,  an'  a  nice  gal  she  is,  too." 

"  I  presume  you  will  not  find  any  one  to  disagree 
with  you  in  your  estimation  of  her — at  least  not  here," 
answered  the  judge.  "  But  did  you  really  belong  to 
Major  Wyland  in  slavery  time,  Uncle  Ben  ? " 

"  Yes,  sah,  jedge,  an'  a  mighty  good  massa  he  wus, 
too,  do'  dey  do  say  he's  mighty  'posed  to  de  cullud 
man  bein'  erlowed  to  vote  wid  de  white  folks  now. 
Dey  say  he  berlongs  to  de  chuck-a-lucks." 

*'  Ku-Klux,  I  guess  you  mean.  Uncle  Ben." 

"  Yes,  sar,  I  means  de  chuck-a-lucks  what  whips  de 
cullud  folks  fer  votin'  an'  jining  de  leags.  Dey  whip- 
ped Uncle  Mose  Patterson  jes  befor'  las'  'lection  an' 
skeered  him  so  he  dun  lef  de  country  befo'  de  'lection 
come  on." 

"  Yes,  I  have  heard  of  the  numerous  lawless  outrages 
committed  by  these  bands  of  assassins  in  this  country," 


Another  Carpet-hagyer  Invited.  21 

answered  the  judge.  "  But  why  have  they  never  mo- 
lested you,  Uncle  Ben?  Do  you  not  exercise  your 
blood-bought  privileges  as  a  citizen  enough  to  cast  a 
vote  for  the  party  that  gave  you  your  freedom  ? " 

"  No,  sah.  I  neber  votes  now,  jedge.  I  voted  once, 
an'  voted  de  'Publicin  ticket,  but  ole  massa  say  it  dun 
me  no  good ;  dat  de  'Publicin  party  dun  fooled  me 
erbout  de  forty  acres  an'  de  mule,  an'  I  tole  him  I'd 
quit  votin'  till  I  got  de  promise." 

"  You  mean  by  the  promise,  the  forty  acres  and  the 
mule,  uncle  Ben  ? " 

"Yes,  sah,  dat's  it.  De  'Publicin  party  told  de  cul- 
lud  men  to  vote  de  'Publicin  ticket  an'  ebery  one  would 
git  forty  acres  ob  land  an'  a  mule,  an'  ole  massa  tells 
me  dat  foolin'  me  once  wus  ernough." 

"Very  well,"  answered  the  judge,  a  little  vexed  at 
finding  any  colored  man  who  failed  to  follow  the  be- 
hests of  the  Republican  party,  "  we  will  discuss  these 
matters  some  other  time,  and  I  think  I  can  show  you 
it  is  still  your  duty  to  help  perpetuate  the  power  of  the 
party  that  broke  the  shackles  of  slavery  from  your 
ankles.  I  wish  to  write  a  letter  now,  so  you  will  please 
bring  my  writing  materials  from  the  table  in  the  corner 
of  the  room  there,  and  place  them  on  the  table  before 
the  fire." 

Uncle  Ben  obeyed  this  command  with  the  alacrity  of 
an  old-time  servant,  and  having  placed  the  writing 
materials  on  the  table,  as  requested,  he  bowed  respect- 
fully to  the  judge,  as  he  closed  the  door  behind  him, 
and  then  picked  up  his  hat,  which  he  had  deposited  on 
the  floor  just  outside  the  door  of  the  room  in  the  true 


22  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

style  of  an  cmte  helium  servant,  and  wended  his  way 
to  the  kitchen. 

As  soon  as  he  had  gone,  judge  Farwell  seized  his  pen 
and  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Donald  Weston,  his 
old  school-mate  and  friend  back  in  Massachusetts : 

"  My  Dear  Weston  :    You  will  remember  that  when 
I  bid  you  good-bye  to  come  South,  I  promised  you  if  the 
Ku-Klux  did  not  hang  me  as  an  example  to  all  other 
carpet-baggers  '  in  like  cases  offending,'  I  would  write 
you  my  impressions  of  the  country,  and  would  also 
advise  you  whether  you  could  afford  to  risk  your  own 
precious  carcass  among  the  people  of  the    'Invisible 
Empire.'     I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  in  most  re- 
spects my  highest  expectations  have  been  fully  realized, 
and  though  I  am  often  pained  at  the  recital  of  tales  of 
vindictive  lawlessness  on  the  part  of  the  numerous  Ku- 
Klux-Klans  in  the  country,  I  find  that  a  vast  majority 
of  the  people  are  as  law-abiding  and  as  cultured,  intel- 
ligent and  industrious  as  the  people  of  Massachusetts. 
I  say  my  highest  expectations  have  been  realized ;  in- 
deed, they  have  been  exceeded.    I  have  been  appointed 
judge  of  the  Superior  Courts  of  this  judicial  district, 
and  when  you  come  down  here  (and  you  must  come) 
you  will  have  to  address  me  as  '  Judge  Farwell ',  instead 
of  by  the  old  school-boy  name  of  '  Dick.'     It  happened 
in  this  way :  You  will  remember  that  the  United  States 
Congress  passed  a  law  requiring  all  officers  to  take  and 
subscribe  to  an  oath  to  the  effect  that  they  had  never 
given  aid  or  encouragement  to  the  enemies  of   the 
United  States,  or  held  office  under  any  government 


Another  Carpet-hagger  Invited.  23 

hostile  to  the  United  States.  Well,  I  had  just  obtained 
license  to  practice  law  in  this  State,  under  a  State  stat- 
ute authorizing  any  person  to  practice  law  who  would 
pay  a  tax  fee  of  twenty  dollars,  when  the  judge  of  this 
judicial  district  died,  and  it  so  happened  that  no  other 
lawyer  in  the  district  could  take  the  oath  of  office  re- 
quired by  the  act  of  Congress,  and  so  I  received  the 
appointment  of  judge  without  ever  having  read  Black- 
stone  or  Kent.  This  district  is  filled  with  lawyers  of 
eminent  ability,  some  of  them  are  really  brilliant,  but 
all  of  them  are  very  kind  to  me,  and  treat  me  with  the 
greatest  courtesy. 

"Now,  what  I  wish  to  impress  upon  your  mind  most 
particularly  in  this  letter,  is  that  you  may  strike  the 
same  good  fortune  by  coming  to  this  county  and  com- 
ing at  once.  The  State  solicitor  (prosecuting  attorney) 
of  this  judicial  district  is  very  old  and  feeble,  and  he 
promises  to  resign  in  favor  of  any  young  man  who  will 
accept  the  position  and  who  belongs  to  the  Republican 
party,  and  by  coming  at  once  you  can  get  the  posi- 
tion. No  native  young  man  can  take  the  place  because 
all  who  have  the  requisite  education  belong  to  the  op- 
posing party.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  come  before  me  at 
the  beginning  of  next  term  of  the  Superior  Court,  with 
a  certificate  of  good  moral  character  and  the  clerk's 
receipt  for  the  tax  fee  of  twenty  dollars,  and  I  will 
grant  your  license.  Bring  your  certificate  of  good 
moral  character  with  you,  and  Gome  at  once. 

"Now,  a  few  words  as  to  the  social  and  political  con- 
ditions of  this  country :  Although  several  years  have 
elapsed  since  the  cessation  at  Appomatox  of  actual  hos- 


24  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  IfO. 

tilities,  the  political  sea  is  by  no  means  serene ;  but  the 
surges  of  the  great  commotion  still  continue  to  agitate 
the  waters,  notwithstanding  the  tempest  has  subsided. 
The  political  caldron  boils  with  fury,  and  the  fuel  that 
feeds  the  flames  is  composed  of  the  animosities  of  the 
old  slavery  contest.  Numerous  secret  political  socie- 
ties exist,  and  the  political  intrigues  are  concocted  with 
Satanic  ingenuity,  and  are  executed,  when  necessary, 
by  the  hands  of  assassins,  and  this,  too,  with  impunity. 
The  most  formidable  of  these  secret  political  organi- 
zations is,  as  you  have  no  doubt  already  learned,  the 
Ku-Klux-Klan,  a  secret,  oath-bound,  organization,  whose 
chief  object  is  the  suppression  of  the  negro  as  a  fac- 
tor in  politics.  These  'Klans'  are  w^ell  organized,  and 
fully  equipped  for  any  devilment  that  may  be  sug- 
gested. Their  local  lodges  are  usually  denominated 
dens^  while  the  members  of  these  dens  or  Klans  are 
called  gouls.^  and  the  presiding  officers,  or  masters,  are 
called  Cyclops.  A  county  is  &. province.,  and  is  governed 
by  a  grand  giant  and  four  goblins.  A  congressional 
district  is  a  dominion.,  governed  by  a  grand  Titan  and 
six  furies;  a  State  is  a  7'ealm,  governed  by  a  grand  dragon 
and  eight  hydras,  and  the  whole  country  is  an  empire, 
governed  by  a  grand  wizard  and  ten  genii.  Their  ban- 
ner is  triangular,  on  which  is  painted  a  black  dragon  on 
a  yellow  field  with  a  red  border.  Their  dress  consists 
of  a  long,  loose  gown  of  any  color  selected  by  each 
particular  Klan,  and  a  covering  for  the  head  descending 
to  the  breast.  This  head-dress  is  usually  decorated  in 
some  startling  and  fantastic  manner,  and  the  wearer  is 
an  object  of  terror  to  all  beholders,  especially  to  the 


Another  Carpet-bagger  Invited.  25 

superstitious  colored  man.  The  top  of  this  head-dress 
is  cone-shaped,  being  supported  by  small  wires,  and 
often  reaches  two  feet  above  the  head  of  the  wearer, 

"The  numerous  murders,  whippings,  burnings  and 
other  depredations  committed  by  these  marauding 
bands,  have  created  a  reign  of  terror  in  this  country, 
but  I  have  instructed  the  grand  juries  in  all  the  coun- 
ties in  my  judicial  district  to  investigate  these  mat- 
ters, and  to  return  indictments  against  all  offenders, 
and  I  am  hopeful  that  a  few  convictions  of  some  of 
the  leading  spirits,  followed  by  a  condign  punishment, 
will  restore  peace  and  harmony,  and  insure  the  public 
safety. 

"Now,  my  dear  Weston,  I  have  presented  the  dark- 
est side  of  the  picture  to  you,  simply  because  I  have 
written  mainly  of  the  political  situation  here ;  but  I  have 
a  brighter  side  of  the  picture  to  show  you  when  I  see  you, 
and  I  assure  you  in  conclusion  that  when  you  come  you 
will  find  much  to  love  and  admire  in  these  Southern  peo- 
ple, notwithstanding  their  bitter  partisan  prejudices, 
social  caste  and  sectional  hatred.  This  country  is  now 
taking  on  a  new  life,  and  there  are  many  opportunities 
here  for  political  preferment  and  honor,  and  for  the 
accumulation  of  wealth.  You  will  be  called  a  '  carpet- 
bagger,' of  course,  but  do  not  let  that  reproachful  epi- 
thet deter  you  from  coming.  The  ultra-partisans  of 
the  Bourbon  Democracy  call  all  persons  from  the  North, 
who  come  to  make  their  homes  in  the  South,  '  carpet- 
baggers;' but  the  term  is  more  generally  applied  to 
those  who  become  seekers  of  the  oflBce,  while  all  native 
white  persons  who  aflBliate  with  the  Republican  party 
2 


26  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

are  called  '  scallawags.'  Against  this  latter  class  vin- 
dictive prejudice  vents  its  direst  spleen,  and  Democratic 
orators  exhaust  their  powers  of  invective.  They  are 
excommunicated  from  the  church,  ostracised  from 
society,  and  whipped  and  scourged  by  the  Ku-Klux. 
Nevertheless,  you  will  find  a  number  of  intelligent  white 
men  who  are  still  loyal  to  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and 
who  can  take  the  '  test  oath '  without  any  scruples  of 
conscience. 

"  Trusting  that  I  may  be  favored  with  a  speedy  reply, 
or,  what  is  better  still,  that  you  will  answer  in  person, 
I  remain, 

"  Very  truly  your  friend, 

"Richard  Farwell." 

Whoever  heard  of  a  young  man  just  entering  upon 
the  threshold  of  manhood  refusing  to  accept  a  respect- 
able and  lucrative  office  ?  Certainly  no  such  charge 
was  ever  preferred  against  the  reputation  of  any  one 
of  the  horde  of  carpet-baggers  who  invaded  the  South 
just  after  the  late  war,  as  the  Goths  and  Huns  once 
invaded  Europe,  and  who  corrupted  and  debauched 
the  public  morals,  bankrupted  our  governments,  and 
destroyed  public  credit.  And  so  it  was  with  our  new 
acquaintance,  Donald  Weston,  as  the  following  letter 
in  answer  to  the  above  will  show : 

"My  Dear  Judge  : — You  see  I  recognize  the  dignity 
of  your  new  position  at  once  by  discarding  the  old 
familiar  name  of  "Dick,"  and  addressing  you  by  the 
title  of  your  office.     You  cannot  imagine  how  surprised 


Another  Carpet-hagger  Invited.  27 

I  was  when  I  read  that  you  had  obtained  license  to 
practice  law  without  the  usual  requisite  preparation, 
and  that  you  had  been  appointed  judge  without  ever 
having  had  a  client ;  but  my  astonishment  reached  its 
climax  when  I  read  further  on  that  almost  a  similar 
position  was  within  my  own  grasp  and  on  similar  terms. 
Of  course  I  will  come,  and  of  course  I  will  accept  the 
office  tendered  ;  and  when  once  I  am  installed  in  office, 
all  I  want  is  a  volume  of  precedents  from  which  to 
draw  indictments  against  the  members  of  those  infa- 
mous Ku-Klux  Klans  for  their  lawless  depredations. 
Trust  me  to  be  with  you  as  soon  as  I  can  make  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  my  departure  from  home. 
"Mother  and  my  two  sisters  send  their  kindest  per- 
sonal regards. 

"Yours,  "Donald  Weston." 


28  KiJt^Klux  Klan  No.  W. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A    DISCOVERY. 

In  the  first  chapter  it  was  stated  that  Albert  Seaton 
had  joined  the  Ku-Klux  from  a  sense  of  duty,  but  the 
reader  was  not  informed  how  that  sense  of  duty  arose 
and  how  it  impelled  him  to  become  a  member  of  the 
Klan. 

Let  us  take  a  cursory  glance  at  his  history  and  a 
brief  survey  of  his  surroundings,  at  the  period  covered 
by  this  story,  and  we  shall  see. 

He  was  born  in  1847,  and  consequently  was  just  a 
little  too  young  to  be  conscripted  into  the  service  of 
the  Confederate  army  before  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
mattox ;  but  he  was  old  enough  to  remember  and  appre- 
ciate Sherman's  famous  "  march  to  the  sea,"  and  the 
raids  and  depredations  of  the  victorious  I^orthern  army 
on  its  homeward  march  after  the  close  of  the  great 
conflict. 

In  1870  he  still  lived  with  his  mother  and  sister  at 
Cherrycroft,  the  old  Seaton  homestead;  but  every 
glance  at  the  premises,  in  their  dilapidated  condition, 
recalled  the  devastation  committed  by  Sherman's  vic- 
torious army  when  that  famous  Federal  commander 
descended  upon  the  eastern  portion  of  Georgia  and  the 
Carolinas,  and  with  the  hand  of  Hyder  Ali  made  deso- 
late the  fairest  country  on  earth,  burned  all  the  barns 
and  gin-houses,  pillaged  the  stores,  confiscated  all  the 
horses  and  mules,  scared  all  the  women  and  children 


A  Discovery.  29 

into  hysterical  fits,  and  left  them  destitute  of  the  sim- 
plest means  of  subsistence.  "Well  he  remembered  the 
night  when  Gen.  Sherman  took  quarters  for  himself 
and  statT  in  Cherrycroft.  He  had  stood,  with  his  trem- 
bling mother  and  little  sister,  on  the  broad  piazza  in  the 
presence  of  the  dreaded  General,  and  had  heard  the 
command  given  to  apply  the  torch  to  every  building 
on  the  premises,  save  the  dwelling  in  which  they  were 
quartered.  And  well  he  remembered,  too,  that  while 
the  flames  from  more  than  a  dozen  barns  and  gin- 
houses  in  the  community  were  observed  soaring  higher 
toward  heaven  than  the  spirits  of  some  of  those  who 
applied  the  torches  will  ever  reach,  the  same  famous 
General  taunted  them  with  the  remark :  "  It  does  me 
good  to  see  these  flames  lighting  up  the  elements  at 
night;  it  shows  that  my  men  are  at  work."* 

This  was  young  Seaton's  first  introduction  to  the 
Republican  party. 

But  there  was  another  scene  that  made  a  more  indeli- 
ble impression  on  the  mind  of  the  young  man,  and 
that  had  a  more  potent  influence  in  shaping  the  course 
and  destiny  of  his  life.  His  father,  Col.  Albert  Sea- 
ton,  Sr.,  fought  throughout  the  four  weary  years  of  the 
vrar,  and  surrendered  only  with  his  beloved  commander 
under  the  famous  apple-tree.  With  a  heart  heavy  with 
disappointment,  humiliated  and  discouraged,  ragged, 
dirt}^,  bleeding  and  hungry,  he  turned  his  face  once 
more  toward  home.  Visions  of  that  beautiful  home, 
surrounded  by  a  magnificent  grove  and  substantial 
out-houses,  flitted  across  his  mind,  as  step  by  step,  he 

*  Historical. 


30  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

wended  his  way  thitherward  with  bleeding  feet.  In 
his  imagination,  he  saw  his  beautiful  wife  and  the  two 
children,  coming  down  the  lane  to  meet  him  and  greet 
him  with  kisses  of  affection.  His  wife  and  children 
did  meet  him  and  greet  him  with  kisses  and  tears  of 
joy,  but  the  roses  of  beauty  had  faded  from  the  cheeks 
of  his  wife;  her  eyes,  like  her  cheeks,  were  sunken  and 
hollow,  and  her  voice,  so  long  accustomed  to  utter  the 
plaints  of  misfortune  and  disappointment,  was  tremu- 
lous and  weak,  while  his  children,  the  descendants  of  a 
noble  and  once  opulent  family,  were  actually  famish- 
ing for  bread. 

Col.  Seaton  reached  home  a  few  weeks  in  advance  of 
the  advent  in  his  vicinity  of  the  victorious  Federal  sol- 
diery, who,  on  their  homeward  march,  pillaged,  plun- 
dered, confiscated,  squandered  and  stole  everything 
that  the  iron-heel  of  war  had  not  destroyed.  With  that 
indomitable  courage  and  energy  so  characteristic  of  the 
Southern  hero,  he  set  about  at  once  to  repair  his  wasted 
fortunes.  He  had  just  finished  planting  a  belated  crop, 
himself  and  son  both  taking  a  hand  at  the  plow,  when 
another  Federal  officer  with  his  command  reached  the 
neighborhood  and  camped  for  the  night  on  the  planta- 
tion. Soon  after  nightfall  a  band  of  stragglers  set  out 
for  a  raid  in  the  neighborhood,  but  soon  returned  with 
the  news  that  they  had  found  the  dead  body  of  a  T^orth- 
ern  soldier  in  the  fence-corner  down  at  the  foot  of  the 
lane  leading  up  to  the  house  of  Col.  Seaton.  Death  to 
these  men  was  a  familiar  thing,  but  the  sight  of  a  dead 
body  on  the  field  of  battle  was  quite  a  different  thing 
from  the  sight  of  a  dead  soldier  by  the  road-side  after 


A  Discovery.  31 

the  cessation  of  hostilities,  and  demand  was  made  for 
an  investigation  as  to  the  cause  of  death.  The  skull 
of  the  dead  man  was  crushed  in,  as  if  by  a  blow  inflicted 
with  some  dull,  heavy  instrument,  and  there  could  be 
no  doubt  of  the  fact  that  the  poor  fellow  had  met  his 
death  by  violence. 

Accordingly,  a  court-martial  was  ordered,  and  all  the 
negroes  of  the  neighborhood  were  subpoenaed  as  wit- 
nesses. A  few  whites  were  also  examined,  but  it  was 
thought  unnecessary  to  subpoena  those  who  would  not 
voluntarily  appear  and  testify,  and  all  who  failed  to 
so  appear  were  forthwith  accused  of  the  murder.  After 
a  most  patient  investigation,  no  clue  as  to  who  the  mur- 
derer was  could  be  discovered  (the  negro  who  killed 
the  Yankee  with  a  pine  knot  in  a  quarrel  over  a  bottle 
of  liquor  having  testified  that  he  knew  nothing  about 
it),  but  the  blood  of  a  Northern  soldier  had  been  spilled, 
and  his  surviving  brethren,  whose  thirst  for  the  blood 
of  the  men  in  tattered  gray  had  not  been  satiated  dur- 
ing the  war,  now  clamored  for  the  life  of  some  South- 
ern man  in  expiation  of  the  crime. 

Then  it  was  that  the  Federal  commander  adopted  a 
novel  plan  for  avenging  the  death  of  the  dead  com- 
rade, a  plan  hitherto  unknown  in  the  annals  of  war,  and 
for  which  Grotius  gives  us  no  precedent.  It  was  ordered 
that  slips  of  white  paper,  representing  in  number  all  the 
white  men  in  the  coummunity  for  five  miles  around, 
should  be  placed  in  a  hat;  that  a  cross  mark  should  be 
made  on  one  of  the  slips,  and  that,  after  shuffling  them 
carefully,  each  man  in  the  community  within  the  pre- 
scribed limits  should  draw  a  paper  from  the  hat,  and  that 


32  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

the  man  who  drew  the  paper  having  the  cross  mark  on 
it  should  be  immediately  condemned  to  be  shot. 

Col.  Seaton  took  his  position  in  the  line  that  marched 
toward  the  fated  hat,  with  an  uneasy  presentiment  that 
he  was  to  be  the  victim.  His  wife  and  children  stood 
a  few  steps  to  one  side,  but  not  so  far  off  but  that  he 
could  see  the  palid  countenance  and  trembling  lips  of 
his  dear  wife,  as  she  watched,  with  bated  breath,  each 
man  as  he  placed  his  hand  in  the  hat  and  drew  forth  a 
blank  paper,  every  blank  drawn  lessening  the  chances 
of  escape  for  her  husband.  At  last  Col.  Seaton's  turn 
came ;  he  placed  his  hand  in  the  hat  and  drew  forth  a 
paper,  and  his  presentiment  was  verified.  With  one 
wild  leap  he  cleared  the  line  of  Federal  soldierv,  and 
the  next  moment  he  was  bounding  through  the  woods 
on  a  race  for  life.  The  order  to  follow  and  capture 
him  was  quickly  given,  and  a  score  of  blue  coats,  some 
mounted  and  some  afoot,  joined  in  the  pursuit.  The 
moon  was  shining  brightly,  and  the  flying  form  of  the 
condemned  man  could  be  plainly  seen  as  he  crossed  a 
small  clearing  before  reaching  the  heavy  woods.  A 
volley  of  shot  followed  him,  and  as  the  report  of  the 
guns  died  on  the  night  air,  Mrs.  Seaton  swooned,  and 
was  conveyed  by  her  terrified  son  into  the  house.  She 
wrote  to  the  Federal  commander  after  he  had  gone, 
asking  to  be  informed  of  the  fate  of  her  husband,  at 
at  least  to  know  his  burial  place,  but  he  deigned  her  no 
reply. 

And  such  was  young  Albert's  second  introduction  to 
the  Republican  party. 

Nor  had  his  experience  with  that  party  inspired  him 


A  Discovej'y.  33 

with  confidence  in  its  teachings  and  principles,  or  re- 
spect for  its  votaries.  The  first  time  he  ever  attempted 
to  exercise  his  right  to  vote  after  attaining  his  major- 
ity, he  found  a  miserable,  one-eyed  carpet-bagger  from 
Maine,  and  two  negroes,  sitting  as  judges  of  election, 
and  a  motley  crew,  composed  of  carpet-baggers,  scal- 
awags, and  negroes  around  the  polls.  A  large  num- 
ber of  the  intelligent  and  respectable  portion  of  the 
community,  he  was  informed,  were  not  permitted  to 
vote,  over  thirty  thousand  in  the  State  being  deprived 
of  their  elective  franchise  under  the  "iron-clad  oath," 
required  by  the  act  of  Congress  of  February  20,  18^7, 
which  gave  the  colored  men  the  ballot,  but  disfran- 
chised, in  many  instances,  their  late  masters.  The 
ballot-boxes,  at  the  close  of  the  day,  were  taken  in  charge 
by  the  one-eyed  carpet-bagger  from  Maine,  who  after- 
wards transmitted  them  to  the  Military  Governor  ap- 
pointed by  President  Johnson  to  take  charge  of  the 
Provincial  State  government,  who  counted  the  ballots 
and  certified  the  returns,  according  to  his  own  sweet 
will,  to  the  authorities  at  the  State  capital.  This  and 
and  other  disgraceful  scenes  caused  young  Seaton  to 
look  with  the  apprehension  of  a  statesman  upon  the 
continued  encroachments  of  the  dominant  party  upon 
what  was  left  of  Southern  autonomy.  He  saw  around 
him  thousands  of  illiterate  and  inexperienced  colored 
voters,  led  by  unprincipled  and  designing  adventurers, 
who  concocted  and  carried  into  effect  the  most  flagrant 
and  disgusting*schemes  of  pecuniary  plunder  that  ever 
human  ingenuity  invented,  or  venal  avarice  carried 
into  execution.     He  knew  also  that  these  colored  voters 


34  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

had  been  organized  into  a  great  secret  society,  the  ob- 
ject of  which  was  to  perpetuate  the  reign  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  that  they  had  been  instructed  and 
taught  to  believe  that  their  late  masters  were  their 
inveterate  enemies;  that  the  white  man  only  waited  for 
the  power  to  place  the  manacles  of  slavery  around  their 
feet  again,  and  that  it  was  proper  and  right  that  they 
should  "  spoil  the  Egyptians  "  by  pillaging,  plundering, 
burning  and  murdering,  if  necessary,  to  enhance  the 
interests  of  the  party.  In  such  a  state  of  affairs  it  was 
but  natural  that  a  young,  hot-blooded  youth,  stung  to 
desperation  by  the  remembrance  of  the  indignities 
heaped  upon  his  father's  family,  the  wanton  destruc- 
tion of  their  property,  and  of  the  inhuman  murder  of 
his  father,  should  join  the  Ku-Klux,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  counteract  the  measures  of  the  Union  League 
and  protect  society, 

******* 

Begging  pardon  for  the  digression  which  was  nec- 
essary, in  order  to  explain  Albert  Seaton's  connection 
with  the  Klan,  I  will  now  conduct  the  reader  again  to 
Glen  Cove,  but  this  time  by  a  more  circuitous  route. 

The  forenoon  of  the  day  appointed  for  the  next  meet- 
ing of  the  Klan  was  rainy  and  gloomy,  and  John  Latham 
sat  in  his  room  and  looked  out  upon  the  muddy  streets 
of  Westville,  with  an  uneasy  foreboding  that  the  rain 
might  interfere  and  prevent  the  meeting;  but  about 
noon  the  clouds  broke  and  drifted  away,  the  sun  shone 
out,  and  everything  gave  promise  of  a  serene  and 
beautiful  evening.  It  was  a  splendid  day  for  squirrel 
hunting,  and  there  were  plenty  of  them  in  the  high 
hills  around  Glen  Echo,  and  the  idea  occurred  to  John 


A  Discovery.  35 

that  he  would  get  Sam  "Washburn  and  Henry  Worthel, 
and  they  would  repair  to  the  hills  to  spend  the  after- 
noon in  that  delightful  sport  and  recreation.  Of  course, 
no  one  will  be  so  uncharitable  as  to  charge  that  a  young 
man,  who  simply  takes  his  gun  and  calls  his  dog  to  go 
hunting,  in  company  with  a  couple  of  friends,  could 
have  any  sinister  motive  in  view,  or  wicked  purpose  to 
serve,  and,  therefore,  no  importance  should  be  attached 
to  the  fact  that  just  before  starting  out  to  find  his  two 
friends  he  placed  a  small  bundle  of  papers  in  his  shot- 
pouch,  and  gave  a  malicious  chuckle.  Henry  Worthel 
was  clerk  at  the  Midland  Hotel  where  Judge  Farwell 
boarded,  but  the  judge  was  then  at  the  court-house, 
hearing  an  important  application  for  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus,  filed  by  a  man  who  had  been  imprisoned  on  a 
charge  of  killing  a  negro  preacher,  and  so  our  friend, 
Latham,  did  not  have  to  encounter  the  glance  of  his 
successful  rival  on  going  to  the  hotel.  He  found  Henry 
Worthel  at  his  desk  in  the  hotel  oSice,  ready  to  accept 
the  cash  at  the  rate  of  two  dollars  per  da}''  from  every 
departing  guest,  in  exchange  for  the  meagre  fare  served 
by  uncle  Ben  and  a  dusky  maiden  by  the  name  of 
Millie. 

"  Look  here,  Henry,"  said  John  as  he  sauntered  into 
the  hotel  office  with  an  air  that  might  have  indicated 
to  a  stranger  that  he  was  the  proprietor  of  the  place, 
"how  would  you  like  to  beg  off  this  afternoon  and  go 
squirrel  hunting  on  the  hills  around  Glen  Echo?  The 
rain  this  morning  and  the  succeeding  sunshine  have 
made  it  a  most  auspicious  time  for  such  sport." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  answered  Henry,  "  that  it 
is  a  splendid  time  for  that  purpose,  but  will  we  not  vio- 


36  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

late  one  of  the  rules  of  the  Klan  by  allowing  ourselves 
to  be  seen  lurking  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  glen  be- 
fore night?" 

"O,  pshaw !"  answered  John,  looking  carefully  around 
to  see  that  no  one  overheard  this  conversation ;  "  what 
member  of  the  Klan  would  be  idiotic  enough  to  accuse 
us  of  lurking  in  the  vicinity  of  the  den  when  we  hunt 
with  guns  and  dogs  and  make  noise  enough  to  wake 
the  dead?  It  may  be  that  we  shall  find  some  member 
of  the  Union  League  lurking  around,  though,  and  if  so, 
we  can  take  him  off  instead  of  a  squirrel,  and  so  serve 
the  country  better," 

"  Xo,  we  will  not  be  likely  to  find  any  of  them  out 
this  evening,"  said  Henry.  "  They  had  their  meeting- 
last  night  at  the  Cross  Roads  school-house,  so  Sam 
Washburn  informs  me,  and  as  their  meeting  lasted 
nearly  all  night,  I  think  very  few  of  them  have  energy 
enough  to  stir  out  much  to-day." 

"An  all-night  meeting  would  indicate  the  transaction 
of  important  business,"  said  John,  "  and  we  must  ascer- 
tain what  it  was.  I  presume  that  carpet-bagger  judge 
was  there,  directing  them  in  their  devilty." 

"I  do  not  know  who  were  present,  or  what  they 
did,"  said  Henry.  "  You  know  our  spy  never  discloses 
professional  secrets,  except  in  open  meeting  of  the 
Klan." 

"'And  that  reminds  me  of  the  fact  that  he  is  to  make 
one  of  our  hunting  party,"  answered  John ;  "  so  get 
ready  and  we  will  be  off,  and  will  stop  in  after  him." 

The  person  here  designated  as  "the  spy"  was  Sam- 
uel Washburn,  who  has  been  partially  introduced  to 
the  reader  already.     It  may  seem  strange  to  speak  of 


A  Discovery.  37 

the  existence  of  professional  spies  so  many  years  after 
the  beligerent  armies  had  been  disbanded,  but  the  pri- 
vate citizen  may  learn  many  useful  lessons  from  the 
manoeuvres  of  an  army,  and  many  military  tac- 
tics may  be  adopted  and  used  to  advantage  by  the 
civilians.  The-Ku-Klux  Klan  was  organized  for  the 
purpose  of  countervailing  the  wicked  measures  of  the 
Union  League,  and  as  the  League  in  the  vicinity  of 
Westville  had  resolved  upon  a  regular  system  of  dep- 
redations, by  burning  and  otherwise  destroying  the 
property  of  the  white  respectable  people  of  the  com- 
munity, it  became  necessary,  in  order  to  circumvent 
such  wicked  designs,  to  ascertain  every  proposed  move- 
ment of  the  enemy  in  advance,  and  hence  "  Klan  Xo, 
40  "  had  resorted  to  the  military  expedient  of  employ- 
ing spies,  who  were  required  to  work  their  way  into 
the  League,  and  to  report  all  plans  and  intended  move- 
ments to  the  Klan.  Through  this  system  of  espionage 
the  Klan  was  enabled  to  avert  many  direful  calamities, 
threatened  to  be  visited  by  the  League  upon  the  peo- 
ple of  the  community  in  retaliation  for  outrages  alleged 
to  have  been  committed  by  the  Ku-Klux. 

Sam  Washburn  was  a  "  hail  fellow  well  met "  to 
everybody,  and  this  description  of  him,  so  far  as  his 
manners  are  concerned,  is  sufficient.  He  was,  withal, 
a  sharp,  shrewd  politician,  as  ingenious  as  the  devil 
in  forming  his  designs,  and  as  bold  as  a  lion  in  execut- 
ing them,  and  his  service  as  a  spy  for  the  Ku-Klux 
gave  him  an  opportinity  of  displaying  his  subteltyand 
bravery  in  a  way  that  secured  for  him  the  admiration, 
as  well  as  the  confidence,  of  every  member  of  the 
Klan. 


38  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

He  was  soon  found,  and  as  his  jolly  disposition  made 
him  an  enthusiastic  sportsman,  as  well  as  a  successful 
spy,  he  readily  joined  the  hunting  expedition,  but  in- 
sisted that  they  should  go  by  Cherrycroft  for  Albert 
Seaton. 

To  this  proposition  Ilenr}^  Worthel  readily  assented, 
but  John  Latham  did  so  rather  reluctantly,  and  placed 
his  hand  on  the  bundle  of  papers  in  his  shot-pouch  with 
an  expression  of  uneasiness  in  his  countenance,  as  much 
as  to  say  that  he  preferred  to  have  along  none  but  the 
original  hunting  party — in  short,  none  but  the  members 
of  the  committee  appointed  to  investigate  the  charges 
preferred  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Klan  against  Judge 
Farwell ;  for  the  truth  is,  that  John  had  planned  this 
hunting  expedition  for  the  sole  purpose  of  having  the 
committee  consider  the  charges  and  formulate  their 
report,  and  the  bundle  of  papers  referred  to  was  simply 
copies  from  the  record  of  the  Superior  Court  of  West 
County,  giving  evidence  to  sustain  the  charge  preferred 
at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Klan.  He  knew  that  Sam  felt 
rather  kindly  disposed  toward  the  judge,  on  account  of 
some  recent  favors,  and  so  wished  for  more  time  than 
they  would  have  on  the  road  between  town  and  Cherry- 
croft, within  which  to  poison  Sam's  mind  against  the 
judge  and  induce  him  to  recommend  rigorous  punish- , 
ment;  but  seeing  his  plans  frustrated,  in  part,  he  resolved 
to  make  the  best  of  his  opportunity,  and  if  he  could  not 
induce  Sam  to  recommend  the  punishment  which,  in 
his  opinion,  the  magnitude  of  the  offense  deserved,  he 
would  try  and  have  the  report  submitted  without 
recommendation  as  to  the  punishment  to  be  inflicted, 


A  Discovery.  39 

leaving  that  to  be  determined  by  the  ghouls  of  the 
Klan.  The  judge's  real  offense,  so  far  as  John  Latham 
was  concerned,  was  his  presumption  in  falling  in  love 
with  Minnie  Wyland,  but  such  presuraptuousness,  in 
John's  estimation,  was  a  crime  which  deserved  the 
severest  penalty. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  John,  as  soon  as  they  had  left  be- 
hind them  the  last  suburban  residence  and  had  passed 
the  line  of  incorporation  marked  with  the  words  "Town 
Boundary",  on  a  stone  planted  by  the  roadside,  "  I  pre- 
sume that  you  have  not  forgotten  3'our  appointment 
on  the  committee  to  investigate  the  conduct  of  the  im- 
ported carpet-bagger  judge." 

"No,"  answered  Henry  Worthel,  "I  have  not  en- 
tirely forgotten  the  fact  of  m}^  appointment  on  the 
committee,  but  I  am  afraid  I  shall  have  to  call  into  re- 
quisition the  ingenuity  of  our  worthy  spy  to  invent  for 
me  some  excuse  for  my  remissness  in  failing  to  make 
a  proper  investigation,  unless  his  power  of  invention 
shall  be  exhausted  in  framing  an  excuse  for  himself." 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Sam,  "  I  never  bother  myself  with 
excuses." 

"Nor I,  either,"  answered  John  Latham,  "and  in  this 
particular  instance  I  am  under  no  necessity  of  doing 
so,  for  I  have  in  my  possession  certified  copies  of  the 
records  of  our  Superior  Court,  which  will  fully  sustain 
the  charge  made  against  him  by  our  Klan," 

It  will  be  noticed  that  John  spoke  of  the  charges  as 
having  been  made  by  "our  Klan,"  for  he  was  careful 
to  avoid  all  suspicion  of  his  personal  interest  in  the 
matter,  and  not  even  Sam  Washburn,  who  presented 
the  written  charges,  knew  who  the  real  author  was. 


40  Kv-Klux  Klan  No.  kO. 

"As  for  my  part,"  said  Henry  Worthel,  "  I  have  be- 
come so  thoroughly  disgusted  with  his  social  equality 
ideas,  as  exhibited  about  the  hotel  where  he  boards,  that 
I  am  willing  to  sign  a  report  sustaining  the  charges  on 
a  simple  inspection  of  the  copies  of  the  records.  I  am 
tired  of  hearing  a  negro  wench  addressed  as  "Miss," 
and  of  seeing  the  servants  all  treated  as  the  social 
equals  of  the  proprietor  and  guests  of  the  hotel." 

"  Well,"  said  Sam,  "  let  us  see  your  certified  copies 
of  the  record,  John,  and  we  will  sit  down  here  on  this 
log  and  make  out  whatever  report  we  can  agree  upon." 

They  all  three  sat  down  on  the  log  pointed  out  by 
Sam,  and  John  Latham  proceeded  to  unroll  his  certi- 
fied copies  of  the  records,  with  as  much  seriousness  and 
dignity  as  is  usually  displayed  by  a  negro  preacher  on 
opening  the  Bible  for  the  purpose  of  taking  his  text. 

The  first  case  appearing  on  the  records  showed  that 
judge  Farwell  had  sustained  a  challenge  to  a  juror  on 
the  ground  that  the  defendant  on  trial  was  a  colored 
man,  and  that  the  juror  had  expressed  the  opinion  that 
he  could  not  do  impartial  justice  between  the  State  and 
a  colored  person  on  trial,  charged  with  burning  the  barn 
of  a  w^hite  person.  This  challenge  was  made  by  an 
insolent  little  twenty-dollar  lawyer,  and  the  judge  sus- 
tained it  on  the  ground  that  antipathy  between  the 
races  was  evidence  of  sufficient  personal  ill-will  to  dis- 
qualify the  juror. 

The  next  case  was  one  in  which  the  prosecuting  at- 
torney for  the  State  was  permitted  by  the  Court  to 
ask  each  juror  on  the  original  panel  if  he  had  any  feel- 
ing or  prejudice  which  would  prevent  the  juror  from 


A  Discovery.  41 

returning  a  verdict  of  guilt}''  against  a  white  man  for 
killing  a  negro.  In  this  case  the  solicitor  for  the  State 
was  also  permitted  by  the  Court  to  ask  each  juror  if  he 
did  not  belong  to  a  secret  organization  which  had  im- 
posed upon  him  an  oath  or  obligation,  beside  which  an 
oath  administered  in  a  Court  of  Justice,  if  in  conflict 
with  the  oath  imposed  by  such  secret  order,  would  be 
disregarded.  This  last  challenge  was  considered  as  a 
direct  thrust  at  the  Ku-Klux,  and  as  an  unwarranted 
interference  on  the  part  of  the  Court  with  the  con- 
sciences of  its  members. 

In  the  next  case  the  charge  was  that  the  judge,  after 
the  grand  jury  had  returned  a  bill  in  open  court  with 
the  endorsement  "  not  a  true  bill,"  had  refused  to  re- 
ceive this  return ;  but  had  ordered  the  grand  jury  to 
be  brought  into  court  and  placed  in  the  box  occupied 
by  the  trial  jury,  and  that  he  had  there  publicly  ex- 
amined them  himself,  and  had  instructed  the  grand 
jury  that  if  they  believed  the  evidence  they  should  re- 
verse their  former  decision  and  return  the  bill  endorsed 
"a  true  bill."  This  was  considered  an  unwarranted 
interference  with  the  province  of  the  grand  jury,  and 
a  dangerous  and  revolutionary  subversion  of  that  an- 
cient sj'^stem  of  a  secret  investigation  as  to  the  commis- 
sion of  crime.  In  this  case  it  appeared,  by  certificate 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  that  even  a  Republican  Supreme 
Court  had  reversed  the  decision  of  the  court  below,  and 
had  held  that  the  action  of  the  judge  of  the  Superior 
Court  in  thus  examining  the  witnesses  before  the  grand 
jury  in  public  was  a  dangerous  departure  from  the  ordi- 
nary course  of  procedure  in  our  courts  of  justice. 

Although  several  similar  cases  were  shown  by  the 
3 


42  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

record,  only  one  other  was  considered  by  the  committee, 
as  those  enumerated  were  declared  to  be  sufficient  to 
sustain  the  charge.  The  other  case  considered,  was  one 
in  which  judge  Farwell  had  directed  the  sheriff  to  sum- 
mon from  among  the  bystanders  colored  jurors  in  a 
civil  suit  between  a  white  man  aud  a  neo-ro. 

These  records  were  adjudged  sufficient  to  sustain  the 
allegations  contained  in  the  written  charge,  presented 
against  judge  Farwell  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Klan, 
and  a  report  in  accordance  therewith  was  unanimously 
agreed  upon  and  signed  by  the  committee. 

After  the  signing  of  the  report  the  committee,  or 
rather,  the  hunting  party  now,  since  their  duties  as  a 
committee  had  been  discharged  for  the  time,  were 
joined  by  Albert  Seaton,  whom  they  found  on  the  road- 
side before  reaching  the  house,  and  the  four  proceeded 
at  once  to  the  hills  around  Glen  Echo. 

Just  before  reaching  the  foot  of  the  narrow  gorge 
where  the  road  crosses  it,  they  were  startled  by  a  low, 
rumbling  noise,  somewhat  resembling  the  sound  of  an 
earthquake,  which  seemed  to  be  rapidly  approaching, 
and  which  immediately  threw  them  into  a  state  of  the 
wildest  consternation.  They  gazed  at  each  other  for 
a  moment  in  mute  bewilderment,  and  on  their  counte- 
nances were  depicted  evidences  of  the  wildest  despair. 
The  bravest  among  them  (the  spy)  spoke  first. 

"A  cyclone  boys,  let  us  fly  to  the  rocks  at  the  head 
of  Glen  Echo  for  shelter ! " 

The  words  were  scarcely  uttered  before  the  spy  was 
dashing  up  the  narrow  gorge,  with  the  rapidity  of  an 
excited  fawn,  with  the  others  close  at  his  heels.  The 
winds  were  howling  and  groaning  as  they  swept  around 


A  Discovery.  43 

the  tops  of  the  hills,  and  the  tall  oaks  and  poplars  were 
swaying  to  and  fro  like  reeds,  when  the  four  reached 
a  cave  in  the  side  of  the  hill  at  the  upper  extremity  of 
the  glen  and  darted  in,  like  rabbits  pursued  by  hounds. 
They  had  barely  become  ensconced  in  the  cave  when  a 
huge  rock,  or  boulder,  became  disengaged  from  its  fas- 
tenings near  the  top  of  the  hill  by  the  uprooting  of  a 
tree,  and  came  tumbling  down,  passing  over  the  mouth 
of  the  cave  in  which  the  hunters  had  taken  refuse. 

'•By  George,"  said  Sara,  "it  begins  to  look  a  little 
like  the  day  •  of  judgment  had  come,  when  the  wicked 
are  to  cry  out  for  the  rocks  and  hills  to  fall  on  them 
and  for  the  mountains  to  cover  them,  but  as  I  am  not 
yet  ready  to  begin  the  cry,  I  am  going  to  penetrate  a 
little  further  and  see  whether  the  elements  of  the  infer- 
nal regions  have  all  been  turned  loose  on  top  of  the 
earth." 

"  "What  is  that  ?"  said  Albert  Seaton  as,  in  attempt- 
ing to  follow  Sam,  he  stepped  oh  something,  which 
rolled  from  under  his  feet  and  threw  him  to  the 
ground.  "I  stepped  on  something  which  I  am  sure 
was  not  a  stone." 

"Here  it  is,"  said  John,  who  was  imraediateW  be- 
hind Albert,  "  and  it  is  a  bottle.  What  a  queer  place 
for  a  bottle.  And  there  is  something  in  it,  too,"  he  said, 
as  he  picked  it  up  and  held  it  in  a  little  streak  of  light 
that  penetrated  through  a  crevice  between  two  large 
rocks  near  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  "  I  believe  it  is  a 
paper  though,"  he  jocularly  remarked,  "instead  of 
whiskey." 

"  Look  here,  boys,"  said  Sam,  turning  round  to  face 
the  others  while  his  countenance,  even  in  the  dim  lis:ht. 


44  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J^-O. 

showed  signs  of  intense  excitement,  "things  are  get- 
ting serious  in  here  as  well  as  on  the  outside.  Do  you 
see  those  bones  there  ?  Somebody  has  died  in  here, 
and  this  is  his  tomb  we  are  in." 

Each  gazed  at  the  others  with  an  expression  of  utter 
bewilderment  Before  them  lay  the  bones  of  the  un- 
known dead,  while  outside  the  cave  a  most  terrific 
storm  raged  and  howled. 

At  last  it  was  suggested  that  they  examine  the  paper 
in  the  bottle,  and  coming  back  as  near  the  mouth  of 
the  cave  as  prudence  and  safety  would  permit,  Albert 
Seaton  took  the  bottle  and  broke  it  over  a  stone,  and 
began  to  read  from  the  paper.  With  the  first  sentence 
he  faltered  and  failed,  and  dropping  the  paper  on  the 
ground,  he  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  in  a  paroxysm 
of  excitement  and  grief.  The  very  first  few  words  had 
revealed  to  him  the  terrible  truth  that  the  bones  that 
lay  before  him  were  his  father's  skeleton  ? 

There  were  two  papers  in  the  bottle,  and  the  one 
from  which  Albert  had  commenced  to  read  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  My  Dear  Wife  :  I  have  been  shot  by  the  Yankees, 
and  am  bleeding  to  death  in  this  cave,  in  which  I  have 
taken  refuge  from  their  brutal  attacks. 

"  I  have  with  me  a  note  signed  by  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  of  West  County,  and  I  deposit  it  with 
this  letter  in  a  bottle  which  I  happen  to  have  in  my 
pocket,  having  carried  a  sick  laborer  a  drink  of  brandy 
in  it  to-day.  The  note  is  for  six  thousand  dollars,  and 
was  given  for  salt  furnished  the  poor  people  of  the 


A  Discovery.  45 

county  by  me  during  the  war  at  the  request  of  the 
county  authorities.  I  want  you  to  collect  it  as  soon  as 
our  county  becomes  able  to  pay  it,  and  use  the  money 
in  defraying  the  expenses  of  completing  the  education 
of  our  two  dear  children.  Alas,  I  shall  never  see  the 
dear  children  nor  you  again,  and  it  may  be  that  you 
will  never  even  hear  how  I  died,  but  I  trust  to  a  kind 
Providence  to  direct  the  step  of  some  kind  person  to 
this  cave.  I  am  dying,  I  know,  and  my  strength  is 
gone,  and  I  lay  down  my  pencil  with  a  prayer  for  all. 
God  bless  you  all. 

"  Your  loving  husband, 

"Albert  Seaton,  Sr." 

The  storm  subsided  at  last,  and  Albert  returned  to 
break  the  news  to  his  mother  and  sister.  His  three 
companions  hastened  back  to  town  with  the  report  of 
the  wonderful  discovery,  and  afterwards  assisted  other 
kind  hands  in  preparing  for  the  fleshless  remains  of 
the  lamented  dead  a  more  befitting  tomb. 


46  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 


CHAPER  IV. 

HOW  A  KU-KLUX  MANDATE  WAS  EXECUTED. 

Mrs.  Seaton  possessed  a  nervous,  excitable  tempera- 
ment, and  had  been  in  feeble  health  for  a  year  or  more, 
and  the  shock  to  her  nervous  system,  occasioned  by 
the  startling  discovery  of  the  skeleton  remains  of  her 
late  husband,  threw  her  in  bed,  completely  prostrated 
and  helpless.  Albert  immediately  despatched  a  mes- 
senger for  their  family  physician.  Dr.  Taylor  Wyland, 
who  was  a  brother  of  Major  James  Wyland,  and  the 
doctor  assured  them  that  there  was  no  positive  danger, 
but  still  Albert  remained  with  his  mother  almost  nio-bt 
and  day,  and  was  so  assiduous  in  his  attentions  to  her 
that  it  was  several  days  before  he  saw  any  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Klan  or  learned  anything  about  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  last  meeting.  At  last  Mrs.  Seaton  be- 
come so  far  convalescent  as  to  permit  him  to  leave  her 
for  a  few  hours,  and  after  a  brief  consultation  with  his 
mother  and  sister  in  regard  to  the  propriety  of  institu- 
ting proceedings  for  the  collection  of  the  notes  found 
in  the  bottle  in  the  cave,  it  was  resolved  that  Albert 
should  place  them  in  the  hands  of  Major  Wyland,  the 
leading  lawyer  of  the  county,  with  instructions  to  en- 
force their  payment.  Accordingly  Albert  set  out  for 
Westville  with  the  notes,  but  was  met  on  the  road  by 
Sam  Washburn. 

"  Good  morning,  Albert,"  said  Sam,  in  a  tone  that 
indicated  that  he  remembered  the  incident  of  a  few 


How  a  Kiir-Khix  Mandate  was  Executed.       47 

days  before  in  the  cave,  and  that  he  fully  sympathized 
with  Albert  in  his  afflictions.  "  I  was  just  coming  out 
to  see  you.  Knowing  that  you  had  been  confined  to 
the  house  for  several  days,  and  having  heard  that  your 
good  mother  was  much  better  this  morning,  it  occur- 
red to  me  that  it  might  do  you  good  to  take  a  jaunt 
with  me  across  the  country  on  horseback,  and  see  how 
the  orders  of  the  Klan  were  enforced." 

"A  good  ride  would  greatly  benefit  me,  I  have  no 
doubt,  Sam,"  answered  Albert,  "  and  I  have  no  doubt, 
I  would  enjoy  witnessing  the  execution  of  a  Ku-Klux 
mandate,  provided  I  could  be  thoroughly  convinced 
that  the  sentence  was  just  and  there  was  no  blood  in 
it ;  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  a  business  errand  pre- 
vents a  compliance  with  your  request  to-day." 

"As  for  the  justness  or  severity  of  the  sentence,"  said 
Sam,  "you  need  not  be  alarmed,  for  I  am  sure  the  rigor 
of  the  punishment  is  by  no  means  in  proportion  to  the 
heinousness  of  the  offense.  The  charge  of  miscegena- 
tion against  Peter  Tinklepaugh  has  been  sustained  by 
the  proof,  and  the  simple  judgment  of  the  Klan  is  that 
he  be  whipped  with  thirty-nine  lashes  and  be  ducked  in 
the  river,  and  I  am  sure  you  would  enjoy  the  ducking 
even  if  you  should  think  the  whipping  a  little  tough." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  Albert,  "  that  inter- 
marriage between  the  races  is  a  sin  against  society  that 
demands  rigorous  and  speedy  correction.  I  consider 
it  an  innovation  and  a  serious  onslaught  upon  our  man- 
ners and  society,  and  the  introduction  and  practice  of 
such  an  evil  by  Northern  carpet-baggers  simply  shows, 
the  malignity  of  the  Republican  party  as  well  as  the 


48  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  Jt-O. 

deplorable  depravity  of  those  who  are  so  heathenish  as 
to  practice  such  a  revolting  social  sin.  It  seems  that 
the  Republican  party  is  not  satisfied  with  taking  pos- 
session of  our  government  and  overthrowing  our  insti- 
tutions and  destroying  our  credit,  but  they  seek  to  ex- 
tend their  reconstruction  measures  even  into  our  social 
system,  and  destroy  all  social  caste." 

"Well,  as  for  my  part,"  answered  Sam,  "I  am  in 
favor  of  exterminating  all  who  teach  the  amalgama- 
tion of  the  races,  whether  carpet-baggers  or  scalawags, 
and  as  our  den  has  seen  fit  to  impose  a  lighter  sentence 
on  the  negro-loving  pedagogue,  I  have  determined  to 
see  that  the  lash  is  firmly  applied  to  the  back  of  Tin- 
klepaugh,  and  that  he  receives  a  sound  ducking  after- 
wards," 

"All  right,"  answered  Albert,  "go  and  see  that  the 
sentence  is  well  carried  out,  and  each  time  the  lash  is 
applied  you  may  proclaim  that  '  them's  my  sentiments.' 
I  am  only  sorry  that  I  cannot  go  with  you." 

"But  why  can't  you  go?"  asked  Sam.  "We  will  be 
back  before  day  in  the  morning,  and  unless  your  busi- 
ness is  of  pressing  importance  you  can  attend  to  it 
then." 

"  My  business  is  simply  to  place  the  notes  against  the 
county,  found  with  my  father's  remains,  in  the  hands 
of  Major  Wyland  for  collection,"  said  Albert.  "  My 
mother  had  abandoned  the  idea  of  trying  to  enforce 
their  payment  long  ago,  thinking  that  father  had  given 
them  up  to  the  county  authorities,  on  his  return  from 
the  war,  on  account  of  the  impoverished  condition  of 
the  people  at  that  time ;  but  our  county  is  now  well 


How  a  Ku-Klux  Mandate  was  Executed.       49 

able  to  pay  them,  and  after  reading  father's  instruc- 
tions Ave  have  decided  to  collect  the  notes." 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  be  so  impertinent  as  to  inquire 
into  the  nature  of  your  business,''  answered  Sam,  "  but 
I  am  glad  you  have  determined  to  collect  the  notes, 
and  wish  you  success  in  your  efforts.  But  there  is  no 
use  in  your  going  to  town  to-day.  The  notes  will  have 
to  be  presented  to  the  board  of  county  commissioners 
and  demand  made  of  them  for  their  payment  before 
suit  can  be  brought,  and  as  the  board  does  not  meet 
until  next  Monday,  you  can  take  them  to  Maj.  Wyland 
to-morrow  or  any  day  this  week  just  as  well  as  to-day, 
so  come  on  and  lets  pay  our  respects  to  the  noble  Peter 
Tinklepaugh." 

"All  right,"  said  Albert,  "  I  had  not  thought  about 
the  requirement  that  the  notes  should  be  first  presented 
to  the  county  commissioners,  and  as  my  business  can 
be  as  well  attended  to  to-morrow,  I  will  consent  to  go 
with  you,  but  I  must  first  return  home,  and  let  mother 
know  I  will  not  be  back  until  after  night." 

It  took  Albert  only  a  few  moments  to  return  home, 
and  acquaint  his  mother  with  his  intention  to  leave  off 
his  visit  to  Major  Wyland  for  that  day,  and  soon  the 
two  young  men  were  galloping  on  their  way  to  Ken- 
neth Grove,  where  they  were  to  meet  the  members  of 
the  Klan  of  the  Wizard  Ghouls,  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed by  that  Klan  to  execute  the  sentence  against 
Peter  Tinklepaugh,  imposed  by  Klan  J!^o.  40. 

It  was  a  rule  among  the  Ku-Klux  that  all  sentences 
imposed  by  any  Klan  should  be  executed  by  the  ghouls 
of  some  other  Klan,  remote  from  the  vicinity  in  which 


(t^ 


50  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

the  trouble  complained  of  originated,  and  hence  the 
sentence  against  Peter  Tinklepaugh,  declared  by  Klan 
jSTo.  40,  was  sent  to  the  Klan  of  the  Wizard  Ghouls  to 
be  executed.  The  reason  the  decrees  of  one  Klan  were 
always  carried  out  by  another  was  to  prevent  suspicion 
and  detection,  as  the  victim  was  not  so  likely  to  iden- 
tify strangers  as  neighbors. 

When  night  closed  in  Albert  and  Sam  were  only  a 
few  miles  from  the  appointed  rendezvous,  and  after 
assuming  their  disguises,  they  pushed  on  at  a  rapid  pace, 
and  soon  found  themselves  confronted  with  the  most 
frightful  looking  apparition  they  had  ever  encountered. 
It  was  the  outside  sentinel  of  the  Klan  of  the  Wizard 
Ghouls,  and  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  were 
both  thoroughly  familiar  with  Ku-Klux  disguises,  they 
had  never  before  beheld  anything  so  hideous  and  fright- 
ful. The  sentinel  wore  a  long  white  gown,  which  was 
profusely  decorated  with  the  most  fantastic  pictures 
of  hobgoblins  and  spectres,  painted  in  red  and  black, 
while  his  head  dress,  which  descended  to  his  shoulders 
and  had  holes  for  the  eyes,  nose  and  mouth,  reached  at 
least  three  feet  above  his  head,  and  was  covered  with 
red  and  black  stripes,  except  that  on  the  front  a  skull 
and  cross-bones  were  painted.  The  horse,  he  rode,  was 
also  covered  with  a  sheet  similarly  ornamented,  and 
had  his  feet  muffled  in  such  a  manner  that  his  tread 
was  almost  noiseless, 

Sam  and  Albert  both  gave  the  sign  of  recognition  at 
ten  paces,  and  then  advanced  and  exchanged  the  annual 
pass-word  and  the  grip  with  the  sentinel.  They  then 
advanced  to  where  the  main  body  of  the  Klan  were 


How  a  Ku-Klux  Mandate  was  Executed.       51 

stationed,  ready  to  receive  their  orders  to  move  on. 
After  a  few  moments  spent  in  muffling  the  feet  of  the 
horses  rode  by  Sam  and  Albert,  the  sentinels  were 
called  in  by  a  low  and  peculiar  whistle  from  the  Cyclop, 
and  the  whole  body  were  ordered  to  proceed  to  the 
execution  of  the  decree  of  Klan  No.  40.  There  were 
about  twenty  persons  in  the  crowd,  and  th6y  were  all 
thoroughly  disguised,  because  Peter  Tinklepaugh  was 
a  shrewd  and  intelligent  scoundrel,  and  it  was  consid- 
ered necessary  to  adopt  every  possible  precaution  to 
prevent  detection.  There  was  no  blast  of  the  trumpet 
or  deafening  drum-beat  to  herald  their  approach,  but  so 
silently  and  noiselessly  did  they  go  that  their  presence 
was  first  announced  to  poor  Tinklepaugh  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  two  ghouls  in  their  frightful  disguises 
standing  in  the  open  door  of  his  house. 

At  sight  of  the  grim  spectres  the  sable  wife  of  the 
social  reconstructionist  fainted  with  fear,  but  the  ad- 
venturous little  pedagogue  was  not  so  easily  discon- 
certed. He  had  ventured  to  assume  the  position  of 
teacher  in  a  colored  school,  fully  realizing  the  odium 
that  attached  to  such  an  occupation,  and  fully  cogni- 
zant of  the  fact  that  the  country  was  in  a  turbulent 
state,  and  that  race  prejudice  was  the  most  combusti- 
ble fuel  that  fed  the  flames  of  passion  at  that  particu- 
lar period  of  our  history,  and  having  received  several 
Ku-Klux  warnings,  for  the  Ku-Klux,  like  a  rattlesnake, 
never  struck  a  foe  without  first  warning  him  of  tbe  im- 
pending danger,  and  he  was  not  altogether  unprepared 
for  the  perilous  crisis  that  he  imagined  had  arrived. 
Rising  with  cool  composure  from  a  table  at  which  he 


52  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

had  been  writing,  he  deliberately,  and  with  perfect 
self-possession,  placed  in  a  drawer  in  the  side  of  the 
table  a  few  sheets  of  paper  on  which  he  had  written  a 
horrifying  account  of  some  imaginary  Ku-Klux  out- 
rages for  a  Northern  newspaper,  and  on  which  his 
dusky  consort  had  just  been  gazing  with  all  the  aston- 
ishment and  imbecility  of  comprehension  manifested 
by  the  Indians  while  observing  the  wonderful  "  talking 
paper"  of  Captain  John  Smith,  Then  taking  a  large 
revolver  from  the  same  drawer  in  which  he  had  placed 
the  paper,  he  demanded  to  know  what  the  intrusion 
meant. 

"  O,  there  is  no  use  in  your  kicking,"  answered  one 
of  the  ghouls  as  he  glanced  at  the  pistol  in  the  hands 
of  the  imperturbable  little  teacher,  "  you've  been  noti- 
fied that  we  wouldn't  tolerate  your  conduct  any  longer, 
and  have  been  advised  to  leave  the  community,  and 
now  we  have  determined  that  you  shall  leave  it." 

"I  do  not  care  a  fig  for  the  orders  and  decrees  of  a 
lawless  Ku-Klux-Klan,"  boldly  answered  the  little  man, 
"  and  I  have  determined  to  pursue  whatever  avocation 
I  may  fancy,  and  to  choose  as  a  companion  the  one 
whom  I  find  most  congenial." 

At  this  moment  the  door  opposite  the  one  first  en- 
tered fairly  flew  off  its  beings  and  the  room  was  imme- 
diately filled  with  men  in  disguise.  Poor  Tinklepaugh 
fully  believed  that  his  hour  had  come,  but  he  was  deter- 
mined to  die  game,  and  taking  deliberate  aim  at  the 
person  nearest  him,  he  fired ;  but  as  Henry  Clay  said,  in 
describing  a  duel  fought  by  him  with  John  Kandolph, 
who  appeared  on  the  field  of  honor  clad  in  a  long. 


How  a  Ku~Klux  Mandate  was  Executed.       53 

loose  gown,  the  ball  pierced  the  middle  of  the  object 
in  front,  but  the  thin,  swarthy  form  of  the  man  within 
was  not  there. 

Before  Tinklepaugh  could  put  his  finger  to  the  trig- 
ger again,  the  pistol  was  knocked  out  of  his  hand,  and 
he  was  bound  and  gagged  before  he  could  utter  another 
word.  A  rope  was  tied  around  his  neck  in  true  hang- 
man's style,  and  he  was  immediately  placed  on  a  horse, 
and  the  crowd  started  for  the  river,  it  having  been 
hastily  decided  that  they  would  proceed  to  duck  him 
first  in  order  to  cool  off  his  anger  and  calm  his  vicious 
spirit,  and  then  flog  him  to  warm  him  up  again  and 
produce  a  reaction. 

It  was  not  far  to  the  river,  but  still  the  time  con- 
sumed on  the  way  gave  poor  Tinklepaugh,  who  now 
fully  believed  he  was  to  be  hung,  instead  of  being  al- 
lowed to  be  shot  while  defending  his  own  home,  as  he 
at  first  anticipated,  ample  opportunity  for  reflection, 
and  in  this  short  time  he  saw,  as  if  in  a  mirror,  his 
whole  past  life  pass  before  him  in  review^  He  looked 
back  across  the  years  gone  by,  and  saw  himself,  a  lit- 
tle child  again  holding  to  his  mother's  knees  while  his 
father,  an  esteemed  minister  of  the  gospel,  read  some 
favorite  and  comforting  passage  of  scripture,  and  then 
expounded  it  in  his  simple,  forcible  way.  A  little  fur- 
ther on  in  the  picture  he  saw  himself,  a  young  man 
standing  before  the  hymeneal  altar  in  a  Northern  vil- 
lage church,  with  his  lovely  bride  leaning  on  his  arm, 
and  he  heard  again  the  old  church  organ  as  it  pealed 
forth  the  glad  wedding  march,  while  he  received  the 
congratulations  of  friends.     Then  he  saw  the  battle- 


54  Ku-Klux  Klmi  No.  Ifi. 

fields  of  the  late  war,  where  the  courage  and  valor  he 
displayed  won  for  him  the  encomiums  of  Federal  com- 
manders high  in  authority,  and  where  death,  if  it  had 
only  come  to  him  then,  would  have  found  him  ready  to 
die  a  soldier's  death  and  offer  himself  as  a  sacrifice  on 
the  altar  of  his  country.  Again  he  saw  his  faithful,  but 
discarded,  wife  in  their  little  cottage  home  in  the  North- 
ern village  within  sight  of  the  church  in  which  they 
were  married,  and  he  heard  the  innocent  prattle  of  his 
own  little  blue-eyed  boy,  as  he  clung  to  his  mother's 
knees,  just  as  he  himself  had  done  in  the  first  picture. 
And,  lastly,  he  remembered  how  all  his  hopes  of  politi- 
cal preferment  had  been  blasted  and  blighted  in  their 
incipiency,  and  how  all  his  money  had  been  squandered 
and  wasted  in  unholy  speculation,  and  then  he  thought 
of  his  disgraceful,  bigamous  marriage  with  the  misera- 
ble negro  wench  he  had  just  left,  and  so  thinking  they 
reached  the  river. 

At  the  river  brink  they  all  halted,  and  the  gags  were 
taken  off  Tinklepaugh  to  prevent  drowning  him.  Hith- 
erto his  fear  had  been  that  they  were  going  to  hang 
him,  but  now  he  became  convinced  that  he  was  to  be 
drowned.  Certainly  it  was  intended  to  tie  a  stone  to 
the  rope  and  throw  him  in  the  river. 

At  sight  of  the  rolling  waters  of  the  river  all  his 
courage  deserted  him,  and  the  thought  of  being  thrown 
into  the  river,  with  a  stone  fastened  to  his  neck,  trans- 
formed him  into  a  cringing,  fawning  coward.  But  in 
all  his  perplexities  his  wit  and  cunning  never  deserted 
him,  and  in  order  to  escape  he  now  resorted  to  a  strat- 
agem. 


How  a  Ku-Klux  Mandate  was  Executed.       55 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  "don't  drown  me, 
please  don't.  Shoot  me  if  you  have  determined  to  kill 
me,  and  let  my  body  be  buried  in  the  earth  instead  of 
in  the  water,  but  don't  hang  me  like  a  felon,  or  drown 
me  like  a  cat." 

"  Hang  you  like  a  felon,  you  miserable  negro-loving, 
South-hater  you,"  answered  one  of  the  Klan,  "you  de- 
serve to  be  burned  like  a  witch,  and  to  have  your  ashes 
thrown  in  the  river  as  a  propitiation  to  the  evil  spirit. 
Or  perhaps  you  would  prefer  to  have  your  ashes  gath- 
ered into  a  tin  box  and  given  to  the  black  strumpet 
you  call  your  wife." 

"And  is  it  solely  on  account  of  my  marriage  that  you 
seek  to  kill  me?"  asked  Tinklepaugh,  looking  wildly 
about  him  as  if  the  truth  as  to  the  real  cause  of  his 
troubles  had  just  flashed  into  his  mind.  "I  thought  it 
was  my  political  affiliations  that  gave  offense." 

"You  know  better  than  that,"  answered  the  same 
person  who  had  spoken  before;  "you  know  very  well 
that  it  is  on  account  of  your  marriage  that  you  are  to 
be  punished,  and  you  have  been  thrice  warned  of  that 
fact  and  ordered  to  leave  her." 

"  I  do  not  deny  that  I  have  received  warning  to  de- 
sert my  wife,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  but  possibly  I 
did  not  fully  understand  the  true  purport  of  the  order 
and  misinterpreted  it.  I  have  all  the  time  understood 
that  my  politics  was  the  only  thing  which  caused  me 
to  be  personally  disliked,  and  have  thought  that  the 
order  to  abandon  my  wife  was  given  simply  because 
you  did  not  want  to  assign  the  true  reason  for  seeking 
to  banish  me  from  the  community,  for  I  cannot  see 
how  any  objection  could  be  made  to  my  marriage." 


56  K'ti-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

"  You  lie  about  that,"  answered  the  ghoul  who  had 
first  spoken,  giving  the  rope,  which  was  still  fastened 
to  Tinklepaugh's  neck,  a  jerk  which  nearly  threw  him 
off  his  feet.  "  You  know  very  well  that  a  white  man 
is  not  allowed  to  marrv  a  negro." 

"Ah,  gentlemen,  I  see  now  your  mistake,"  answered 
Tinklepaugh,  with  a  cunning  wink,  which  could  not  be 
discerned  in  the  darkness ;  "  you  take  me  to  be  a  pure 
blooded  white  man,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  My  father 
was  a  free  negro  before  the  war,  and  hence  there  is  a 
mixture  of  African  blood  in  my  veins  which  makes  it 
not  unlawful,  but  proper,  for  me  to  marry  a  colored 
woman," 

"  Can  you  prove  that  ? "  asked  the  ghoul. 

"  I  will  swear  it,  and  can  furnish  ample  proof  if  given 
the  opportunity." 

"  Then  swear  it,  and  you  shall  be  discharged  for  the 
present,  and  may  furnish  further  proof  some  other 
time," 

A  lantern  hung  to  the  pummel  of  one  of  the  saddles 
was  produced,  and  the  following  oath  was  taken  and 
subscribed,  after  which  Tinklepaugh  was  discharged 
and  the  crowd  dispersed : 

"  I,  Peter  Tinklepaugh,  do  solemnly  swear  that  my 
father  was  of  mixed  blood,  having  been  born  a  free 
negro  before  the  emancipation  of  the  late  slaves,  and 
that  I  have  all  my  life  associated  with  the  colored  peo-  ^ 
pie,  and  will  continue  to  do  so  in  the  future. 

"  Peter  Tinklepaugh." 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  the  Cyclop  of  the 
"Wizard  Ghouls. 


A    Viper  inters.  57 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  VIPER  ENTERS. 

The  excitement,  occasioned  by  the  startling  discovery 
of  the  skeleton  remains  of  Colonel  Albert  Seaton,  had 
not  abated  when  Donald  Weston  answered,  as  request- 
ed, the  invitation  of  Judge  Farwell  by  making  his  per- 
sonal appearance  at  the  Midland  Hotel.  By  recording 
the  first  appearance  of  our  quondam  friend,  Mr.  Weston, 
as  having  been  made  at  the  Midland  Hotel,  I  do  not  mean 
to  insinuate  that  Judge  Farwell  was  entirely  destitute 
of  the  emotions  of  true  friendship,  and  that  he  allowed 
his  old  school-mate  and  friend  to  arrive  in  the  town 
without  showing  him  the  customary  courtesy  of  meet- 
ing him  at  the  depot.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  but  justice 
tow^ard  the  judge  to  chronicle  the  fact  that  he  met  his 
friend  on  his  arrival  at  the  depot  in  an  open  carriage, 
and  received  him  with  every  manifestation  of  the  most 
cordial  friendship ;  but  aside  from  the  fact  that  a  few 
loungers  around  the  hotel  looked  up  from  a  game  of 
checkers,  that  at  the  time  absorbed  their  attention,  and 
made  a  few  commonplace  remarks  and  trite  criticisms 
upon  his  personal  appearance,  as  he  alighted  from  the 
carriage  on  reaching  the  hotel,  no  other  notice  was 
taken  by  the  citizens  of  the  town  of  the  arrival  in  their 
'  midst  of  the  future  prosecuting  attorney  for  the  State 
in  that  judicial  district,  and  no  public  demonstration 
in  honor  of  the  embryotic  attorney  and  carpet-bagger 
statesman  was  held. 
4 


58  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

Of  the  ancestry  of  Donald  Weston  I  know  nothing, 
and  as  this,  like  all  other  stories  of  the  kind,  purports 
to  be  a  true  history  of  all  the  characters  represented, 
I  will  not  draw  on  my  imagination  to  supply  that  for 
which  my  destitution  of  personal  knowledge  is  respon- 
sible. I  prefer  to  acknowledge  my  ignorance  rather 
than  to  falsify  history.  It  may  be  that  his  genealogy 
might  be  traced  back  to  some  of  the  Puritan  fathers, 
who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower,  and  who  afterwards 
put  into  execution  that  same  religious  intolerance, 
which  they  had  sought  to  escape  by  their  immigration 
to  this  land  of  liberty  and  religious  freedom ;  or  it  may 
be  that  he  might  have  claimed  kinship  with  some  of 
the  ancient  Scottish  Chiefs  or  Lords,  whose  chief  claim 
to  nobility  was  based  on  the  fact  that  they  had  clans- 
men enough  to  steal  cattle  from  their  neighbors  and 
then  whip  them  into  subjection,  when  they  sought  to 
recapture  their  stolen  property.  His  parents  may  have 
been  ever  so  upright  and  honorable,  and  may  have  en- 
joyed the  distinction  of  belonging  to  the  highest  circles 
in  State,  church  and  society ;  but  still  I  am  constrained 
to  say  of  them  that  they  perpetrated  a  great  fraud, 
when  they  sent  their  son  Donald  out  in  the  world  and 
palmed  him  off  on  the  people  as  a  man. 

In  personal  appearance  he  was  not  at  all  prepossess- 
ing, and  any  unfavorable  opinion  of  him  formed  on 
first  acquaintance  was  not  likely  to  be  modified  or 
chano:ed  on  becomiao'  more  intimate  with  him.  Still 
he  was  not  a  monster  in  shape  or  size.  In  stature  he 
was  rather  diminutive,  being  only  about  five  feet  eight 
inches  in  height,  and  weighing  only  about  one  hundred 
and  forty  pounds ;  but  he  had  a  very  large  head,  keen 


A    Viper  Enters.  59 

piercing  black  eyes  and  dark  complexion  and  hair,  and 
judging  from  his  high  and  expansive  forehead  and  gen- 
eral intellectual  appearance  a  phrenologist  would  have 
been  justifiable  in  rating  him  far  above  the  point  of 
mediocrity. 

He  was  sitting  with  Judge  Farwell  on  the  hotel  ve- 
randa on  the  second  evening  after  his  arrival,  when  the 
judge  turned  to  him  with  the  remark : 

"  Look  here,  old  fellow,  how  would  you  like  to  go  out 
riding  this  evening  and  meet  my  aflBanced  ?" 

"  Your  affianced ! "  replied  Weston  in  astonishment ; 
"  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  have  become  so  much 
enamored  of  these  Southern  girls  that  you  are  actually 
engaged  to  marry  one  of  them  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  am,"  answered  the  judge  proudly,  "  and 
you  will  not  be  so  much  astonished  at  my  presumption, 
either,  if  ever  your  black  orbs  encounter  her  loveliness." 

"  Oh,  well,  of  course,  I  will  go,"  said  Weston,  ''  espe- 
cially since  she  seems  to  be  such  a  paragon  of  excel- 
lence, but  would  it  not  be  a  little  more  consistent  with 
the  rules  of  etiquette  in  polite  society  for  you  to  first 
take  me  to  her  house  and  introduce  me  there  ? " 

"  Of  course,  it  would,"  answered  the  judge,  "but  un- 
fortunately for  me,  I  have  to  meet  her  clandestinely  at 
present,  having  been  denied  entrance  to  her  father's 
house." 

•'Ha,  ha!"  said  Weston,  with  a  sardonic  smile,  "and 
how  does  it  comport  with  the  dignity  of  a  judge  to  be 
holding  clandestine  meetings  with  a  young  girl,  when 
her  father  forbids  him  her  society  at  his  house  ? " 

"  Don't  talk  to  me  about  dignity  in  love  affairs,"  said 


60  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

the  judge.  "  Love  scorns  dignity,  as  well  as  locks  and 
keys,  when  either  interferes  to  thwart  its  purposes." 

"  Yery  well,''  said  Weston ;  "  if  you  love  the  girl,  I 
will  grant  you  the  privilege,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
of  communicating  with  her  in  any  way  possible,  for 
love  not  only  scorns  dignity  and  locks  and  keys,  as  you 
suggest,  but  it  also  sets  at  defiance  the  rules  of  etiquette 
and  propriety ;  but  still,  if  I  am  to  be  made  partictps 
oriminis  in  violating  such  rules,  I  think  I  have  a  right 
to  know  why  it  is  that  you  have  been  denied  her  society 
at  her  father's  house,  and  your  reason  for  asking  me 
to  meet  her  clandestinely." 

"  I  will  not  deny  your  right  to  demand  my  reason 
for  such  an  extraordinary  proposition,"  answered  the 
judge,  "  both  on  account  of  my  unseemly  infraction  of 
the  rules  of  propriety  and  on  account  of  our  former  in- 
timate relations,  but  in  order  to  explain  it  will  be  neces- 
sary for  us  to  take.a  cursor}^  view  of  the  recent  history 
and  present  condition  of  this  country.  But,  first,  I  will 
briefl}'^  state  that  my  present  embarrassment  was  pre- 
cipitated by  a  few  of  my  court  decisions,  which  simply 
recognized  the  Constitutional  rights  and  citizenship  of 
the  colored  race,  and  were,  therefore,  unpalatable  to 
the  race-hating  Ku  Klux,  among  whom  is  to  be  num- 
bered my  esteemed  prospective  father-in-law." 

"  Her  father,  a  Ku-Klux ! "  interrupted  Weston,  show- 
ing evident  signs  of  indignation ;  "  then  I  should  respect 
the  orders  of  a  Ku-Klux  for  once  by  keeping  away 
from  his  house  and  shunning  the  society  of  his  daugh- 
ter, not  through  fear  of  the  lawless  monster,  but  to 
avoid  contamination  by  association  with  a  Ku-Klux  or 
any  of  his  progeny." 


A  Vijyer  Miters.  61 

"You  do  us  all  three  injustice,"  said  the  judge,  mani- 
festing some  anger  at  the  hot  words  of  his  friend,  but 
restraining  a  more  violent  exhibition  of  wrath,  remem- 
bering the  natural  prejudice  and  consequent  ignorance 
of  his  friend  regarding  everything  that  pertained  to 
the  South.  "  Major  Wyland  is  a  member  of  the  Klan, 
it  is  true,  and  a  violent  opponent  of  the  reconstruction 
measures  adopted  by  the  Republican  part}^  but  he  is 
not  the  lawless  monster  your  imagination  would  depict 
him  to  be,  nor  has  his  daughter  inherited  infection  or 
become  contaminated.  With  him,  as  with  all  other 
Southerners,  politics  is  the  Aaron's  rod  that  swallows 
up  everything  else,  and  as  all  crimes  are  considered 
political  in  their  nature,  it  follows  as  a  necessary  con- 
comitant that  all  virtues  are  likewise  political,  and 
hence  when  a  political  crime  is  committed  for  which 
there  is  no  punishment  prescribed  in  the  penal  code,  as 
for  instance  the  exercise  of  the  right  of  suffrage  b}'^  the 
colored  citizen,  it  is  esteemed  a  virtue  to  belong  to  a 
secret  society,  which  has  for  its  object  the  disfranchise- 
ment of  the  recently  enfranchised  negro,  and  which  is  \ 
simply  a  secret  Star  Chamber  court  where  alleged  polit-  \ 
ical  offenders  are  tried  and  convicted  in  their  absence  \ 
and  on  ex  parte  testimony. 

"  But  strange  as  my  words  may  sound  to  you,  the  Re- 
publican party  is  responsible  for  a  great  deal  of  the 
lawlessness  that  exists  in  the  South,  and  many  good 
men  have  joined  the  Ku-Klux,  believing  it  the  only  ex- 
pedient by  which  they  can  regain  their  former  prestige 
and  restore  the  autonomy  of  the  State.  Take  for  in- 
stance the  case  of  Major  Wyland.     At  every  election 


62  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  ItO. 

he  sees  his  former  slaves,  inexperienced  and  illiterate 
as  they  are,  march  up  to  the  polls  and  there  exercise 
their  rights  of  citizenship  by  depositing  their  ballots, 
while  he,  on  account  of  the  test  oath  imposed  by  Con- 
gress, is  deprived  of  this  privilege.  And  there  are 
thirty  thousand  others  in  this  State  in  the  same  condi- 
tion. Let  Congress  pursue  a  more  lenient  and  conserv- 
ative course  toward  the  late  enemies  of  the  Union ;  let 
the  dominant  party  show  a  little  more  of  the  magna- 
nimity displayed  by  Grant  when  he  returned  the  sword 
of  Lee,  and  lawless  leagues,  the  last  vestige  of  the  re- 
bellion, will  disband  at  once.  Understand  me,  I  am 
not  apologizing  for  the  existence  of  the  Klan  nor  for 
Major  Wyland's  connection  with  it.  In  my  opinion 
the  existence  of  any  secret  political  organization  in  a 
community  is  a  serious  menace  to  the  lives  and  liber- 
ties of  the  people,  and  that  such  an  institution  ought 
not  to  be  tolerated,  and  as  for  Major  Wyland  I  seri- 
ously apprehend  that  he  was  the  chief  instrument  in 
prevailing  upon  the  Klan  to  proscribe  me,  and  to  send 
me  an  insulting  and  threatening  warning  in  regard  to 
my  official  conduct." 

"And  have  they  actually  threatened  you  with  the 
fate  of  a  carpet-bagger,  too  ? "  asked  Weston  in  aston- 
ishment. "  I  am  beginning  to  think  that  you  have  be- 
guiled me  into  this  community  of  cut-throats  and  mid- 
night assassins  simply  for  the  purpose  of  having  me 
swing  with  you." 

"  Oh,  no,  it  is  not  so  bad  as  that,"  answered  Judge 
Farwell.  "  I  have  not  been  threatened  with  death,  but 
have  simply  been  warned  that  I  must  not  repeat  some 
of  my  recent  rulings  and  decisions  on  the  bench ;  a 


A  Viper  Enters.  63 

warning  I  need  not  tell  you,  I  shall  certainly  ignore, 
and  that,  too,  in  a  manner  calculated  to  express  my  ex- 
treme contempt  for  the  authors  of  such  an  insult." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  that  is  all,  I  will  dismiss  all  visions  of 
the  murderous  hobgoblins,  or  ghouls,  I  believe  you  call 
them,  from  my  mind,  and  will  try  and  prepare  myself 
to  assist  you  in  showing  a  supreme  contempt  for  their 
insolent  demands  as  soon  as  I  receive  my  commission 
as  prosecuting  attorney." 

"  You  will  find  sufficient  exercise  for  all  the  talents 
you  possess  if  you  wish  to  successfull}^  prosecute  your 
docket,  without  troubling  yourself  to  precipitate  a 
quarrel  with  your  antagonists,  especially  when  Major 
Wyland  appears  for  the  defendant." 

"What  is  his  plan  of  attack?" 

"Technically  speaking,  it  is  the  business  of  the  pro- 
secuting attorney  to  begin  the  attack,  and  generally  to 
continue  in  the  attitude  of  the  aggressor  throughout 
all  stages  of  the  proceeding ;  but  you  will  find  that  he 
will  assume  the  aggressive  quite  frequently,  and  woe 
to  the  lawyer  who  opposes  him  unprepared  when  he 
does.  He  is  a  learned  and  astute  lawyer,  possesses 
wonderful  and  almost  inexhaustible  resources,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  skillful  and  adroit  controversialists  I 
have  ever  seen." 

"Very  well,"  said  Weston,  with  a  gesture  of  impa- 
tience, beginning  to  feel  a  little  discomfitted  at  the 
thought  of  meeting  such  a  dexterous  opponent  on  his 
first  appearance  in  the  forum,  "  your  description  of  the 
father  inclines  me  to  accept  your  invitation  to  meet  the 
daughter,  so  order  our  horses  and  let  us  be  going." 

Judge  Far  well  called  to  Uncle  Ben  and  ordered  two 


64:  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  Jf.0. 

good  saddle-horses  from  the  livery  stables  to  be  sent  to 
the  Midland  hotel,  an  order  which  Uncle  Ben  obeyed 
with  his  usual  promptitude. 

The  shadows  of  the  trees  along  the  roadside  were 
beginning  to  lengthen  considerably  in  the  sunshine, 
when  the  judge  and  his  friend  turned  into  the  well- 
shaded  road  leading  down  by  the  river  bank,  and  the 
horse  ridden  by  a  young  lady  in  advance  of  them  be- 
came frightened  at  the  clattering  of  the  hoofs  of  the 
horses  behind.  Minnie  Wyland  was  a  skillful  and  prac- 
ticed rider,  and  checking  her  horse  with  the  reins,  she 
patted  his  mane  with  one  hand  while  she  looked  back 
to  see  who  was  coming.  Observing  two  persons  she 
was  just  about  to  conclude  that  she  was  destined  to  be 
disappointed  in  not  meeting  with  Judge  Farwell,  when 
that  gentleman  rode  forward  and  asked  to  be  allowed 
to  introduce  his  friend.  By  this  time  they  had  reached 
an  old  mill  seat  on  the  river,  the  mill  itself  having  been 
burned  by  the  returning  Yankee  soldiery,  in  the  spring 
of  1865,  and  it  was  hastily  agreed  that  they  should 
alight  and  spend  an  hour  there,  and  that  the  introduc- 
tion should  be  given  after  dismounting. 

For  the  first  time  Minnie's  innate  modesty,  the  chief 
virtue  and  ornament  of  Southern  girls,  conquered  her 
desire  to  be  in  the  company  of  her  accepted  lover,  and 
as  she  alighted  on  a  large  stone  which  formed  a  part  of 
the  abutments  of  an  old  bridge,  which  had  been  suffered 
to  fall  into  decay  on  account  of  the  depressed  financial 
condition  of  the  county,  and  the  consequent  inability 
of  the  county  authorities  to  keep  it  in  proper  repair, 
she  showed  evident  signs  of  embarrassment.  She  knew 
that  these  meetings  with  Judge  Farwell  were  contrary 


A  Viper  Miters.  65 

to  the  wishes  of  her  father — in  fact,  without  his  know- 
ledge— and,  although  the  meetings  were  not  through 
any  prearrangement,  still  she  was  obliged  to  acknow- 
ledge the  fact  that,  in  their  accustomed  rides,  they 
expected  to  meet  with  each  other,  for  it  does  not  require 
a  written  instrument,  under  hand  and  seal,  to  consti- 
tute a  lover's  agreement  for  a  tryst,  and  she  secretl}' 
resolved  to  discontinue  the  meetings  in  the  future.  Her 
mother  had  died  in  her  infancy,  leaving  her  an  only 
child,  upon  whom  her  father  had  ever  since  lavished  a 
double  portion  of  his  affection,  and,  remembering  her 
father's  deep  aversion  for  Judge  Farwell,  she  felt  it  to 
be  her  duty  to  decline  further  attentions  from  him,  until 
time  and  a  better  understanding  of  each  other's  motives 
should  work  a  reconciliation  between  the  two.  She 
recognized  and  deprecated  the  fact  that  her  father's 
antipathy  for  the  judge  was  based  solely  on  political 
differences,  and  it  was  because  she  had  esteemed  the 
objection  frivolous  that  she  had  hitherto  permitted  the 
judge  to  address  her  without  her  father's  knowledge ; 
but  she  felt  now  that  she  ought  to  respect  her  father's 
wishes,  however  trivial  she  considered  his  objections 
to  her  lover,  and  with  a  hope  that  can  only  be  born  in 
desperation,  and  that,  too,  in  the  breast  of  a  woman 
whose  heart  is  stirred  with  love  for  a  man  whom  she 
regards  as  true  and  honorable,  and  who  is  the  object 
of  that  hope,  she  looked  forward  to  the  time  when 
political  animosities  should  cease,  when  the  hateful 
sound  of  the  terms,  "carpet-bagger"  and  "scalawag" 
should  vanish,  and  when  all  men  should  be  respected 
and  honored  for  their  intrinsic  worth,  regardless  of 


66  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

party  affiliations  or  place  of  birth;  and  so,  vainly  hop- 
ing, she  deternnined  that  this  should  be  the  last  meeting 
with  the  judge,  until  such  time  as  they  could  meet  with 
her  father's  consent. 

She  was  in  this  state  of  perturbation  when  Judge 
Farwell,  not  knowing  her  embarrassment,  for  she  had 
not  had  opportunity  to  communicate  her  thoughts  to 
him,  brought  forward  his  friend,  and  said : 

"Miss  Minnie,  allow  me  to  introduce  my  friend,  Mr. 
Weston;  Miss  Wyland,  Mr.  Weston." 

Weston  bowed  with  the  gracefulness  of  a  dancing- 
master,  and  Minnie  returned  the  salutation  with  the 
stately  dignity  characteristic  of  her  father's  family. 
She  was  dressed  in  a  gray  riding  habit,  and  although 
her  face  was  a  little  flushed  with  the  thoughts  that  had 
lately  disturbed  her  mind,  she  maintained  a  dignified 
composure,  and  looked  a  perfect  picture  of  health  and 
beauty.  To  Donald  Weston  she  appeared  a  perfect 
paragon.  The  contour  of  her  face  was  perfectly  lovely, 
while  her  figure  was  equally  faultless,  in  size  and  pro- 
portion. 

"  I  think  I  have  heard  Judge  Farwell  speak  of  you," 
said  Minnie,  in  a  voice  so  musical  that  Weston  stood 
gazing  at  her  in  mute  admiration,  feeling  as  if  her  words 
were  but  the  sound  of  the  first  touch  of  a  musician's 
fingers  on  the  strings  of  a  lute,  as  a  prelude  to  a  song 
of  enchantment. 

"  Yes,  I  have  often  spoken  of  him  to  you,"  said  the 
judge,  seeing  the  hesitation  of  his  friend.  "  He  and  I 
were  in  college  together,  and  became  as  intimate  as  our 
different  natures  would  allow,  though  he  generally  pre- 
ferred his  books  to  any  other  society." 


A  Viper  Enters.  67 

"And  I  have  always  found  my  books  my  most  con- 
stant friends,"  said  Weston,  recovering  his  self-posses- 
sion, "and  my  experience  and  observation  have  taught 
me  that  very  few  of  them  are  tickle,  or  hurtful  in  their 
tendency." 

"  I  presume,  then,  from  the  tenor  of  your  remark," 
said  Minnie,  "  that  you  have  been  made  to  experience 
the  fickleness  of  human  friendship,  and  have  sought 
solace  and  companionship  only  where  the  lines  are  in- 
dellibly  stamped  without  the  power  of  changing?" 

"  O,  I  do  not  mean  to  acknowledge  myself  a  confirmed 
misanthrope,"  answered  Weston,  a  little  disconcerted 
by  the  construction  placed  upon  his  language  by  Min- 
nie; in  fact,  I  think  a  book,  being  the  production  of 
some  person's  brain,  is  really  a  part  of  the  writer,  and 
it  would  seem  like  a  contradiction  to  say  that  I  enjoy 
the  society  of  the  creation  of  a  human  mind  while 
detesting  its  author." 

"  I  am  also  fond  of  my  books,"  answered  Minnie, 
"and  I  quite  agree  with  you  in  your  estimate  of  their 
value  ;  but  I  love  nature,  too,  and  am  fond  of  the  woods, 
the  fields  and  flowers.  Indeed,  I  like  everything  ex- 
cept politics." 

"  Why,  I  thought  that  everybod}^  South  was  a  politi- 
cian, including  the  women,"  answered  Weston. 

"No,  indeed,  the  women  of  the  South  are  not  politi- 
cians," said  Minnie ;  "  but  many  of  us,  on  the  contrary, 
have  good  reason  to  deprecate  the  zeal  with  which  the 
other  sex  follow  the  behests  of  party." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  all  good  persons  ought  to  de- 
plore the  rancor  of  party  strife  which  now  exists  in 
the  South,"  said  Weston ;  "  especially  when  party  zeal 


68  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  k.0. 

leads  men  to  the  extent  of  organizing  themselves  into 
bands  of  midnight  assassins." 

"  I  have  never  heard  of  the  existence  of  any  bands 
of  assassins  in  the  South,"  answered  Minnie.  "  It  is 
true,  we  have  the  Ku-Klux,  who  sometimes  administer 
justice  in  a  manner  not  prescribed  in  our  penal  codes, 
but  I  have  yet  to  hear  of  their  infliction  of  punishment 
where  it  was  not  richly  deserved." 

"  Then  you  approve  of  the  existence  of  the  Ku-Klux  ?" 

'•  No,  not  exactly,"  said  Minnie.  "  I  think  all  such 
secret  organizations  are  dangerous,  and  their  ver}''  ex- 
istence is  to  be  deplored,  but  when  our  ignorant  colored 
people  are  organized  into  leagues,  which  threaten  the 
overthrow  of  our  government,  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
only  way  to  combat  the  evils  threatened  is  by  counter 
organizations." 

"I  presume  then,  when  you  say  that  you  do  not 
know  of  any  case  in  which  the  Ku-Klux  have  made  a 
mistake,  that  in  your  estimation  the  threat  of  personal 
violence  against  Judge  Farwell  was  justifiable,"  said 
"Weston. 

"  Indeed,"  answered  Minnie,  evincing  for  the  first 
time  considerable  agitation  of  mind,  "  I  had  not  heard 
of  any  threat  of  violence  against  Judge  Farwell." 

"Yes,"  said  Weston,  "I  understand  from  him  that 
the  Ku-Klux  have  warned  him  that  he  must  not  permit 
colored  men  to  serve  as  jurors  again  on  pain  of  being 
flogged." 

"  It  is  true  that  I  have  received  a  note  from  the  hands 
of  the  Ku-Klux,"  said  Judge  Farwell,  "but  I  attach 
but  little  importance  to  the  fact,  and  am  sure  I  shall 
not  allow  it  to  influence  me  in  the  least  in  my  oflicial 
conduct." 


A  Viper  Miters.  69 

"  I  am  very  sorry  that  the  members  of  any  Klan 
should  have  been  so  indiscreet,  not  to  say  unjust,"  said 
Minnie,  "  and  I  must  speak  to  father  about  this  matter, 
for  I  am  sure  that  his  political  prejudices  would  not 
allow  him  to  go  to  the  extent  of  approving  such  con- 
duct; but  I  see  it  is  growing  late,  and  think  it  time  for 
me  to  return  home." 

Judge  Farwell  assisted  Minnie  to  remount,  and  soon 
the  two  were  retracing  their  steps  home.  Weston  re- 
turned by  an  opposite  direction,  declaring  that  he  was 
not  satisfied  with  the  extent  of  his  ride  among  such 
picturesque  scenery.  He  was  now  in  the  midst  of  the 
most  magnificent  natural  scenery  in  the  State,  the  swift 
and  lucid  mountain  stream  being  on  one  side  and  the 
craggy  and  gigantic  peaks  of  the  mountains  on  the 
other,  but  all  the  beauty  of  the  natural  surroundings 
was  eclipsed  by  visions  of  the  transcendent  beauty  of 
the  face  and  form  of  Minnie  Wyland.  It  might  as  well 
he  said  of  him  now  that  he  was  not  at  all  sentimental ; 
on  the  contrary  he  was  cool,  calculating  and  practical 
in  everything,  at  least  such  had  hitherto  been  his  dis- 
position ;  but  now  as  he  rode  along  in  solitude  the 
image  of  Minnie  Wyland  stood  constantly  before  him, 
and  he  found  himself  inquiring  whether  he  really  was 
fool  enough  to  fall  in  love  with  a  girl  at  first  sight,  and 
repeating  the  words  of  an  old  song : 

"  Tell  me  not  that  there  is  need 
Of  time  for  love  to  grow; 
The  hand  that  strikes  to  kill  indeed 
Despatches  at  a  blow." 


TO  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  k-O. 

He  reached  the  hotel  in  advance  of  Judge  Farwell, 
having  gone  down  the  river  until  he  struck  a  road 
which  led  into  the  town  by  an  opposite  direction  to 
that  taken  by  the  judge  and  Minnie.  As  he  sat  b}'-  a 
window  of  his  room,  looking  out  upon  the  quiet  town 
as  the  last  glimmering  rays  of  sunshine  faded  from 
the  house-tops,  every  scene  of  the  evening  recurred  to 
him  as  if  in  a  dream.  Again  he  stood  by  the  old  mill 
dam  and  gazed  out  upon  the  Avaters  as  they  poured 
over  the  rocks  and  half  rotten  timbers  that  once  ar- 
rested the  waters  in  their  peaceful  flow  and  compelled 
them  to  do  service  in  turning  the  wheels  of  the  mill, 
and  the  sounds  of  the  thousand  ripples  but  reminded 
him  of  the  musical  voice  that  had  so  enchanted  him 
during  the  evening.  Again  he  rode  among  towering- 
peaks  or  passed  under  the  branches  of  the  huge  oaks 
that  grow  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  even  the  grand- 
eur of  the  mountains  suggested  the  surpassing  beauty 
by  which  he  had  become  so  enraptured.  His  heart 
novp"  responded  to  the  words  of  the  poet : 

"  There  is  nothing  gladsome  round  me, 
Nothing  beautiful  to  see, 
Since  thy  beauty's  spell  has  bound  me 
But  is  eloquent  of  thee." 

It  is  true,  he  felt  a  little  worried  over  some  of  the 
sentiments  expressed  by  Minnie  during  the  conversa- 
tion with  her,  especially  her  quasi  approval  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  Ku-Klux  organization ;  but  he  very  char- 
itably attributed  this  to  the  influence  and  teachings  of 
her  father,  and  so  absolved  her  from  all  blame.  He 
had  observed,  too,  her  change  of  countenance  when  in- 
formed of  the  indignity  offered  Judge  Farwell  by  the 


A   Vipe?'  inters.  71 

Klan,  and  he  inferred  from  her  evident  disapproval  of 
their  action  in  that  instance  that  she  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  consider  their  plans  as  embracing  any  but  the 
lower  order  of  society  as  then  constituted  in  the  Union 
Leagues ;  though,  had  not  her  language  indicated  that 
such  was  her  idea  of  the  Klan,  he  might  have  ascribed 
her  displeasure  to  the  fact  that  she  was  in  love  with 
the  object  of  their  attack  in  that  particular  instance. 

Having  finally  decided  that  he  was  in  fact  fool 
enough,  as  he  expressed  it,  to  fall  in  love  with  a  girl 
at  first  sight,  he  was  now  more  perplexed  than  ever. 
Should  he  inform  Judge  Farwell  of  his  passion,  and 
notify  him  in  a  manly  way  that  in  future  he  might 
consider  him  a  friendly  rival?  That  would  be  the 
more  manly  and  dignified  way,  no  doubt;  but  how 
would  Judge  Farwell  accept  and  act  upon  such  infor- 
mation? This  was  the  main  question  that  bothered 
Weston,  for  he  was  purely  mercenary  in  all  his  actions, 
and  consulted  his  own  interests  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
welfare  of  all  others.  Would  a  disclosure  of  his  secret 
result  in  their  complete  estrangement?  If  so,  then  it 
must  not  be  revealed,  because  all  his  hopes  of  political 
advancement  depended  upon  the  influence  and  good 
will  of  the  judge,  and  the  honor  of  jumping  at  one 
bound  into  such  a  lucrative  and  honorable  office  as  the 
solicitorship  of  a  whole  judicial  district  was  not  to  be 
despised  or  needlessly  lost.  It  did  not  take  him  long  to 
decide  the  matter,  for  selfishness  was  the  predominant 
part  of  his  nature,  and  he  was  anxious  to  become  one 
of  the  leaders  of  the  party  in  that  section.  So  he  de- 
cided to  sacrifice  his  manhood  and  self-respect  to  serve 
his  personal  interests. 


72  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PARTISAN    JUSTICE. 

Parcelling  out  offices  among  those  politically  quali- 
fied to  receive  them  (which  meant  that  the  applicant 
must  belong  to  the  Kepublican  party)  was  an  important 
part  of  the  policy  of  reconstruction,  as  practiced  in  the 
South,  and  it  made  but  little  difference  whether  the 
recipient  w^as  a  carpet-bagger  or  a  scalawag.  All  that 
was  necessary  was  to  find  a  vacancy,  and  it  was  imme- 
diately filled  by  the  most  available  candidate,  and  if  no 
vacancy  could  be  discovered  by  the  greedy  eye  of  the 
demagogue,  and  the  applicant  was  likely  to  prove  a 
valuable  acquisition  to  the  party,  an  office  was  gen- 
erally created  for  his  special  benefit.  However,  in  the 
case  of  our  good  friend,  Donald  Weston,  Esq.,  the 
newly-fledged  "  twenty  dollar  attorney,"  no  such  usur- 
pation of  power  was  necessary,  for  as  soon  as  his  fealty 
to  the  party  had  been  properly  vouched  for  by  Judge 
Farwell,  Col.  Worthen  Smith,  solicitor  for  the  judicial 
district,  resigned  in  his  favor,  and  he  was  immediately 
appointed  to  the  vacant  place  by  the  governor. 

Immediately  upon  receiving  his  commission  Weston 
set  about  preparing  indictments  against  the  Ku-Klux 
with  the  vigor  usually  displayed  by  a  novice  in  any  pro- 
fession. His  predecessor,  he  reasoned,  was  old  and 
decrepit,  and  his  mental  as  well  as  physical  faculties 
had  been  so  much  impaired  by  age  and  infirmity,  that 
he  was  incapable  of  grappling  with  the  situation,  and 
thus  he  was  afforded  an  opportunity  of  proving  to  the 
world  that  the  governor  had  made  no  mistake  in  giving 


Partisan  Justice.  73 

him  the  coveted  appointment.  He  would  be  known  as 
a  vigorous  and  fearless  prosecutor,  and  one  whom  the 
Ku-Klux  could  not  intimidate. 

He  soon  discovered,  however,  that  he  was  not  to  sail 
always  upon  a  smooth  sea,  where  everything  was  serene 
and  lovely,  and  no  opposing  obstacle  was  to  be  encoun- 
tered. He  found  that  he  was  destined  to  be  buffeted 
and  retarded  in  his  voyage  to  the  haven  of  fame  by 
many  waves  of  perplexity  and  doubt  he  had  not  antici- 
pated ;  and  his  embarrassment  was  none  the  less  painful 
because  the  diflBculties  that  beset  him  were  of  simple 
solution.  For  instance,  he  spent  the  whole  of  the  first 
day  of  his  official  life  in  trying  to  ascertain  the  proper 
title  to  an  indictment  against  an  offending  colored 
brother,  who  had  been  so  ungrateful,  not  to  say  indis- 
creet, as  to  declare  his  intention  of  voting  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  at  the  approaching  election,  and  who  had, 
therefore,  been  presented  by  the  grand  jury  for  some 
of  his  misdeeds,  committed  before  his  defection  from 
the  Republican  party.  He  found  in  the  Supreme  Court 
Reports  such  precedents  as  the  following :  "  State  v. 
Jim,  a  person  of  color,"  "  State  v.  Sam,  a  free  negro," 
"  State  V.  Tom,  a  former  slave,"  and  he  was  in  a  great 
quandary  to  know  whether  to  use  some  such  discriptio 
personcB,  or  to  discard  all  terms  suggestive  of  the  "  pre- 
vious condition  of  servitude"  of  the  defendant,  and 
indict  him  simply  by  his  name.  To  a  lawyer  of  expe- 
rience, such  matters  would  have  given  no  trouble ;  but 
it  must  be  remembered  that  Weston  had  entered  the 
profession  without  the  requisite  preparation,  and  he 
found  many  little  things  to  puzzle  him  which  might,  and 
ought  to,  have  been  avoided  by  proper  training. 
5 


74  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

But  the  reader  need  not  become  alarmed,  for  fear  of 
being  invited  into  the  criminal  court,  and  there  com- 
pelled to  listen  to  the  trial  of  an  indictment  against 
some  bloody-handed  Ku-Klux,  charged  with  a  political 
murder.  To  require  one  to  sit  all  day  in  such  a  court 
room,  crowded  almost  to  suffocation,  as  our  criminal 
courts  generally  are,  and  to  be  jostled  and  elbowed  by 
impudent  negroes,  and  to  be  compelled  to  inhale  the 
offensive  odors  that  arise  from  their  bodies,  is  a  punish- 
ment that  ought  not  to  be  inflicted,  if  it  can  be  possibly 
avoided,  and  I  have  no  disposition  to  do  so  in  the  pres- 
ent instance.  No  doubt  it  would  be  interesting  to  know 
how  the  newly  appointed  Solicitor  succeeded  in  his  first 
court,  and  I  would  be  pleased  to  give  the  details  of 
some  of  his  first  trials,  and  tell  how  Maj.Wyland  secured 
an  acquittal  for  a  defendant,  whom  Weston  had  indicted 
as  the  principal  felon,  when  the  evidence  showed  that 
he  was  only  an  accessory  before  the  fact,  and  was  not 
present  at  the  commission  of  the  offense;  or  how  another, 
indicted  for  perjury,  was  acquitted  because  the  solici- 
tor rested  his  case  upon  the  evidence  of  a  single  uncor- 
roborated witness,  while  the  law  requires  the  testimony 
of  two  witnesses  in  order  to  sustain  a  conviction  for 
that  offense — and  many  other  scenes  and  incidents  that 
occurred  during  the  first  few  days  of  his  official  life, 
it  would  be  interesting  to  know  ;  provided  the  reader 
could  be  placed  in  a  comfortable  position  to  see  and 
hear,  during  the  progress  of  the  trial.  But,  for  fear  of 
offending  some  sensitive  nature,  I  will  proceed  to  the 
investigation  of  a  civil  case,  in  which  the  litigants, 
especially  on  one  side,  are  more  respectable. 


Partisan  Justice.  75 

The  board  of  commissioners  of  West  county  was  com- 
posed of  two  negroes  and  one  "  imported  statesman  " 
from  New  Jersey,  and  they  promptly  refused  payment 
of  the  notes  given  to  Colonel  Albert  Seaton  by  the 
county,  which  were  found  in  the  cave  in  Glen  Echo,  and 
Major  Wyland  as  promptly  instituted  suit,  asking  for 
judgment  against  the  county  and  for  a  manda'nius 
against  the  board  of  commissioners  to  compel  them  to 
levy  the  necessary  taxes  to  liquidate  the  debt.  The 
case  came  on  for  trial  at  the  May  term,  1870,  of  the 
Superior  Court  for  West  county,  and  a  large  concourse 
of  people  assembled  in  the  court-house  to  hear  the  trial, 
nearly  all  of  them  being  sympathizers  with  the  cause  of 
the  plaintiff. 

The  court-house  in  Westville  was  a  model  stone  struc- 
ture, situated  in  the  centre  of  a  large  square  and  sur- 
rounded by  magnificent  oaks.  The  ground  was  cov- 
ered with  a  beautiful  coat  of  grass,  and  under  each  tree 
was  one  or  more  seats,  or  benches,  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  suitors  and  witnesses,  who  generally  remained 
outside  until  the  case  in  which  thev  were  interested 
was  reached,  when  they  would  be  called  at  the  window 
by  the  court  crier.  The  crier  at  this  time  was  Dick 
Madison,  a  negro  preacher,  who  officiated  in  the  court- 
house during  the  week,  and  dispensed  "  de  word  ob  de 
Lawd"  to  an  admiring  and  gullible  congregation  on 
Sunday,  and  whose  stentorian  tones  could  be  heard  for 
miles  around. 

Promptly  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  20th 
of  May,  1870,  Judge  Farwell  took  his  seaton  the  bench 
of  the  Superior  Court  for  West  county,  and  directed 


76  Kv^Klux  Klan  Wo.  Ifi. 

the  crier  to  open  court  in  the  usual  form,  which  that 
sable  son  of  Ham  proceeded  to  do  as  follows:  "Oh, 
yes!  oh,  yes !  dis  honible  co't  is  now  open  an'  reddy  fur 
bizness ;  Gawd  save  de  State  an'  dis  honible  co't ! " 

Those  who  had  failed  to  notice  the  ringing  of  the 
court-house  bell  were  aroused  by  the  stentorian  voice 
of  the  crier,  and  came  rushing  into  the  court-room  at 
such  a  rate  that  the  house  was  soon  densely  packed. 

The  first  case  appearing  on  the  docket  for  trial  was 
entitled :  "Albert  Seaton,  Jr.,  administrator  of  Albert 
Seaton,  Sr  ,  -y.  The  Commissioners  of  West  County — 
Action  for  debt."  Major  Wyland  appeared  for  the 
plaintiff,  and  Donald  Weston,  Esq.,  who,  by  reason  of 
the  prominence  given  him  by  his  official  position  and 
by  reason  of  the  supposition  that  he  "  had  the  ear  of 
the  judge,"  had  become  the  chief  oracle  of  the  party  in 
that  section,  was  employed  by  the  defendant  commis- 
sioners to  represent  the  interests  of  the  county. 

The  complaint  was  read  by  Major  Wyland,  which 
alleged  in  substance  that  the  county  was  indebted  to 
the  plaintiff's  intestate  in  the  sum  of  six  thousand  dol- 
lars, which  money  had  been  loaned  the  county  to  pro- 
cure salt  for  the  starving  families  of  Confederate  sol- 
diers, and  other  destitute  persons  during  the  late  war ; 
that  the  money  was  duly  applied  as  designed ;  that  the 
debt  thus  created  was  secured  by  the  notes  sued  on, 
which  had  been  duly  signed  and  delivered  by  the  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  as  required 
by  law,  and  that  no  part  of  the  said  notes  had  ever 
been  paid. 

Weston  responded  by  reading  an  elaborate  demurrer 


Partisan  Justice.  77 

(all  pleadings  filed  by  amateur  lawyers  are  elaborate), 
the  substance  of  which  was  that  the  defendants  demur- 
red, because: 

1.  The  court  had  no  jurisdiction  of  the  subject-mat- 
ter of  the  action. 

2.  The  complaint  did  not  state  facts  sufficient  to  con- 
stitute a  cause  of  action,  since  it  appeared  from  the 
complaint  that  the  contract  sued  on  was  based  on  an 
illegal  consideration,  the  money  for  which  the  notes 
were  given  having  been  used  to  aid  the  rebellion. 

Having,  under  the  rules,  the  right  to  open  and  con- 
clude the  argument  on  the  demurrer,  Weston  addressed 
the  court  as  follows : 

'"''May  it  please  your  Honor :  The  question  presented 
for  the  determination  of  the  court  by  the  complaint 
and  demurrer  filed  in  this  case,  it  seems  to  me,  may  be 
summarized  in  one  leading  proposition:  Was  the  debt 
sued  on  contracted,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  aid  or 
support  of  the  rebellion  ?  If  so,  then  the  contract  is 
void,  as  coming  within  the  inhibition  of  the  ordinance 
of  the  Convention  and  the  State  Constitution.  I  would 
call  your  Honor's  attention,  first,  to  the  fact  that  the 
people  of  this  State,  in  Convention  assembled,  solemnly 
ordained  that  all  debts  incurred  by  the  State  in  aid  of 
the  late  rebellion,  directly  or  indirectly,  are  void,  and 
no  General  Assembly  of  this  State  shall  have  power  to 
assume  or  provide  for  the  payment  of  the  same  or  any 
portion  thereof,  nor  to  assume  or  provide  for  the  pay- 
ment of  any  portion  of  the  debts  incurred,  directly  or 
indirectly,  by  the  late  so-called  Confederate  States.  I 
will  read  to  you  further  from  the  Constitution : 


78  Ku-Klux  Elan  No.  J^O. 

"'No  county,  city,  town,  or  other  municipal  corpo- 
ration, shall  assume  or  pay,  nor  shall  any  tax  be  levied 
or  collected  for,  the  payment  of  any  debt,  or  the  inter- 
est upon  any  debt,  contracted  directly  or  indirectly  in 
aid  or  support  of  the  rebellion.' 

"  Here,  may  it  please  vour  Honor,  the  people  of  this 
State,  as  in  all  other  Southern  States,  have  solemnly 
declared,  through  their  highest  law-making  power,  that 
no  debt  contracted  in  aid  or  support  of  the  rebellion 
shall  be  recognized  as  valid,  and  this  declaration  of  the 
will  of  the  people  is  obligatory  upon  the  courts.     So, 
now,  recurring  to  the  proposition  I  at  lirst  announced : 
Was  furnishing  salt  to  the  people  during  the  war  a  meas- 
ure calculated  and  intended  to  aid  the  rebellion?     As 
counsel  for  the  defendants,  it  becomes  my  duty,  in  argu 
ing  the  demurrer,  to  maintain  the  affirmative  of  this 
issue;  and,  in  doing  so,  I  wish  to  inquire,  first,  what 
relation  the  county  of  West  sustained  towards  therig-ht- 
ful  government  of  the  State  at  the  time  this  contract 
was  made  ?     It  is  a  fact,  of  which  this  court  is  bound  to 
take  judicial  notice,  that  at  the  date  of  this  contract, 
the  persons  exercising  the  power  of  the  State,  and  the 
persons  exercising  the  power  of  West  county,  had  dis- 
avowed their  allegiance  to  the  government  of  the  United 
States  and  to  the  rightful  State  government,  and  had 
assumed  an  attitude  of  open  hostility  to  the  rightful 
State  government  and  to  the  United  States  government. 
There  was  rebellion  in  the  State,  and  the  spirit  of  rebel- 
lion reigned  supreme.     It  follows,  therefore,  that  this 
court,  which  simply  exercises  the  functions  and  powers 
of  the  rightful  State  government  after  regaining  its 


Partisan  Justice.  79 

supremacy,  cannot  treat  the  acts  and  contracts  of  per- 
sons so  unlawfully  exercising  the  powers  of  the  State 
and  county  authority  as  valid,  unless  the  court  is  satis- 
fied that  the  acts  were  innocent,  and  such  as  the  lawful 
government  would  have  done.  In  this  case  the  plaintiff 
is  asking  the  court  to  compel  the  present  county  com- 
missioners, who  are  in  the  rightful  exercise  of  the  power 
of  the  county,  to  perform  a  contract  made  by  a  set  of  men 
who  were  wrongfully  pretending  to  act  as  commissioners 
and  exercise  the  power  of  the  county  in  1862.  Any  act 
which  would  not  have  been  done  except  for  the  existence 
of  the  rebellion,  and  which  was  calculated  to  counteract 
the  measures  adopted  by  the  government  of  the  United 
States  for  its  suppression,  and  to  enable  the  people  in  in- 
surrection to  protract  the  unholy  struggle,  was  in  aid  of 
the  rebellion.  Furnishing  salt  for  the  use  of  the  women 
and  children  at  home,  was  clearly  calculated  to  counter- 
act the  blockade  and  other  measures  resorted  to  by  the 
United  States  to  suppress  the  rebellion ;  because  the 
rebels  in  arms  were  thereby  relieved  of  the  duty  of 
laying  down  their  arms,  and  returning  to  the  support  of 
those  for  whose  subsistence  they  were  responsible,  and 
were  enabled  thereby  to  protract  the  struggle ;  and  the 
plea  that  the  women  and  children  were  in  a  state  of 
actual  starvation,  and  that  the  motive  in  contracting 
the  debt  was  to  do  an  act  of  charity  and  humanity,  and 
mitigate  the  rigors  of  war,  is  but  a  simple  confession  of 
the  illegality  of  the  contract ;  because  the  laws  of  war 
are  paramount  to  motives  of  charity  and  humanity,  and 
starving  the  women  and  children  was  a  legitimate 
means,  adopted  by  the  rightful  government,  to  compel 
the  rebel  authorities  to  surrender." 


80  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

Maj.  "Wyland  listened  to  the  above  argument,  espe- 
cially to  the  closing  sentences,  with  real  anguish  of  heart, 
but  every  exhibition  of  feeling  or  passion  was  suppressed 
with  the  iron  will  of  a  Stoic,  On  the  street,  he  probably 
would  have  resented  the  avowal  of  the  monstrous  propo- 
sition that  starving  innocent  women  and  children  was  a 
legitimate  means  of  terminating  a  war ;  but  in  the  court- 
house he  was  nothing  but  a  lawyer — cool,  careful,  and 
deliberate — and  every  passion,  or  thought,  that  was 
calculated  to  becloud  his  mental  vision,  or  detract,  in 
any  way,  from  his  reasoning  powers,  was  banished  at 
once.  He  knew  that  the  legal  attainments  of  his  antag 
onist  were  very  limited,  and  that  he  was  inexperienced, 
and  he  had  observed,  also,  that  Weston  had  cited  no 
authorities  to  sustain  the  position  he  had  assumed ;  but 
still  he  recognized  the  strong  native  ability  of  his  oppo- 
nent, and  realized  the  fact  that,  with  the  evident  preju- 
dice of  the  presiding  judge  against  him,  he  had  a  fight 
on  his  hands  that  required  skillful  argument,  supported 
by  an  abundant  array  of  authorities  and  precedents. 
As  he  arose  to  address  the  court,  in  reply,  he  glanced 
at  Weston,  and  made  toward  him  a  peculiar  gesture, 
indicative  of  displeasure,  which  he  habitually  did  when 
aroused  to  indignation ;  but  that  eminent  worthy  sim- 
ply assumed  a  more  defiant  attitude,  and  looked  more 
than  ever  like  a  cabbage,  all  head  and  no  body,  while 
a  smile  of  anticipated  triumph  played  over  his  features. 
Maj.  Wyland  said : 

"  May  it  please  your  Honor :  I  have  listened  to  the 
argument  of  the  counsel  for  the  defendant  in  this  case 


Partisan  Justice.  81 

with  that  degree  of  interest  and  attention  which  a  legal 
argument  alwaj^s  elicits  from  me,  especially  when  I  know 
it  to  be  my  duty  to  oppose  the  application  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  law  sought  to  be  enforced ;  but  I  must  confess 
that  the  avowal  of  such  a  monstrous  proposition  of  law 
as  that  feeding  the  non-combatant,  starving  and  help- 
less women  and  children,  in  a  time  of  war,  is  aiding  the 
rebellion  in  such  a  sense  as  to  make  void  a  contract  for 
food  furnished  them,  is  a  declaration  of  a  doctrine  that 
is  unwarranted  by  authority,  and  one  that  the  moral 
sentiment  of  mankind  can  never  approve,  nor  the  courts 
enforce,  without  contravening  all  the  traditions  and  his- 
tory of  free  government,  and  crushing  the  very  genius 
of  liberty  itself.  The  complaint  in  this  case  states  that 
the  contract  was  made  in  a  time  of  great  scarcity ;  that 
the  destitution  of  the  people  was  such  that  they  could 
not  procure  salt,  and  that  they  had,  in  many  instances, 
been  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  digging  up  the  dirt 
under  their  meat  houses  and  boiling  it,  to  extract  the 
salt  which  the  earth  had  absorbed.  The  legal  effect  of 
a  demurrer  is  to  admit  the  truth  of  all  the  facts  stated 
in  the  complaint;  so,  then,  the  motive,  as  appears 
by  the  facts  admitted,  was  not  war,  but  simply  to  sup- 
ply the  urgent  wants  of  our  nature. 

"  But  I  am  aware,  your  Honor,  that  the  moral  aspect 
of  this  case  is  not  to  be  allowed  to  dictate  the  opinion 
of  the  court,  and  I,  therefore,  plant  myself  squarely  on 
the  law,  and  insist  that,  by  a  strict  construction  of  the 
principle  of  law  involved,  the  plaintiff  is  entitled  to 
recover. 

"  A  preliminary  question  is :  What  was  the  relation 


82  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

between  the  State  and  the  United  States  when  this  con- 
tract was  made? 

"  In  Thorington  v.  Smith,  8  Wall.,  1,  it  is  settled  that  it 
was  a  de  facto  government,  and  that  its  civil  adminis- 
tration was  lawful,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  citizens 
to  observe  the  laws  of  a  peaceful  character.  ■ 

"  In  U.  S.  V.  Rice,  4  Wheat.,  246,  and  in  O.  S.  v.  How- 
a/rd,  2  Gall.,  485,  and  in  WhecU.  Int.  Nat.  Law,  337,  345 
and  346,  it  is  held  that  the  conquest  and  military  occu- 
pation of  part  of  our  territory  by  the  public  enemy  makes 
it  foreign  territory,  and  subject  to  the  laws  arising  out 
of  that  relation. 

"  In  the  Sarah  Starr.  Bl.  Prize  cases,  69,  it  is  settled 
that,  for  all  purposes  of  the  war,  it  was  a  war  with  a  for- 
eign power,  and  involved  all  the  consequences  of  interna- 
tional wars. 

"In  the  cases  of  the  Union  Ins.  Co.  v.  U.S.,  6  Wall, 
759,  and  Armstrong'' s  Foundry,  6  Wall.,  766,  it  is  decided 
that  the  laws  of  capture  and  jprize  apply  to  the  acts  of 
confiscation  of  rebel  property — otherwise,  the  law  of 
nations. 

"  And  in  Shanks  v.  Dupont,  3  Pet.,  260,  it  is  held  that 
the  relation  between  the  body  politic  and  its  members 
continues  the  same,  notwithstanding  a  change  of  govern- 
ment. 

"  I.  From  these  authorities  are  deduced  clearly  these 
conclusions : 

"  1.  That  we  had  a  civil  government  in  this  State  com- 
petent to  enact  all  civil  laws  not  belligerent  to  the  United 
States. 

"  2.  And  that  the  law  of  nations  governed  the  conduct 
of  the  war  between  the  State  and  the  United  States. 


Partisan  Justice.  83 

"  3.  The}^  establish  this  further  principle,  if  our  case 
required  it — that  the  law  of  nations,  which  is  part  of 
the  common  law,  is  as  obligatory  upon  a  nation  dealing 
with  its  own  subjects  as  with  foreign  nations. 

"  II.  The  second  proposition,  and  main  one,  is,  that 
this  contract  is  not  forbidden  by  the  law  of  nations,  or 
the  law  which  governs  a  nation  at  war  with  its  own 
subjects,  in  a  state  of  rebellion  of  the  magnitude  and 
acknowledged  character  of  this. 

"  The  uniform  decisions  of  the  courts  of  all  nations  for 
many  ages,  and  the  writings  of  eminent  jurists,  have 
settled  what  acts  and  things  constitute  that  '  aid  to  a 
war',  which  is  forbidden,  so  as  to  become  the  subject  of 
judicial  cognizance.  If  two  nations  go  to  war,  it  is  the 
duty  of  all  others  to  stand  off,  and  furnish  no  aid  to 
either.  If,  however,  the  subjects  of  another  govern- 
ment do  furnish  supplies  calculated  and  intended  to  aid 
one  party  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  these  supplies 
are  called  '-  contraband,  of  war ^  ^nd  become  the  subject 
of  capture  and  prize. 

"The  term  contraband,  then,  embraces,  and  was  in- 
tended to  embrace,  every  act  or  thing  which  is  in  '  aid 
of  a  war  or  rebellion,  in  a  legal  sense. 

"  What,  then,  is  contraband  of  war  f 

"All  merchandise  is  divided  into  three  classes : 

"  1.  Articles  manufactured  and  primarily  and  exclu- 
sively used  for  military  purposes  in  time  of  war. 

"  2.  Articles  which  may  be,  and  are,  used  for  purposes 
of  war  or  peace,  according  to  circumstances. 

"  3.  Articles  exclusively  used  for  peaceful  purposes. 

"  Provisions  belong  to  the  second  class,  and  is  our 
case. 


84  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

As  to  these,  the  rule  is  that  they  are  contraband  only 
when  actually  destined  to  the  military  or  naval  use  of 
the  belligerents.  Wheaton  Int.  Nat.  Law,  pp.  376-381 ; 
1  Kent  Coin.,  pp.  134-41 ;  The  Peterhoff,  5  Wall.,  58. 

"  From  these  cases  and  the  text-books  is  clearly  de- 
rived this  proposition — that  salt  is  never  contraband  or 
in  aid  of  war  unless  actually  destined  to  the  military 
use  of  the  belligerents,  as  to  a  besieged  place,  or  the 
army.  In  our  case  the  facts  are  that  the  salt  was  sent 
to  and  used  only  by  the  women  and  children  at  home. 

"  Take  the  case  of  Leak  v.  Commissioners  of  Hichmond 
County,  64  N.  C,  132 :  Grant  intercepts  provisions  go- 
ing intoYicksburg,  a  heseiged  town.  They  are  clearly 
contraband.  But  if  Vicksburg  had  not  been  beseiged, 
and  no  hostile  army  there,  it  is  equally  clear  they  would 
not  be  contraband, 

"  It  is  established,  then,  that  the  purchase  of  salt  for 
the  people  of  the  county  was  an  act  lawful  and  innocent 
in  itself ;  and  he  who  affirms  the  contrarj"  must  show 
it.  We  do  not  rest  our  case  here,  as  we  might,  but  as- 
sume the  affirmative  of  establishing  our  innocence  in 
fact. 

"  The  Acts  of  Assembly  are  divisible  into  two  classes : 
1.  Those  in  aid,  of  the  war,  which  are  void.  2.  Those 
of  civil  administration,  which  are  valid,  as  settled  in 
Thorington  v.  Smith.     ISTote  the  facts  in  detail. 

"  1.  It  is  '  an  act  for  the  supply  of  salt'  and  confined 
to  that  one  purpose  of  distribution  among  the  home 
people,  without  any  reference  to  a  military  purpose. 

"  2.  Ko  act  touching  military  supplies  was  passed  in 
reference  to  it. 


PartisrjM  Justice.  85 

"  3.  The  legislature  observed  the  distinction  between 
acts  of  a  military  and  civil  nature,  and  the  captions  so 
designate  them  generally,  or  the  body  of  the  act  does. 
So  much  for  the  legislature.     Now  as  to  the  count}^ : 

"  1.  The  county  is  not  sovereign,  and  has  only  limited 
delegated  powers.  Being  a  mere  subordinate  agent, 
the  agent  may  be  innocent,  although  the  principal  is 
guilty.  Here  all  the  facts  establish  the  unwarlike  and 
innocent  purpose  of  the  county. 

"  2.  The  loan  was  made  twelve  months  after  the  act, 
under  the  pressure  of  necessity,  'great  scarcity,  and  the 
people  were  in  great  need  of  salt ',  the  case  states.  The 
motive,  then,  was  not  war ;  but  to  supply  the  urgent 
wants  of  our  nature. 

"  3.  The  most  scrupulous  provision  was  made  to  se- 
cure an  equal  and  uniform  distribution  among  all,  black 
and  white,  at  home,  thus  rebutting  all  hostile  purpose. 

"  4.  The  county  passed  '  no  act  of  secession ',  no  '  series 
of  war  measures ',  but  was  a  subordinate  fraction  of  the 
State,  and  bound,  willing  or  not,  to  obey ;  and  without 
power  to  resist  the  State. 

"  But  the  county  might  he  guilty  and  the  plaintiff  not. 

"  1.  His  act  was  involuntary;  the  county  went  to  him 
to  borrow. 

"  2.  The  county  agent  merely  stated  to  him  that  he 
wanted  the  salt  for  the  people  of  the  county — a  non- 
military  purpose. 

"  4.  No  guilty  knowledge  of  an  unlawful  purpose  on 
his  part  is  shown.  He  was  not  bound  to  know  a  void 
act  of  the  legislature,  and  no  actual  notice  is  proved. 

"  5.  Finally  the  claim  is  audited,  and  allowed  by  the 
county  court,  in  1867. 


86  Kvr~Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

"  Then,  why  should  not  this  debt  be  paid  ?  If  a  famine 
had  occurred  in  time  of  peace  (and  history  is  full  of 
instances)  a  civil  government  which  folded  its  hands, 
stood  aloof  and  said  to  the  sufferers,  '  perish !'  would 
have  been  looked  upon  by  all  mankind  with  horror  and 
detestation.  Is  the  duty  less  sacred,  because  the  famine 
is  in  consequence  of  war  and  rebellion,  and  the  govern- 
ment is  de  facto  and  not  dejuref 

"  The  distinction,  as  I  have  already  said,  is  one  that 
the  moral  sentiment  of  mankind  can  never  apj^rove, 
and  is  unwarranted  by  authority.  The  doctrine  of  what 
is  '  aid  to  rebellion '  may  be  carried  to  such  an  extent 
that  our  courts  will  become  a  means  of  oppression,  in- 
stead of  a  place  to  which  the  injured  may  resort  for 
the  enforcement  of  his  rights.  Such  an  error,  I  am  sure, 
this  court  would  wish  to  avoid." 

When  Major  Wyland  closed  his  argument,  the  audi- 
ence, nearly  all  of  whom  had  sympathized  with  the 
cause  of  the  plaintiff  from  the  beginning,  gave  evident 
signs  of  approval,  and  a  subdued  whisper  pervaded  the 
whole  court-room.  "Weston  arose  to  reply,  but  Judge 
Farwell,  who  well  knew  the  inability  of  his  friend  to 
combat  the  legal  points  presented  by  Maj.  Wyland, 
motioned  for  silence  and  said : 

"  I  think  it  altogether  unnecessary  to  protract  the  ar- 
gument in  this  case  further.  It  is  conceded  in  the  author, 
ities  cited  by  the  counsel  for  the  plaintiff  that,  in  case  of 
a  blockade,  an  attempt  to  introduce  salt  or  other  provis- 
ions violates  the  law  of  nations,  and  the  articles  are  law- 
ful prizes,  for  the  reason  that  by  the  blockade  it  is  pro- 


Partisan  Justice.  87 

claimed  to  the  world  that  starvation  is  resorted  to  as  one 
of  the  means  of  compelling  peace,  and,  this  being  recog- 
nized by  the  law  of  nations  as  one  of  the  means  that  a 
belligerent  may  resort  to,  any  one  venturing  to  run  the 
blockade  does  so  at  his  peril.  Now,  it  is  a  historical  fact, 
of  which  the  court  may  take  judicial  notice,  that  the  late 
war  was  conducted  on  a  scale  of  magnificent  proportions. 
The  whole  South  was  in  a  state  of  seige  at  the  time  the 
contract  sued  on  was  made — a  blockade  and  military  pos- 
session of  ports  on  the  east  and  south !  arms  on  the 
north  and  west !  It  is,  therefore,  the  opinion  of  this 
court  that  the  manufacture  and  distribution  of  salt  by 
the  wrongful  authorities  in  possession  of  the  State  gov- 
ernment, and  the  wrongful  county  authorities,  was  in 
contravention  of  the  avowed  polic}'^  of  the  government 
of  the  United  States,  and  in  aid  of  the  rebellion,  as  tend- 
ing to  protract  the  struggle ;  and  that  money  loaned  to 
the  county  in  order  to  procure  salt  for  the  use  of  soldiers' 
families,  and  other  destitute  persons,  cannot  be  recov- 
ered. Judgment  will  therefore  be  entered  for  the  de- 
fendant commissioners,  and  against  the  plaintiff."* 

On  the  announcement  of  the  decision  of  the  court, 
Albert  Seaton  sat  for  a  moment,  stupefied  with  astonish- 
ment, and  then  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  in  a  paroxysm 
of  despair.  How  could  he  inform  his  invalid  mother  of 
the  disastrous  termination  of  the  suit  ?  Only  a  few  days 
before,  he  had  induced  her  to  sign  with  him  a  mortgage 
on  the  old  homestead,  to  enable  him  to  purchase  the  out- 


^ 


*  The  author  pleads  guilty  to  the  charge  of  plagiarism  in  this  chapter, 
having  quoted  largely  from  the  opinion  in  State  v.  Commissioners,  64  N.  C. 
Rep.,  516,  and  from  the  brief  filed  by  the  counsel  for  plaintiflF  in  that  case. 


88  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  Jf-O. 

of  the  Westmlle  Conservative.,  and  he  had  just  entered 
upon  his  editorial  duties  with  a  high  hope  of  being 
able  to  liquidate  the  mortgage  at  once  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  suit,  but  now  all  his  hopes  had  been  dashed 
to  the  ground  with  one  blow,  and  the  dear  old  home- 
stead would  be  obliged  to  be  sold. 

Albert  was  sitting  in  this  posture  when  Major  Wyland 
approached,  and  touching  him  gently  on  the  shoulder, 
said,  "Arise,  my  boy,  and  let  us  us  go  home.  We  have 
no  further  business  here.  When  our  courts  of  justice 
are  prostituted  to  the  service  of  partisan  hatred,  and 
our  judges  view  everything  through  the  green  goggles 
of  prejudice,  our  rights  are  no  longer  protected,  and 
it  is  useless  to  seek  an  enforcement  of  them  in  court." 
The  irate  old  lawyer  spoke  with  much  feeling,  and 
exhibited,  for  the  first  time  during  the  day,  evidences 
of  the  strong  and  rankling  passions  that  were  tearing 
his  breast. 

As  Albert  turned  to  take  the  arm  of  his  counsel  and 
leave  the  court-room,  he  cast  an  appealing  look  at  Judge 
Farwell,  but  that  dignitary  met  his  glance  with  averted 
face,  and  directed  his  sable  assistant,  the  crier,  to  ad- 
journ court  for  the  day. 

Major  Wyland  and  Albert  went  directly  from  the 
court-house  to  the  home  of  Major  Wyland,  where  they 
found  Minnie  and  Albert's  sister,  Bessie,  waiting  to 
learn  the  result  of  the  suit.  The  Wyland  residence 
was  a  magnificent  stone  structure,  situated  on  a  com- 
manding eminence  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town,  and 
was  surrounded  by  large  and  beautiful  magnolias  and 
other  evergreens.     The  place   exhibited  no   signs  of 


Partismi  Justice.  89 

dilapidation  and  ruin,  the  usual  painful  remembrances 
of  the  vanished  fortunes  of  Southern  aristocracy ;  for 
as  late  as  the  year  1870,  many  of  our  blue-blooded  aris- 
tocrats were  still  gnawing  the  bones  of  an  ante-lellmn 
wealth  that  dissolved  before  the  sunlight  of  emancipa- 
tion But  everything  about  the  premises  showed  evi- 
dences of  a  luxuriant  prosperity. 

As  Albert  entered  the  large  folding-door  of  the  man- 
sion, his  sister  met  him,  eager  to  hear  the  news ;  but  his 
haggard  appearance  told  the  story  at  once.  "Oh,  my 
brother,"  she  sobbed,  "  I  see  it  is  useless  to  ask  you  the 
termination  of  the  case ;  the  pallor  of  disappointment 
is  on  your  face." 

The  agitation  of  his  sister  nerved  him  to  make  a  brave 
reply,  for  a  true  man  always  becomes  stronger  at  the 
sight  of  helplessness  around  him.  "  Never  mind,  my 
sister,"  said  Albert,  "  the  case  is  not  hopelessly  lost  yet, 
for  we  have  the  right  of  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  it  may  be  that  the  appellate  court  will  interpret  the 
law  differently,  and  the  right  may  yet  prevail." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  do  not  feel  very  confident 
of  success  before  the  Supreme  Court,"  interposed  Maj. 
Wyland;  "fori  have  observed  with  extreme  regret 
the  partisan  bias  manifested  by  that  court  recently, 
and  they  have  already  decided,  adversely  to  the  claim- 
ants, questions  of  a  similar  character  to  that  presented 
by  the  case  to-day.  Indeed,  the  active  participation 
of  the  members  of  that  court  in  political  affairs  has 
attracted  the  attention  of  members  of  the  bar  through- 
out the  State;  and  so  deep  have  they  descended  into 
the  depths  of  partisan  mire  that  the  lawyers  who  prac- 
6 


90  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  k.0. 

tice  before  the  court,  or  at  least  a  large  number  of  them, 
have  felt  it  to  be  their  imperative  duty,  in  order  to  pre- 
serve the  dignity  of  that  tribunal,  to  publish  a  solemn 
protest  against  their  participation  in  political  struggles." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Albert,  "  and  I  believe  those  same 
lawyers  have  been  punished  for  their  alleged  imperti- 
nence by  being  attached  for  contempt  and  deprived  of 
the  privilege  of  appearing  before  the  court  until  they 
purge  themselves  of  the  contempt." 

"And  they  may  wait  for  an  answer  to  their  rule  to 
show  cause  why  I  should  not  be  attached  for  contempt 
until  the  devil  summons  them  to  answer  for  their  own 
real  sins,"  answered  the  old  lawyer  defiantly.  "  I  signed 
the  protest,  because  I  deprecated  the  action  of  our  Su- 
preme Court  judges  in  entering  the  campaign,  and  I 
would  suffer  my  tongue  to  rot  in  the  palate  of  my 
mouth  before  I  would  utter  one  word  of  excuse  for  my 
action,  and  I  would  let  my  right  arm  become  palsied 
by  inaction  before  I  would  sign  any  answer  disavowing 
my  contempt." 

"  But  tell  me,  father,"  said  Minnie,  "  why  Judge  Far- 
well  decided  against  you  to-day.  I  thought  you  were 
confident  of  success  this  morning." 

"Because  he  is  a  miserable  time-server  and  dema- 
gogue, instead  of  an  impartial  judge,"  answered  the 
major  roughly. 

"  But  surely  he  could  not  decide  the  matter  arbitrarily 
and  without  any  authority  or  reason  to  support  his 
opinion,"  said  Bessie,  as  she  took  her  seat  on  the  sofa 
beside  Minnie  and  placed  her  arm  tenderly  around  her 
waist.  She  knew  that  Minnie  loved  the  judge,  and  she 
saw  how  the  harsh  words  of  Maj.  Wyland  had  wounded 


Partisan  Justice.  91 

her  heart,  and  she  hastened  to  sustain  and  comfort  her 
with  a  woman's  sympathy. 

"  I  know  of  no  authority  in  law,  reason,  or  humanity 
to  sustain,  or  even  justify,  his  decision,"  answered  the 
major. 

"  Father,"  said  Minnie  in  a  voice  almost  choked  with 
emotion,  "  I  cannot  believe  that  Judge  Farwell  would 
do  any  one  the  injustice  to  arbitrarily  refuse  to  grant 
relief  in  a  case  of  that  kind.  He  surely  could  have  no 
motive  for  doing  Albert  an  injury." 

"  Motive,"  answered  her  father  indignantly  ;  "  there 
was  motive  enongh  to  my  mind.  His  object  was  to 
pander  to  the  prejudices  of  radical  reconstructionists, 
and  in  order  to  do  so  he  was  willing  to  prostitute  our 
courts  of  justice  to  serve  base  party  purposes,  while 
other  scapegrace  carpet-baggers  and  scalawags  rob  and 
impoverish  the  State  and  try  to  make  us  bear  our  hu- 
miliation without  murmuring." 

"  Oh,  papa,  don't  speak  so  harshly,"  said  Minnie,  as 
she  laid  her  head  on  Bessie's  shoulder  and  sobbed  audi- 
bly and  bitterly.  "  Be  charitable  enough,  at  least  to- 
ward me,  to  assign  some  reason  for  his  action." 

"  Then  I  will  give  you  the  only  reason  assigned  by 
himself  for  his  decision  while  on  the  bench,"  said  the 
major.  "  He  based  his  opinion  on  the  principle  that 
the  whole  South  during  the  war  was  in  a  state  of  seige, 
and  that  even  articles  of  provision  furnished  the  be- 
seiged  became  contraband  of  war,  and  on  that  principle 
he  decided  that  money  loaned  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
curing salt  for  starving  women  and  children  at  home 
could  not  be  recovered  in  court.     And  I  tell  you,  Min- 


92  KvrrKlux  Klan  No.  40. 

nie,  and  I  say  it  emphatically  and  authoritatively,  that 
any  man  who  entertains  such  an  opinion  as  that  is  not 
worthy  of  the  hand  of  any  Southern  girl,  who  loves 
her  country  and  cherishes  its  history  and  traditions." 

At  this  Minnie  commenced  crying,  and  Albert  and 
Bessie,  seeing  how  embarrassing  the  situation  was  be- 
coming, bade  their  friends  good  evening,  and  returned 
home  to  go  through  the  same  scene  of  weeping  with 
their  invalid  mother. 

Tears  are  women's  weapons,  and  are  the  most  elo- 
quent and  persuasive  arguments  that  can  be  produced. 
At  the  sight  of  his  daughter  lying  prostrate  and  in  tears 
on  the  sofa,  the  stern  father  relented,  at  least  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  folded  her  in  his  arms,  and,  stroking 
her  fevered  forehead  gently  with  his  hand,  said  :  "My 
daughter,  I  did  not  wish  to  wound  your  heart  unneces- 
sarily. You  may  think  me  stern  and  inflexible  when 
I  ought  to  be  more  indulgent,  but  I  want  to  re-assure 
you  that  my  harshest  treatment  is  from  a  father's  love 
and  consideration  for  your  future  happiness.  I  have 
an  inveterate  hatred  for  the  man  you  have  chosen  to  be 
your  future  husband,  and  his  decision  to-day  shows  him 
to  be  so  utterly  destitute  of  all  human  sympathy  that  I 
regard  him  as  more  of  a  monster  than  ever.  I  think 
his  judgment  in  that  case  to-day  a  disgrace  to  the  judi- 
ciary of  our  State.  But  let  us  not  talk  more  of  this 
matter  now.  I  am  satisfied  that  future  events  will  vin- 
dicate my  course,  and  convince  you  that  it  would  be 
supreme  folly  to  entrust  your  happiness  to  the  keeping 
of  on(3  who  disregards  the  ties  of  common  humanity 
and  justice. 


Partisan  Justice.  93 

"  Now  retire  to  your  room,  my  darling,  and  dry  your 
tears,  and  don't  think  your  father  cruel.  Ever  since 
the  day  you  were  born,  I  have  loved  you  as  my  only 
offspring,  and  ever  since  the  death  of  your  dear  mother, 
1  have  bestowed  upon  you  the  undivided  affections 
of  my  heart.  Listen  to  me,  my  sweet  child,"  and  the 
father  patted  his  daughter  on  her  cheeks  and  wiped 
away  her  tears  with  his  handkerchief  as  he  spoke: 
"  There  is  no  wish  of  your  heart  but  that  shall  be  grati- 
fied, if  I  can  only  be  convinced  that  to  grant  it  will  not 
endanger  your  future  welfare ;  and  I  promise  you  now 
that  if  future  events  shall  convince  me  that  I  have  mis- 
judged him  whom  you  love,  I  will  make  every  repara- 
tion in  my  power,  and  not  a  single  desire  of  yours  shall 
ever  be  thwarted  by  any  intervention  on  mv  part.  Go 
to  bed,  darling,  and  you  shall  yet  be  happy.  Good 
night." 

The  old  lawyer  kissed  his  daughter  affectionately,  as 
he  bade  her  good  night,  and  Minnie  retired  to  her  room. 
The  father  repaired  to  his  study,  and  again  he  was  only 
a  lawyer,  utterly  destitute  of  all  sympathy  or  affection, 
and  totally  oblivious  of  everything  unconnected  with 
the  legal  question  that  for  hours  absorbed  his  attention. 


94:  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  W. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

LOVE   OR   GOLD? 

On  the  morning  after  the  trial  of  the  famous  salt  case. 
Donald  Weston  sat  in  his  room  at  the  Midland  hotel, 
wrapped  in  profound  meditation.     He  was  in  a  quan- 
dary, and  this  was  it:  He  was  desperately  in  love  with 
Minnie  Wyland,  but  at  the  same  time  he  was  terribly 
infatuated  with  the  schemes  of  public  plunder  inaugu- 
rated by  the  solons  of  the  "grip-sack  party,"  and  he 
was  constantly  beset  by  the  alluring  temptation  to  stuff 
his  grip-sack  with  gold  and  the  fraudulent  tax  bonds, 
which  the  political  cormorants  at  the  State  Capital  had 
caused  to  be  issued ;  but  he  knew   he  could  not  win 
both,  and  that  if  he  ever  expected  to  possess  Minnie 
Wyland  as  a  wife,  he  would  have  to  sever  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Kepublican  party,  and  give  up  all  hope 
of  further  political  preferment  and   of  accumulating 
riches  by  the  nefarious  schemes  practiced  around  him. 
To  seek  to  win  the  hand  of  Minnie  would  make  him 
guilty  of  treason  and  ingratitude  toward  his  friend  and 
benefactor,  whom  he  knew  to  be  her  affianced  ;  to  enter 
into  the  saturnalia  of  public  plunder  and  financial  de- 
bauchery, then  being  carried  on  about  him,  would  make 
him  guilty  of  treason  and  theft  as  against  the  State,  for 
he  was  well  aware  of  the  fraudulent  character  of  the 
bonds  issued.     His  conscience  was  flexible  enough  to 
permit  him  to  do  either,  without  being  harassed  with 
any  compunction  ;  and  so,  his  conscience  being  easy,  he 


Ixyoe  or  Gold.  95 

simply  sat  and  weighed  in  his  mind  the  two  passions 
of  love  and  greed,  and  waited  to  see  which  would  con- 
quer in  the  struggle.  And  yet  he  was  not  altogether 
like  a  ship,  plunged  in  turbulent  waters  without  a  rud- 
der. The  astuteness  of  his  powerful  mind,  which  never 
deserted  him,  was  stronger  than  any  malady  that  ran- 
kled in  his  heart ;  and  reason,  untrammelled  by  con- 
science and  influenced  solely  by  selfish  motives,  became 
the  rudder  to  guide  his  course  through  the  agitated 
waters. 

Minnie  Wyland,  he  reasoned,  was  an  only  child,  and 
her  father  was  already  immensely  rich,  having  wisely 
invested  all  his  accumulations  before  the  war  in  real 
estate,  instead  of  following  the  popular  method  of  invest- 
ing in  human  chattels ;  and,  besides,  he  had  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice  as  an  attorney,  and  a  conjugal  part- 
nership with  the  daughter  and  only  heir  and  a  business 
partnership  with  the  old  man,  could  not  be  considered 
a  very  hazardous  and  foolish  venture.  Besides,  he  was 
not  altogether  certain  that  the  carnival  of  crime  and 
political  corruption,  practiced  by  the  dominant  party, 
would  go  alwa3^s  unpunished  ;  or  that  the  Republican 
party  would  remain  always  in  power,  though  he  was 
fully  cognizant  of  the  fact  that  a  gigantic  conspiracy 
had  been  concocted,  by  the  Governor  and  his  unscrupu- 
lous coadjutors  in  this  State  and  at  Washington  City, 
to  perpetuate  the  reign  of  that  party  by  the  aid  of 
Federal  bayonets  and  the  State  militia. 

He  had  frequently  visited  Minnie  at  her  home  since 
his  first  meeting  with  her  at  the  ruins  of  the  old  mill 
on  the  river,  having  become  the  principal  means  of 


96  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Jf.0. 

communication  between  her  and  her  banished  lover ;  and 
he  had  so  often  hinted  his  unbounded  admiration  for 
her  that  he  felt  sure  the  declaration  of  love,  which  he 
finally  decided  to  make  that  evening  and  so  settle  the 
question  whether  in  the  future  he  should  continue  to 
be  a  faithless  friend  or  political  miscreant,  would  not 
so  startle  her  that  he  would  be  unable  to  obtain,  at 
least,  a  respectful  hearing.  The  crafty  little  dema- 
gogue had  so  far  pursued  a  very  conservative  course 
in  all  matters  relating  to  the  public  for  the  sole  pur- 
pose of  ingratiating  himself  into  the  good  graces  of 
Minnie  and  her  father,  and  in  order  to  quietly  supplant 
Judge  Farwell  in  the  affections  of  his  betrothed ;  but 
he  knew  that  the  sentiments,  expressed  by  him  on  the 
trial  the  preceding  day,  would  have  a  tendency  to  in- 
jure him  in  the  estimation  of  the  "Bourbon  element," 
as  the  faction  to  which  Major  Wyland  belonged  was 
called,  and  it  was  this  reflection  that  caused  him  to 
resolve  to  act  so  precipitately  in  declaring  his  love. 
If  he  should  be  successful  in  his  suit,  he  would  resign 
his  office  as  prosecuting  attorney  for  that  district  and 
repudiate  the  Republican  party  forever;  if  he  should 
be  discarded,  he  would  be  ready  to  plunge  at  once  into 
the  wildest  excesses  of  extravagance — thievery  and 
scoundrelism  that  then  reveled  in  the  State — and  swim 
with  the  tide.  He  felt  that  Major  Wyland  was  too 
much  of  a  lawyer  himself  not  to  reserve  for  him  the 
charitable  thought  that  the  sentiments  he  expressed 
on  the  trial  of  the  salt  case  might  not  have  emanated 
from  the  heart,  but  were  possibly  the  feigned  senti- 
ments of  a  lawyer,  resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  gain- 


Lo'oe  or  Oold.  97 

ing  his  case,  and  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  satisfy  Minnie 
with  the  same  explanation. 

Having  resolved  to  turn  patriot  and  repudiate  the 
party  of  corruption  and  thievery,  on  condition  that 
Minnie  should  accept  him  as  a  lover  and  discard  Judge 
Farwell  (the  condition  was  quite  apposite  since  patriot- 
ism, as  Dr.  Johnson  observes,  is  the  last  refuge  of  a 
scoundrel),  he  proceeded,  as  soon  as  evening  approached, 
to  wend  his  way  toward  the  object  of  his  passion, 
determined  to  make  one  desperate  eflfort  to  win  her 
hand,  though  he  knew  that  in  so  doing  he  was  flinging 
away  forever  the  friendship  and  respect  of  the  friend  of 
his  youth  and  benefactor  of  his  manhood  years  on  the 
bare  risk  of  success. 

He  found  Minnie  sitting  on  a  rustic  seat,  under  a 
large  elm  in  one  corner  of  the  yard,  looking  more  dis- 
consolate than  he  had  ever  seen  her.  She  held  a  book  in 
her  hand  and  pretended  to  be  reading,  but  her  swollen 
eyes  and  troubled  appearance  in  general  showed 
too  plainly  that  her  thoughts  were  not  on  the  book. 
Weston  had  observed  the  haggard  expression  on  her 
countenance  before  she  discovered  his  presence,  and 
shrewdly  divined  the  cause,  and  when  she  looked  up 
and  he  saw  on  her  face  an  expression  of  relief,  his  heart 
bounded  with  a  hope  it  had  never  before  known.  It 
showed  that  she  was  glad  to  see  him,  at  least. 

"  Good  evening.  Miss  Minnie,"  he  said,  bowing  po- 
litely ;  "  I  am  very  glad  to  find  you  out  in  the  open  air 
this  beautiful  evening.  I  hope  your  mind  is  as  tranquil 
and  your  heart  as  light  as  the  gentle  zephyrs  around 
you." 


98  Kii^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

"  Good  evening,  Mr.  Weston,"  answered  Minnie,  ris- 
ing and  bowing  with  her  accustomed  grace;  "I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  I  do  not  enjoy,  this  evening,  that  happy 
state  of  mind  and  heart  your  kindness  would  wish  for 
me ;  but  it  may  be  that  you  will  be  able  to  tranquilize 
ray  mind  and  make  my  heart  beat  in  consonance  with 
the  peaceful  scenery  around  me.     Pray  be  seated." 

"  I  am  sure,  it  would  afford  me  much  pleasure  to  be 
able  to  assist  you  in  securing  all  the  happiness  that  the 
most  favored  existence  can  afford,"  said  Weston,  taking 
a  seat  beside  her.  He  wanted  to  say,  further,  that  the 
object  of  his  visit  was  to  offer  her  just  such  a  state  of 
ecstatic  bliss,  but  he  feared  to  be  too  precipitate. 

"  I  am  satisfied  from  the  favors  you  have  formerly 
shown  me,"  answered  Minnie,  "  that  you  would  do  all 
in  your  power  to  add  to  my  happiness.  You  know  that 
at  the  suggestion  of  Judge  Farw^ell,  I  have  given  you 
my  confidence,  and  in  many  instances  I  have  treated 
you  as  a  confidential  friend  and  adviser,  and  it  is  in  re- 
gard to  him  that  I  wish  to  speak  with  you  this  even- 
ing." 

"And  what  is  it  you  want  to  know  about  him  ? " 

"Oh,  I  want  to  know  all  about  the  trial  yesterday," 
answered  Minnie,  speaking  earnestly,  "  Papa  says  it  is 
a  disgrace  to  the  whole  judiciary  of  the  State." 

"  I  cannot  agree  with  your  father,  that  other  judges 
are  to  be  held  responsible  for  one  man's  mistakes,"  he 
answered  ;  "  but  I  must  confess  that,  in  my  estimation, 
the  decision  is  one  that  will  not  add  anv  lustre  to  Judge 
Farwell's  fame  as  a  judge." 

"  Then  you  really  think  he  did  wrong  ? "  asked  Min- 


Love  or  Gold.  99 

nie,  vainly  trying  to  suppress  a  tear  that  scalded  her 
eyelid.  "  Ought  we  not  to  be  charitable  enough  to  say 
that  it  was  probably  a  mistake,  and  not  a  wilful  per- 
version of  justice  ? " 

^  I  would  very  gladly  give  him  credit  for  simply  mak- 
ing a  mistake,"  Weston  answered  ;  "  but  my  knowledge 
of  the  true  facts  compels  the  admission  that,  in  my 
opinion,  he  was  simply  carrying  out  the  policy  dictated 
by  the  governor,  which  is  to  humiliate  all  those  who 
adhere  to  the  Conservative  or  Democratic  party,  and 
to  drive  them,  by  whatever  means,  into  the  Republcan 
party." 

"And  what  are  the  facts  which  justify  such  an  opin- 
ion?" asked  Minnie,  still  clinging  to  her  affianced  and 
vainly  trying  to  defend  his  actions  against  the  artful 
wiles  of  the  wretch  b}^  her  side. 

"  Why,  simply  that  we  discussed  the  case  together 
before  the  trial  came  on,"  answered  Weston;  "and  I 
know  his  sentiments  and  true  judgment  on  the  ques- 
tions involved.  He  intimated  to  me  that  such  would 
be  his  decision  when  the  action  was  first  instituted, 
and  before  I  tiled  my  demurrer.  I  protested  against 
filing  such  a  demurrer  for  a  long  time ;  but  my  clients, 
the  county  commissioners,  were  aware  of  his  opinion, 
and  I  was  forced  to  succumb  in  deference  to  their 
wishes,  or  give  up  the  case  after  having  been  retained 
by  the  payment  of  a  fee.  Besides,  I  was  inexperienced 
myself,  and  had  great  respect  for,  and  confidence  in, 
Judge  Farwell's  judgment  until  I  heard  the  masterful 
argument  of  your  father." 

The  villian  knew  all  this  was  a  lie,  but  he  had  set 


100  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

out  with  the  purpose  of  doing  all  the  lying  necessary 
to  accomplish  his  object,  and  he  knew  that  Minnie's 
confidence  in  the  judge  would  be  very  much  shaken 
by  such  statements  from  one  whom  she  trusted  as  his 
friend  as  well  as  hers. 

Minnie  sighed  deeply,  and  for  a  few  moments  neither 
spoke.  The  one  was  weighing  in  her  mind  all  the 
charges  she  had  heard  in  regard  to  Judge  Farwell, 
against  the  many  excellent  qualities  she  knew  he  pos- 
sessed ;  while  the  other  was  considering,  cautiously,  to 
what  extend  he  should  attempt  to  poison  her  mind 
against  the  judge  before  declaring  his  own  love.  At 
last  Weston  broke  the  silence. 

"  I  assure  you.  Miss  Minnie,  that  it  grieves  me,  as 
much  as  you,  to  have  my  faith  shaken  in  the  man  whom 
I  have  respected  and  admired  since  my  early  youth.  It 
has  pained  me  very  much  lately  to  observe  his  tendency 
toward  the  extreme  partisan  measures  inflicted  upon 
the  people  by  the  demagogues  and  unprincipled  adven- 
turers now  in  power  in  this  State.  I  have  often  admon- 
ished him  of  this  evil  inclination,  and  have  frequently 
warned  him  that  his  membership  in  the  Union  League 
would  prove  to  be  the  rock  upon  which  his  political 
fortunes  would  be  wrecked." 

"Oh,  do  not  tell  me  he  belongs  to  the  detestable 
Union  League,"  said  Minnie,  shuddering  at  the  thought. 

"  Yes,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  inform  you  of  these  facts," 
answered  the  serpent,  "  because  I  would  not  wish  to 
appear  as  responsible  for  any  deception  as  to  his  true 
character  that  might  be  practiced  upon  you.  I  have 
several  times  sought  the  opportunity  of  making  this 


Love  or  Gold.  101 

disclosure,  but  have  been  deterred  from  doing  so  by  a 
friendly  consideration  for  your  own  feelings." 

"I  appreciate  your  kindness,"  she  answered.  "You 
were  very  considerate  to  think  of  my  happiness  at  all." 

"I  assure  you  I  have  thought  of  nothing  else  lately," 
said  the  wily  serpent.  "  Indeed,  if  my  mind  should 
follow  the  inclination  of  my  heart,  my  only  thought 
would  be  that  your  happiness  was  inseparably  con- 
nected with  my  own." 

"  I  do  not  think  I  comprehend  your  meaning,"  she 
answered. 

Weston  saw  that  the  supreme  moment  of  his  life  had 
arrived,  and  he  nerved  himself  for  the  ordeal. 

"  I  mean  simply,"  he  answered,  and  his  voice  trem- 
bled with  real  emotion,  "  that  I  love  you,  myself,  and 
my  highest  ambition  is  to  have  you  reciprocate  that 
feeling." 

Minnie  cast  her  eyes  upon  the  ground,  and  restlessly 
turned  the  leaves  of  her  book. 

"I  am  surprised  at  you,  Mr.  Weston,"  she  answered 
at  last.     "I  had  not  thought  of  such  a  thing." 

"Indeed,  I  know  you  have  not,"  he  answered;  "but 
still,  I  have  been  burning  to  tell  you  of  my  love  for  sev- 
eral days.  I  have  governed  my  passion  with  the  hero- 
ism of  a  Stoic,  and  have  bided  the  time,  which  I  knew 
would  come,  when  the  true  character  of  your  accepted 
lover  would  be  disclosed  to  you,  and  you  would  be 
ready  to  hear  my  own  story,  without  accusing  mS  of 
faithlessness  toward  Judge  Farwell,  and  without  the 
necessity,  on  my  part,  of  appearing  as  his  rival." 

"  I  have  not  yet  discarded  Judge  Farwell,"  answered 


102  Kyr-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

Minnie,  decidedly,  "  though  I  must  confess  that  the 
events  of  yesterday,  and  the  facts  you  have  related  to 
me  this  evening,  have  rudely  shaken  my  plighted  faith. 
Still,  the  vows  of  love  are  not  to  be  ruthlessly  broken." 

"  Nor  the  offerings  of  love  to  be  ruthlessly  trampled 
upon,"  answered  Weston,  while  the  burning  passion  of 
his  soul  beamed  eloquently  through  his  piercing  black 
eyes. 

"  Oh,  do  not  speak  to  me  of  this  matter  now,"  she 
said  ;  "my  heart  is  already  broken." 

"  Then  it  ought  to  be  the  more  accessible,"  he  an- 
swered. 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  she  answered ;  "  the  rent  heart 
only  asks  for  time  to  heal." 

"Is  not  love  the  only  balm  for  a  wounded  heart?" 

"  Yes,  I  believe  it  is." 

"  Then  accept  my  love,  and  do  not  torture  me  longer. 
Oh,  Minnie,"  he  said,  rising  and  looking  her  full  in  the 
face,  while  his  tremulous  voice  and  passionate  eyes 
told  beyond  dispute  the  genuineness  and  depth  of  his 
love,  "  I  love  you  with  all  the  ardor  of  my  burning 
soul !  I  throw  my  life  and  future  happiness  at  your 
feet !  Do  not  despise  me !  Love  me !  Be  my  wife,  and 
I  will  rob  heaven  itself  of  its  sweetest  comforts  to  make 
you  happy ! " 

"  Mr. Weston,"  answered  Minnie,  after  a  few  moments 
spent  in  deep  reflection,  "  I  think  a  man  pays  a  woman 
the  highest  compliment  possible  when  he  offers  her  his 
love  and  asks  her  to  be  his  wife.  I  am  sure  I  appreci- 
ate the  comphment  yoM  have  paid  me,  but ." 

"  Please  do  not  tell  me  you  appreciate  it  only  as  a 
compliment,"  interrupted  Weston  eagerly.  "  Love  onh^ 


Lo'oe  or  Gold.  103 

is  the  return  for  love.  All  else  is  emptiness  to  the  heart 
that  offers  love.  Do  not  dismiss  me  in  that  way.  Only 
tell  me  you  will  consider  the  matter.  It  may  be  that  I 
have  been  too  precipitate.  Give  me  but  a  ray  of  hope, 
and  Cupid  himself  shall  lend  it  effulgence." 

"I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Weston,"  and  the  girl  spoke  calmly 
now,  "  but  my  love  is  forever  pledged  to  another.  It 
may  be  that  I  have  been  deceived  in  him,  and  that  he 
is  not  the  honorable  and  upright  gentleman  I  have 
esteemed  him  to  be.  If  so,  then  my  heart  is  sealed 
against  the  love  of  all  men  forever,  I  cannot  love 
another." 

"  Then  you  reject  my  suit,  and  spurn  the  offer  of  my 
love?" 

"Do  not  say   'reject'  and    'spurn,'"    said   Minnie; 

"those  are  harsh   words,  and  I  did  not  apply  them. 

Say,  rather,  that  my  heart  is  another's  until  time  shall 

reveal  his  true  character,  at  least,  and  that  I  cannot  love 

another  even  though  I  should  cease  to  love  him." 

"And  I  do  not  even  have  your  permission  to  renew 
my  plea,  but  must  regard  your  decision  to-day  as  final  'V 

"Yes,  as  final,"  but  the  girl  spoke  kindly,  and  there 
was  the  sound  of  compassion  in  her  voice. 

"Then  I  leave  you  ;  but  remember,  proud  girl,  that  I 
shall  re(^rn  to  you  again,"  and  the  wily,  creeping,  cring- 
ing, fawning,  wiry  serpent  began  to  hiss  at  the  object 
of  his  passion.  "And  if  I  do  return,  it  will  be  as  the 
villain  of  villains,  and  your  circumstances  will  then  be 
such  that  you  may  be  ready  to  accept  the  proffered 
hand  of  the  villain  and  be  free ! " 

"  Mr.  Weston,"  said  Minnie,  rising  and  trembling  vio- 
lently with  fear,  "  your  language  appalls  and  frightens 


104  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

me.  I  cannot  imagine  how  I  have  so  incurred  your  dis- 
pleasure, and  am  sure  I  meant  you  no  injury.  I  do  not 
see  why  our  friendship  should  be  changed  into  the 
deadly  enmity  you  threaten  me  with,  simply  because 
I  tell  you  I  cannot  love  you." 

"  Friendship ! "  echoed  the  enraged  little  man  in  a 
fury  of  passion.  "And  I  will  yet  change  that  friend- 
ship into  love,  or  I  will  make  the  very  remembrance  of 
it  a  canker  in  your  brain  that  will  drive  you  to  distrac- 
tion ! " 

Minnie  now  became  seriously  alarmed,  and  retreated 
hastily  toward  the  house,  leaving  the  baffled  and  re- 
jected little  demon  alone  in  the  yard. 

As  soon  as  Weston  recovered  from  the  blindness  of 
his  fury,  he  walked  back  to  his  hotel,  and  entering  his 
room  he  unlocked  his  trunk  and  unfolded  his  commis- 
sion as  solicitor  for  the  judicial  district. 

"This,"  said  he,  holding  it  proudly  and  defiantly 
above  his  head,  "  is  the  emblem  of  my  authority  and 
the  weapon  of  my  power.  By  this  weapon  I  will  smite 
to  the  ground  every  barrier  that  impedes  me  in  my 
career  toward  fame  and  wealth,  (?r,"  and  he  clenched 
his  fists  and  fairly  hissed  the  words,  "  that  opposes  my 
marriage  with  Minnie  WylandP'' 


Two   Villains  Meet.  105 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

TWO    VILLAINS    MEET. 

It  was  on  a  beautiful  afternoon  in  June,  1870,  and  not 
many  days  after  tiie  events  recorded  in  the  last  chap- 
ter, when  Donald  Weston  alighted  from  a  carriage  in 
front  of  a  log  school-house.  In  this  unpretentious  lit- 
tle building  Peter  Tinklepaugh,  the  mixed-blooded  little 
pedagogue,  with  whom  we  formed  an  acquaintance  in 
a  former  chapter, 

" reared  the  hickory  sprout, 


And  taught  the  little  black  urchins  how  to  shout." 

On  the  announcement  of  Weston's  appearance  at 
the  door,  Tinklepaugh  went  forward  to  meet  him  with 
a  bland  smile,  and  his  little  villainous  heart  was  filled 
with  as  much  genuine  joy  as  that  little  receptacle  of 
so  many  wicked  designs  could  possibly  hold.  He  gave 
the  hand  of  his  visitor  a  cordial  grasp,  and  invited  him 
in  the  house,  with  many  assurances  of  his  pleasure  at 
meeting  him,  and  of  his  appreciation  of  the  honor  of 
receiving  a  visit  from  so  distinguished  a  personage. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Mr. 
Tinklepaugh,"  said  Weston,  as  he  advanced  to  the 
proffered  seat  on  one  of  the  rude  benches  next  to  the 
log  wall,  which  had  been  speedily  vacated  in  his  honor. 

"  I  hope  you  will  make  yourself  as  comfortable  as 
our  meagre  accommodations  will  allow,  while  we  finish 
the  few  remaining  exercises  of  the  evening,"  said  Mr. 
Tinklepaugh. 
7 


106  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J(0. 

"Do  not  let  me  interrupt  your  work,"  answered 
Weston,  "  and  I  assure  you  I  will  be  quite  comfortable 
here  by  this  window.  I  have  no  doubt,  too,  that  I 
will  enjoy  listening  to  the  exercises  of  your  pupils, 
and  witnessing  the  advancement  made  by  them  since 
their  emancipation." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  we  are  so  seldom  honored 
by  the  appearance  of  a  visitor  at  this  institution  that 
we  have  made  very  little  preparation  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  others,"  answered  Peter.  "  However,  we  will 
do  the  best  we  can,  and  I  hope  our  faults  will  be  over- 
looked out  of  charity." 

"  I  assure  you  I  fully  appreciate  the  many  difficulties 
you  have  to  encounter,"  answered  Weston,  "  and  I  de- 
sire, also,  to  be  allowed  to  pay  you  the  high  compliment 
of  attesting  the  appreciation  of  your  friends  of  the 
fact  that  you  possess  bravery  enough  to  defy  popular 
prejudice  and  pursue  your  present  occupation." 

"  No  one  has  felt  more  keenly  than  I  the  extent  and 
bitterness  of  that  prejudice,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 
"  I  have  been  scourged  and  whipped,  threatened  with 
death,  and  actually  shot  at  by  the  murderous  Ku-Klux, 
until  I  feel  that  my  life  is  in  danger." 

"  I  wonder  that  you  have  the  courage  to  pursue  your 
avocation  in  the  face  of  such  danger,"  said  Weston. 

"Ought  a  father  to  refuse  bread  to  his  children? 
Ought  a  patriot  to  remain  idle,  simply  because  his  path 
is  beset  by  dangers,  when  he  sees  so  much  illiteracy 
around  him,  and  that,  too,  among  those  lately  raised 
to  the  rights  of  citizenship  and  the  dignity  of  sover- 
eigns?    We  have  taken  the  shackles  of  slavery  from 


Two  Villains  Meet.  107 

their  feet,  and  in  so  doing  we  were  shot  at  and  pierced 
and  butchered,  and  many  of  our  brave  brothers  slaua^h- 
tered  on  the  field  of  battle ;  and  shall  we  now  refuse 
to  lift  the  manacles  of  a  deadlier  slavery  from  their 
minds,  simply  because  we  have  to  face  anew  the  same 
dangers?"  And  the  little  pedagogue's  eyes  fairly 
beamed  with  patriotic  ardor. 

"  I  must  confess  that  to  do  so  would  look  like  we  had 
turned  cowards  after  bravely  winning  only  one-half 
the  battle,"  answered  Weston.  "  To  desert  the  negro 
now  and  leave  him  to  the  mercy  of  the  rebellious, 
liberty-hating  and  slavery-loving  Bourbons,  who  have 
such  an  insane  desire  to  keep  him  in  ignorance,  and 
consequent  semi-slavery,  that  their  most  inveterate 
hatred  is  directed  against  those  who  seek  to  enlighten 
him,  is  to  rob  the  poor  negro  of  the  real  fruit  of  our 
victory  in  battle,  and  leave  him  with  only  the  empty 
hull." 

"That  is  the  true  sentiment,  and  fitly  expressed," 
said  Tinklepaugh. 

"  I  have  often  wondered  at  the  indifference  mani- 
fested by  our  people  up  North  in  respect  to  the  situa- 
tion down  South,"  said  Weston,  after  a  pause.  .  "  The 
North  gave  the  negro  his  freedom,  and  afterwards 
clothed  him  with  the  emblematic  weapon  of  a  freeman, 
the  ballot ;  and  it  does  seem  to  me,  that  if  the  old  pro- 
slavery  element  continues  much  longer  to  deprive  him 
of  his  right  to  exercise  his  privilege  as  a  citizen,  and 
continues  to  kill  and  whip  those  who  seek  to  instruct 
him  how  to  perform  the  duties  of  citizenship,  the  gen- 
eral government  ought  to  interfere  and  protect  him  in 


108  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

his  rights — and  his  instructors,  too — by  direct  govern- 
mental aid." 

"  I  agree  with  you  exactly  in  that,"  answered  Tin- 
klepaugh,  "and  I  desire  to  speak  with  you  further  on 
that  subject,  and  privately ;  but  let  my  students  now 
give  you  a  few  readings  and  recitations,  and  I  will 
then  dismiss  the  school  for  the  day." 

"  I  will  be  delighted  to  hear  them,"  answered  Weston, 
wishing  to  cultivate  as  strong  a  friendship  with  the 
little  teacher  as  possible,  and  well  knowing  that  a  man- 
ifestation of  sympathy  with  him  in  his  work  was  the 
most  effective  way  of  reaching  him. 

The  school  consisted  of  about  forty  dusky  students, 
and  was  made  up  of  nearly  all  ages.  The  little  ragged 
and  dirty  urchin  was  there,  with  his  little  primer  with 
big  flaming  letters ;  the  athletic  youth  and  kinky-headed 
maiden,  with  their  spelling-books  and  first  readers ; 
the  middle-aged  man  and  matron,  who  sometimes  ex- 
changed for  the  purpose  of  reciting  the  well-thumbed 
and  dirty  little  primer  with  their  own  offspring ;  and 
even  the  gray-haired  son  of  slavery  was  there,  w^ho 
had  wasted  his  strength,  both  mental  and  physical, 
before  .being  accorded  the  privilege  of  atttending 
school — all  of  them  exceedingly  anxious  to  "git  an 
eddication,  an'  be  like  de  white  folks." 

They  were  all  more  or  less  embarrassed  by  the  unex- 
pected appearance  and  presence  of  their  visitor,  for 
few  white  people  had  ever  had  the  temerity  to  visit 
that  school ;  but  their  pieces  were  generally  well  deliv- 
ered, and  all  acquitted  themselves  creditably,  every- 
thing considered.     A  few  of  them  read  difficult  selec- 


Two  Villains  Meet.  109 

tions  very  intelligently,  and  the  delivery  of  some  of 
the  recitations  evinced  a  considerable  degree  of  talent 
in  the  reciter,  though  negroes  always  recite  and  de- 
claim well  if  properly  trained.  Their  voices  are  more 
musical  than  those  of  the  Caucasian,  and  their  intona- 
tion better,  provided  there  be  equal  culture  and  prep- 
aration. One  of  the  recitations,  by  a  full-chested  and 
deep-voiced  young  man  of  about  twenty-five,  was 
especially  well  rendered,  and  it  is  here  reproduced  in 
full,  though  with  regret  that  it  is  impossible  to  repro- 
duce on  paper  the  perfect  intonation  of  voice  and  ad- 
mirable change  from  an  expression  of  levity,  in  the 
opening  verses,  to  one  of  deep-sorrow,  toward  the  close, 
followed  by  an  expression  of  hope,  as  set  forth  in  the 
last  two  verses.  The  Negro  is  a  natural  imitator  and 
miraicker,  and  the  young  man  gave  both  voice  and 
limbs  full  sway  as  he  recited  : 

MY  BRUDDER  SAM  AN'  I. 

De  happiest  niggers  on  de  farm 

Was  brudder  Sam  and  I; 
We  never  thought  to  do  no  harm, 

We  nebber  wouldn't  try. 

We  had  to  work  so  hard  all  day, 

Ob  which  we  was  not  fond; 
But  den,  at  twelve,  we'd  hab  our  play 

A  swimmin'  in  de  pond. 

At  night,  before  we  went  to  res', 

My  brudder  Sam  would  sing. 
An'  I  would  pat,  while  Bob  and  Jess 

Went  round  and  round  de  ring. 


110  Kv^Klux  Kl(m  No.  Jfi. 

We  danced  de  double-shuffle  den; 

We  made  de  welkin  ring; 
We  made  de  kitchen  trimble  when 

We  cut  de  "  pijen-wing." 

Ole  massa,  he'd  step  in  de  do', 

Or  in  de  winder  thrust 
His  silbry  head  to  see  de  show, 

An'  laff  till  he'd  almos'  bust. 

Ole  missus,  she  was  funny,  too. 
An'  laflfed  wid  ole  Mars  John; 

An'  often,  when  de  play  was  through, 
Would  ax  another  song. 

But  dat  good  time  hab  done  and  fled, 
'Twill  nebber  come  no  more; 

For  brudder  Sam  is  done  gone  dead — 
Is  gone  to  de  oder  shore. 

My  brudder  Sam  was  black  as  tar, 
His  eyes  was  big  an'  white; 

He  went  wid  massa  to  de  war — 
He  axed  him  if  he  might. 

An'  I  remember  well  de  hour 
Dat  come  for  us  to  part; 

His  partin'  words  fell  like  a  shower 
Ob  snow  upon  my  heart. 


"  Oh,  brudder  Sam,  1  lub  you  so- 
'Tis  thus  I  would  begin; 
But  massa  said  I  couldn't  go, 
And  den  I  cried  agin. 


We  all  did  cry,  an'  cry,  an'  cry; 

'Tis  sad  to  part,  you  know; 
I  thought  ole  missus  sure  would  die, 

To  see  ole  massa  go. 


Two  Villains  Meet.  Ill 

"  But  we'll  come  back,"  ole  massa  said, 
"  We'll  come  agin,  some  day," 
An'  den  he  left  U8,  an'  he  led 
My  brudder  Sam  away. 

I  watched  'em  passin'  down  de  lane, 

"Where  many  times  we  played; 
Dey  nebber  passed  dat  way  again — 

On  de  battle-field  dey  stayed. 

One  day  dere  came  a  letter  back. 

Which  missus  quickly  read; 
She  said  de  thing  had  gone  to  rack. 

An'  brudder  Sam  was  dead! 

At  las'  de  cruel  war  broke  up, 

Dey  hushed  de  battle  roar; 
But  still  dere's  bitter  in  my  cup. 

For  brudder  Sam's  no  more. 

O'er  field  an"  hill,  an'  on  de  shore. 
In  sadness,  still,  I  roam; 

But  brudder  Sam  I  see  no  more- 
He  nebber  does  come  home. 

His  grave  is  on  de  Georgia  plain. 

Oh,  miles  an'  miles  from  here; 
Dere  falls  de  gentle  summer  rain. 

An'  flowers  am  bloomin'  near. 

Some  day  de  Lord  will  say  to  me, 

"  Come  up,  come  up,  to  home; 
Come  up,  an'  all  my  glories  see, 

No  more  on  earth  you  roam." 

Oh,  den  I'll  rise,  on  snowy  wing. 

Up  to  de  distant  sky, 
An'  dere  will  join  once  more  an'  sing. 

My  brudder  Sam  an'  I. 


112  Kv^Klux  Klan  'No.  Ifi. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  recitation,  Tinklepaugh  tap- 
ped the  school-bell,  and  the  little  black  brats  scrambled 
and  tumbled  over  each  other  in  their  efforts  to  get  out, 
just  like  white  brats.  As  soon  as  the  last  little  kinky- 
head  was  out  of  sight,  as  they  all  went  galloping, 
pell-mell,  and  screaming  down  the  road,  Weston  turned 
to  Tinklepaugh  and  said  : 

"  I  have  sought  this  interview  with  you,  Mr.  Tinkle- 
paugh, because  I  have  been  informed,  by  those  who  are 
supposed  to  know,  that  you  are  a  man  to  be  relied  on 
when  any  service  is  to  be  performed  for  the  benefit  of 
the  party ;  and  I  wish  to  confer  with  you  in  regard  to 
the  advisability  of  taking  certain  steps  to  insure  a  ma- 
jority for  our  party  at  the  approaching  election.  You 
are  aware  that  the  election  comes  off  on  the  first  Thurs- 
day in  August,  and,  so  far,  very  little  effort  has  been 
made  to  put  into  operation  all  the  election  machinery 
at  our  disposal." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  talk  that  way,"  an- 
swered Tinklepaugh.  "  Indeed,  I  have  been  very  much 
mortified  at  the  indifference  and  inactivit}''  displayed 
by  the  leaders  of  our  party  so  far.  The  powerful  meas- 
ures resorted  to  by  the  Ku-Klux  Democrats  to  defeat 
us  at  the  polls,  in  August,  makes  the  situation  somewhat 
alarming." 

"And  yet  we  can  beat  them  easily,  if  we  will  only 
use  all  the  means  in  our  power  properly,"  said  Weston. 

"  Certainly  we  can,"  answered  Tinklepaugh  ;  "  but 
how  can  we  do  anything  so  long  as  our  Governor  listens 
more  to  the  voice  of  members  of  the  Inter-States  Land 
and  Improvement  Company  than  to  the  wail  of  Ku- 


Two  Villains  Meet.  113 

Klux  victims  ?  He  has  been  importuned  time  and  again 
to  declare  this  county  in  a  state  of  insurrection,  and  to 
call  out  the  militia,  under  the  wise  provisions  of  the 
Ku-Klux  bill ;  but  members  of  the  various  land  and  im- 
provement companies  protest  against  such  action,  sim- 
ply because  they  say  it  would  prevent  the  influx  of 
capital  into  the  State  for  the  Governor  to  declare  offi- 
cially that  insurrection  existed  in  the  State.  He  must 
be  interested  in  some  of  the  companies  himself." 

"  Perhaps  a  few  more  outrages  would  open  his  eyes," 
suggested  Weston. 

"But  they  don't  occur,"  ansAvered  Tinklepaugh  sor- 
rowfully. 

"  "Why  can't  we  make  them  occur  ?  What  has  become 
of  the  loyal  Union  League  ?" 

"  Oh,  that  organization  belongs  to  the  negroes,  you 
know,  and  they  are  all  natural  cowards.  The  League 
at  this  place  started  out  manfully  to  burn  all  the  barns 
and  granaries  belonging  to  the  Ku-Klux,  in  order  to 
make  the  Klan  retaliate  by  whipping  and  killing  Re- 
publicans ;  but  at  the  first  crack  of  a  pisfol  in  the  hands 
of  a  disguised  Ku-Klux,  they  all  faltered  and  hid,  al- 
though they  were  acting,  as  they  said,  under  the  orders 
of  the  Governor  himself,  though  I  never  believed  that." 

"My  own  election  comes  off  at  the  general  election 
in  August,"  said  Weston  ;  "  and  unless  I  can  have  the 
aid  of  the  presence  of  the  military  at  the  polls,  I  fear 
I  shall  be  defeated.  The  negro  is  afraid  to  vote  under 
the  eyes  of  a  Ku-Klux,  and  unless  they  have  something 
to  sustain  them,  they  will  refuse  to  vote." 

"And  even  with  the  aid  of  troops  at  the  polls  we  are 
not  going  to  have  a  walk-over,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 


114  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  W- 

"  I  have  carefully  considered  the  situation,  and  I  tell 
you  the  odds  are  against  us." 

"I  would  rather  die  than  to  be  defeated,"  said  Wes- 
ton, "  and  my  opponent  is  not  a  man  to  be  despised  as 
an  antagonist,  but  one  rather  to  be  dreaded." 

"  Colonel  William  Goldston  is  your  opponent,  I  be- 
lieve," said  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Yes,  and  he  is  a  shrewd  debater,  and  is  thoroughly 
conversant  with  the  political  history  of  the  State,  while 
my  own  knowledge  in  that  particular  is  extremely  mea- 
gre," answered  Weston. 

"  Oh,  well,  never  mind  him,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 
"  We'll  treat  him  again  as  we  did  when  he  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  in  1868." 

"And  how  was  that  ?"  asked  Weston. 

"  Why,"  he  answered,  "  have  you  never  heard  about 
that?  The  Democrats  bull-dozed  enough  voters  to  elect 
him  to  the  Legislature  in  1868,  but  when  he  got  there 
he  was  compelled  to  stand  aside,  and  was  not  permit- 
ted to  take  the  oath  of  office." 

"And  how,"  asked  Weston,  "could  they  prevent  him 
from  taking  the  oath  of  office  if  he  presented  his  certi- 
ficate of  election?" 

"  Oh,  that  was  simple  enough,"  answered  Tinkle- 
paugh. "  You  see  he  was  sheriff  of  West  county  be- 
fore the  war,  and  under  the  provisions  of  the  "  Iron- 
Clad  Oath,"  as  the  Democrats  term  it,  no  person  who 
held  office  before  the  war,  and  afterwards  engaged  in 
the  rebellion,  is  eligible  to  office  now  ;  and  so,  when  he 
presented  himself  for  installation  into  office,  he  was 
not  permitted  to  be  sworn  in  as  a  member  of  the  Leg- 
islature. And  twelve  others  were  treated  in  the  same 
way." 


Two  Villains  Meet.  115 

"  I  never  heard  of  that  before,"  said  Weston.  "  In 
fact,  I  never  before  had  any  idea  of  the  practical  ope- 
ration of  that  provision  of  the  oath  required  by  the 
act  of  Congress." 

"  You  see  we  have  evervthine;  in  our  own  hands,  if  we 
will  only  use  the  means  within  our  reach  to  perpetuate 
our  power,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Yes,  but  with  the  indomitable  and  fearless  Ku-Klux 
to  fight,  and  a  weak-kneed  Governor  sitting  at  the 
helm  to  direct  our  own  war-ship,  it  appears  to  me  that 
the  enemy  has  the  advantage  of  us  after  all,"  said 
Weston. 

"  But  we  must  use  our  power,"  answered  Tinklepaugh, 
with  emphasis,  "and  I  tell  you  there  is  but  one  way 
to  prevent  our  defeat  at  the  polls  in  August," 

"And  what  is  that?"  asked  Weston. 

"  For  the  Governor  to  order  out  the  militia,  and  let 
them  arrest  and  detain  in  prison,  until  after  the  elec- 
tion, enough  Democrats  to  ensure  a  victory  for  us," 
answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"But  how  shall  the  Governor  be  induced  to  act?" 

"  Stir  up  such  a  scene  of  carnage  and  bloodshed  that 
it  will  be  his  duty  to  do  so,  under  the  Ku-Klux  act." 

"But  how  can  that  be  done?  The  negroes  refuse 
to  act,  and  shall  we  shed  blood  with  our  own  hands?" 

"  Incite  the  members  of  the  Union  League  to  do  it. 
It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  imbue  our  own  hands  in 
blood." 

"But  how?" 

"  By  bribery.     Money  will  buy  a  negro's  soul." 

"  But  where  is  the  money  to  come  from  ? " 

"  Out  of  the  pockets  of  the  slain." 


116  Kv^Klux  Klcm  No.  W- 

For  a  few  moments  both  villains  sat  and  meditated 
in  silence.     At  last  "Weston  spoke : 

'•And  how  would  old  Jasper  Fontell  do  to  begin 
with  ?  He  sold  a  gold  mine  to  an  English  syndicate,  a 
few  weeks  ago,  and,  besides,  he  has  a  stack  of  railroad 
bonds." 

"  He  is  the  very  man,"  answered  Tinklepaugh.  ^'  His 
coffers  are  tilled  with  gold  and  bonds,  and  we  can  empty 
his  money-chests  at  the  same  time  we  drain  his  heart 
of  its  blood,  and  while  we  paint  the  bloody  picture  for 
the  Governor  with  his  gore,  we  can  buy  power  with 
his  gold." 

"  And  influence  with  his  bonds,"  said  Weston.  ''  I 
tell  you  there  is  nothing  like  having  a  pile  of  railroad 
bonds  to  give  one  influence  in  the  State.  With  his 
bonds  in  our  pockets,  we  may  make  ourselves  stock- 
holders and  directors  in  some  of  the  new  railroads." 

"  Pshaw ! "  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  these  railroads 
will  never  be  built.  It  was  never  intended  that  they 
should  be;  but,  then,  the  bonds  are  good,  anyway,  be- 
cause they  pledge  the  faith  of  the  State,  and  ample 
provision  will  be  made  for  their  payment  and  redemp- 
tion. But  how  shall  we  proceed  to  procure  those  bonds  ? 
What  precautions  are  necessary,  in  order  that  it  may 
appear  that  ho  was  certainly  murdered  by  the  Ku-Klux 
on  account  of  his  political  opinions?" 

"  That  is  the  point,"  answered  Weston.  "  It  must 
certainly  appear  to  be  a  political  murder,  and  there 
must  be  sufficient  evidence  to  implicate  the  Ku-Klux. 
I  would  never  consent  to  the  killing  of  any  man,  unless 
satisfied  that  his  death  would  serve  the  interests  of  the 
party." 


Two  Villains  Meet.  117 

"  Nor  I,  either,"  answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  Fealty  to 
the  party,  and  a  sincere  desire  to  promote  its  interests, 
are  the  only  motives  that  could  prompt  me  to  consent 
to  his  death,  and  it  may  be  that  we  will  serve  the  party 
in  more  ways  than  one  by  putting  old  Fontell  out  of 
the  way.  I  am  told  that  he  is  already  weakening  in 
his  support  of  the  party,  and  if  we  can  kill  a  Demo- 
crat, and  make  it  appear  that  the  Ku-Klux  have  killed 
a  Republican,  we  will  deprive  the  Democrats  of  one 
vote,  at  least,  and  then  if  the  Governor  will  act  in  the 
matter,  as  he  ought,  we  ma}^  be  able  to  get  many  more 
of  them  out  of  the  way  before  the  election,  without 
the  spilling  of  more  blood." 

"  If  he  has  severed  his  connection  with  the  party, 
then  it  will  do  no  good  to  kill  him,"  said  Weston.  "  I 
deplore  the  necessity  of  resorting  to  such  extreme 
measures,  anyway." 

"  Oh,  you  may  quiet  all  fears  on  that  score,"  answered 
Tinklepaugh.  "  I  have  no  idea  he  has  ever  told  anyone 
that  he  was  going  to  desert  the  party,  and  the  Ku-Klux 
still  regard  him  as  a  very  obnoxious  Eepublican." 

"  But  wh}',  then,  do  you  say  that  he  is  weakening  in 
his  support  of  the  party  ? "  asked  Weston. 

"  Oh,  simply  because  I  went  to  him,  as  chairman  of 
the  Republican  Executive  Committee  of  this  county,  a 
few  days  ago,  and  asked  him  for  money  to  bribe  the 
members  of  the  Union  League  and  spur  them  up  to 
more  active  service,  and  he  refused  to  contribute  any- 
thing, and  you  know  when  a  Republican  becomes  so 
lukewarm  as  to  refuse  to  donate  for  the  benefit  of  the 
party,  he  is  no  longer  to  be  implicitly  trusted." 

"  Especially  one  who  has  his  safe  full  of  State  bonds 


118  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  kO. 

that  were  almost  given  to  him  for  the  sake  of  his  inj9.u- 
ence,"  answered  Weston. 

"Yes,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "and  those  bonds 
were  given  him  with  the  expectation  of  receiving  a 
large  contribution  from  him  to  the  campaign  fund,  and 
I  reminded  him  of  that  fact  the  other  day,  but  it  seemed 
to  do  no  good." 

"  Well,"  said  Weston,  "  it  seems  to  me  that  a  man 
who  has  received  the  pecuniary  favors  bestowed  by  the 
party,  and  then  refuses  to  aid  us  in  time  of  need,  ought 
to  be  gotten  rid  of,  somehow,  and  I  am  more  than  ever 
satisfied  that  his  early  demise  is  a  political  necessity." 

"Then  I  understand  it  is  a  settled  fact  that  he  must 
go,"  said  Tinklepaugh, 

"  Yes,"  answered  Weston. 

"  Then  leave  the  details  of  the  plot  to  me." 

"Whv?" 

"  Because,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  in  the  first  place, 
it  is  impossible  to  make  all  the  preliminary  arrange- 
ments without  first  seeing  the  captain  of  the  Union 
League,  and  finding  out  just  how  many  will  participate 
in  the  deed ;  and,  besides,  the  woods  are  full  of  armed 
Ivu-Klux,  who  are  ever  on  the  alert,  and  if  we  should  be 
detected  and  captured  it  would  never  do  for  you  to  be 
along." 

"And  why  not  let  me  be  caught  as  well  as  you  ? " 
asked  Weston. 

"  Because  you  are  the  Solicitor  for  this  judicial  dis- 
trict," answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"And  what  has  my  official  position  to  do  with  a  mid- 
night assassination,  to  which  I  would  be,  at  least,  an 
accessory  before  the  fact  % " 


Two  Villains  Meet.  119 

"  Oh,  a  great  deal,"  answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  In  the 
first  place,  if  I  should  be  arrested,  you  could  use  your 
official  influence  to  have  me  released  on  straw  bail,  and 
I  could  then  make  my  escape;  but  if  you  should  be 

caught well,  we  will  not  discuss  that  matter,  since 

you  will  not  be  allowed  to  go." 

"  I  see  your  point,"  answered  Weston,  admiring  the 
ingenuity  of  his  co-conspirator,  "  and  I  am  willing  to 
trust  you  to  execute  the  scheme  in  every  particular. 
But  where  shall  we  meet  after  the  work  is  accom- 
plished?" 

''  To  divide  the  spoils,  you  mean  ?"  asked  Tinklepaugh. 

"Yes." 

"  In  your  room  at  your  hotel." 

"  But  why  not  let  me  come  to  you  ?  You  seem  to 
take  all  the  work  upon  yourself." 

"  I  tell  you  it  will  never  do  for  you  to  be  at  all  active 
in  the  matter,"  answered  Tinklepaugh  emphatically. 
"  If  our  scheme  succeeds  and  the  Governor  declares  this 
county  in  a  state  of  insurrection,  there  will  be  mutiny 
sure  enough,  and  a  reign  of  terror  in  the  community, 
and  every  movement  of  yours  will  be  watched  on  ac- 
count of  your  official  position." 

"Yery  well,"  answered  Weston;  "I  see  lean  rely 
on  your  judgment.  But  when  shall  the  work  be  done, 
and  when  shall  the  meeting  take  place?" 

"The  work  shall  be  done  immediately,  and  the  meet- 
ing will  take  place  on  the  night  afterwards,"  answered 
Tinklepaugh. 

"At  the  Midland  hotel  ? " 

"At  the  Midland  hotel  in  Westville.  I  know  the 
place,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 


120  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  JfO. 

"Can  you  obtain  real  Ku-Klux  disguises  for  our 
men  ? ".  asked  Weston. 

'*We  have  them  already  prepared,"  answered  Tin- 
klepaugh,  "  and  have  used  them  on  a  number  of  occa- 
sions." 

"And  the  Ku-Klux  have  been  saddled  with  the  crimes 
committed,"  said  Weston.  "May  you  succeed  in  this 
instance  as  well." 

"  Trust  me  to  carry  the  plot  to  a  successful  execu- 
tion," answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  and  reserve  all  your 
power  and  ingenuity  for  what  might  happen  hereafter." 

"  Good ;  I  can  trust  you,"  answered  Weston,  rising 
from  his  seat  on  the  steps  of  the  rude  hut  to  take  his 
leave. 

"Wait  one  moment,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  seeing  Wes- 
ton about  to  bid  him  good-bye.  "There  is  another 
matter,  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  about,  and  one  that  con- 
cerns, us  both  if  we  wish  to  see  our  schemes  succeed." 

"And  what  is  that?"  asked  Weston,  curious  to  know 
what  further  the  sagacious  little  pedagogue  had  to 
suggest. 

"  Why,  we  will  need  a  newspaper,"  answered  Tinkle- 
paugh. 

"And  what  do  we  want  with  a  newspaper,  I  should 
like  to  know?"  said  Weston.  "Do  you  expect  to  kill 
old  Fontell  with  vituperation  and  abuse  published  in  a 
newspaper  ?  I  had  anticipated  that  you  would  resort 
to  more  violent  measures." 

"And  so  we  will,  in  his  case,"  answered  Tinklepaugh  ; 
"  but  that  is  only  the  beginning  of  the  execution  of  our 
scheme,  you  know,  and  if  we  wish  to  carry  it  out  to 


Two  Villains  Meet.  121 

the  fullest  extent,  we  must  inflame  the  public  mind 
with  stories  of  Ku-Klux  outrages  until  it  will  make  the 
blood  curdle  in  one's  veins  to  hear  them,  and  there  is 
no  other  means  so  effectual  to  stir  up  the  public  mind 
to  mutiny  and  rage  as  a  newspaper  published  on  the 
scene  of  disturbance,  and  edited  by  some  one  who  is 
capable  of  depicting  the  horrors  of  sedition  in  the 
blackest  colors." 

"  The  newspaper,  then,  is  to  work  upon  the  minds 
of  the  Governor  and  the  leaders  of  the  party,"  said 
Weston. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  that  is  the  scheme." 

"  And  a  capital  scheme  it  is,  too,"  answered  Weston ; 
"  a  capital  one,  indeed.  I  am  surprised  that  we  had 
not  thought  of  that  before.  But  who  can  we  get  to 
edit  such  a  paper  ? " 

"  The  first  question  is,  where  can  we  get  the  money 
to  purchase  the  outfit?"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Oh,  we  can  find  the  money  very  easily,"  said  Wes- 
ton. "  I  will  furnish  the  money  myself,  if  no  one  else 
can  be  found  willing  to  advance  it,  simply  for  the  bene- 
fit I  hope  it  will  be  to  me  in  the  election." 

"  Then,  if  you  furnish  the  money,  you  will  be  sole 
owner  of  the  paper,  and  might  nominate  the  editor 
yourself,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Then  I  nominate  you,"  said  Weston.  "  Will  you 
accept  ? " 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  pretending  to  hesi- 
tate and  reflect  a  moment ;  "  Yes ;  my  school  will  be 
out  tomorrow,  and  I  will  accept  the  position  at  once." 

"Yery  well,"  answered  Weston,  "I  will  have  posters 
to  announce  the  appearance  of  the  paper  on  next 
8 


122  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  UO. 

Wednesday  aiorning.     But  what  shall  we  name  the 
infant?" 

"  Oh,  anything  you  suggest,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Then  we  will  call  it  the  Westville  RepvMican^''  said 
Weston. 

"  I  presume  you  wish  it  to  be  a  rival  of  the  Westville 
Conservative^  edited  by  Albert  Seaton,"  said  Tinkle- 
paugh. 

"  Yes,  and  a  terror  to  all  such  Ku-Klux  politicians," 
answered  Weston.  "But  what  night  shall  I  expect 
you  to  attend  to  old  man  Fontell?" 

"  On  next  Saturday  night,"  answered  Tinklepaugh, 
"  and  I  will  have  a  full  account  of  the  affair  in  the  first 
edition  of  the  Westville  Republicanr 

"And  a  true  account,"  laughed  Weston,  as  he  entered 
his  carriage  and  bade  Tinklepaugh  good-bye  a  second 
time. 

"  Yes,  a  true  account,  as  we  Avould  wish  the  Governor 
to  see  it,"  laughed  Tinklepaugh  in  reply,  as  the  wheels 
of  the  carriage  commenced  to  rattle  on  the  road  to- 
ward Westville. 

"  By  Jove !  I  am  glad  I  met  him,"  said  Tinklepaugh 
to  himself,  as  the  top  of  the  carriage  disappeared  in 
the  distance.  "  I  have  been  wanting  some  person  of 
his  ilk  to  co-operate  with  me  for  some  time,  and  he 
seems  to  be  the  very  character  I  have  been  looking  for. 
And  when  I  get  to  be  editor  of  that  paper,  every  arti- 
cle shall  be  written  with  a  pen  dipped  in  gall,  and  the 
hand  that  guides  the  pen  shall  be  propelled  by  malig- 
nity, hate,  rancor  and  malice,  until  the  very  streets  of 
Westville  shall  be  red  with  the  blood  of  those  who 
have  sneered  and  scoffed  at  me  on  account  of  ray  pres- 
ent occupation. 


A  Klu-Klux  Outrage.  123 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  KU-KLUX  OUTRAGE. 

Mr.  Jasper  Fontell,  commonly  known  in  the  commu- 
nity as  "  Old  Stingy  Jap,"  lived  in  a  very  large  and 
commodious,  but  somewhat  dilapidated,  house  about  a 
mile  from  Westville.  He  had  succeeded  in  worrying 
his  wife  to  death,  by  his  penurious  habits,  many  years 
before  the  events  recorded  in  this  book  occurred,  and 
had  placed  her  away  in  the  little  family  burying  ground 
back  of  the  garden,  with  a  decaying  piece  of  rude  plank 
at  the  head  of  her  grave,  on  which  he  carved  (with  his 
own  hand  to  avoid  having  any  expense  attached  to  the 
funeral)  the  simple  letters  "  M.  F.",  which  those  who 
knew  her  before  her  decease  interpreted  to  mean  "Mary 
Fontell ";  but,  except  for  the  humble  grave  and  the  two 
simple  letters  on  the  rough  board  at  the  head  of  it, 
there  was  nothing  in  or  about  the  house  to  indicate 
that  such  a  person  had  ever  lived  there.  They  never 
had  any  children,  and  "Stingy  Jap"  now  lived  all  alone 
with  no  one  to  quarrel  at,  save  a  big  bull-dog  by  the 
name  of  "  Towser." 

No  opprobrious  sobriquet  was  ever  more  appropri- 
ately and  deservedly  bestowed  on  any  human  being 
than  that  of  "  Stingy  Jap ",  as  applied  to  old  Jasper 
Fontell,  as  Towser  himself  testified  a  thousand  times — 
indeed,  at  every  meal-time ;  and  Towser  had  been  the 
old  man's  solitary  companion  ever  since  "  M.  F."  per- 
ished in  body,  mind  and  soul,  and  found  relief  in  the 


124  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

lowly  grave  in  rear  of  the  garden,  where  she  was  placed 
by  her  surviving  consort  with  no  more  manifestation 
of  love  or  sympathy  than  she  had  enjoyed  during  her 
long  and  miserable  connubial  existence.     Old  Fontell 
was,  in  fact,  a  miser  in  every  sense  of  that  term,  save  in 
one  particular :  a  real  miser  generally  converts  every- 
thing around  him  into  money,  and  hoards  it  in  secret 
niches  in  the  wall  of  the  house,  or  buries  it  in  the  ground ; 
whereas,  "Stingy  Jap"  invested  his  earning  in  stocks, 
bonds  and  real  estate,  and  in  all  his  bargains  he  ex- 
hibited a  shrewdness  that  showed  him  to  be  a  financier 
of  no  mean  ability.     And  yet,  he  loved  to  sit  and  count 
his  money  just  like  every  other  miser,  and  often  after 
selling  a  valuable  piece  of  property,  for  his  rule  was  al- 
ways to  sell  at  the  first  advance  in  the  price,  he  would 
sit  and  rattle  his  gold-bag  at  Towser,  and  Towser  would 
growl  at  him  in  reply,  and  accuse  him  of  being  too 
stingy  to  give  his  dog  bread  enough  to  eat.     He  shut 
himself  out  from  all  society,  and  paid  little  attention 
to  the  affairs  of  church  or  State,  consequently  he  re- 
ceived no  visitors,  and  had  no  communication  with  any 
person  except  on  matters  of  business.     It  might  be  ex- 
pected that  such  a  character  would  have  few  friends 
and  sympathizers,  and 

"Alas,  for  the  rarity 
Of  human  charity 
Under  the  sun, 

it  must  be  recorded  of  him  that  his  friends  were,  in- 
deed, few.  And  yet  he  had  one  friend,  a  near  neigh- 
bor, who  sometimes  paid  the  old  man  a  visit,  notwith- 


A  Ku-Klux  Outrage.  125 

standing  his  repulsive  demeanor  toward  his  visitors 
and  evident  dislike  for  them. 

This  good  neighbor,  Mr.  Garrett  Dixon,  was  enjoy- 
ing the  pleasant  shade  on  his  front  piazza,  and  inhaling 
the  fragrant  odors  that  came  from  the  profusion  of 
flowers  in  the  yard,  on  the  morning  of  the  second  Sun- 
day in  June,  1870,  when  his  wife  came  out  and  handed 
him  a  little  basket  filled  with  pretty  red  June  apples. 

"  I  thought  you  would  enjoy  a  few  of  them  this  morn- 
ing," she  said.  "  They  are  so  early  and  nice,  too.  No- 
body in  the  neighborhood  has  any  like  them." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Mr.  Dixon,  politely,  for  a  man 
never  ceases  to  be  polite  to  his  wife  as  long  as  he  loves 
her;  "they  are  very  nice,  indeed.     Have  one,  too." 

"  No,"  said  his  wife,  "  I  have  just  eaten  a  few  in  the 
orchard  while  gathering  them,  and  I  don't  care  for  any 
more." 

"  But  1  don't  like  to  enjoy  such  luxuries  by  myself," 
said  Mr.  Dixon,  good  naturedly.  "  It  seems  to  me,  I 
ought  to  divide  with  somebody." 

"  I'll  tell  you  whom  you  can  divide  with,"  said  his 
wife,  "  and  it  will  be  an  act  of  real  charity,  too." 

"Who?" 

"  Old  Stingy  Jap." 

"  True,  I  had  not  thought  of  him,"  said  Mr.  Dixon. 
"And  it  will  be  an  act  of  charity  to  divide  with  him,  as 
you  suggest,  for  I  doubt  if  there  is  an  apple  or  a  peach 
on  his  plantation,  though  he  is  well  able  to  afford  Mal- 
aga grapes  as  a  luxury,  if  he  was  not  too  stingy." 

"  Well,  we  are  not  responsible  for  his  penuriousness, 
and  it  seems  that  he  can't  help  it  himself,"  answered 
Mrs.  Dixon. 


126  Kv^Klux  KloM  No.  J^O. 

"That  is  true,"  said  Mr.  Dixon,  "and  I  hope  I  can 
give  him  the  apples  with  as  much  real  pleasure  as  it 
would  afford  me  to  give  a  piece  of  bread  to  a  starving 
beggar.  He  is  certainh^  poor  in  one  respect,  notwith- 
standing his  gold,  and  his  bonds,  and  his  lands:  he  cer- 
tainly suffers  the  poverty  of  human  sympathy,  which 
is  the  worst  form  of  poverty  after  all,  and  if  it  be  said 
that  he  shuns  and  repulses  those  around  him,  it  must 
be  admitted  in  reply  that  the  world  has  neglected  and 
repulsed  him,  too." 

"  I  will  call  a  servant  to  take  them  over  for  you," 
said  Mrs.  Dixon. 

"N'o,"  answered  Mr.  Dixon,  "it is  not  very  far,  and 
the  sun  is  not  up  enough  to  be  hot  yet,  and  so  I  prefer 
to  take  them  myself." 

Mr.  Dixon  took  the  basket  on  his  arm,  and  proceeded 
over  to  his  neighbor's  house  by  a  little  path  that  led 
through  the  woods,  which  was  shady  and  pleasant. 
The  path  led  up  to  a  little  yard  gate,  on  the  back  side 
of  the  house,  and  Mr.  Dixon  entered  this  quietly,  for 
fear  of  arousing  Towser,  and  walked  around  the  house 
to  the  front  door.  But  he  did  not  knock— he  started 
to,  but  his  arm  was  arrested  at  the  sight  of  a  most 
hideous  picture  on  the  door,  and  he  stood  for  a  few 
moments  transfixed  to  the  spot,  trembling  with  fright 
and  astonishment.  On  the  door  was  a  picture  of  a 
skull  and  cross-bones,  a  coffin  and  a  scythe  blade,  and 
under  these  figures,  evidently  written  in  human  blood, 
were  the  portentous  letters,  "K.  K  K. " 

Kecovering  his  self-possession,  after  a  few  moments, 
Mr.  Dixon  turned  to  leave,  when  his  eyes  encountered 


A  Kti-Klux  Outrage.  127 

a  sight  more  appalling  still.  Suspended  to  a  limb  of 
a  tree  in  the  yard,  was  the  lifeless  form  of  old  Jasper 
Fontell !  The  body  was  cold  and  rigid ;  his  eye-balls 
had  bursted  from  their  sockets ;  one  hand  was  partly 
uplifted,  as  if  in  supplication,  and  everything  around 
gave  evidence  of  the  most  violent  contortions  in  death. 
The  knot  in  the  rope  had  been  clumsily  tied,  and  had 
slipped  around  to  one  side  of  his  neck,  pressing  his 
head  forward  and  toward  the  opposite  side ;  his  mouth 
was  wide  open,  and  his  black,  swollen  tongue  was  rest- 
ing on  his  shoulder.  He  presented  a  frightful  specta- 
cle, indeed,  and  Mr.  Dixon  did  not  linger  long  to  see 
it.  Towser  was  still  there,  sitting  a  few  paces  off,  and 
looking  up  into  the  face  of  his  dead  master  with  an 
expression  of  genuine  pity ;  but  the  voice  of  the  poor 
dog  was  dumb  as  to  the  identity  of  the  perpetrators  of 
the  horrible  deed,  and  he  could  only  express  his  sym- 
pathy and  affection  for  the  deceased  by  a  low  and  piti- 
ful whine.  Mr.  Dixon  tried  for  a  few  moments  to  coax 
Towser  home  with  him,  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  the 
poor  brute,  but  no  amount  of  persuasion  could  induce 
him  to  desert  the  form  of  his  lifeless  master. 

Hurrying  home,  Mr.  Dixon  informed  his  wife  of  the 
horrible  discovery,  and  then  hastily  left  to  summon  his 
neighbors  and  acquaint  them  with  the  facts.  A  mes- 
senger was  immediately  dispatched  to  Westville  for 
the  county  coroner,  and  very  soon  that  important  func- 
tionary appeared  and  summoned  a  jury  to  inquire  into 
the  cause  of  the  death.  The  jury  having  been  sworn 
and  empannelled,  in  proper  form  of  law,  the  next  thing 
necessary  was  to  secure  witnesses,  and  quite  a  number 


128  Kw-Klux  Elan  No.  k-O. 

were  sworn  and  examined,  without  eliciting  anytliing 
of  importance.  The  coroner  was  about  to  adjourn  the 
inquest  with  the  usual  verdict  of  a  coroner's  jury — 
"  that  the  deceased  came  to  his  death  by  violence  at 
the  hands  of  some  person  or  persons  unknown  " — when 
some  one  suggested  that  it  would  be  proper  to  send  for 
the  district  Solicitor,  and  have  the  benefit  of  his  advice 
and  assistance  in  the  investigation.  It  was  unanim- 
ously agreed  that  this  was  the  proper  thing  to  do,  under 
the  circumstances,  and  so  another  messenger  was  hastily 
despatched  for  Donald  Weston,  Esq.,  the  district  Solici- 
tor. 

The  person  making  this  suggestion  might  have  ex- 
plained to  the  crowd  that  he  had  been  directed  by  Mr. 
Weston  to  demand  his  attendance  and  official  assistance 
at  the  proper  time,  but  that  information  belonged  ex- 
clusively to  the  elect,  the  inner  circle,  and  the  vulgar, 
common  mind  had  no  business  knowing  such  things. 
Weston  soon  appeared,  clothed  in  his  official  power 
and  dignity,  and  surveyed  the  premises  with  a  well- 
feigned  shudder  of  horror.  "  I  see,  gentlemen,"  said  that 
dignitary,  averting  his  eyes  from  the  ghastly  form  of  the 
dead  man  swinging  in  the  air  before  him,  and  pointing  to 
the  ominous  representation  on  the  door,  "  that  there  is 
some  evidence  that  the  unfortunate  deceased  met  his 
death  by  violence  committed  by  a  secret,  lawless  or- 
ganization. We  all  know  the  meaning  and  origin  of 
those  menacing  warnings  on  the  door  yonder,  and  we 
all  know,  too,  the  dangers  incurred  by  witnesses  who 
possess  the  bravery  to  testify  against  the  perpetrators 
of  such  deeds,  and  I  therefore  advise  and  direct  that 
this  inquest  be  held  in  secret." 


A  Ku-Klux  Outrage.  129 

The  coroner  at  once  concurred  in  this  view  of  the 
case,  and  approved  the  direction  given  by  the  Solicitor 
to  hold  a  secret  inquest.  Accordingly,  the  jury,  all  of 
whom  had  been  selected '  with  care  from  those  who 
were  known  to  be  ardent  Republicans,  were  directed 
to  retire  to  an  old  woodshed  in  one  corner  of  the  yard, 
and  no  ore  was  thereafter  allowed  to  approach  within 
hearing  distance,  except  the  witnesses  as  they  were 
examined. 

What  was  said  and  done  by  this  secret,  partisan  in- 
quisition after  their  retirement,  can  only  be  guessed  at 
from  what  transpired  after  their  adjournment,  and 
these  things  will  be  fully  detailed  in  subsequent  chap- 
ters. 


130  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  W. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  TWO  VILLAINS  MEET  AGAIN. 

"  Fo'  de  Lawd,  Mr.  Tinkerpy,"  said  Uncle  Ben  as  he 
conducted  the  future  editor  of  the  Westville  Republi- 
com  up  stairs  to  Weston's  room,  at  the  Midland  hotel,  on 
Sunday  evening,  "I  had  no  idee  ob  seein'  you  in  town 
to-night.  Glad  to  see  ye,  do'.  'Deed,  I'se  alius  glad  to 
see  enny  white  man,  what  teaches  de  cullud  folks  an 
edicashun  like  de  white  folks," 

"  Much  obliged  to  you  for  your  kind  appreciation  of 
my  work,  in  trying  to  improve  the  condition  of  your 
race,"  answered  Tinklepaugh ;  "  and  I  am  happy  to  be 
able  to  inform  3'^ou  that  I  am  henceforth  to  serve  your 
slavery-cursed  and  oppressed  people  in  an  enlarged 
capacity." 

"  What  yer  mean,  Mr.  Tinkerpy,"  said  Uncle  Ben, 
half  comprehending  Tinklepaugh's  meaning,  "  sho'  yer 
aint  er  gwine  ter  quit  yer  school  % " 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Ben,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  I  have 
abandoned  that  avocation  for  the  present." 

"  De  Lawd  hab  mercy  on  de  po'  niggers !  "  exclaimed 
Uncle  Ben.  "An'  ye's  done  gone  an'  'zerted  us  too,  Mr. 
Tinkerpy.  Fo'  God,  it  seems  de  niggers  hab  no  fren's 
no  mo',  an'  dey  gwine  ter  be  'lowed  ter  die  in  dere 
ig'nance,  jes'  like  in  slabery  times." 

"Why,  Uncle  Ben,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "you 
must  have  misunderstood  me,  when  I  told  you  I  was 
now  prepared  to  serve  ^you  more  efficiently  than  ever 


The  Tioo   Villains  Meet  Again.  131 

before.  I  am  going  to  be  the  editor  of  a  newspaper  that 
is  to  be  devoted  exclusively  to  the  amelioration  of  the 
condition  of  your  race,  both  politically  and  socially." 

"A  newspaper,"  exclaimed  Uncle  Ben,  "  an'  what's 
ter  become  ob  de  school  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  do  not  know  what  will  become  of  it,  for  the 
present,"  answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  My  time  expired, 
and  I  was  offered  a  position  in  an  enlarged  sphere  of 
usefulness,  both  to  the  colored  race  and  to  the  Kepub- 
lican  party,  and  I  felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  accept.  At 
present  there  is  no  newspaper  in  this  section  of  the 
State  that  devotes  even  a  column  to  the  interests  of  the 
colored  people,  and  I  think  they  ought  to  have  some 
such  medium  of  communication  with  the  world." 

"  But  what  good  will  de  paper  do  when  de  po'  nigger 
kaint  read  it  ? "  asked  Uncle  Ben  deprecatingly. 

"  "Well,  Uncle  Ben,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  some- 
what stunned  at  the  point  so  suddenly  suggested,  "  it 
does  seem  that  your  people  ought  to  be  prepared  to 
read  and  enjoy  what  is  written  and  published  for  your 
special  benefit ;  but,  then,  you  have  other  interests  that 
ought  to  be  dearer  to  you  than  a  knowledge  of  books. 
The  preservation  of  your  liberties  and  rights  as  citizens 
is  a  matter  of  more  importance  to  you  just  now  than 
the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  and  I  propose  that  my 
paper  shall  be  an  exponent  of  your  higher  interests." 

"  Den,  is  de  Democrat  party  gwine  ter  take  de  nigger's 
freedom  erway  from  him,  sho'  nuff  ? "  asked  Uncle  Ben. 

"  They  will,  if  they  ever  once  acquire  the  power," 
answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  I  tell  you  the  political  as- 
cendency of  that  party  would  mean  the  destruction  of 
the  liberties  of  your  people." 


132  Ku-Klux  Klam,  No.  W- 

"  Dat's  what  be  jedge  an'  Mister  "Weston  bof  tells 
me,"  said  Uncle  Ben,  "  an'  I  begins  to  belebe  it,  too,  do' 
I  did  say  I'd  nebber  vote  de  'Publican  ticket  no  mo', 
unless  dey  gib  us  de  forty  acres  an'  de  mule,  like  dey 
promised  us  'fo  de  las'  'lection." 

"  Well,  Uncle  Ben,  you  must  not  be  in  too  great  a 
hurry,"  answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  You  must  remember 
it  takes  time  to  accomplish  great  undertakings." 

"  It's  bin  three  years,"  answered  Uncle  Ben,  whose 
heart  was  set  on  the  acquisition  of  the  promised  bounty, 
"  an'  I  haint  seed  a  single  nigger  wid  de  forty  acres  an' 
de  mule,  an'  it  'pears  ter  me  dey  hab  had  time  er  plenty 
ter  make  er  beginnin'." 

"  Well,  we  have  had  so  many  other  important  things 
to  attend  to  that  we  have  hardly  had  time  to  consider 
that  matter,"  said  Tinklepaugh.  "  But  the  party  has 
done  what  was  best  for  your  interests,  you  may  be  as- 
sured. What  good  would  it  do  you  to  own  the  forty 
acres  and  the  mule,  when  the  bare  possession  of  them 
would  make  you  the  object  of  Ku-Klux  enmity,  and 
might  possibly  result  in  your  becoming  their  victim? 
Don't  you  know  they  whip  and  kill  every  colored  man  (^ 
who,  even  by  his  own  labor  and  economy,  acquire  a/^  ' 
little  property  ? " 

"  Well,  I'se  heered  dat  dey  do,"  answered  Uncle  Ben, 
still  clinging  to  the  idea  that  the  negroes  had  been 
cheated,  "  but  if  dey  would  gib  me  de  forty  acres  an' 
de  mule,  I'd  resk  de  chuck-a-lucks." 

But  Uncle  Ben's  discussion  of  his  favorite  theme  was 
suddenly  terminated  by  the  appearance  of  Weston,  and, 
picking  up  his  hat,  he  reluctantly  left  the  room,  mut- 


The  Two  Villains  Meet  Again.  133 

tering  to  himself  as  he  descended  the  stairway  that  "  de 
'Pubhcan  part}^  done  fooled  us  once  er  bout  de  forty 
acres  an'  de  mule." 

"  You  must  excuse  my  want  of  punctuality  in  keep- 
ing my  appointment,"  said  Weston  to  Tinklepaugh,  as 
he  cordially  grasped  the  hand  of  the  ex-teacher.  "  I 
was  somewhat  belated  by  the  prolonged  investigation 
before  the  coroner's  inquest,  and  reached  home  only  a 
few  moments  ago." 

"  I  have  been  very  comfortable  here  since  my  arrival," 
answered  Tinklepaugh,  "and  have  been  somewhat  en- 
tertained, as  well  as  amused,  by  the  conversation  of 
your  servant.  He  seems  to  be  very  mucli  aggrieved 
because  he  has  never  received  the  forty  acres  and  the 
mule  we  promised  them.  Really,  I  am  afraid  he  will 
desert  the  part}^  on  that  account." 

"Yes,"  answered  Weston,  "that  old  Ku-Klux  chief- 
tain. Major  Wyland,  has  filled  his  head  with  that 
notion,  and  his  mind  is  only  capable  of  holding  one 
idea  at  a  time." 

"  Perhaps  a  little  discipline  would  do  him  good," 
suggested  Tinklepaugh. 

"From  whom?" 

"  From  the  Union  League.  Have  you  not  heard  of 
our  latest  order?" 

"No,"  answered  Weston;  "what  is  it?" 

"  Why,  to  whip  every  negro  who  does  not  promise 
to  vote  the  Republican  ticket  at  the  approaching  elec- 
tion," answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  It  is  said  the  order 
emanates  from  the  Governor,  who  is  recognized  as  the 
head  of  the  League  in  this  State." 


134  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Jf.0. 

"  But  how  is  the  negro  to  know  that  he  is  not  being 
whipped  by  the  Ku-Klux  because  of  his  affiliation  with 
the  Republican  party,  instead  of  by  the  League,  on 
account  of  his  desertion  of  the  party?" 

"  Oh,  we  inform  him  of  the  cause  of  his  punishment 
at  the  time  it  is  inflicted,"  answered  Tinklepaugh, 
"  But  generally  it  is  not  necessary  to  resort  to  violence 
at  all,  for  his  promise  is  easily  exacted  upon  the  slight- 
est demonstration  of  force." 

"Yes,  the  negro  will  promise  anything,"  answered 
AVeston,  "but  the  trouble  is  that  in  case  you  bribe 
him,  he  refuses  to  remain  bribed,  and  may  be  purchased 
by  the  next  man  who  meets  him ;  and  if  you  exact  a 
promise  from  him  by  violence,  or  a  threat  of  violence,  he 
forgets  it  as  soon  as  the  force  is  removed,  and  the  next 
man  who  lifts  a  whip  over  his  head  can  make  him 
break  his  contract  by  promising  to  do  the  very  oppo- 
site." 

"  Well,  it  does  seem  that  he  is  naturally  a  perverse 
being,  anyway,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  "and  it  is  only  a 
question  of  who  gets  him  last.  But  a  discussion  of 
the  negro  problem  is  not  our  business  to-night.  We 
have  more  practical  matters  to  attend  to.  Lock  your 
room  door." 

While  Weston  was  complying  with  this  precaution- 
ary injunction,  Tinklepaugh  unlocked  a  medium  sized 
valise  which  he  had  brought  with  him,  and  emptied  its 
contents  on  the  table  before  him. 

"  And  now  for  a  division  of  the  spoils,"  said  Tinkle- 
paugh, with  a  wicked  grin,  as  Weston  took  a  seat  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  table.  "  Here  is  our  legacy 
under  the  will  of  'Old  Stingy  Jap.' " 


TTie  Two  Villains  Meet  Again.  135 

"  It  is  not  by  virtue  of  his  will^  I  dare  say,"  answered 
"Weston.  "  Not,  indeed,  unless  his  mind  underwent  a 
considerable  change  in  articulo  mortis,  and  you  induced 
him  to  bequeath  the  legacy  through  undue  influence." 

"  Well,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  with  a  wicked  leer, 
"  I  must  confess,  that  those  who  ministered  to  his  wants 
in  his  last  moments  would  be  compelled  to  testify  that 
his  '  ruling  passion  was  strong  in  dea.th ' ;  but  still  he 
left  his  property  behind  him,  and,  as  he  left  no  children 
to  inherit  it,  we  took  it  as  a  gift  causa  mortis^ 

"  And  a  princely  bequest  it  is,  too,"  said  Weston. 

"Yes,  and  as  a  token  of  our  appreciation  of  the  princely 
gift,  we  swung  him  up  in  regal  style,"  answered  Tin- 
klepaugh. 

"  I  thought  it  was  rather  a  bungling  job,  as  I  viewed 
it,"  answered  Weston.  "  The  knot  in  the  rope  had 
slipped  around  to  one  side  of  his  neck,  which  turned 
his  head  so  that  he  seemed  to  be  trying  to  look  back 
at  something  behind  him." 

"  Oh,  that  was  his  greedy  eyes  trying  to  follow  us, 
I  reckon,  as  we  made  off  with  the  booty,"  answered 
Tinklepaugh. 

"  Well,  it  would  seem  that  his  voracious  eyes  did  try 
to  follow  you,"  answered  Weston.  "  They  had  actually 
crawled  out  of  their  sockets  in  pursuit  of  you." 

"  Well,  for  fear  he  should  really  come  back  and  claim 
the  plunder,  let's  divide  it  and  appropriate  it  to  our 
own  use  while  we  possess  it,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Good ! "  answered  Weston ;  "  reach  me  those  bonds, 
and  let  me  count  them." 

The  bonds  were  counted  and  found  to  foot  up  forty 
thousand  dollars. 


136  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

"  Forty  thousand  ! "  ejaculated  Weston.  "  A  royal 
gift,  indeed.     How  shall  we  divide  them?" 

"  Equally,  of  course,"  answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  One 
suggested  and  planned,  and  the  other  executed.  An 
equal  division  is  equitable." 

"  That  is  twenty  thousand  each,"  said  "Weston,  eye- 
ing the  bonds  with  the  cupidity  of  a  Jew.  "  And  how 
much  is  there  of  the  gold  ? " 

"  Count  it,"  answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Ten  thousand,"  said  Weston  after  he  had  arranged 
it,  in  stacks  of  one  hundred  dollars  each,  on  the  table. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Tinklepaugh ;  "  there  were  a  few 
hundred  dollars  over,  but  I  had  to  divide  that  among 
the  band  of  black  mercenaries,  who  relieved  old  Fontell 
while  I  hunted  up  the  skids." 

"You  were  very  liberal  with  them,"  suggested  Wes- 
ton. "  I  wonder  that  they  would  consent  to  receive  so 
small  a  share  out  of  so  large  a  pile." 

"As  to  the  amount,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "they 
had  no  idea  of  that,  for  I  kept  the  whole  thing  care- 
fully concealed,  and  left  them  under  the  impression 
that  I  had  made  an  equal  division  with  them.  And  as 
for  my  liberality,  my  only  fear  is  that  I  have  been  too 
liberal." 

"And  why  so?" 

"  Why,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  you  know  it  would 
never  do  for  a  negro  to  have  a  large  sum  of  money 
about  him.  The  fool  couldn't  keep  it,  if  it  represented 
his  soul's  salvation,  and  to  spend  it  would  create  sus- 
picion." 

"  I  admire  your  shrewdness,"  answered  Weston,  "  as 


The  Two  Villains  Meet  Again.  137 

well  as  your  disposition  to  take  care  of  number  one." 

"And  number  two,^''  suggested  Tinklepaugh,  pointing 
to  Weston. 

"  Yes,  and  '  number  two,'  answered  Weston.  "  I  sup- 
pose I  am  '  number  two'  in  this  game,  and  your  division 
with  me  has  been  made  with  the  magnanimity  of  a 
prince." 

"  I  was  indebted  to  you,  though,  for  the  suggestion  of 
Old  Stingy  Jap's  name.  I  had  long  desired  to  stir  up 
the  public  mind  with  some  blood-curdling  spectacle, 
but  I  had  never  thought  of  filling  my  empty  pockets  at 
the  same  time.  Why,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  hint 
received  from  you,  I  might  have  swooped  down  upon 
some  beggar  Republican,  and  got  nothing  for  my  pains. 
Nobody  like  a  lawyer  for  killing  two  birds  with  one 
stone." 

"  Well,  we  will  not  discuss  our  relative  merits  in  the 
transaction,"  said  Weston  ;  "  for  business  of  more  im- 
portance demands  our  attention.  We  have  accom- 
plished only  half  our  object,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  and  this  money  must  be  devoted  to  the  fur- 
therance of  our  schemes  and  the  benefit  of  the  party," 
answered  Tinklepaugh. 

"And  the  bonds  for  our  own  pleasure  and  individual 
promotion,"  said  Weston,  as  he  imitated  his  crafty 
friend  by  carefully  placing  the  bonds  in  the  bottom  of 
a  little  box  (which  Tinklepaugh  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  provide)  and  piled  the  gold  on  top  of  them. 

"  Why,  your  heart  seems  to  be  as  much  set  on  the 
bonds  as  Uncle  Ben's  is  on  the  forty  acres  and  the 
mule !"  laughed  Tinklepaugh. 
9 


138  Kv^Klux  Klom  No.  IfO. 

"With  this  difference,"  answered  Weston,  with  an 
avaricious  smile :  "that  I  have  acquired,  in  a  reasonable 
measure,  the  object  of  my  desire,  while  Uncle  Ben  will 
never  realize  any  portion  of  his." 

"Poor  credulous  darkies !"  said  Tinklepaugh,  feigning 
a  sympathy  he  never  really  felt ;  "  they  can  be  gulled 
into  doing  almost  anything  ;  and,  yet,  I  fear  that  a  good 
many  of  them  are  beginning  to  lose  faith  in  the  prom- 
ises of  1868,  like  Uncle  Ben,  and  that  we  will  have  to 
invent  some  new  scheme  to  preserve  the  full  strength 
of  that  race  for  our  party  in  the  coming  election." 

"Keep  telling  them  that  the  Democrats  will  reduce 
them  to  slavery  again,  if  they  obtain  control  of  the  gov- 
ernment," answered  Weston,  "  The  negro  is  naturally 
timid,  and  the  idea  is  to  play  upon  his  fears.  I  tell  you 
if  we  will  only  play  that  racket  properly,  there  is  not 
one  of  them  that  will  ever  vote  the  Democratic  ticket, 
so  long  as  a  living  one  of  them  can  show  the  marks  of 
the  lash  on  his  back.  It  beats  the  cry  of  the  forty 
acres  and  the  mule  all  to  pieces." 

"That  is  the  idea  I  have  been  insisting  upon  for 
some  time,"  answered  Tinklepaugh,  "  and  I  shall  adopt 
that  policy  in  the  Westville  Bepublicany 

"  No,  I  doubt  the  wisdom  of  proclaiming  any  such 
absurdity  in  public  print,"  answered  Weston.  "  Every 
body  who  has  intelligence  enough  to  read  a  newspaper 
knows  that  slavery  is  dead,  and  will  have  sense  enough 
to  see  that  the  issue  is  kept  alive  solely  for  partisan 
purposes,  and  I  think  it  would  be  bad  policy  to  charge, 
publicly,  that  tbne  Democrats  would  reduce  the  negro  to 
slavery  if  raised  to  political  power.     Let  that  he  done 


The  Two  Villams  Meet  Agaim,.  139 

secretly,  in  Union  Leagues  and  at  their  churches  and 
school-houses." 

"Ah,  I  see  your  ideas  are  correct,  and  that  I  shall 
need  your  counsel  in  shaping  the  policy  of  the  paper," 
answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  But  what  about  the  mechan- 
ical part  of  the  work  and  the  press  and  fixtures  ?  Have 
these  things  been  provided  ?" 

"  Everything  is  in  readiness,  as  I  promised  you  it 
should  be,"  answered  Weston.  "  I  ordered  a  press  and 
outfit  immediately  after  leaving  3'^ou,  the  other  day,  and 
received  a  letter  yesterday  evening,  saying  they  would 
surely  reach  here  to-morrow  morning,  and  two  compe- 
tent printers  have  already  arrived  from  "Washington." 

"  Then  I  must  proceed  at  once  with  the  preparation 
of  the  subject-matter  of  the  first  issue,"  said  Tinkle- 
paugh. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Weston,  "  but,  first,  we  must  pre- 
pare and  send  off  a  telegram  to  Northern  daily  jour- 
nals, giving  an  account  of  the  latest  and  most  horrible 
Ku-Klux  outrage." 

"Another  good  idea !"  said  Tinklepaugh.  "Let  those 

great  metropolitan  journals  horrify  the  public  mind 

with  daily  accounts  of  the  frightful   scene,  and  the 

Westville  Republican,  next  Wednesday,  will  confirm 

the  story  by  giving  all  the  ghastly  details." 

So  the  two  villains  concocted  and  telegraphed  the 
following  frightful  story,  which  appeared  next  morn- 
ing in  all  the  great  newspapers  of  the  day,  in  this  form : 


140  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  k-O. 

"KU-KLUXISM! 

"  Murder  Most  Foul  ! 
"^  Reign  of  Terror  in  the  South! 

"Last  night  at  midnight  there  was  committed,  in  West 
county,  one  of  the  most  horrible  murders  ever  known 
in  the  annals  of  crime.  A  band  of  over  five  hundred 
murderous  Ku-Klux,  disguised  and  armed  to  the  teeth, 
rode  boldly  through  the  streets  of  the  town  of  West- 
ville,  just  as  the  town  clock  was  striking  the  hour  of 
twelve,  and  proceeded  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Jasper  Fon- 
tell,  an  aged  and  respectable  citizen  of  the  county,  who 
lived  only  one  mile  from  town,  and  there  they  hung, 
to  a  limb  of  a  tree  in  the  yard,  this  aged  and  venerable 
citizen  until  he  was  dead.  Mr.  Fontell  was  a  wealthy 
and  influential  citizen,  and  lived  alone  in  a  magnificent 
mansion,  near  the  public  road  leading  out  from  the 
town  of  Westville,  his  beloved  wife  having  died  several 
years  ago,  leaving  no  children.  He  was  quiet  and  un- 
obtrusive in  his  habits,  and  charitable  almost  to  a  fault ; 
indeed,  his  home  was  a  veritable  alms-house,  from  which 
the  needy  and  oppressed  were  never  turned  away  com- 
fortless. His  sympathies,  notwithstanding  his  great 
wealth  and  high  social  position,  were  ever  with  the 
lowly  and  humble ;  and,  indeed,  the  whole  record  of 
his  life  leaves  no  other  conjecture  as  to  the  cause  of 
his  death  but  that  he  had  incurred  the  enmity  of  the 
Ku-Klux,  because  he  persisted  in  voting  the  Kepublican 
ticket.  Heretofore,  the  victims  of  Ku-Klux  outrages 
have  been  the  weak,  the  ignorant  and  the  helpless ; 
but,  in  this  instance,  they  have  selected  as  their  victim 
a  man  who  was  conspicuous  for  his  possession  and  ex- 


The  Two  Villains  Meet  Again.  141 

ercise  of  all  the  virtues  that  contribute  to  make  true 
manhood,  and  his  violent  death  shows  only  too  plainly 
the  inveterate  malignity  of  the  Ku-Klux  toward  all 
those,  of  whatever  caste,  who  vote  the  Eepublican 
ticket.  Mr.  Fontell  was  certainly  murdered  for  his 
political  opinions.  No  other  cause  is  assigned  for  the 
dastardly  deed ;  no  one  has  attempted  to  assign  any 
other.  The  Ku-Klux,  themselves,  boast  of  their  crime, 
and  swear  vengeance  against  all  Kepublicans,  white 
and  black. 

"  How  long,  O  Lord !  how  long,  shall  organized  law- 
lessness stalk  through  the  land  unmolested  and  unop- 
posed ?  How  many  more  victims  must  be  offered  up, 
as  martyrs  to  the  cause  of  liberty  and  good  govern- 
ment, before  the  ear  of  this  great  Republic  will  listen 
to  the  wail  of  distress?  How  much  longer  will  the 
Governor  of  that  great  State  sit  idle  in  the  executive 
chair  and  see  the  good  citizens  of  his  State,  whom  he 
has  sworn  to  protect,  butchered  like  dogs,  and  hung 
like  felons,  while  the  perpetrators  of  such  deeds  escape 
unpunished,  and  defy  his  authority? 

"  There  is  in  the  South,  to-day,  especially  in  certain 
districts,  a  reign  of  terror  unequalled  by  anything  con- 
nected with  the  French  Revolution.  Citizens  are  arm- 
ing themselves,  but  they  are  powerless  to  cope  with  the 
members  of  a  secret  organization,  who  take  good  men 
out  of  their  beds  and  hang  them  in  front  of  their  own 
doors,  simply  because  they  are  suspected  of  being  in 
sympathy  with  the  Republican  party ;  and  still  the  gov- 
ernment looks  complacently  on,  and  not  a  finger  is 
lifted  to  stay  the  hand  of  violence.  How  long  shall 
these  things  continue  ? " 


142  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

INSURRECTION. 

The  "  Battle  of  Bullets  "  ceased  with  the  downfall  of 
the  Southern  Confederacy  in  1865  ;  the  "  Battle  of  Bal- 
lots "  began  with  the  political  ascendency  of  the  negro, 
when  he  first  exercised  his  right  of  suffrage,  in  1867. 
Only  two  short  years  elapsed,  from  the  time  the  mana- 
cles of  slavery  were  finally  shaken  from  the  negro's  an- 
kles, until  he  stood  before  the  world  the  proud  possessor 
of  all  the  dignity  and  insignia  of  rank  enjoyed  by  sover- 
eign citizens  under  the  grandest  republican  government 
the  world  ever  knew — until  he  stood,  side  by  side,  with 
his  late  master,  his  equal  in  every  respect  under  the 
law.  No  such  political  metamorphosis  of  an  enslaved 
race  had  ever  occurred  before  in  the  history  of  the 
world ;  and  statesmen,  who  remembered  the  lessons  of 
history,  beginning  with  the  lesson  taught  by  the  com- 
pulsory sojourn  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  for 
forty  years,  in  order  to  prepare  them  for  the  duties  of 
citizenship,  looked  on  with  horror  and  prophesied  dis- 
aster. The  radical  reconstructionists  of  the  ISTorth 
declared  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  general  government 
to  protect  the  emancipated  slaves — either  by  direct  gov- 
ernmental interference,  or,  by  enabling  them  to  protect 
themselves,  by  giving  them  the  means  of  local  self- 
government;  and  with  this  plea,  they  attempted  to  jus- 
tify their  haste  in  clothing  the  negro  with  the  ballot ; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  those  who  knew  the  negro 


Insurrection.  143 

best,  and  feared  his  incapacity  for  self-government, 
became  alarmed  at  the  situation,  and  declared  that 
Congress  had  made  a  mistake — that  it  ought  to  have 
waited  until  the  negro  should  demonstrate  his  fitness 
for  citizenship.  It  must  be  remembered,  too,  that  the 
same  act  of  Congress  which  gave  the  negro  the  ballot, 
deprived,  by  its  unjust  and  iniquitous  provisions,  many 
thousands  of  white  citizens  of  their  elective  franchise. 
The  prophecy  of  Southern  statesmen  was  soon  veri- 
fied —  negro  voters  became  nothing  more  than  tools 
in  the  hands  of  unprincipled  politicians,  who  used 
them  for  their  own  self-aggrandisement.  It  has  been 
said  that  a  ballot  falls — 

"As  snow-flakes  fall  upon  the  sod ; 
But  executes  a  freeman's  will 
As  lightning  does  the  will  of  God." 

But  ballots  deposited  by  negro  voters  simply  executed 
the  will  of  the  political  satraps  and  adventurers,  who 
directed  them  how  to  vote,  and  the  voters  themselves, 
in  many  instances,  never  even  knew  for  whom  or  what 
they  voted.  A  swarm  of  unprincipled  carpet-baggers 
and  scalawags  took  possession  of  Southern  State  gov- 
ernments, and  the  storm-swept  and  blood-drenched 
South  became  a  platform  of  unbridled  speculation  and 
a  pasture  land  for  unprincipled  greed,  and  the  halls  of 
the  Legislatures  dens  of  thieves.  With  one  hand,  they 
pointed  to  the  black  pictures  and  horrifying  recitals  of 
the  wrongs  and  outrages,  alleged  to  have  been  commit- 
ted by  the  Ku-Klux,  and,  with  the  other,  they  reached 
deep  down  into  the  treasuries  of  the  different  States 


144  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J4.O. 

and  took  out  and  squandered  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  dollars  of  the  people's  money.  Honest  men  wrung 
their  hands  in  anguish,  and  cried  out  in  despair : 

"A  Roman  sworder  and  banditte  slaves 
Murdered  sweet  TuUy  ;  Brutus'  bastard  hand 
Stabbed  Julius  Cfesar  ;  savage  islanders 
Pompey  the  Great ;  and  Suffolk  dies  by  pirates." 

Ku-Kluxism  became  a  distaff  and  wheel  upon  which 
resident  demagogues  of  the  carpet-bagger  stripe  spun 
an  endless  thread  of  falsehood,  and  the  warp  and  woof 
thus  furnished  were  woven  into  a  cloth  by  Northern 
newspapers  that  was  used  to  cover  and  hide  many  of 
the  political  sins  of  reconstruction. 

Of  all  those  who  turned  the  wheel  and  spun  the 
threads  of  misrepresentation,  which  were  woven  into  a 
web  of  lies  by  these  Northern  outrage  looms,  none 
worked  more  assiduously  or  effectively  than  the  two 
murderers  of  "Old  Stingy  Jap."  The  story  of  that  crime 
as  telegraphed  by  these  two  little  villains,  and  embel- 
lished by  the  imagination  of  the  weavers  at  the  afore- 
said looms,  sent  a  thrill  of  terror  throughout  the  coun- 
tr}^,  and  so  startled  the  Governor  that  he  instantly  pro- 
claimed West  county  to  be  in  a  state  of  insurrection. 
Martial  law  was  established  in  the  county,  and  a  com- 
pany of  mixed  troops,  under  the  immediate  command 
of  Captain  Crawford  Tellef son,  was  stationed  at  West- 
ville. 

Captain  Tellefson  was  a  tall,  gawky,  clownish,  lout- 
ish scoundrel,  against  whom  the  Almighty  had  warned 
the  people  by  creating  him  cross-eyed,  and  as  his  name 


Insurrection.  145 

was  a  little  difficult  to  pronounce  by  the  io^norant  troops 
under  his  command,  these  motley  ragamuffins  had  dub- 
bed him  "  Cross-eyed  Telf ,"  a  name  which  soon  become 
a  terror  to  every  good  citizen  in  West  county. 

Cross-eyed  Telf  soon  formed  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  Weston  and  Tinklepaugh,  whom  he  regarded  as 
the  oracles  of  all  wisdom,  and  these  little  scoundrels, 
finding  a  congenial  spirit  in  Cross-eyed  Telf,  cultivated 
him  for  all  he  was  worth,  and  made  him  the  instru- 
ment by  whicii  many  of  their  most  wicked  schemes 
were  accomplished. 

He  established  his  quarters  in  the  court-house,  and 
converted  all  the  offices  in  that  temple  of  justice  into 
barracks  for  his  mercenaries,  and  the  main  court-room 
into  a  prison  for  his  victims.  The  room  usually  occu- 
pied b}'^  the  grand  jury  was  reserved  for  a  wine-room,  in 
which  was  kept,  not  wine  in  fact,  but  the  meanest  kind 
of  that  distilled  hell-broth,  commonly  known  in  the 
western  counties  as  "moonshine,"  which  meant  (this 
explanation  is  for  the  benefit  of  the  unsophisticated) 
whiskey  that  had  escaped  the  vigilance  of  those  revenue 
officers,  properly  designated  as  Deputy  Marshals ;  but 
known,  in  mountain  nomenclature,  as  "  bung-smellers." 

The  first  dutj''  Cross-eyed  Telf  felt  it  incumbent  upon 
him  to  perform,  was  to  ferret  out  and  have  punished, 
the  murderers  of  Old  Stingy  Jap,  who  had  been  pro- 
claimed to  the  world  as  a  martyr  to  the  cause  of  liberty, 
and  had  been  cononized  as  a  political  saint;  and  in 
this,  as  in  all  other  things,  he  received  the  assistance 
and  counsel  of  the  district  Solicitor,  whose  official  duty 
it  was  to  prosecute  all  offenders. 

"  This  is  a  case,  Captain  Tellefson,  that,  so  far,  has 


146  Kio-Klux  Klcm  No.  W. 

baffled  my  skill,  both  as  a  detective  and  as  a  lawyer," 
said  Weston,  a  few  mornings  after  the  arrival  of  the 
troops,  to  Cross-eyed  Telf,  who  had  come  to  consult  one 
of  the  oracles.  "Immediately  upon  receiving  the  first 
news  of  the  terrible  tragedy,  I  hastened  to  the  scene  of 
the  murder,  and  took  the  precaution  to  hold  a  secret 
inquest  before  the  coroner ;  but  no  facts  were  developed, 
except  that  the  crime  was  committed  by  armed  Ku- 
Klux  in  disguise." 

"And  who  were  the  witnesses  that  testified  to  even 
these  few  isolated  facts?"  asked  Cross-eyed  Telf,  look- 
ing abstractedly  out  of  the  window  of  Weston's  office,  as 
he  (Weston)  thought,  but  in  reality  directly  at  Weston. 

"  Oh,  there  were  quite  a  number  of  them,"  answered 
Weston,  "  and  even  those  who  were  ardent  Democrats 
admitted  that  the  men  wore  genuine  Ku-Klux  dis- 
guises. IS^one  of  the  witnesses  actually  saw  the  mur- 
der committed,  for  they  were  afraid  to  follow  the  band 
of  assassins,  but  they  saw  them  on  the  road  to  and 
from  the  house  of  Mr.  Fontell." 

"  And  did  none  of  them  observe  any  peculiarities  of 
size  or  form,  by  which  some  of  the  murderers  could  be 
identified  ? "  asked  Crossed-eyed  Telf. 

"  None  of  them,"  answered  Weston. 

"  Then,  it  seems  to  me,  that  the  clue  is  a  very  slight 
one,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf." 

"  Yery  slight,  indeed,"  answered  Weston.  "  We  have 
only  the  two  segregate  facts  that  the  crime  was  com- 
mitted by  the  Ku-Klux,  and  that  there  is  a  den  of  them 
in  the  community  known  as  Klan  No.  40." 

"And  do  you  not  know  the  members  of  that  den?" 
asked  Cross-eyed  Telf,  again  looking  straight  at  Wes- 


Insurrection.  147 

ton ;  but,  as  that  worthy  thought,  directly  out  of  the 
window. 

"  Yes,  and  that  is  another  item  I  had  forgotten," 
answered  Weston. 

"  Aha !  and  an  important  one,  too,"  answered  Cross- 
eyed Telf,  with  a  malicious  wink,  which  Weston  failed 
to  observe,  thinking  he  was  still  looking  out  of  the 
window.  "  We  have,  then,  three  important  facts  estab- 
lished :  First,  that  the  crime  was  committed  by  the  Ku- 
Klux  ;  second,  there  is  a  den  of  these  cut-throats  in  the 
community ;  and  third,  the  names  of  the  members  of 
this  den  are  known.  It  seems  to  me  there  is  sufficient 
evidence  to  justify  arrests." 

"  But  whom  shall  we  arrest  ? "  asked  Weston.  "  There 
are  more  than  a  hundred  members  of  the  den,  I  am 
told,  and  the  highest  number  on  the  raid  at  Fontell's, 
as  testified  to  by  the  witnesses,  was  placed  at  forty, 
and  we  have  no  evidence  to  implicate  any  particular 
ones  as  constituting  the  forty." 

"  Oh,  we  are  not  in  your  civil  courts  just  now,"  an- 
swered Cross-eyed  Telf,  "In  your  civil  courts,  you 
must  have  an  investigation  before  a  grand  jury,  and 
the  charge  in  the  presentment  must  be  there  sustained 
by  proof,  and  then  follows,  I  believe,  a  bill  of  indict- 
ment, and  upon  that  a  capias  issues  for  the  arrest  of  the 
offender ;  but  martial  law  is  not  encumbered  and  ham- 
pered by  so  much  red  tape.  But  your  civil  courts  have 
played  out,  now,  and  my  orders  constitute  the  law  in 
this  county." 

"  What,  then,  do  you  propose  to  do  ? "  asked  Weston. 

"  Why,  I  propose  to  arrest  some  of  the  most  timid 


148  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  ^0. 

of  the  members  of  the  Klan,  and  extort  a  confession 
from  them,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf. 

"  A  good  idea,"  said  "Weston.  "  You  see  I  am  rather 
green  in  military  tactics.  The  idea  of  wrenching  a 
confession  out  of  them  by  torture,  had  not  occurred 
to  me." 

"  Give  me  the  names  of  some  of  the  members,"  said 
Cross-eyed  Telf,  "  and  I  will  attend  to  them  to-night." 

Weston  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  list  of  the  members 
of  the  Klan,  which  had  been  secured  by  Tinklepaugh, 
and  handed  it  to  Cross-eyed  Telf.  The  truth  is,  that  he 
and  Tinklepaugh  had  alread\^  planned  to  have  these 
arrests  made,  in  case  the  county  should  be  placed  under 
military  authority ;  and  Tinklepaugh  had  already  sug- 
gested the  plan  to  Cross-eyed  Telf,  but  Weston  pre- 
tended to  have  learned  it  from  Tellefson.  The  list 
included,  among  others,  the  names  of  Major  Wyland, 
Albert  Seaton,  Samuel  Washburn,  John  Latham  and 
Henry  Worthel,  whom  the  reader  already  knows. 

No  sooner  had  the  curtains  of  night  spread  them- 
selves over  the  horror-stricken  town,  admonishing  those 
who  were  weary  with  the  toils  and  excitements  of  the 
day  that  it  was  time  to  retire  to  rest,  than  a  squad  of 
five  mercenaries  were  detailed  by  Cross-eyed  Telf  to  go 
to  the  house  of  John  Latham,  and  arrest  him  and  bring 
him  before  that  military  satrap.  The  heavy  tread  of 
Dick  Madison,  the  big  negro  preacher  and  crier  in 
Judge  Farwell's  court,  aroused  every  inmate  of  the 
house,  by  the  time  he  had  crossed  the  front  piazza  and 
reached  the  door,  and  it  is  needless  to  add  that  Mrs. 
Latham  was  very  much  frightened  by  the  appearance 


Insurrection.  149 

of  so  many  persons,  as  the  noise  they  made  indicated, 
at  such  an  unseasonable  hour. 

"  Who  is  there  ? "  asked  John  Latham,  in  answer  to 
the  knock  with  the  ponderous  fist  of  the  burly  preacher, 

"Some  sojers,  wid  a  message  from  Capting  Telf," 
answered  the  stentorian  voice  of  the  negro  preacher. 

•'  And  what  do  you  want  ?  " 

"We  want  yo'  to  come  an'  go  wid  us  to  see  de  Cap- 
ting,"  answered  Dick. 

"  And  what  business  has  he  sending  for  folks  at  this 
unusual  hour  ? "  asked  John.  "  Why  couldn't  he  at- 
tend to  such  matters  in  the  day  time  ? " 

"  I  dunno  dat,"  answered  Dick.  "  He  jes'  said  fer 
us  to  fetch  ye  along,  an'  I  guess  yer  better  come  wid 
us." 

"  Surely,  you  do  not  mean  to  arrest  me  and  take  me, 
whether  I  choose  to  go  or  not,"  said  John,  beginning 
to  think  seriously  of  the  situation. 

"  Dem's  de  words  he  said,"  answered  Dick,  "  to  arrest 
ye,  and  fetch  ye  anyhow." 

At  this  announcement  a  scream  proceeded  from 
Mrs.  Latham's  room,  and  John  rushed  back  to  her 
room  door  to  reassure  and  comfort  his  mother. 

"No,  no,  you  must  not  go;  they  will  kill  you," 
moaned  Mrs.  Latham,  clinging  to  her  only  child,  and 
clad  only  in  her  night  attire.  "  A  fearful  presentiment 
of  evil  has  taken  possession  of  me,  already.  Please 
don't  leave  me,  my  dear,  darling  boy." 

"  But,  mother,  they  will  burst  down  the  door  and 
take  me,  anyway,"  said  John,  kissing  his  frightened 
mother  affectionately,  "  and  it  will  be  better  for  me  to 
go  voluntarily." 


150  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  JfO. 

"  Oh,  no.  my  child,  you  must  not  go.''  sobbed  the 
poor  mother.  "'  They  will  kill  you,  I  know  they  will. 
"We  must  barricade  the  door  and  not  let  them  in." 

"But.  mother,  we  can't  barricade  the  door,"  an- 
swered John  despairingly.  "  Don't  you  hear  their  mas- 
sive forms  against  the  door  already  ?" 

"  Yes,  but  I  will  place  against  it  all  the  affections  of 
a  mother's  heart  for  her  only  child,"  answered  Mrs. 
Latham,  still  clinging  to  the  neck  of  her  son.  "  Surely, 
God  will  not  let  them  take  mv  onlv  child  and  kill  him !" 

"  Look  here,  old  woman."  came  the  gruff  voice  of  a 
white  man  from  the  outside;  "we've  stood  out  here 
and  listened  to  that  foolishness  long  enough.  Open  this 
here  door,  or  we'll  bust  it  down,  and  take  you  along, 
too,  and  hang  you  with  your  darling  boy ,  as  a  female 
Ku-Klux.  I  guess  the  boy  inherited  some  of  his  mean- 
ness from  you,  anyway,  and  it  would  be  nothin'  but 
right  to  swing  you  up  with  him." 

At  this  Mrs.  Latham  fainted,  and  after  placing  her 
gently  on  a  sofa  in  the  room  and  partially  restoring  her 
to  consciousness.  John  opened  the  door  to  prevent  the 
outlaws  on  the  outside  from  tearing  it  off  the  hino-es. 

"Gentlemen,  you  see  the  condition  I  am  in,"  said 
John,  as  four  white  men,  headed  by  Dick  Madison,  came 
rushing  into  the  room.  '*  My  mother  has  fainted,  and  I 
have  not  yet  been  able  to  fully  restore  her  to  conscious- 
ness.'' 

"Well,  what  have  we  got  to  do  with  that  matter?" 
asked  the  same  grim-visaged  white  monster  who  had 
spoken  before.     "  We  didn't  want  the  old  woman,  in 


Insurrection.  151 

particular ;  and,  besides,  we  are  not  physicians,  and  if 
the  old  hag  wants  to  faint  why,  let  her  to  do  it." 

"  Don't  call  my  mother  a  hag ! "  said  John,  striking 
the  defamer  a  blow  between  the  eyes,  which  sent  him 
whirling  across  the  room. 

"  D — n  you !  I'll  pay  you  for  that,"  growled  the 
shaggy-whiskered  soldier,  as  he  picked  himself  up  and 
hurried  back  to  where  John  was  bending  over  his  poor 
mother.  "Bind  him,  boys,  and  let's  take  him  to  the 
Captain  and  tell  him  the  d — d  Ku-Klux  struck  one  of 
his  men.  Old  Cross-eyed  Telf  will  fix  him,  I'll  war- 
rant." 

"  Surely,  Dick,"  said  John,  appealing  to  the  only  one 
in  the  crowd  whom  he  recognized,  "you  are  not  going 
to  force  me  to  leave  my  mother  in  that  condition," 
and  he  pointed  as  he  spoke  to  the  prostrate  form  on 
the  sofa. 

"  I'se  got  nothin'  ter  do  wid  it,"  answered  Dick.  "  I 
simply  obeys  my  orders,  dat's  all." 

"  But  you  can  prevail  on  them  to  wait  with  me  until 
mother  recovers,"  answered  John. 

"No,  he  can't,"  said  the  shaggy-bearded  rascal,  whom 
John  had  just  knocked  down,  as  he  proceeded  to  tie  a 
rope  around  John's  neck. 

"  Cross-eyed  Telf  told  us  to  tie  you,  if  you  proved 
obstreperous,  and  I  reckon  he  meant  for  us  to  prepare 
you  for  hangin',  for  that's  what  we'll  do  with  you — at 
least  if  I  have  my  way  about  it." 

Just  as  they  were  leading  John  out  of  the  room-door, 
with  the  rope  fastened  about  his  neck,  Mrs.  Latham 
recovered  consciousness,  and  seeing  her  poor  boy  led 


152  Kn^Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

away  by  a  rope,  she  uttered  another  wild  scream  and 
fainted  again.  This  time  the  neighbors  were  aroused 
by  the  noise,  and  came  hurrying  in,  to  find  Mrs.  Latham 
lying  in  a  swoon  upon  the  floor,  to  which  she  had  tum- 
bled off  the  sofa,  and  no  one  else  about  the  house.  Ee- 
storatives  were  hastily  sent  for  and  applied,  and  she 
soon  regained  her  senses  enough  to  moan  bitterly,  "  Oh, 
my  poor  boy,  my  poor  darling  boy  !  They  have  killed 
him !  They  have  murdered  him !  They  have  hung 
him  to  a  tree !" 

This  was  all  the  neighbors  could  induce  her  to  say 
during  the  whole  of  the  remainder  of  the  night,  as  she 
lay  tossing  on  the  bed  in  a  delirium  of  suffering  it  was 
painful  to  see.  They  could  only  guess  from  this  that 
something  terrible  had  happened  to  John,  but  what  it 
was,  or  where  he  had  gone,  they  tried  in  vain  to  learn. 

"Aha !  I  see  they  had  to  tie  you  to  induce  you  to 
come  with  them,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf,  as  the  five  sol- 
diers appeared,  leading  John  Latham  by  the  rope 
around  his  neck. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Husky  Diggs,  "  and  the  d — d  Ku- 
Klux  showed  fight.  He  actually  struck  me.  See  here!" 
and  Husky  Diggs  pointed  his  Captain  to  the  knot  be- 
tween his  e^'es. 

Husky  Diggs  was  a  short,  stout,  low-browed,  shaggy- 
whiskered  scoundrel,  and  as  he  was  a  fair  specimen  of 
the  ragamuifin  mercenaries  whom  the  Governor  hired 
and  placed  under  the  command  of  the  notorious  bandit, 
Cross-eyed  Telf,  to  maltreat  the  good  citizens  of  West 
county  and  help  carry  the  election  of  1870,  I  will  not 
attempt  to  describe  any  more  of  them,  but  will  let  this 


Insurrection.  153 

summary  description  of  Husky  Diggs  suffice  for  the 
whole  crew.  He  was  called  "  Husky  Diggs  "  because  his 
voice  was  low  and  husky,  but  what  his  real  given  name 
was,  I  have  never  taken  the  trouble  to  inquire.  He 
was  as  profane,  vulgar,  dirty,  lousy  and  dishonest  as  the 
average  member  of  the  motley  company  commanded 
by  Cross-eyed  Telf,  and  that  is  saying  a  great  deal  to 
those  who  lived  in  West  county  and  remember  the 
stirring  times  of  1870. 

"And  the  young  Ku-Klux  rascal  resisted  by  force, 
did  he?"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf,  surveying  the  handsome 
young  fellow  critically,  though  John  Latham,  like  Wes- 
ton, thought  all  the  time  he  was  lookiug  in  another 
direction.  "  I  guess  we  will  be  able  to  teach  you  a  lit- 
tle better  manners  than  that  before  you  reach  home 
again." 

"  I  am  ready  to  return  at  once,"  answered  John, 
boldly.  "  I  left  my  mother  critically  ill  and  I  wish  to 
be  allowed  to  return  to  her  assistance." 

"  Oh,  don't  be  in  too  great  a  hurry,"  answered  Cross- 
eyed Telf.  "As  I  have  just  said,  we  wish  to  teach  you 
a  little  good  manners,  and  will  be  obliged  to  detain 
you  awhile  for  that  purpose." 

"  I  suppose  I  can,  at  least,  be  informed  of  the  cause 
of  my  arrest  ?"  said  John,  looking  straight  at  the  man, 
who,  it  seemed,  never  returned  the  look. 

"Oh,  certainly,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "You 
are  arrested  for  the  murder  of  Mr.  Jasper  Fontell !" 

John's  face  blanched,  but  only  for  a  moment. 

"  I  know  nothing  about  the  death  of  Mr.  Fontell," 
he  answered,  "  and  you  have  undoubtedly  arrested  the 
10 


154  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

wrong  man,  and  with  thts  assurance  I  hope  you  will 
release  me,  and  let  me  return  to  my  mother." 

"  Oh,  just  hold  on  a  minute,"  answered  Cross-eyed 
Telf.  "  Perhaps  we  can  prove  a  little  more  against 
you  than  you  anticipate ;  don't  be  in  too  great  a  hurry, 
I  tell  you  again." 

"  Then,  I  have  to  say  that  any  evidence  connecting 
me  with  that  unfortunate  affair  is  false,"  said  John, 
looking  boldly  at  the  awkward  being  before  him. 

"And  even  if  we  should  admit  that,"  answered  Cross- 
eyed Telf,  what  can  you  say  as  to  the  guilt  of  others?" 

"  I  have  no  information  as  to  the  perpetrators  of 
that  horrible  crime,"  answered  John. 

"  Perhaps  you  know,  but  refuse  to  tell,"  said  Cross  - 
eyed  Telf. 

"  I  tell  you,  positively,  I  know  nothing  in  the  world 
about  the  murder,"  answered  John. 

"Do  vou  not  belong  to  Ku-Klux-Klan  JS'o.  40?" 
asked  Cross-eyed  Telf. 

For  the  first  time  John  faltered  and  hesitated. 

"  Oh,  we  have  the  proof  positive  against  you  on  that 
score,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf,  "and  there  is  no  use  in 
trying  to  deny  your  connection  with  the  Klan." 

"  Then,  there  can  be  no  necessity  for  making  me  con- 
fess it,"  answered  John. 

"  You  might  show,  by  answering  it  in  the  affirma- 
tive, that  you  were  willing  to  confess  the  truth,"  an- 
swered Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  I  see  you  try  to  prevaricate, 
and  I  suppose  we  would  better  stop  that  foolishness  at 
once.  I  tell  you,  I  have  sent  for  you  for  the  purpose 
of  finding  out  the  murderers  of  Mr.  Jasper  Fontell^ 
and  you  had  just  as  well  out  with  it  at  once." 


Insurrection.  155 

"  I  repeat  that  I  know  nothing  about  the  matter," 
said  John. 

"  You  lie  about  that,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf. 
"  you  know  all  about  it,  and  I  want  you  to  understand, 
now,  that  I  am  going  to  make  you  disclose  the  facts 
before  I  turn  you  loose.  I  will  try  you  by  court-mar- 
tial and  hang  you  for  the  murder  yourself,  or  make 
you  tell." 

"  And  if  you  should  convict  me,  it  would  be  on  per- 
jured testimony, '  answered  John, "  for  I  tell  you  I  have 
no  idea  who  committed  the  crime,  and  have  nothing 
to  confess  as  against  myself,  and  no  testimony  to  give 
against  others." 

"  I  just  now  told  you  that  was  a  lie  !"  answered  Cross- 
eyed Telf,  emphatically,  "  and  I  don't  want  to  hear  it 
any  more." 

"Husky  Diggs,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf,  after  a  few 
moments'  reflection,  "  adjust  the  rope  a  little  tighter 
around  this  young  man's  neck,  and  you  and  the  others 
who  brought  him  here,  follow  me  to  the  woods  and  we 
will  make  him  disgorge  or  pay  the  penalty  himself." 

Then  again  this  proud  and  handsome  young  man  was 
led,  like  a  dog,  through  the  streets  of  his  native  town, 
and  none  dared  to  interfere  and  lift  a  hand  to  release 
him,  for  fear  of  the  military  mob  in  charge  of  him.  It 
is  true,  at  this  late  hour  the  streets  were  completely 
deserted,  for  a  panic  of  fear  had  settled  on  the  inhabi- 
tants, and  everybody  retired  behind  barred  doors  as 
soon  as  night  set  in.  On  ordinary  occasions,  a  sin- 
gle cry  of  distress  from  him  would  have  brought  the 
whole  town  to  his  rescue ;  but  now  it  was  useless,  and 


156  Kvr-Khix  Klam,  No.  J^O. 

in  fact  dangerous  to  make  an  alarm,  for  all  were  power- 
less to  help. 

Arrived  at  the  woods,  the  rope  was  thrown  over  a 
limb  of  a  tree  and  John  was  asked  if  he  was  then 
ready  to  tell  about  the  murder  of  Fontell. 

"  I  tell  you,  again,  I  have  nothing  to  disclose,"  an- 
swered John. 

"  Swing  him  up ! "  ordered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  and  Hus- 
key  Diggs,  assisted  by  the  reverend  Dick  Madison  and 
the  others,  drew  him  slowly  up  to  about  three  feet 
above  the  ground. 

The  fearful  contortions  of  his  face  and  limbs,  as  he 
struggled  and  strangled  there  in  the  air,  as  seen  even 
by  the  gentle  light  of  the  stars,  were  enough  to  have 
softened  the  heart  of  a  demon,  but  his  inhuman  tor- 
turers looked  on  as  complacently  as  if  they  were  doing 
him  an  act  of  real  kindness. 

Cross-eyed  Telf  struck  a  match  and  looked  at  the 
young  man's  face  carefully  for  a  moment,  and  then,  as 
he  saw  his  face  growing  purple,  the  order  was  given  to 
let  him  down.  Restoratives  had  been  prepared  and 
were  applied  freely ;  and,  yet,  it  was  fully  five  minutes 
before  the  young  man  showed  signs  of  returning  life, 
and  fully  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  he  attempted  to 
speak. 

"Now  tell  us  who  killed  old  Fontell,"  demanded  Cross- 
eyed Telf,  as  soon  as  the  young  man  could  utter  a  word. 

"  Don't  know,"  he  gasped  feebly,  grabbing  his  lac- 
erated throat  as  he  spoke. 

"  You  lie,  you  d — n  Ku-Klux !"  growled  Cross-eyed 
Telf  in  reply.     "  I  tell  you,  I  am  going  to  have  this 


Insurrection.  157 

thing  out  of  you  or  leave  your  body  swinging  to  this 
limb  to-night." 

"  Don't  kill  me,"  he  gasped  again ;  "  I  don't  know." 

"  Swing  him  up  again  !"  ordered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  and 
Husky  Diggs  again  pulled  him  on  his  feet. 

"  Now,  are  you  ready  to  tell  us  ?"  was  again  demanded 
before  suspending  him  from  the  ground. 

"I  have  nothing  to  tell,"  answered  John,  and  again 
Husky  Diggs  pulled  the  rope. 

Poor  John  was  too  much  exhausted  to  make  any  ef- 
fort to  extricate  himself  this  time,  and  he  hung  for  a 
few  moments  limp  and  motionless. 

Cross-eved  Telf  struck  another  match  and  looked  at 
his  face. 

"  Down,  you  blundering  idiots  !"  he  shouted  ;  "  I  be- 
lieve he  is  dead !" 

The  rope  was  quickly  unfastened  from  about  his  neck, 
and  he  was  stretched  at  full  length  upon  the  ground. 
The  restoratives  were  again  applied,  and  he  was  rubbed 
vigorously,  but  all  in  vain.  His  eyes  rolled  back  and 
became  set  in  their  sockets;  his  lips  murmured  the 
name,  that  to  the  last  moment  of  his  life  thrilled  his 
heart,  "  Minnie,"  and  then  his  under  jaw  dropped,  and 
he  was  dead ! 

For  a  few  minutes  the  murderers  stood  gazing  at  the 
lifeless  form  before  them  in  mute  astonishment.  They 
had  not  intended  to  kill  him,  and  were  horror-struck 
at  their  blunder.  At  last  the  heartless  Husky  Diggs 
broke  the  silence. 

"  My  God  !  it  seemed  that  the  young  Ku-Klux  died 
mighty  easy." 

"  Yes,  you  d — n  scoundrel,"   answered   Cross-eyed 


158  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  UO. 

Telf ; "  you  had  that  rope  tied  too  tight,  and  I  believe  you 
did  it  on  purpose,  because  he  struck  you  when  arrested." 

"  Oh,  no,  I  didn't.  Captain,"  answered  Husky  Diggs' 
beginning  to  quake  with  guilty  fear ;  "  I  simply  tight- 
ened it  when  you  told  me  to,  before  leaving  town." 

The  Captain  remembered  that  this  was  so,  and  so 
said  nothing  in  reply. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Dick  Madison,  after  a  long  pause, 
"it  'pears  ter  me  we're  in  a  fix.  What  er  we  gwine  ter 
do  wid  him,  now  ?" 

"  Why,  bury  him,  of  course,  you  black  idiot !"  said 
Husky  Diggs.  "  You  don't  suppose  we  are  going  to 
publish  our  blunder  in  the  newspapers,  do  you  ?" 

"  jSTo,  I  didn't  'spose  dat,"  answered  Dick ;  "  but  I 
tell  you  it's  er  mighty  risky  bizness  we're  in,  if  his 
mudder  ever  comes  to,  an'  'members  who  it  was  dat 
took  him  away." 

"  You  are  right  about  that,  Dick,"  said  Cross-eyed 
Telf,  "  and  I  propose  to  return  to  town  and  get  counsel 
on  this  matter  before  doing  anything  about  it." 

Accordingly  they  all  hastened  back  into  Westville, 
Husky  Diggs  and  the  others  returning  to  their  barracks 
as  if  nothing  unusual  had  happened,  while  Cross-eyed 
Telf  proceeded  immediately  to  Weston's  room  at  the 
hotel. 

"  Hello,  this  is  a  timely  visit,"  said  Weston,  as  he 
opened  his  room-door  in  answer  to  the  announcement 
of  the  name  of  Captain  Tellefson  on  the  outside. 
"  What  in  the  world  can  be  the  matter  ?" 

"  Matter  enough,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  as  he 
pushed  his  way  into  the  room.  "  We've  killed  the  young 
man." 

"  Who  r 


Insurrection.  159 

"  John  Latham." 

"And  how?" 

"  Why,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  "  we  undertook 
to  torture  him,  by  hanging,  and  to  make  him  give  us 
the  names  of  the  murderers  of  Mr,  Fontell,  and  we  let 
him  hang  too  long  and  killed  him.  I  half  believe, 
though,  that  Husky  Diggs  made  the  rope  too  tight  on 
purpose." 

"Any  reason  for  believing  so?"  asked  Weston. 

"  Yes,  they  said  Latham  struck  him  when  first  ar- 
rested." 

""Very  likely,  then,"  answered  Weston;  "but  what 
are  you  going  to  do  with  the  dead  man  ?" 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  have  come  to  ask  you,"  an- 
swered Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  We  left  him  lying  on  the 
ground  under  the  tree,  where  we  hung  him,  for  the 
present," 

"  Very  good,"  answered  Weston,  "  and  is  that  in  the 
woods  ?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  "  about  forty  yards 
from  the  road." 

"And  did  anybody  else  know  you  had  him  out?" 
asked  Weston. 

"  His  mother,  and  perhaps  others,  know  that  he  was 
taken  to  my  quarters  at  the  court-house,"  answered 
Cross-eyed  Telf ;  "  but  I  hardly  think  anyone  knows 
about  our  taking  him  to  the  woods  or  torturing  him." 

Weston  turned  the  light  in  his  lamp  a  little  higher, 
as  if  he  hoped  to  brighten  his  mental  as  well  as  physi- 
cal vision  and  answered,  after  a  few  moments'  reflec- 
tion :  "  That  is  all  right.  Now  let  me  tell  you  what 
to  do  :     Go  back  and  hide  the  body  until  to-morrow 


160  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  W- 

night,  and  then  hang  it  to  a  limb  near  enough  to  the  road 
for  him  to  be  discovered  next  day.  In  the  meantime, 
to-morrow,  tell  only  a  few  reliable  men  that  young 
Latham  peached  on  the  Ku-Klux,  and  told  you  who 
the  murderers  of  Old  Fontell  were.  N'ext  day,  when  his 
body  is  discovered  hanging  to  a  tree,  it  will  be  an  easy 
matter  to  say  that  he  was  hanged  by  the  Ku-Klux  for 
disclosing  their  secrets  and  giving  away  the  slayers  of 
Fontell." 

"  That  is  a  capital  idea,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf, 
"  and  worthy  of  a  lawyer.  But  how  shall  we  account 
for  his  absence  during  the  day,  to-morrow?" 

"  Oh,  that  is  easy  enough,  too,"  answered  Weston. 
"  Tell  these  same  reliable  persons,  that  certain  mem- 
bers of  Klan  No.  40  secretly  followed  young  Latham 
when  he  was  first  arrested,  and  overheard  the  conversa- 
tion in  which  he  gave  the  names  of  Fontell's  murderers, 
and  that,  on  discovering  the  eavesdroppers,  he  hid  him- 
self in  the  woods  during  the  next  day,  fearing  the  vio- 
lence that  finally  overtook  him,  and  that  the  Ku-Klux 
found  him  next  night  (to-morrow  night  now)  and  hung 
him  for  peaching  on  them.  Mind,  you  must  let  it  be 
known  to-morrow  that  he  is  in  hiding  in  the  woods, 
and  you  might  have  one  of  your  own  reliables  to  see 
him  during  the  da}'^  and  converse  with  him  in  the  woods. 
This  will  help  substantiate  the  theory  that  he  was 
killed  by  the  Ku-Klux  a  night  later." 

Crossed-eved  Telf  was  so  delighted  with  Weston's 
shrewd  solution  of  the  difl&culty  that  his  eyes,  which 
had  never  been  properly  set  in  his  head,  fairly  danced 
with  glee,  and  he  left  the  room  with  many  protesta- 
tions of  his  admiration  for  his  adviser  and  appreciation 


Insurrection.  161 

of  his  kindness.  It  was  now  much  past  midnight,  and 
Crossed-ej^ed  Telf  hurriedly  commissioned  Husky  Diggs 
and  the  others  who  had  participated  in  the  murder  of 
Latham,  to  go  back  and  conceal  the  body  carefully 
until  next  night. 

"  Aha ! "  muttered  Weston  to  himself,  as  he  extin- 
guished the  light  in  his  room  and  retired  again  to  bed, 
"  the  caldron  begins  to  boil  more  violently  than  I  ex- 
pected ;  but  trust  me  to  keep  it  stirred.  I  must  see 
Tinklepaugh  in  the  morning." 

All  next  day  Mrs.  Latham  lay  deliriously  tossing  to 
and  fro  on  her  bed,  and  muttering  the  name  of  her 
boy.  Her  language  was  so  incoherent  that  the  neigh- 
bors and  friends  who  had  gathered  in  to  minister  to 
her  wants  were  still  unable  to  form  any  definite  idea 
as  to  the  fate  of  the  young  man ;  and,  consequently,  on 
the  following  day  when  his  body  was  found  suspended 
to  a  limb  in  the  woods,  and  it  was  reported  that  the 
Ku-Klux  had  killed  him  for  giving  away  their  secrets, 
these  same  friends  very  rationally  concluded  that  Mrs. 
Latham's  unintelligible  mutterings  referred  to  the 
seizure  of  the  young  man  by  the  Ku-Klux.  The  human 
mind  takes  great  delight  in  solving  the  mysterious,  and 
if  only  a  slight  clue  is  furnished  as  a  starting  point, 
every  person  you  meet  adds  what,  in  his  opinion,  is  a 
ray  of  light,  if  not  a  complete  solution  of  the  whole 
problem.  Hence  it  was  that  Mrs.  Latham's  friends 
took  great  delight  in  confirming  the  report  that  John 
Latham  was  hanged  by  the  Ku-Klux ;  and  the  report 
was  soon  current,  and  it  was  generally  believed,  that 
Mrs.  Latham  herself  had  said  that  the  Ku-Klux  took 
him  off. 


162  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

Such  a  state  of  excitement  was  never  before  known 
in  the  whole  community,  nor,  indeed,  in  the  State.  The 
whole  structure  of  society  was  heaved  to  its  deepest 
depths,  and  fear  seized  the  stoutest  hearts.  John 
Latham's  death  following  so  closely  that  of  Jasper 
Fontell,  and  being,  according  to  current  rumor,  so 
intimately  connected  with  it,  sent  a  thrill  of  terror  into 
the  heart  of  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  com- 
munity, and  made  them  quake  with  fear. 

This  atrocious  crime  furnished  the  material  out  of 
which  the  two  little  villains  spun  another  lengthy  thread 
of  falsehood,  which  was  immediately  sent  to  the  afore- 
said Northern  looms,  and  by  them  woven  into  a  black 
cloth  of  misrepresentation.  And  members  of  both 
branches  of  Congress,  and  others  still  higher  in  the 
councils  of  the  nation,  made  themselves  garments  of 
this  cloth,  and  wore  them  in  the  discharge  of  their 
official  duties.  Judges  of  courts  made  their  official 
robes  out  of  it,  and  flaunted  them  in  the  faces  of  liti- 
gants.    Yerily,  truth  was  crushed  to  earth. 

The  following  is  an  account  of  the  death  of  John 
Latham,  as  it  appeared  in  the  Westville  Republican^ 
edited  by  the  noble  Peter  Tinklepaugh : 

"AlSrOTHEK  KU-KLUX  MURDER! 

"Anarchy  Reigns  Supreme  in  West  County! 
"  The  State  Militia  Powerless  to  Protect  Citizens  ! 

"  THE  AID  of  federal   TROOPS  A  NECESSITY  ! 

"Early  yesterday  morning  the  lifeless  body  of  Mr. 
John  Latham  was  found  swinging  to  a  limb  of  a  tree 


Insurrection.  163 

near  the  public  road  leading  into  the  town  of  Westville 
from  Kenneth  Grove.  The  murder  of  Mr.  Latham  is 
evidently  a  sequel  to  the  hanging  of  Mr.  Jasper  Fontell, 
that  occurred  only  a  few  days  ago,  the  excitement  over 
which  had  not  subsided  when  the  community  was 
again  startled  by  the  report  of  this  last  Ku-Klux  out- 
rage. 

"It  was  generally  believed,  indeed,  it  was  not  doubted, 
that  the  Ku-Klux  were  responsible  for  the  untimely 
death  of  Mr.  Fontell,  and  it  now  appears  that  the  mur- 
der of  Mr.  Latham  forms  another  link  in  the  chain  of 
evidence  connecting  that  lawless  organization  with  the 
former  outrage.  We  have  it  on  reliable  authority  that 
Mr.  Latham  had  become  so  conscience-stricken  over  the 
murder  of  Mr.  Fontell  by  the  Klan  to  which  he,  Latham, 
belonged  that  he  turned  informer,  and  that  he  was  mur- 
dered by  the  Klan  for  disclosing  its  secrets.  Mr. 
Latham,  we  are  informed,  was  not  an  actual  participant 
in  the  hanging  of  Mr.  Fontell ;  indeed,  it  seems  he  was 
too  upright  and  conscientious  to  be  guilty  of  such  a 
horrible  crime,  but  he  belonged  to  the  Klan,  and  was 
in  possession  of  the  fatal  secret,  and  because  he  was  too 
honest  to  keep  secret  the  bloody  work  of  the  lawless 
assassins  and  thereby  partake  of  their  guilt,  he  lost  his 
life. 

"  The  murder  of  this  young  man,  simply  because  he 
was  too  good  to  be  a  murderer  himself,  makes  the  na- 
ture of  the  crime  so  shocking  that  we  forbear  to  offer 
any  comment,  not  being  able  to  do  the  subject  justice. 

"Anarchy  reigns  supreme  in  this  county,  and  the  State 
troops  are  utterly  powerless  to  deal  with  the  situation. 


164  Kvr-Klux  Klcm  No.  W- 

"  Citizens  are  hanged  like  felons  for  their  political 
opinions,  and  those  who  refuse  to  protect  the  murderers 
share  the  same  fate.  Ku-Kluxism  is  the  legitimate 
off-spring  of  the  rebellion,  and  is  the  climax  of  anarchy. 

"  This  last  Ku-Klux  murder,  committed  as  it  was  al- 
most in  the  very  shadow  of  the  court-house  in  which 
the  State  troops  are  stationed,  shows  that  our  State 
militia  is  inadequate  to  deal  with  the  powerful  Klan, 
and  that  nothing  can  stay  the  bloody  hand  of  lawless- 
ness in  our  midst  except  the  interference  of  the  general 
government.  It  seems  to  us  that  if  the  President  longer 
delays  sending  Federal  troops  to  this  distracted  county 
he  ought  to  be  held  morally  responsible  for  the  bloody 
work  of  the  Ku-Klux." 


The  Klan  Meets.  165 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE  KLAN  MEETS. 


On  the  evening  succeeding  the  funeral  of  John  Latham, 
the  Klan  had  a  called  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
sidering the  charges  of  murder  preferred  against  the 
members  of  the  Klan  by  the  spinners  and  weavers  in 
charge  of  the  outrage  looms,  and,  as  these  charges  in- 
volved the  safety  as  well  as  the  honor  of  the  members, 
there  was  a  full  attendance.  The  meeting,  however, 
was  an  informal  one,  the  investigation  of  the  charges 
not  coming  under  any  head  of  routine  business,  so  the 
rigid  rules  of  debate  prescribed  and  adopted  by  the 
Klan  were  suspended,  and  consequently  all  the  mem- 
bers participated  freely,  in  the  discussion,  in  conversa- 
tional style. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Major  Wyland,  who  was  seated 
on  a  rude  slab,  "  we  all  know  that  the  charge  that  mem- 
bers of  this  Klan  committed  these  two  murders  is  abso- 
lutely false,  but  the  accusation  is  seriously  made  by  our 
enemies,  and,  as  it  has  been  acted  upon  by  those  high 
in  authority,  as  shown  by  the  declaration  of  the  Gov- 
ernor that  this  county  is  in  a  state  of  insurrection,  I 
think  it  is  incumbent  upon  us  to  repel  the  charge,  and 
furnish  proof  of  our  innocence." 

"  I  thought  you  lawyers  had  a  rule  that  no  one  is  re- 
quired to  produce  evidence  of  his  innocence  until  he  is 
indicted  and  there  is  some  evidence  of  his  guilt,"  said 
Sam  Washburn. 

"And  so  we  have,"  answered  Major  "Wyland ;  "  but 
in  this  case  we  have  not  only  been  already  indicted, 


166  K'w-Klux  Klan  No.  Ji.0. 

but  we  have  actually  been  convicted,  and  that,  too, 
without  being  allowed  a  day  in  court." 

"I  had  not  thought  of  that,"  answered  Sam,  "and, 
yet,  it  is  only  too  true  for  us  to  feel  comfortable  over 
the  reflection." 

"  Yes,  and  if  they  can  go  that  far  without  making 
any  investigation  as  to  the  truth  of  the  charges,  it  may 
be  that  they  will  actually  indict  us  in  court,"  said  Henry 
Worthel. 

"  No,  I  do  not  apprehend  an)^  trouble  of  that  kind," 
answered  Major  Wyland  ;  "and,  yet,  for  myself,  I  can 
say  that  I  would  welcome  such  an  indictment,  because 
it  would  furnish  me  an  opportunity  to  vindicate  my 
character." 

"And,  yet,  the  murderers  of  Old  Stingy  Jap  cun- 
ningly devised  a  scheme  that  furnishes  some  suspicious 
evidence  against  us,"  said  Albert  Seaton. 

"The  wretches  were  simply  after  his  money,"  an- 
swered Sam. 

"  That  is  very  evident,"  said  Major  Wyland,  "  and, 
yet,  as  Albert  says,  their  scheme  was  deeply  laid,  and 
the  circumstances  and  surroundings  furnish  to  those 
who  know  nothing  about  the  Ku-Klux  some  strong  evi- 
dence against  the  Klan." 

"  But  everybody  knows  Old  Stingy  Jap  was  not  an 
offensive  partisan,"  answered  Sam,  "  and  there  could 
have  been  no  object  in  killing  him,  except  robbery,  and 
the  Ku-Klux  is  not  a  band  of  robbers." 

"  They  have  been  accused  of  robbery  quite  frequently, 
though,"  said  Henry  Wortuei. 

"And  every  other  crime  in  the  catalogue,"  answered 


The  Klan  Meets.  167 

Albert,  "and,  yet,  it  is  purely  a  political  organization, 
and  the  vast  majority  of  the  members  would  scorn 
such  a  thought." 

"However,  true  that  may  be,"  answered  Major  Wy- 
land,  "  we  are  accused  of  murder  now,  and  it  behooves 
us  to  prepare  for  the  worst,  for  there  is  no  telling  what 
extreme  measures  may  be  resorted  to  by  the  Republi- 
cans in  order  to  carry  the  next  election." 

"  I  agree  with  you  that  it  is  getting  time  for  us  to 
begin  to  prepare  for  our  defence,  in  case  of  necessity," 
said  Albert,  "  though  it  is  very  evident  to  any  one  ac- 
quainted with  the  rules  of  the  Klan,  that  these  murders 
could  not  have  been  committed  by  the  Ku-Klux." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  "  as  has  already 
been  suggested,  Stingy  Jap  was  not  an  active  partisan, 
and  could  not  have  been  obnoxious  to  the  Ku-Klux  on 
that  account,  and  as  his  only  besetting  sin  was  his 
penuriousness,  no  Klan  would  have  killed  him  for  that. 
And  there  are  many  other  reasons  for  saying  that  his 
murderers  were  not  genuine  Ku-Klux,  according  to  the 
testimony  before  the  coroner's  inquest  before  the  retire- 
ment of  the  jury,  notwithstanding  the  testimony  that 
they  wore  genuine  Ku-Klux  disguises.  In  the  first 
place,  the  witnesses  testified  that  the  murderers  were 
heard  talking  on  the  road  to  and  from  the  home  of 
Stingy  Jap ;  but  every  Ku-Klux  knows  that  only  one 
person  is  allowed  to  speak  while  on  a  raid,  and  he  must 
be  appointed  for  that  purpose  before  starting.  In  the 
second  place,  it  is  a  rule  of  the  Ku-Klux  never  to  give 
any  warning  sign,  such  as  hideous  paintings  on  the 
door,  when  it  is  intended  to  inflict  the  death  penalty  ; 


168  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

while  in  this  instance  nearly  all  the  representations 
designed  as  notices  were  used  by  the  murderers  of 
Fontell.  Again,  these  admonitions  are  never  placed 
on  the  door  on  the  same  night  any  punishment  is  in- 
flicted, but  are  put  there  several  nights,  and  even 
months,  sometimes,  beforehand,  to  warn  the  ojffender 
that  he  must  desist  from  some  objectionable  practices, 
while  in  the  case  of  Stingy  Jap,  we  have  the  positive 
evidence  of  reliable  persons  who  were  at  the  house  on 
the  evening  preceding  the  hanging,  that  no  such  char- 
acters were  on  the  door  then.  Besides,  the  death  pen- 
alty is  not  allowed  to  be  inflicted  except  as  a  last  resort, 
and  then  onl}^  after  repeated  warnings  to  the  offender 
that  he  must  leave  the  community,  and  in  this  case  no 
previous  warnings  were  given." 

"  Why  not  let  the  world  know  these  things,"  asked 
Henry  Worthel,  "  and  so  dispel  the  cloud  of  suspicion 
against  us?" 

"That  is  impossible,"  answered  Major  Wyland.  "It 
would  be  a  violation  of  our  oath  never  to  disclose  the 
secrets  and  rules  of  the  Klan.  The  general  law  of  the 
Empire  forbids  it." 

"  What  shall  we  do,  then  ? "  asked  Henry. 

"Well,  that  is  for  the  Klan  to  say,"  answered  Major 
Wyland.  "  We  have  met  here  for  consultation,  and  to 
try  and  devise  some  plan  by  which  we  may  establish 
our  innocence,  in  case  we  should  be  arrested  for  mur- 
der. Perhaps  our  ingenious  spy  can  suggest  some  line 
of  policy  to  be  pursued." 

"  No,"  answered  Sam,  "  I  have  no  plan  to  suggest ; 
but  we  all  look  to  you  for  advice  in  this  matter.     You 


The  Klan  Meets.  169 

are  accustomed  to  giving  counsel,  and  these  matters 
are  beyond  my  ken." 

"  Well,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  "  I  would  suggest 
that  we  all  constitute  ourselves  detectives,  and  that  we 
look  out  for  every  clue  that  might  lead  to  the  discov- 
ery of  the  real  murderers  of  Fontell  and  John  Latham." 

"  But  how  shall  we  proceed,"  asked  Albert,  "  when 
we  have  no  starting  point?  Can  you  not  indicate 
some  way  in  which  we  might  begin  our  detective 
work  ? " 

"  Well,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  "  in  the  case  of 
Fontell,  robbery  was  evidently  the  object  of  his  murder- 
ers, and  I  would  suggest  that  we  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for 
persons  who  spend  money  freely  and  who  have  not  the 
means  of  making  it  rapidly.  In  the  second  place,  it 
is  said  that  he  had  a  large  number  of  State  bonds  on 
hand,  and  I  would  recommend  that  some  member  of 
our  Klan  be  sent  to  the  ofRce  of  the  Secretary  of  State, 
with  instructions  to  examine  the  records  there  and 
take  the  number  and  date  of  the  bonds  issued  to  Jasper 
Fontell.  The  law  requires  the  State  Treasurer  to  keep, 
in  a  book  prepared  for  that  purpose,  a  memorandum  of 
every  bond  of  the  State  issued  by  the  State,  together 
with  the  numbers,  date  of  issue,  when  and  where  pay- 
able, at  what  premium,  and  to  whom  the  same  may 
have  been  sold  or  issued.  The  Treasurer  can  then  be 
instructed  to  note  the  person  who  presents  the  bonds 
for  payment,  or  for  the  payment  of  interest,  and  in  this 
way  we  may  be  able  to  discover  the  possessor  of  the 
bonds." 

"  But  perhaps  the  State  Treasurer  would  not  be  will- 
ing to  assist  in  detecting  the  murderers,"  suggested 
11 


170  Kv^Klux  Klcm  No.  J^O. 

Henry  ;  "  especially  if  they  proved  to  be  party  favor- 
ites." 

"  Oh,  I  hardly  think  our  Treasurer  would  refuse  a 
request  of  that  kind,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  "  and 
if  he  should,  we  could  make  his  refusal  defeat  him  in 
the  next  election,  and  we  would  then  get  a  man  who 
would  assist  us." 

"  But  suppose  the  bonds  are  transferred  to  another 
person  ?  "  said  Sam. 

"  Then  the  law  requires  the  surrender  and  cancella- 
tion of  the  bonds,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  "and 
new  bonds  for  the  same  amount  to  be  issued  to  the 
transferee." 

"  And  in  the  case  of  the  murder  of  John  Latham, 
what  do  you  suggest  ? "  asked  Sam,  pleased  with  the 
ingenuity  displayed  by  the  old  lawyer. 

"In  that  case,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  "  I  recom- 
mend that  some  member  of  the  Klan,  or  what  would 
perhaps  be  better,  that  some  female  friend  be  permit- 
ted to  remain  in  the  room  with  Mrs.  Latham  until  she 
recovers,  and  it  may  be  that  even  in  her  delirious  rav- 
ings she  may  let  fall  some  word  that  would  furnish  a 
clue  as  to  the  identity  of  his  murderers." 

Mrs.  Latham  had  remained  completely  demented 
ever  since  the  night  John  was  torn  from  her  side,  and 
as  no  one  else  had  seen  the  military  ruffians  in  charge 
of  him,  or  knew  anything  about  their  taking  him  off, 
the  report  circulated  by  Cross-eyed  Telf,  to  the  effect 
that  the  Ku-Klux  had  killed  him  for  betraying  the 
murderers  of  old  Jasper  Fontell,  had  been  generally 
accepted  as  true.  Indeed,  some  of  the  strongest  Demo- 
crats in  the  community  were  beginning  to  condemn 


The  Klan  Meets.  171 

the  existence  of  the  Klan  as  a  band  of  murderous 
assassins.  They  had  hitherto  winked  at  the  little  mis- 
deeds of  the  Klan — such  as  whipping  a  negro,  a  car- 
pet-bagger, or  a  scalawag  for  being  too  active  in  politi- 
cal matters ;  but  that  thev  should  commit  murder  in 
carrying  out  the  designs  of  the  Ku-Klux,  and  then  kill 
one  of  their  own  number  for  exposing  their  hellish 
deeds,  was  just  a  little  more  than  the  public  conscience 
could  stand,  and  so  the  righteous  indignation  of  the 
whole  country  was  aroused  against  the  Klan.  And 
the  members  of  the  Klan  felt  very  keenly  the  sting  of 
the  stigma  thus  cast  upon  them.  The  Klan  was  composed 
of  some  of  the  best  men  in  the  whole  country,  who 
had  joined  it  simply  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the 
Union  Leagues  and  overthrowing  the  reign  of  the  car- 
pet-baggers by  gentler  means  than  the  taking  of  life, 
and  they  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  being  charged 
with  murder. 

Having  mutually  agreed  to  assist  and  defend  each 
other  in  case  of  necessity,  and  to  act  as  detectives  in 
trying  to  discover  the  perpetrators  of  the  crimes  with 
which  the  members  were  charged,  the  Klan  dispersed 
and  the  members  returned  to  their  homes,  feeling  very 
much  mortified  at  the  turn  affairs  had  taken  and  their 
inability  to  ferret  out  the  true  facts. 


172  Ku-Klux  Klan  N'o.  J^O. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

A    CONFLICT   OF   AUTHORITY. 

On  the  morniag  of  the  20th  of  July,  1870,  Major 
Wyland  was  sitting  in  his  elegantly  furnished  office 
on  Main  street  in  the  town  of  Westville,  when  a  boy 
rapped  at  the  door,  and,  being  admitted,  handed  him 
a  large  sealed  envelope.  Judging  hastily  by  the  bulk 
and  weight  of  the  package  that  it  contained  only  some 
legal  documents,  which  he  had  sent  for  the  evening 
before  to  be  brought  from  the  office  of  the  Superior 
Court  Clerk,  he  was  about  to  lay  it  unopened  on  the 
table  before  him,  to  be  opened  and  examined  at  his 
leisure,  when  the  messenger  accosted  him  with  the 
remark : 

"  He  said  to  let  him  know  at  once  whether  you  could 
come,  and  if  you  couldn't  come  right  now,  to  come  as 
soon  as  possible." 

Hastily  tearing  open  the  envelope,  he  was  startled  at 
finding  that  it  contained  in  fact  a  legal  document,  though 
not  the  one  he  had  sent  for,  but  one  which  emanated 
from  a  court  he  thought  and  hoped  had  vanished  with 
the  last  roar  of  belligerent  cannons.  A  short  note 
enclosed  first  attracted  his  attention,  the  contents  of 
which  were  as  follows : 

'■'•My  Dear  Major  Wyland :  I  have  been  arrested  by 
the  military  authorities,  and  am  now  imprisoned  in  one 
of  the  rooms  of  the  court-house.  I  send  you  the  copy 
of  the  papers  served  on  me,  which  contains  all  the 
information  I  have  received  as  to  the  cause  of  my 
arrest. 


A   Conflict  of  Authority.  173 

"  Please  come  to  me  at  once,  and  let  me  know  if  any 
legal  process  can  be  sued  out  to  secure  my  liberation. 
"  Yours  very  truly,  Albert  Seaton. 

"  July  20,  1870." 

"Did  you  wish  to  take  an  answer  back?"  asked 
Major  Wyland,  as  he  laid  the  note  on  the  table  before 
proceeding  to  the  examination  of  the  more  lengthy 
document. 

"He  said  to  bring  a  reply,  unless  you  could  answer 
at  once  in  person,"  answered  the  intelligent  looking 
boy  who  had  brought  the  message. 

"  I  will  answer,  in  person,  immediately  after  examin- 
ing the  papers,"  said  Major  Wyland ;  "  so  you  need 
not  wait  for  a  reply." 

Left  alone  again.  Major  Wyland  read  carefully  and 
critically  the  following  interesting  document,  which  is 
given  as  a  specimen  exhibition  of  the  grinding  military 
despotism  practiced  upon  the  people  of  West  county 
during'  the  summer  of  1870: 


'■ts 


"  Headquarters  Department  of , 

^''Division  Embracing  West  County^ 

"July  20th,  1870. 

"  General  Court  Martial,  Orders  No.  1. 

"Before  a  Military  Commission  convened  at  Westville, 
July  20th,  1870,  lander  authority  received  from  Head- 
quarters Department    ,  there  was  arraigned 

and  tried :  Albert  Seaton,  citizen. 


" CHARGE 


"For  publishing  and  circulating  disloyal  and  seditious 
writings  within  a  district  under  martial  law. 


174  Kv^Klux  Klom  No.  UO. 

"  Specification. — In  this,  that  the  said  Albert  Seaton, 

citizen,  of  West  county.  State  of   ,  and,  editor 

of  a  newspaper  named  and  known  as  the  Westmlle 
Conservative,  published  at  Westville,  in  said  county  and 
State,  did  publish  in  said  newspaper,  and  circulate  an 
article  in  words  as  follows : 

"  'As  a  public  journalist  we  feel  constrained  to  enter 
our  protest  against  the  action  of  our  Governor  in  de- 
claring West  county  to  be  in  a  state  of  insurrection.  His 
establishment  of  martial  law  for  this  county  was  an  un- 
warranted exercise  of  the  dangerous  power  vested  in 
him  by  that  unconstitutional  and  slanderous  statute 
known  as  the  Ku-Klux  Act.  It  is  true  there  have  been 
several  trivial  outrages  committed  in  the  county,  and 
lately  we  have  had  perpetrated  in  our  midst  two  most 
atrocious  murders ;  but  we  assert  positively,  and  we  are 
willing  to  stake  our  reputation  for  veracity  on  the  as- 
sertion, that  these  murders  were  not  committed  by  the 
Ku-Klux,  as  alleged,  but  were  committed  by  private 
persons  for  the  purpose  of  robbery,  in  the  one  case,  and 
possibly  for  revenge  in  the  other ;  and  we  confidently 
believe,  and  so  declare,  that  time  and  a  thorough  in- 
vestigation of  these  crimes  will  prove  the  truth  of  our 
prediction.  To  have  a  military  despot  sitting  as  the 
sole  arbiter  of  the  rights  of  our  citizens  is  a  humiliation 
that  is  hard  to  bear,  and  our  Governor  is  inexcusable 
for  thrusting  such  a  state  of  serfdom  upon  us,' 

"  The  charge  is,  that  said  article  was  calculated  and 
intended  to  produce  hostility  to  the  government,  and 
cause  resistance  to  the  constituted  authorities. 

"  To  which  charge  and  specification  the  accused,  Al- 
bert Seaton,  pleaded  as  follows : 


A   Conflict  of  Authority.  175 

"  To  the  specification  of  the  charge,  '  guilty ',  except 
so  much  as  alleges  that  the  said  article  was  calculated 
and  intended  to  produce  hostility  to  the  government 
and  cause  resistance  to  the  constituted  authorities. 

"  To  the  charge,  '•not  guilty^ 

"  The  court  having  maturely  considered  the  evidence 
adduced  finds  the  accused,  Albert  Seaton,  citizen,  as 
follows : 

"  Of  the  specification  to  the  charge,  guilty. 

"  Of  the  charge,  guilty. 

" SENTENCE : 

"  The  said  Albert  Seaton  is,  therefore,  sentenced  to 
imprisonment  in  the  jail  of  West  county  for  thirty  days. 
"  By  command  of  Crawford  Tellefson,  Captain." 

Major  Wyland  finished  reading  this  remarkable  docu- 
ment, and  then  sat  for  a  few  moments  almost  stupefied 
with  astonishment.  That  a  military  subordinate,  only 
a  Captain,  should  issue  an  order  for  the  arrest  of  a  citi- 
zen and  actually  try  and  convict  him  by  a  court  martial, 
of  which  he  was  the  self-constituted  head,  and  sentence 
him  to  imprisonment,  was  an  act  of  despotism  that 
stood  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  any  enlight- 
ened nation  of  people.  Yerily,  the  last  vestige  of  free- 
dom had  vanished  from  Southern  soil,  and  the  people 
were  reduced  to  the  condition  of  serfs.  He  had  thought 
that  he  had  foreseen  the  evils  of  the  military  usurpa- 
tion, but  he  was  not  prepared  to  hear  of  such  an  unau- 
thorized assumption  of  power  as  this. 

Recovering  after  a  few  minutes  from  the  effects  of 
the  startling  news,  he  left  his  office  and  proceeded  to 


176  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

the  court-house,  where  he  was  met  at  the  door  by 
Husky  Diggs,  orderly  sergeant  for  the  day,  who  de- 
manded to  know  his  business. 

"I  wish  to  be  allowed  to  see  a  client  who,  I  under- 
stand, has  been  imprisoned  in  the  court-house,"  he  an- 
swered, casting  an  indignant  look  upon  the  ill-natured 
visage  of  the  man  who  confronted  him. 

"Oh,  he  has  no  use  for  a  lawyer  now,"  answered 
Husky  i)iggs,  "  he's  already  convicted  and  in  prison, 
and  all  hell  can't  git  him  away  from  Cross-eyed  Telf 
now." 

"At  any  rate  I  wish  to  be  allowed  to  see  him,"  an- 
swered Major  Wyland. 

"  Well,  I'll  go  and  ask  the  Captain  about  it,"  said 
Husk}^  Dig'gs,  and  he  left  Major  Wyland  standing  in 
the  door  surrounded  by  a  motley  crowd  of  the  band  of 
hoodlumns  while  he  went  in  search  of  the  Captain. 
Cross-eyed  Telf  was  never  hard  to  find  by  those  who 
knew  his  habits,  so  Huskv  Diggs  proceeded  at  once  to 
the  "  wine-room,"  where  he  found  the  Captain  enjoy- 
ing a  glass  of  "  moonshine."  He  had  been  drunk  all 
day ;  was  drunk,  in  fact,  when  he  issued  the  order  for 
the  arrest  of  Albert  Seaton,  and  there  was  no  hope  of 
improving  his  condition  much  as  long  as  the  pop  skull 
lasted. 

"  Captain,"  said  Husky  Diggs,  as  he  poked  his  head  . 
in  the  door,  "  there  is  an  old  sheep-skin  thumber  out 
here,  who  wants  to  see  the  young  Ku-Klux  bird  you 
caged  to-day." 

"  Tell  him  to  come  in  and  have  a  drink  with  me," 
answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  who  by  this  time  was  unable 
to  rise  from  the  keg  on  which  he  was  seated. 


A   Conflict  of  Authority.  177 

"  No,"  answered  Husky  Diggs,  "  he  insists  that  he 
only  wants  to  see  the  goslin'  Ku-Klux,  so  I'll  just  swal- 
ler  his  share  myself,"  and  the  low-browed  villain 
drained  a  full  glass. 

"  Then  bring  'era  both  in  here,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf. 
"  They  will  not  be  allowed  to  see  each  other  except  in 
my  presence,  and  my  presence  is  here  just  now."  This 
last  observation  was  true,  as  has  already  been  explained. 

Husky  Diggs  returned  and  informed  Major  Wyland 
of  the  orders  of  the  Captain,  and  then  unlocked  the 
door  of  the  room  in  which  Albert  was  incarcerated. 

''  Come  out,  you  Ku-Klux  quill  driver,"  said  Husky 
Diggs  to  Albert ;  "  there's  an  old  jawy  cross-questioner 
out  here  who  wants  to  filch  a  few  dollars  out  of  you, 
and  the  Captain  wishes  to  drink  your  health  in  the 
wine-room  while  he  does  it.  I  tell  you,  young  man, 
there  ain't  no  use  in  sendin'  for  a  lawyer  after  old 
Cross-eyed  Telf  gits  his  claws  on  you." 

Albert  feared  the  truth  of  this  last  remark,  and  the 
thought  of  having  to  remain  in  that  dusty  room  sur- 
rounded by  the  noise  of  the  tramping,  the  vulgarity, 
and  the  swearing  indulged  in  by  the  boorish  military 
hirelings  about  him,  made  him  faint  at  heart;  but, 
still,  at  the  announcement  of  Major  Wyland's  ap- 
pearance, he  arose  with  alacrity  from  the  rough  bench 
on  which  he  had  been  reclining,  and  followed  his 
swarthy  conductor  to  the  presence  of  his  counsel.  The 
sight  of  no  person  on  earth  is  ever  more  welcome  than 
the  appearance  of  a  lawyer,  who  comes  as  the  legal  ad- 
viser to  a  condemned  prisoner.  The  invalid,  racked 
with  pain  and  scorched  with  fever,  as  he  rolls  restlessly 
from  one  side  of  his  bed  to  the  other,  listens  eagerly 


178  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  JfO. 

for  the  sound  of  his  physician's  footsteps,  and  swallows 
submissively  the  bitter  potion  he  administers.  But  in 
the  case  of  the  sick  man  it  is  only  his  own  physical  in- 
firmity that  confines  him,  and  he  feels  so  long  as  any 
hope  of  recovery  survives  that  the  pain  will  ere  long 
exhaust  itself,  and  the  burning  fever  subside,  even 
without  the  assistance  of  the  doctor's  medicines;  while 
on  the  other  hand,  the  imprisoned  captive  realizes  that 
his  environments  are  all  external  and  beyond  his  con- 
trol ;  he  feels,  too,  especially  an  innocent  prisoner,  that 
all  that  is  necessary  to  secure  his  release  is  to  convince 
the  minds  of  his  persecutors  of  his  innocence  by  satis- 
factory argument,  or  to  reach  their  hearts  by  persuasive 
entreaty;  but  he  knows  that  his  own  efforts  have  al- 
ready proved  unavailing,  and  his  heart  yearns  for  the 
aid  of  an  advocate  more  eloquent  and  powerful  than 
himself.  The  fact  is  that  we  are  all  dependent  chil- 
dren, and  remain  so  as  long  as  we  live,  and  our  hearts 
are  ever  yearning  for  the  counsel  of  a  wiser  voice  and 
the  guidance  of  a  stronger  hand  than  our  own.  Then 
the  sight  of  prison  walls,  viewed  from  the  inside,  brings 
with  it  a  pang  of  humilitation  more  intolerable  than 
any  fever  or  pain. 

Husky  Diggs  conducted  Major  Wyland  and  Albert 
to  the  wine-room,  where  they  found  Cross-eyed  Telf 
still  sitting  on  the  keg  of  blockade,  for  this  military 
satrap  respected  not  even  the  revenue  laws,  but  pur- 
chased his  liquor  from  the  blockade-runners  because  it 
was  cheaper.     By  this  time  he  was  cleverly  drunk. 

"  Have  a  sheat  shennlemens,"  said  the  thick-tongued 
scoundrel,  looking,  as  Major  Wyland  thought,  directly 
at  a  barrel  of  brandy  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room. 


A   Conflict  of  Authority.  179 

"No,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  looking  around  and 
seeing  nothing  on  which  he  could  sit,  except  a  few  kegs 
and  barrels  of  "  mountain  dew,"  and  not  caring  to  imi- 
tate the  drunken  beast  before  him  in  any  particular; 
"  I  have  simply  called  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  the 
arrest  and  detention  of  this  young  man." 

"  Court's  over,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  Have 
a  drink,  shennlemens,  Husky  Diggs,  (hie)  pour  the 
shennlemens  out  a  drink." 

"No,  I  thank  you,"  answered  Major  Wyland,  as 
Husky  Diggs  began  to  fill  the  room  with  the  offensive 
odor  of  the  distilled  moonshine ;  "  I  do  not  care  for  a 
drink  just  now  ;  but  I  would  like  to  inquire  if  this  case 
has  been  finally  disposed  of." 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  drunken  sot  on  the  keg. 

"  Then  I  would  like  to  inquire  further,  if  you  are 
sober  enough  to  tell  me,"  said  Major  Wyland,  "by 
what  authority  you  have  arrested  and  imprisoned  him." 

"By  my  own  (hie)  s'preme  power,"  answered  Cross- 
eyed Telf  indignantly,  and  he  attempted  to  rise  as  he 
spoke  in  order  to  emphasi-ze  the  declaration  of  his  au- 
thority, but  "  the  ardent "  proved  stronger  than  his 
muscles,  and  he  tumbled  over  between  two  kegs  and 
lay  there  prostrate  upon  his  face,  unable  to  extricate 
himself. 

"  I  see  there  is  no  use  in  spending  our  time  with  this 
maudlin  wretch,"  said  Major  Wyland,  turning  and 
speaking  to  Albert ;  "  so  I  will  return  to  my  office  and 
prepare  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  to  test  the  validity  of 
your  imprisonment." 

"And  what's  a  writ  of  habis  corjpis  f  "  asked  Husky 
Diggs. 


180  Kk^KIux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

"  It  is  a  writ  by  which  we  hope  to  take  the  body  of 
your  prisoner  from  you,"  answered  Major  Wy land  con- 
temptuously. 

"Oh,  his  corpse,"  answered  the  low-browed  ruffian. 
"Why,  you  can  have  his  carcass  any  time  you'll  send 
a  cart  around  for  it.  We  have  plenty  of  men  here  who 
will  dress  it  up  for  you  in  regular  Ku-Klux  style." 

"  Never  mind  the  threats  of  the  base-born  varlet," 
said  Major  Wyland  to  Albert,  seeing  the  blanched 
countenance  of  the  young  man.  "  I  will  prepare  an 
application  for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  immediately, 
and  I  think  I  can  secure  your  release." 

"  But  suppose  Judge  Farwell  should  refuse  to  grant 
the  writ,"  said  Albert  despairingly. 

"  He  dare  not  refuse  it,"  answered  Major  Wyland. 
"  The  law  imposes  a  heavy  penalty  on  a  judge  for  such 
refusal." 

"  But  he  has  already  decided  against  me  in  one  case," 
said  Albert,  remembering  with  a  shudder  the  decision 
of  Judge  Farwell  in  the  famous  salt  case ;  "  and  by  that 
judgment  he  reduced  me  to  extreme  poverty." 

'•  That  was  in  a  civil  case,"  ansAvered  Major  Wyland, 
trying  to  console  the  disconsolate  youth,  "and  the 
law  guards  the  liberties  of  citizens  more  sacredly  that 
the  rights  of  property,  though  I  must  confess  that  the 
argus-eyed  Goddess  of  Liberty  appears  to  be  very  re- 
miss in  her  duty  at  present." 

"Time's  up,"  said  Husky  Diggs,  who  understood 
just  enough  of  this  conversation  to  surmise  that  the 
old  lawyer  was  going  to  make  some  effort  to  liberate 
his  prisoner;  so  he  took  Albert  by  the  arm  and  con- 


A   Conflict  of  Authority.  181 

ducted  him  back  to  his  cell,  while  Major  Wyland  re- 
turned to  his  office.  After  locking  Albert  in,  Husky 
Diggs  returned  to  his  drunken  master,  and  lifting  him 
up  and  finding  him  unable  to  either  stand  or  sit,  he  laid 
him  prostrate  on  the  floor,  and  then  proceeded  to  fill 
himself  up  with  liquor. 

"  I  wish  to  present  an  application  for  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus,''''  said  Major  Wyland,  as  he  entered  Judge  Far- 
well's  office  an  hour  later. 

"  Pray,  be  seated  Major,'"'  answered  Judge  Farwell, 
as  he  rose  politely  and  accepted  the  document. 

Eesuming  his  seat,  the  Judge  hastily  glanced  over 
the  application,  which  contained  a  verified  copy  of  all 
the  papers  relating  to  the  case  by  virtue  of  which 
Albert  Seaton  had  been  arrested  and  imprisoned. 

"  My  God ! "  exclaimed  Judge  Farwell,  when  he  had 
finished  reading  the  remarkable  document;  "has  it 
come  to  this,  that  a  citizen  can  be  arrested  and  sen- 
tenced to  prison  by  a  contemptible  drumhead  court 
martial,  the  head  of  which  is  only  a  Captain  of  militia  ?" 

"  It  seems  that  such  a  thing  has  actually  happened," 
answered  Major  Wyland  complacently. 

"  Well,  this  is  the  most  revolutionary  usurpation  of 
unauthorized  power  that  has  ever  come  under  my  ob- 
servation," answered  the  Judge  as  he  took  his  pen  and 
signed  the  writ  prayed  for.  "  I  will  readily  grant  the 
writ,  and  I  doubt  if  that  ancient  and  stable  bulwark 
of  our  liberties  has  ever  been  more  providently  issued 
since  the  memorable  scene  at  Runny-Mede." 

"It  is,  indeed,  loudly  called  for  in  this  instance," 
answered  Major  Wyland,  pleased  at  the  view  taken  of 
the  matter  by  Judge  Farwell. 


182  Ku^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

"And  how  does  Albert  bear  up  under  the  sentence  ?" 
asked  the  Judge. 

"  He  seems  very  much  humiliated  and  depressed," 
answered  Major  Wyland, 

'"  I  do  not  wonder  at  it,"  said  the  Judge.  "  The  in- 
dignity thus  heaped  upon  him  is  none  the  less  hard  to 
bear  because  it  is  unlawful.  I  am  very  much  surprised 
that  such  a  ruffian  as  Cross-eyed  Telf  should  be  placed 
in  charge  of  a  compan}'  of  troops ;  but  I  think,  after 
this  exhibition  of  his  ignorance  and  cruelty,  I  will  not 
manifest  any  astonishment  at  anything  further  he  may 
do." 

"  I  am  very  much  surprised  myself  that  the  troops 
should  have  been  ordered  here  at  all,"  answered  Major 
Wyland.  "  There  was  no  necessity  for  declaring  this 
county  in  a  state  of  insurrection. 

"I  agree  with  you  in  that  opinion,"  answered  Judge 
Farwell,  "  and  I  say  to  you  seriously,  though  I  have 
no  doubt  you  will  be  greatly  astonished  to  learn  it, 
that  the  illegal  means  resorted  to  by  the  Republican 
party,  in  order  to  secure  a  victory  at  the  coming  elec- 
tion, has  caused  me  to  resolve  to  sever  my  connection 
with  that  party  forever." 

"Why,  I  am  astonished  to  hear  such  a  declaration," 
answered  Major  Wyland.  "  To  be  candid  with  you, 
though,  since  your  avowal  of  a  change  of  heart,  you 
may  not  think  me  very  complimentary,  I  thought  you 
were  in  full  sympathy  with  the  party,  even  in  its  wild- 
est excesses." 

"  Your  opinion  does  me  great  injustice,  as  applied  to 
my  present  state  of  feeling,"  answered  Judge  Farwell, 
"  though  I  must  confess  that  I  have  been  in  the  past 


A   Gonjlict  of  Authority.  183 

in  full  accord  with  that  party  in  most  of  its  measures. 
I  had  been  raised  a  Republican,  and  had  been  taught 
from  a  child  that  Democracy  meant  hostility  to  the 
government;  in  fact,  the  word  in  my  infantile  vocabu- 
lary was  synon3''mous  with  rebellion  and  treason.  But 
I  have  discovered  at  last,  to  my  sorrow,  that  the  Repub- 
lican party  in  the  South  is  not  composed  of  the  same 
material  as  at  the  North.  Up  North  that  party  em- 
braces the  best  classes  of  society,  while  down  here  it 
is  composed  of  the  lowest  elements.  I  cannot  longer 
remain  in  a  party  that  I  see  is  every  day  plunging  the 
State  into  bankruptcy,  and  that  seeks  to  sustain  its 
waning  power  by  the  use  of  the  bayonet,  and  I  have 
determined  to  announce  publicly  my  withdrawal  from 
such  a  party." 

"Judge  Farwell,"  said  Major  Wyland,  his  heart 
swelling  with  genuine  emotion,  "  I  see  you  have  been 
sadly  deceived,  and  I  am  glad  to  know  that  you  repu- 
diate a  party  that  seeks  to  reduce  our  people  to  a  state 
of  serfdom  more  galling  than  that  of  the  Russian  slave. 
Now  let  us  attend  to  this  habeas  corpus  case,  and  we 
will  discuss  this  matter  more  fully  at  some  other  time." 

"I  will  call  my  otRce  boy,"  said  Judge  Farwell, 
"  and  have  him  to  deliver  the  papers  to  the  Sheriff.  I 
have  made  them  returnable  at  noon  to-day." 

In  answer  to  Judge  Farwell's  call,  an  intelligent 
looking  negro  lad  came  into  the  room  and  took  the 
papers  and  set  out  at  once  to  find  the  Sheriff  of  West 
county.  Major  Wyland  also  left  at  this  time,  promis- 
ing to  return  to  the  Judge's  office  promptly  at  twelve 
o'clock.  It  was  then  eleven,  and  Judge  Farwell  spent 
the  next  hour  pacing  his  office  floor  in  a  deep  reverie. 


184  Kv^KUins  Klan  No.  J^O. 

He  had  felt  for  some  time  that  he  could  not  longer 
aflBliate  with  a  party  that  was  evidently  destroying  the 
Commonwealth  by  pledging  its  faith  to  so  many  ques- 
tionable schemes  of  plunder,  and  yet  he  was  not  insen- 
sible to  the  serious  importance  of  the  step  he  proposed 
to  take.  To  turn  his  back  on  the  party  now,  after 
having  enjoyed  its  favors  so  long,  would  look  like  in- 
gratitude, and  yet  he  could  not  approve  the  action  of 
the  authorities  in  seeking  to  perpetuate  their  power 
by  placing  military  despots  in  charge  of  the  ballot- 
boxes.  He  had  a  sincere  reverence  for  all  lawfully 
constituted  authority,  but  a  supreme  contempt  for  all 
illegal  usurpation,  and  he  felt  that  the  action  of  Cross- 
eyed Telf  in  arresting  Albert  Seaton  was  an  outrage 
in  itself  enough  to  cause  any  lover  of  liberty  to  leave 
a  party  responsible  for  his  action. 

He  was  aroused  from  his  reverie  by  the  appearance 
of  the  Sheriff  at  the  door. 

"  Cross-eyed  Telf  is  drunk,  Judge,"  said  the  Sheriff, 
"  and  Husky  Diggs  refuses  to  deliver  up  his  prisoner." 

"  Is  Captain  Tellefson  too  drunk  to  make  any  return 
to  the  writ,"  asked  the  Judge. 

"I  presume  he  is,"  answered  the  Sheriff;  "at  any 
rate  he  has  directed  Husky  Diggs  not  to  respect  the 
writ,  and  to  refuse  to  let  Albert  go." 

"  Then  it  is  your  duty  to  take  him  by  force,"  an- 
swered Judge  Farwell,  "  and  you  may  call  in  the  whole 
power  of  the  county  to  assist  you.  How  many  men 
has  '  Cross-eyed  Telf,'  as  you  call  him  ? " 

"About  one  hundred,"  answered  the  Sheriff. 

"  Then  go  back  and  have  your  deputies  to  assist  you 
in  summoning  two  hundred  men,  and  direct  them  all 


A   Conflict  of  Authority.  185 

to  appear,  armed  with  whatever  instruments  of  war 
they  may  possess,  at  the  court-house  within  an  hour. 
Then  take  Albert  and  bring  him  before  me  if,  in  order 
to  do  so,  you  have  to  fill  the  court-house  with  dead 
troops." 

Sheriff  Albertson  was  a  brave  man,  who  only  wanted 
to  know  his  duty,  and  he  would  discharge  it  with 
fidelity  and  courage.  Consequently  in  less  time  than 
that  specified  by  Judge  Farwell,  he  had  a  force  of  tw^o 
hundred  young  men  drawn  up  in  battle  array  in  front 
of  the  court-house.  By  this  time  Cross-eyed  Telf ,  who 
had  just  taken  a  long  nap,  had  sobered  considerably, 
and  seeing  the  strong  opposing  force  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  Sheriff,  he  began  to  realize  to  some  extent 
the  gravity  of  the  situation,  and  to  consider  what  had 
best  be  done.  Husky  Diggs  advised  that  he  send  for 
counsel,  and  the  Captain,  remembering  how  admirably 
Donald  Weston  had  extricated  him  from  a  former 
dilemma,  immediately  despatched  a  messenger  for  that 
sage  counsellor,  while  he  counted-,  as  accurately  as  his 
befuddled  mind  would  permit,  the  forces  in  front. 

Weston  soon  appeared,  and  demanded  to  know  the 
cause  of  so  much  disturbance  and  the  reason  for  the 
display  of  so  great  a  force. 

"  I  have  come  to  take  a  prisoner  now  in  charge  of 
Captain  Tellefson,  who  refuses  to  deliver  him  up,"  said 
the  Sheriff. 

''And  by  what  authority  do  you  seek  to  take  him 
out  of  the  custody  of  Captain  Tellefson  ? "  demanded 
the  little  attorney. 

"  By  virtue  of  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  issued  by  Judge 
Farwell,"  answered  the  Sheriff. 
12 


186  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

"But  the  civil  authorities  have  no  right  to  grant  that 
writ — to  take  a  person  imprisoned  under  the  final  judg- 
ment of  a  court  martial,"  answered  Weston. 

"  You  can  make  your  points  of  law  before  Judge 
Farwell,"  answered  the  Sheriff ;  "  but,  as  for  my  part, 
I  intend  to  take  the  prisoner,  or  die  in  the  attempt." 

Weston  looked  at  the  men  before  him,  and  saw  that 
they  were  well  armed  :  in  fact  all  the  munitions  of  war 
to  be  found  in  the  hardware  stores  of  the  town  had 
been  freely  tendered  the  Sheriff  and  his  posse,  and  most 
of  the  men  were  not  only  well  equipped,  but  were 
eager  for  the  fray,  and  this  desire  for  battle  w^as  plainly 
visible  in  their  stern  countenances.  The  doughty  little 
attorney  hesitated.  If  he  should  precipitate  a  fight 
by  counselling  resistance  to  the  Sheriff's  posse,  the 
responsibility  for  the  result,  which  it  was  impossible 
to  forsee,  would  fall  principally  upon  him ;  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  if  Tellefson  should  yield  the  custody 
of  the  prisoner,  the  strength  and  influence  of  the  mili- 
tary authority  would  be  broken,  and  the  power  upon 
which  he  relied  for  the  promotion  of  his  wicked  schemes 
would  vanish.  If  a  few  shots  could  be  fired  and  a  little 
blood  flow  in  the  streets,  the  Korthern  outrage  looms 
miofht  w^eave  out  of  it  a  bloody  shirt  that  could  be 
flaunted  in  the  faces  of  Southern  statesmen  for  all  time 
to  come.  Again  self-interest  predominated,  as  it  always 
does  in  the  breast  of  a  reall}^  wicked  man,  and  again  the 
voice  of  Sempronius  was  heard  declaring  for  war,  but 
this  time  not  in  the  Eoman  Senate,  trying  to  incite  resist- 
ance to  the  subjugator  of  the  people ;  but  it  was  the 
voice  of  a  little  unscrupulous  demagogue,  trying  to  stir 
up  insurrection  in  order  that  he  might  feast  and  fatten 
on  carnage  like  a  vulture. 


A   Conflict  of  Authority.  187 

•'  I  do  not  think  you  can  afford  to  surrender  the 
custody  of  the  prisoner,"  said  Weston,  turning  to  Cross- 
eyed Telf.  "  The  publication  of  that  article  was  evi- 
dently intended  to  provoke  opposition  to  your  author- 
ity, and  the  appearance  of  this  unusual  array  of  force 
to  resist  your  power  is  but  the  legitimate  fruit  of  such 
seditious  writing.  You  cannot  surrender  him  without 
giving  up  your  commission  as  Captain  at  the  same 
time/' 

This  last  thrust  hit  the  mark  intended,  the  vanity  of 
the  Captain. 

Excitement  sobers  a  drunken  man  even  quicker  than 
sleep,  and  by  this  time  Cross-eyed  Telf  had  almost  en- 
tirely recovered  his  equilibruira.  He  estimated  that 
the  excess  in  numbers  of  the  sheriff's  ^csse  was  more 
than  counterbalanced  by  his  advantageous  position,  so 
he  decided  to  fight,  and  quickly  gave  orders  that  his 
men  should  station  themselves  in  the  windows  and 
doors  of  the  court-house,  seeking  the  protection  of  the 
walls  as  much  as  possible,  and  that  they  should  open 
fire  on  the  first  man  who  placed  his  feet  on  the  door- 
steps. 

Husky  Diggs  was  placed  at  the  door  of  the  room  in 
which  Albert  was  imprisoned,  with  instructions  to 
guard  the  door  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  his  life.  Having 
hurriedly  completed  his  preparations  for  the  expected 
battle,  Cross-eved  Telf  announced  to  the  sheriff  his  de- 
termination  to  fight  from  a  window  in  the  second  story 
of  the  building. 

The  sheriff's  posse  was  composed  mainly  of  hot- 
blooded  youths  from  the  town,  who  were  eagerly  wait- 
ing for  permission  from  the  sheriff  to  fire,  and  this 


188  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

being  now  given,  Cross-eyed  Telf  was  immediately  an- 
swered by  a  shot  that  took  off  his  ear.  A  volley 
quickly  followed,  and  this  was  answered  by  a  heavy 
discharge  from  the  windows  and  doors. 

Sheriff  Albertson  still  possessed  that  intrepid  cour- 
age and  calm  judgment  that  so  distinguished  him  in  a 
graver  war  than  that  now  on  hand,  and  he  soon  dis- 
covered that  it  was  foolish  to  fight  in  that  exposed 
place  while  his  enemy  had  the  advantage  of  the  walls 
of  the  court-house  for  a  protection.  His  quick  percep- 
tion took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance.  Projecting  from 
the  second  story  in  front  was  a  long  piazza,  or  balcony, 
supported  by  huge  round  pillars  reaching  to  the  ground, 
and  his  men  were  immediately  ordered  to  take  shelter 
under  the  piazza.  Once  under  this  security  there  were 
only  two  windows  facing  them,  and  as  these  had  been 
imprudently  left  raised,  the  sheriff's  men  poured 
through  them  so  rapidly  that  those  within  were  routed 
and  fled  through  the  doors  in  confusion,  without  offer- 
ing any  further  resistance.  Cross-eyed  Telf  and  the 
men  up  stairs  were  now  utterly  powerless  to  do  any 
further  fighting,  and  as  Albert  had  been  allowed  to  re- 
main in  the  room  below,  Husky  Diggs  was  easily  over- 
powered, the  door  torn  off  its  hinges,  and  the  prisoner 
rescued. 

Cross-eyed  Telf,  seeing  the  ridiculous  mistake  he  had 
made,  and  realizing  the  ignominious  defeat  he  had  sus- 
tained, now  sent  a  man  down  to  say  to  the  sheriff  that 
he  only  yielded  to  superior  forces,  and  that  he  still 
protested  against  this  interference  with  his  authority. 

Albert  was  immediately  taken  before  Judge  Farwell, 
and  on  motion  of  Major  Wyland,  who  appeared  as  his 


A   Con  fid  of  Authority.  189 

counsel,  was  released  from  custody.  After  the  order 
for  his  discharge  had  been  properly  signed  and  attested, 
Judge  Farwell  handed  Albert  a  paper  and  remarked : 

"  I  want  you  to  publish  this  in  the  next  issue  of  the 
Westville  Conservative.  It  is  a  card  to  the  public  an- 
nouncing my  repudiation  of  the  Republican  party." 

"  I  am  very  much  surprised,  Judge,  but  I  assure  you 
it  does  my  heart  good  to  hear  it,"  answered  Albert. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Judge  Farwell,  "  I  have  had  this 
departure  under  advisement  for  some  time,  and  after 
mature  delibration,  I  have  decided  that  I  cannot  afford 
to  affiliate  longer  with  a  party  that  permits  such  out- 
rages as  your  imprisonment  to  be  carried  on  with  im- 
punity. I  have,  indeed,  been  thinking  very  seriously 
to  day  about  resigning  my  office  as  Judge." 

"That  will  not  do  now,"  answered  Albert.  "We 
may  need  you  again  soon,  if  the  tyrannical  military 
company  remains  here." 

"  I  had  thought  of  that,"  answered  the  Judge.  "  If 
that  inhuman  wretch  called  Cross-eyed  Telf,  continues 
in  command  here,  there  is  no  telling  to  what  extremity 
he  may  go.  He  seems  to  be  utterly  destitute  of  sym- 
pathy." 

"  I  can  testify  as  to  the  truth  of  that,  myself,"  an- 
swered Albert.  "And,  yet,  I  do  not  think  he  is  alone 
responsible  for  all  the  devilment  indulged  in  around 
here  of  late." 

"  You  think  he  has  an  accomplice  ?"  asked  the  Judge. 

"  Only  in  the  capacity  of  an  adviser  and  counsellor," 
answered  Albert. 

"I  am  really  afraid  your  surmise  is  correct,"  said 
Judge  Farwell  reflectively.  "  I  have  noticed  that  Wes- 


190  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

ton  has  shunned  me  for  the  last  few  days,  and  I  am 
very  much  afraid  that  he  has  joined  Tellefson  and  his 
coadjutors  in  trying  to  carry  the  approaching  election 
by  force." 

This  conversation  was  cut  short  by  the  appearance 
of  a  crowd  of  men  walking  past  the  office,  carrying  a 
man  on  a  litter.  Albert  looked  out  the  open  door,  and 
recognized  the  bloody  form  of  Sam  Washburn.  Turn- 
ing away  with  a  shudder,  he  grasped  the  hand  of  Judge 
Farwell  cordially,  as  an  eloquent  expression  of  his  ap- 
preciation of  the  favor  shown  him  that  day,  and  then 
left  the  office  without  speaking  a  word  and  followed 
the  track  of  blood.  The  ball,  they  said,  had  perforated 
one  lung,  but  the  physician  entertained  hopes  of  his 
recovery.  It  was  the  most  serious  injury  sustained  by 
any  one  in  the  battle  at  the  court-house.  Albert  fol- 
lowed for  some  distance,  but  began  to  grow  faint  at  the 
sight,  and  turned  back  and  went  home  to  his  invalid 
mother. 

The  following  was  the  story  of  the  engagement  at 
the  court-house,  as  woven  by  the  outrage  looms: 

"WAR!  WAR!!  WAR!!! 

"  The  Ku-Klux  Fire  on  State  Troojps  ! 

"  On  the  20th  instant,  at  Westville,  the  Ku-Klux  with 
a  force  one  thousand  strong  appeared  in  front  of  the 
court-house,  in  which  the  State  troops  had  been  sta- 
tioned by  order  of  the  Governor  of  that  State,  who 
had  declared  West  county  to  be  in  a  state  of  insur- 
rection, and  fired  upon  the  troops,  wounding  Captain 
Tellefson  and  killing  several  of  his  men.  Captain 
Tellefson  had  a  force  only  one  hundred  strong,  and 


A   Conflict  of  Authority. 


191 


the  Ku-Klux,  it  seems,  have  determined  to  drive  the 
troops  out  of  the  county  in  order  that  they  may  carry 
on  their  diabolical  work  of  whipping  r.egroes  and  mur- 
dering and  robbing  the  wealthy  and  in:luential.  No 
other  cause  is  assigned  for  the  hellish  deed,  even  by 
the  Ku-Klux  themselves,  and  they  openly  boast  that 
they  will  kill  every  man  in  the  county  who  refuses  to 
pledge  himself  to  vote  the  Democratic  ticket  in  the 
coming  election.  The  Great  Rebellion,  with  all  its 
carnage,  was  a  mercy  to  what  the  good  people  of  West 
county  are  forced  to  endure  at  the  hands  of  the  law- 
defying  and  bloody-handed  Ku-Klux.  No  person's 
life  is  safe,  and  many  good  people  have  abandoned 
home  and  everything,  and  are  flying  in  terror  for  their 
lives.  It  is  understood  that  the  Governor  will  demand 
that  a  company  of  Federal  troops  be  sent  to  the  assis- 
mce  of  the  State  militia." 


192  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  4.0. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    DEATH    CHAMBER. 

Albert  Seaton  went  home  from  his  prison  cell  to  his 
mother's  death  chamber.  She  had  remained  in  a  very 
critical  condition  ever  since  the  day  the  sad  funeral 
obsequies  were  held  over  the  skeleton  corpse  of  her 
late  husband,  and  the  fresh  shock  occasioned  by  the 
outrageous  imprisonment  of  her  son,  and  the  news  of 
the  battle  to  secure  his  liberation,  was  more  than  her 
nervous  system  could  bear.  She  had  not  learned  the 
termination  of  the  combat  before  Albert's  arrival,  and 
was  still  laboring  under  the  impression  that  he  would 
be  killed  by  the  ruffian  usurpers  rather  than  surrende 
him,  when  he  approached  her  bedside  and  gently  kissel 
her  hand. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  son,"  feebly  gasped  the  dying  womfl, 
"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come.  I  feared  I  would  havto 
die  without  ever  seeing  you  again." 

"  Do  not  talk  of  dying,  mother,"  said  Albert,  tem- 
bling  with  fear  as  he  gazed  upon  the  feeble  fame 
before  him.  "  They  have  not  hurt  me,  and  I  am  orry 
to  see  you  so  frightened." 

"  It  is  more  than  fright  this  time,"  answere  Mrs. 
Seaton.  "  It  is  the  hand  of  death  upon  me,  andl  have 
so  much  to  tell  you  before  I  die." 

The  dying  woman  put  both  hands  to  her  ->rehead 
and  pressed  her  temples  with  all  the  strengt'  ber  fee- 
ble arms  possessed.  She  seemed  to  be  stragely  agi- 
tated, and   her  excitement,  instead  of  ab?ng  since 


The  Death  Chamber.  193 

Albert's  arrival,  appeared  to  become  every  moment 
more  intensified. 

"  I  want  all  to  leave  the  room,"  she  said  at  last, 
"  except  Albert  and  Bessie,  and  Dr.  W3'land." 

This  request  having  been  complied  with,  she  asked 
to  be  supported  in  a  sitting  posture  by  pillows,  and 
this  being  done  by  the  kind-hearted  physician,  brother 
of  the  distinguished  lawyer,  she  took  Albert  and  Bessie 
each  by  the  hand,  and,  summoning  all  her  strength  for 
the  last  act  in  the  drama  of  her  life,  thus  addressed 
them,  speaking  to  Bessie  first : 

"  Bessie,  my  dear,  sweet  child,  I  am  going  to  die 
and  leave  you  forever,  and  I  want  to  hear  you  call  me 
mother  once  more  before  I  go.  You  are  my  child,  are 
you  not,  Bessie  ? " 

"Yes,  mother;  you  know  I  am,"  anwered  the  weep- 
ing girl. 

"And  have  I  always  been  a  good  mother  to  you, 
Bessie?" 

"  Yes,  my  dear  mother,  you  have  always  been  ex- 
tremely good  and  kind  to  me." 

"  And  do  you  love  me  as  your  mother  % " 

"  Yes,  mother,"  answered  Bessie,  choking  with  emo- 
tion so  that  she  could  only  answer  the  questions  of  the 
dying  mother. 

"And  has  Albert  always  been  a  good  brother  to 
you?"  still  querried  the  dying  woman. 

"  Yes,  mother," 

"  And  do  you  love  him  ? " 

"  Yes,  mother,  I  love  him." 

"  And  you,  Albert,  do  you  love  Bessie  ?  " 

"  Yes,  mother,  I  love  her,"  answered  Albert, 


194  Ku-Klux  Klrni  No.  JfO. 

"Then  listen  to  me,  ray  children,"  and  the' expiring 
woman  cast  her  glazy  eyes  first  upon  one  and  then  the 
other  as  she  spoke.  "  I  have  a  strange  and  startling 
story  to  relate  to  you.  You  are  not  my  daughter, 
Bessie,  and  Albert  is  not  your  brother.  Albert  is  my 
only  child.  But  to  tell  you  the  whole  story  I  must 
begin  with  my  own  infancy.  My  father  and  mother 
both  died  when  I  was  quite  an  infant,  leaving  me  a 
valuable  estate.  M}^  father  left  a  will  in  which  he 
appointed  Mr,  Arthur  DeVoy  executor  and  guardian 
for  me,  giving  him  the  option  of  investing  my  money 
and  of  appropriating  to  his  own  use  all  the  proceeds 
of  such  investments  above  legal  interest,  or  of  simply 
preserving  the  property  until  I  became  of  age  without 
having  to  account  for  interest.  If  he  should  choose 
the  former  mode,  he  was  required  to  give  bond  for  the 
forthcoming  of  my  money,  and  interest,  when  I  should 
reach  my  twenty-first  birthday ;  if  he  should  choose 
the  'atter  method,  no  bond  was  required.  Mr,  DeVoy 
adopted  the  former  method  and  wisely  invested  my 
money  in  such  a  way  that  when  I  attained  legal  age 
and  married  Mr,  Seaton  he  was  enabled  to  turn  over  to 
me  everything  that  was  demanded  of  him  under  the 
will,  and  to  reserve  for  himself  quite  a  fortune  thus 
accumulated,  Mr.  DeYoy,  at  the  time  of  my  marriage  to 
Mr.  Seaton,  was  a  bachelor,  and  when  Albert  was  born 
a  year  afterwards,  he  came  over  to  see  him,  and,  be- 
cause he  was  the  son  of  his  ward,  he  called  Albert  his 
grandson,  and  soon  grew  very  fond  of  him,  spending 
most  of  his  time  fondling  him  and  buying  him  presents. 
Four  years  later,  Mr.  DeYoy  married  Ellen  Crawford. 
They  were  our  nearest  neighbors,  and  Mr.  DeYoy  con- 
tinued to  fondle  and  caress  my  little  boy,  until  about  a 


The  Death  Chamber.  195 

year  after  his  marriage,  when  his  wife  presented  him 
with  a  daughter.  Contrary  to  the  usual  custom  of 
husbands,  he  manifested  great  joy  on  discovering  that 
his  offspring  was  a  girl,  and  came  over  immediately 
after  Albert,  who  was  then  five  years  old,  and  took 
him  over,  as  he  said,  to  see  his  little  sweetheart.  After- 
wards Albert  visited  the  house  every  day,  and  called 
the  little  girl  his  little  sweetheart,  much  to  the  delight 
of  her  parents.  Eight  months  later  Mrs.  DeYoy  sick- 
ened and  died,  but  on  her  death  bed  she  made  Albert 
promise  to  marry  his  little  sweetheart  when  she  became 
of  age.  Mr.  DeVoy  was  overwhelmed  with  grief  at 
his  wife's  death,  but  soon  ended  his  sorrow  by  follow- 
ing her  to  the  grave.  He  was  a  good  man,  but  very 
eccentric,  as  all  men  are  who  live  a  life  of  celibacy  up 
to  the  age  of  fifty,  and  he  also  made  a  will  in  which 
he  appointed  Dr.  Wyland,  here,  his  executor  and  guar- 
dian for  his  little  girl.  In  his  will,  after  reciting  the 
fact  that  all  his  fortune  had  been  acquired  by  invest- 
ments of  my  money,  and  expressing  his  gratitude,  he 
directed  that  his  little  daughter  should  be  placed  under 
my  care  and  reared  by  me  as  my  own  daughter ;  that  I 
should  call  her  my  daughter  and  teach  her  to  call  me 
mother  and  Albert  her  brother,  and  that  she  and  Albert 
should  never  know  but  that  they  were  brother  and 
sister  until  the  little  girl  should  reach  the  age  of  twenty- 
one.  The  will  further  provided  that  in  case  Albert 
and  the  little  girl  should  marry  when  they  became 
grown,  then  all  the  testator's  property  was  to  go  to 
both  of  them  equally,  but  if  either  should  wilfully 
refuse  to  marry  the  other,  then  all  the  property  was  to 
go  to  the  one  refused.  Albert  was  soon  taught  to  cease 
calling  the  little  girl  sweetheart,  and  to  call  her  sister. 


196  Ev^Elux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

That  little  girl,  Bessie,  is  yourself,  and  your  true  name 
is  Bessie  DeVoy.  If  you  should  change  it  to  Bessie 
Seaton  in  fact,  you  would  be  carrying  out  the  will  of 
your  deceased  parents  as  well  as  the  wishes  of  ." 

But  the  effort  had  been  too  great  for  the  dying 
woman,  and  she  expired  without  finishing  the  sentence, 
still  holding  the  hands  of  Albert  and  Bessie.  The  final 
esparation  of  soul  and  body  appeared  to  take  place  with- 
out agony.  Her  tongue  simply  lay  still  in  her,mouth, 
because  there  was  no  more  breath  to  vibrate  it.  The 
soul  simply  bade  adieu  to  the  cold  tenement  of  clay,  and 
took  its  flight  to  the  realm  beyond  the  chilly  waters  of 
the  river  of  death,  there  to  rejoin  the  spirit  of  the  mur- 
dered husband,  and  to  go  forth,  wing  bound  to  wing, 
new-born,  and  explore  the  great  Unknown. 

Bessie  relinquished  herself  from  the  grasp  of  the  cold, 
clammy  hand  of  the  dead,  and  retired  ;to  her  room, 
where  her  grief-rent  heart  poured  itself  out  in  bitter 
tears.  Death,  the  relentless  destroyer  of  all  human 
happiness,  had  twice  made  her  an  orphan,  and  the 
knowledge  of  her  bereavements  had  come  to  her  all  at 
once.  Fatherless,  motherless,  brotherless,  sisterless, 
homeless,  comfortless !  She  was,  indeed,  desolate.  Im- 
agitatJon  even  refused  to  penetrate  the  dark  future ; 
heri;iiid  was  benumbed  with  sorrow,  her  tongue  para- 
lizea  with  woe,  her  heart  ached  and  throbbed  with  in- 
conceivable anguish,  and  her  soul  cried :  God !  God ! 
Hush  !  O,  busy  world,  and  listen  for  a  moment  to  the 
moan  that  comes  from  the  breast  of  the  poor  inconso- 
lable girl ! 

The  lamentation  of  the  orphan  girl,  though  unheard 
save  by  the  ear  of  Him  who  ever  listen  to  the  wail  of 
the  distressed  and  takes  care  of  the  bereaved,  was  si- 


The  Death  Chamber.  19T 

lently  re-echoed  in  the  heart  of  the  other  newly-made 
orphan,  as  he  walked  to  and  fro  in  the  garden.  It  was 
now  night,  and  the  gentle  moon  looked  down  benig- 
nantly  and  compassionately  into  the  swollen  eyes  of 
the  grief-stricken  young  man,  as  he  walked  alone  in 
the  mellow  moonlight,  nursing  a  burning  grief  that 
could  not  vent  itself  in  tears.  Finding  no  comfort  in 
the  o^arden,  Albert  was  about  to  return  to  the  house 
when  Dr.  Wyland  approached  and  took  him  by  the 
arm.  The  good  physician  was  like  his  brother  only  in 
personal  appearance.  Both  were  naturally  kind-hearted, 
but  Major  Wyland  had  trained  his  mind  and  heart  for 
heated  controversy,  and  had  neglected  to  cultivate  the 
finer  and  more  benignant  qualities,  while  Dr.  Wyland's 
whole  life  had  been  spent  in  trying  to  alleviate  pain 
and  minister  to  the  wants  of  the  suffering,  and  his  voice 
was  accustomed  to  uttering  words  of  comfort  to  the 
distressed. 

"  This  is  a  sad  bereavement,  Albert,"  said  Dr.  Wy- 
land, as  they  walked  the  flower-lined  path  through  the 
garden  ;  "  but  it  is  one  that  must  come  sooner  or  later 
to  all  the  living.  Our  parents  must  leave  us  orphans 
at  some  stage  of  our  lives  if  we  are  permitted  to  live 
out  our  own  allotted  time." 

"I  know  it,"  answered  Albert,  brushing  away  the 
first  scalding  tear  that  had  escaped  his  feverish,  swollen 
eyes  ;  "  but  this  is  a  double  loss  to  me." 

"  Yes,  your  grief  is  hard  to  bear,  I  know,"  answered 
the  good  doctor,  "  but  it  is  not  greater  than  that  of 
others,  and  you  should  endeavor  to  endure  it  without 
murmuring  in  order  to  encourage  her  who  is  equally 
bereft." 

"  Oh,  please  don't  speak  to  me  of  my  poor  s — ",  but 


198  Kvr-Klux  Elan  No.  kO. 

the  last  word  died  unuttered  on  his  tongue,  and  his  sor- 
row now  found  a  vent  in  tears. 

It  is  well  to  weep  under  such  circumstances.  It  is 
not  a  hopeful  symptom  of  improvement  to  see  the 
heart  so  benumbed  with  grief  that  the  very  fountain 
of  feeling  becomes  obstructed  and  stagnant.  It  is  good 
for  the  heart  that  has  been  wrenched  violently  asunder 
to  bleed ;  but  at  such  a  time  the  sufferer  desires  noth- 
ing more  than  solitude,  and  the  voice  of  sympathy  and 
compassion  brings  but  little  consolation.  Great  griefs 
must  have  time  to  flow  out  in  tears  before  the  heart  can 
be  healed.  Dr.  Wyland  recognized  this  truth,  as  he 
felt  the  whole  frame  of  the  strong  young  man  tremble 
against  his  arm,  so  he  turned  to  leave  him  alone  in  his 
sorrow^  saying : 

"  Your  affliction  is  great,  my  young  friend  ;  but  God, 
if  you  will  only  ask  Him,  will  enable  you  to  look  through 
this  dark  veil  of  death  to  a  brighter  and  a  living  vision 
\  beyond.     Affliction  is  God's  school  in  which  he  teaches 
(  us  the  frailty  of  human  things,  and  those  only  are  im- 
(  paired  by  sorrow  who  fail  to  catch  the  true  meaning  of 
( the  lesson.  Destiny,  in  mixing  the  cup  of  life,  has  stir- 
red in  it  many  bitter  sorrows,  which  we  must  all  drink 
( if  we  would  taste  the  sweet  also.     These  tonics  are  al- 
;  ways  bitter,  but  they  are  not  intended  to  be  palatable, 
^  but  healing.  Only  try  to  recognize  God's  hand  in  your 
affliction,  and  you  will  find  that  His  arm  is  strong  and 
'  ready  to  sustain." 

After  this  the  aged  physician  returned  to  the  house, 

I  and  gave  directions  for  the  preparation  of  the  funeral. 

N^ext  day  they  buried  Mrs.  Seaton,  beside  the  grave 

in  which,  only  a  few  weeks  before,  had  been  interred 

the  bones  of  her  murdered  husband. 


Still  Weaving  Bloody   Woof.  199 


CHAPTER  XV. 

STILL  WEAVING  BLOODY  WOOF. 

"Have  you  seen  it?" 

"Seen  what?" 

"  The  card." 
.    "What card?" 

"  Why,  Judge  Farwell's  card,  in  which  he  withdraws 
from  the  Republican  party  and  declines  a  re-election." 
And  Tinklepaugh  handed  Weston  a  copy  of  the  West- 
ville  Conservative  and  pointed  to  the  following : 


"a  card  to  the  public. 


"Eecent  political  events  which  have  transpired  in  this 
State,  and  which  seem  to  have  the  approval  of  the  lead- 
ers of  the  Republican  party,  have  convinced  me  that  it 
is  the  duty  of  all  persons  who  love  peace  and  harmony, 
and  who  desire  to  see  the  autonomy  of  our  State  pre- 
served from  the  destructive  rapacity  of  the  greedy  poli- 
tical cormorants  who  now  have  charge  of  the  State 
government,  to  vote  for  the  overthrow  of  that  party  in 
the  coming  election,  and  believing  this,  I  have  resolved 
to  vote  the  Democratic  ticket  at  the  next  election,  and 
to  affiliate  with  that  party  in  the  future. 

"  The  policy  of  the  Republican  party  in  this  State  for 
the  last  few  years  has  been  to  use  the  government  as 
an  instrument  of  plunder,  and  in  pursuance  of  this  po- 
licy they  have  levied  taxes  that  amount  practically  to 
confiscation  of  private  property,  and  that  made  the 


200  Kii^Klux  Klan  No.  k-O. 

tax-gatherer  a  highway  robber.  Some  of  the  money 
thus  raised  by  exorbitant  taxation,  has  been  squandered 
in  unwise  speculation  to  which  the  State  has  been  made 
a  party,  and  vast  sums  have  been  used  to  pay  special 
officers  for  very  questionable  services;  for  instance,  the 
hiring  of  unprincipled  military  despots  to  imprison  and 
shoot  down  citizens  of  the  State  without  authority  of 
law  or  shadow  of  right.  Millions  of  State  bonds  have 
been  issued  to  build  railroads  that  will  never  have  any 
existence,  except  on  paper,  and  recently  one  of  the  presi- 
dents of  these  paper  railroad  companies  had  the  audac- 
ity to  boast  that  he  had  spent  over  a  quarter  of  a  mil- 
lion of  dollars  in  bribing  and  corrupting  the  present 
Legislature.  The  people  have  been  plundered  until 
they  are  growing  desperate,  and  there  is  real  dan- 
ger to  our  institutions.  History  teaches  us  that  the 
Koman  emperors  extorted  money  from  their  nobles  and 
fed  their  plunder  to  the  rabble,  but  the  Eepublican 
party  has  just  simply  reversed  this  order  by  plunder- 
ing the  many  to  enrich  a  favored  few.  It  is  said  that 
anarchy  and  mob  violence  exist  in  the  South,  and  that 
the  very  existence  of  the  government  is  threatened  by 
the  Ku-Klux.  How  far  these  charges  are  true,  it  is  not 
for  me  to  say,  but  I  wish  to  call  the  attention  of  those 
who  prefer  the  accusations  to  the  fact  that  the  people 
have  been  driven  to  desperation  by  an  abuse  of  power 
and  a  system  of  organized  plunder  that  have,  at  least, 
received  the  sanction  of  the  government.  Anarchy,  or 
a  defiance  of  all  authority,  naturally  follows  despotism. 
Tyranny  is  the  father  of  anarchy,  and  there  is  a  perpet- 
ual conflict  between  the  parent  and  offspring.  Both 
are  evils,  but  so  long  as  they  successfully  resist  each 


Still  Weming  Bloody  Woof.  201 

other  their  pernicious  tendencies  are  checked,  and  the 
equilibrium  of  the  government  is  maintained;  but  once 
this  equilibrium  is  destroyed,  all  government  vanishes. 
Russia  has  her  mobs,  but  it  is  because  the  government 
is  despotic. 

"  It  is  now  five  years  since  the  clank  of  hostile  sabres 
ceased,  with  the  return  of  the  victorious  Northern  sol- 
diers to  their  homes,  and,  yet,  the  tread  of  the  iron-heel 
of  military  despots  is  heard  on  our  streets  to-day.  This 
military  force  is  composed  of  mercenaries,  hired  in 
other  States  and  brought  here  and  equipped  at  the  ex- 
pense of  this  State,  ostensibly  to  preserve  the  peace,  but 
in  reality  to  act  as  spies  among  our  people  and  support 
the  tottering  fortunes  of  the  Republican  party.  Sus- 
tained by  such  power,  our  Republican  Legislature  still 
continues  the  march  of  the  State  toward  bankruptcy 
by  making  fraudulent  appropriations  and  issuing  bonds 
almost  without  limit.  All  this  is  done  with  a  reckless 
disregard  of  public  condemnation  and  private  criticism. 
Honesty  and  capability  are  almost  ignored  as  qualifica- 
tions for  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility,  while 
under  the  reconstruction  acts,  thousands  of  competent 
and  intelligent  white  men  are  denied  any  participation 
in  the  affairs  of  government,  even  the  right  of  suffrage. 
The  people  of  the  State  are  fast  drifting  into  three 
classes :  office-holders,  tax-gatherers  and  serfs. 

"Finding  myself  out  of  sympathy  with  the  policy  and 
tendencies  of  the  Republican  party,  I  feel  constrained 
to  abandon  it,  and,  therefore,  I  announce  my  intention 
to  vote  the  Democratic  ticket  on  election  day  in  Au- 
gust next. 

"  I  have  only  to  say  further,  that  having  withdrawn 
13 


202  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

from  the  Kepublican  party,  I  will  not  be  a  candidate 
under  its  auspices  for  re-election  to  the  offiee  of  judge 
of  this  judicial  district. 

"  Richard  Farwell." 

Weston  finished  reading  this  card  and  uttered  a 
groan  of  disapproval. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it?"  asked  Tinklepaugh. 

Weston  was  too  much  astonished  to  make  an  imme- 
diate reply,  so  Cross-eyed  Telf,  who  was  present,  an- 
swered. 

"  I  think  the  d — n  scoundrel  has  turned  traitor,"  said 
that  hideous  looking,  one-eared,  cross-eyed  barbarian  ; 
"  but  I'll  teach  the  fickle  turncoat  how  to  talk.  I'll  see 
whether  he  votes  the  Democratic  ticket  at  next  elec- 
tion." 

"  But  how  can  you  prevent  it  ? "  asked  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Why,  I'll  shackle  his  heels." 

"  I  do  not  exactly  understand  you." 

"  Cage  him,  man ;  put  him  into  bilboes." 

"What  for?" 

"  Why,  for  contempt  of  court." 

"  But,  I  must  confess,  I  do  not  see  how  you  can  im- 
prison him  for  contempt  of  court  when  he  says  nothing 
about  military  courts  in  his  card." 

"  Don't  he  call  me  a  military  despot,  a  mercenary 
hireling,  and  a  spy?  And  don't  he  say  I  imprisoned 
and  shot  down  citizens  without  authority  of  law  or 
right  ?  I'll  have  the  rebellious  tyke  boxed  up  in  the 
same  room  from  which  he  took  the  young  Ku-Klux 
editor,  before  the  sun  sets  this  evening." 

"  That  is  right,"  said  Weston,  looking  up  from  J  udge 


Still  Weaving  Bloody  Woof.  203 

Farwell's  card  in  the  Westville  Conservative,  from  which 
hitherto  he  had  not  been  able  to  take  his  eyes  since 
Tinklepaugh  first  handed  him  the  paper.  "  There  is 
nothing  like  insisting  upon  the  proper  respect  for  your 
authority,  if  you  wish  to  maintain  it,  and  the  fact  that 
such  a  supercilious  article  emanated  from  the  pen  of  a 
Judge  makes  it  all  the  more  noticeable." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  "  and  such  dispar- 
agement of  Captain  Tellefson's  authority,  coming  from 
such  an  exalted  source,  has  a  tendency  to  aggravate 
the  feeling  of  resistance  to  the  established  militarv 
rule  now  prevalent  in  the  community.  The  Ku-Klux 
will  want  no  better  Shibboleth,  under  which  to  justify 
the  preaching  of  their  pernicious  doctrines,  than  this 
text  furnished  by  the  renegade  Judge." 

"And  I  hope,"  said  Weston,  "that Captain Tellefson 
will  not  only  imprison  him,  as  he  threatens,  but  hold 
him  personally  and  criminally  responsible  for  any  riot 
or  bloodshed  his  seditious  article  incites." 

"  Trust  me  to  handle  the  renegade  demagogue  with 
a  bridle  and  martingale,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf. 
*'  I'll  soon  have  him  under  my  thumb,  and  the  first  time 
he  begins  to  champ  the  bit,  or  undertakes  to  kick  over 
the  traces,  I'll  turn  him  over  to  the  tender  mercy  of 
Husky  Diggs." 

"  And  the  parson,"  suggested  Tinklepaugh. 

"Yes,  and  to  the  merciful  parson,"  answered  Cross- 
eyed Telf,  looking  seemingly  out  of  the  window,  but 
in  reality  closely  at  Tinklepaugh,  and  wondering 
whether  that  little  scoundrel  knew  anything  about  the 
death  of  John  Latham. 

The  reverend   Dick  Madison,  though  acting  under 


204:  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

Cross-eyed  Telf  as  half-servant  and  half-soldier,  had 
been  permitted  to  circulate  considerably  among  his 
people  on  Sundays,  in  order  to  "  fill  his  'pintments," 
and  the  mention  of  his  name  in  such  a  connection  by 
Tinklepaugh  caused  Cross-eyed  Telf  to  feel  a  little 
apprehensive,  lest  the  long-tongued  sermonizer  had 
allowed  his  tongue  to  wag  a  little  imprudently. 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  Tinklepaugh  knew 
nothing  of  the  hanging  of  John  Latham,  Cross-eyed 
Telf  announced  his  intention  of  leaving  for  the  purpose 
of  executing  his  threat  against  Judge  Farwell,  when 
Weston  detained  him. 

"  I  esteem  it  a  part  of  my  official  duty  as  the  State's 
prosecuting  attorney  for  this  judicial  district,"  began 
the  designing  little  lawyer,  "to  invoke  your  aid  in 
trying  to  punish  the  murderers  of  old  Mr.  Jasper  Fon- 
tell.  I  have  procured  sufficient  evidence  to  justify  me 
in  instituting  a  prosecution  against  several  persons  for 
that  horrible  crime,  but  the  assassins  are  all  members 
of  Klan  No.  40,  and,  since  the  Sheriff  has  so  plainly 
evinced  his  sympathy  with  the  Klan,  I  feel  myself 
powerless  to  bring  them  to  justice  without  the  assis- 
tance of  the  military  power,  and  I  have  therefore  de- 
termined to  ask  you  to  help  me." 

"  Nothing  would  tickle  the  blood  in  my  veins  quicker 
than  to  be  able  to  nab  a  few  dozen  of  the  hell-hounds," 
answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  with  a  wicked  leer.  "  Husky 
Diggs  alone  can  muzzle  a  dozen  of  the  cone-headed 
ghouls,  and  I'll  warrant  my  force  to  bag  the  whole 
Klan  if  the  order  shall  be  given." 

"Unless  the  Sheriff  interferes  in  their  behalf,"  said 
Tinklepaugh,  as  a  mischievous  smile  played  over  his 
grimy  countenance. 


Still  Weaving  Bloody  Woof.  205 

"  D — n  the  Sheriff,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  re- 
membering how  that  intrepid  officer  had  outwitted 
him  in  the  little  bout  at  the  court-house.  "  If  ever  I 
jostle  against  that  rake-hell  rapscallion  again  I'll  settle 
the  little  account  I  have  against  him  for  the  loss  of  my 
ear,  and  I  intend  to  keep  the  wound  green  until  I  do 
meet  him,  too." 

"  Well,  the  encounter  may  take  place  soon  enough 
to  please  you,  if  Weston  insists  on  these  prosecutions," 
said  Tinklepaugh. 

"  And  why  not  insist  on  prosecuting  the  midnight 
murderers?"  asked  Weston.  "Do  you  think  I  can 
afford  to  sit  idle  and  see  the  laws  of  the  land  set  at 
defiance  by  a  band  of  disguised  assassins,  and  not  raise 
a  finger  to  stay  the  red  hand  of  blood,  simply  because 
an  arraignment  of  the  butcherers  is  likely  to  cause 
a  riot?" 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  did  not  mean  to  say  that  you  should 
refrain  from  a  prosecution  for  any  reason,"  answered 
Tinklepaugh.  "  I  only  thought  to  tease  the  Captain  a 
little." 

And  yet  Tinklepaugh  was  tortured  with  a  vague 
apprehension  that  an  indictment  of  innocent  persons 
for  the  murder  of  Old  Stingy  Jap  might  lead  to  the 
detection  of  the  guilty  slayers. 

"  Well,  I  must  confess  that  it  does  kinder  stick  a  pin 
in  my  gizzard  to  tweak  me  about  that  little  skirmish 
at  the  court-house,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf  ;  "  but 
I'll  bet  you  next  time  I  meet  the  Sheriff  I'll  have  my 
spurs  on,  and  he  won't  be  allowed  to  snatch  a  bloodless 
victory,  either." 

"  Well,  I  am  going  to  furnish  you  an  opportunity  to 


206  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

have  another  tussle  with  him,''  said  "Weston.  "  I  pro- 
pose to  break  up  the  Ku-Klux  organization  in  this 
community,  at  any  cost." 

"  Just  hand  me  your  black  list,  then,"  said  Cross 
eyed  Telf,  "  and  I'll  pnt  an  extinguisher  upon  the  last 
negro-whipping  night-rider  in  the  county." 

Weston  handed  Cross-eyed  Telf  a  complete  list  of 
the  names  of  all  the  members  of  Klan  No.  40,  which 
included,  of  course,  the  names  of  those  with  whom 
the  reader  is  already  acquainted. 

No  other  writ,  or  warrant,  for  the  arrest  of  the 
alleged  offenders  was  ever  issued,  but  no  other  was 
necessary  in  the  estimation  of  the  military  satrap  into 
whose  hands  the  "  black  list "  was  placed,  and  as  for 
Weston  and  Tinklepaugh,  they  both  knew  the  innocence 
of  the  persons  thus  accused  in  the  drag-net  catalogue, 
but  they  had  commenced  to  play  a  desperate  game, 
the  final  denouement  of  which  demanded  the  violent 
handling  of  their  best  trump  cards,  and  the  exciting  of 
the  public  mind  having  proven  to  be  a  trump  card 
device  so  far,  they  resolved  to  rely  upon  it  the  future. 

Accordingly,  next  day  a  company  of  troops  under 
the  immediate  command  of  Husky  Diggs  was  sent 
out  to  make  the  arrests. 

"  Hello !  old  mouthy,"  said  Husky  Diggs,  as  he  un- 
ceremoniously entered  the  law  office  of  Major  Wyland 
for  the  purpose  of  arresting  him.  "  Cross-eyed  Telf 
sends  his  respects,  and  says  he  would  like  to  see  you 
at  the  court-house." 

"  Tell  Captain  Tellefson  that  I  transact  all  business 
in  my  office,  and  if  he  has  no  business  with  me  I  do 
not  desire  an  interview,"  answered  the  dignified  old 
Blackstonian. 


Still  Wecwing  Bloody  Woof.  207 

"  Oh,  don't  jerk  up  your  head  so  soon,"  answered 
Husky  Diggs.  "  You'll  have  time  enough  to  curl  up 
your  lip  after  old  Cross-eyed  Telf  gits  his  foot  on  your 
neck,  and  cause  enough  too,  I'm  thinkin' ;  so  don't  go 
to  bitin'  your  thumb  yit." 

"  I  do  not  understand  such  nonsensical  jargon,"  said 
Major  Wyland,  "  and  as  I  have  already  signified  my 
intention  of  declining  the  interview  with  Captain 
Tellefson  at  the  court-house,  you  will  please  vacate  the 
office." 

"  That's  exactly  what  I'm  goin'  to  do,"  answered  the 
ruffian.  "  So  jest  come  along  without  any  further 
kickin'." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  Major  Wyland,  rising 
and  motioning  to  Husky  Diggs  to  leave  the  room. 

"Oh,  I  mean  to  vacate  the  office,  as  you  told  me," 
answered  the  shaggy-bearded  scoundrel,  advancing 
and  taking  Major  Wyland  by  the  arm.  "  Goin'  to  jug 
you,  old  man." 

"You  scurvey-faced  villain,"  said  the  irascible  old 
lawyer,  shaking  the  viper  from  him  ;  "  surely  you  do 
not  mean  to  arrest  me  ? " 

"  That's  exactly  it,"  answered  Husky  Diggs. 

"  And  by  what  right?  Where  is  your  warrant  for 
my  arrest  ? " 

"  Oh,  I've  got  a  hahis  corpis  for  you,"  answered  Husky 
Diggs,  with  a  sinister  grin,  remembering  vaguely  the 
conversation  about  that  writ  on  the  day  Albert  Seaton 
was  rescued,  but  not  comprehending  its  meaning. 
"  Leastwise  old  Cross-eyed  Telf  said  to  bring  your 
corpse,  if  you  showed  yourself  too  lively." 

"  I  presume  I  might  as  well  go  with  you  to  the  trial," 


208  Kii^Klux  Klan  No.  J,,0. 

said  Major  Wyland,  looking  contemptuously  around 
upon  the  half-dozen  ill-visaged  ruffians  accompanying 
Husky  Diggs. 

"  That's  the  right  way  to  look  at  it,"  answered  Husky 
Diggs.  "  There  is  no  use  in  takin'  up  cudgels  against 
a  disadvantage;  so  jest  put  a  wet  blanket  over  your 
mouth  and  prepare  to  tread  the  boards." 

Major  Wyland  had  no  idea  of  any  charge  against 
himself,  and  felt  that  there  must  be  some  mistake  in 
having  him  arrested,  so  he  walked  submissively  to  the 
court-house  by  the  side  of  Husky  Diggs,  feeling  sure 
of  his  acquittal,  even  before  a  court  martial  presided 
over  by  Cross-eyed  Telf. 

"Make  way  for  the  old  running-tongued  speech- 
ifyer !  "  exclaimed  Husky  Diggs,  as  he  opened  the  door 
of  the  large  court-room  upstairs  in  the  courthouse,  and 
proceeded  to  shove  Major  Wyland  in.  "  Old  Talkative 
is  comin'  in  to  lead  the  dance  of  the  ghouls." 

"  But  where  is  Captain  Tellefson  ?  And  when  is  my 
trial  to  take  place  ?"  asked  Major  Wyland,  as  he  looked 
around  and  saw  that  the  capacious  room  was  already 
nearly  filled  with  the  members  of  the  Klan. 

"  Cross-eyed  Telf  is  down  in  the  wine  room  samplin' 
the  kegs,  I  guess,"  answered  Husky  Diggs. 

"  But  what  about  my  trial  ? "  again  asked  Major.  "  I 
demand  to  be  informed  of  the  accusation  against  me, 
and  to  have  an  immediate  investigation  of  the  charge, 
as  guaranteed  in  our  State  Constitution  to  all  persons 
arrested." 

"  Oh,  go  to  hell  with  your  Constitution  and  all  other 
sheep-skin  books,"  answered  Husky  Diggs  with  a 
wicked  sneer.     "  Sich  things  are  played  out,  old  prat- 


Still  Weming  Bloody  Woof.  209 

tie-mouth,  and  Cross-eyed  Telf  s  hands  are  not  tied  by 
any  sich  brittle  strings." 

"  You  impudent,  tyrannical  devil ! "  exclaimed  the  in- 
furiated old  lawyer,  and  he  attempted  to  strike  Husky 
Diggs  as  he  spoke,  but  that  cunning  demon  was  on  the 
alert,  and  evaded  the  blow,  and  slamming  the  door  in 
Major  Wyland's  face,  locked  him  in. 

Finding  himself  actually  in  prison,  the  irate  old  law- 
yer's cup  of  wrath  boiled  over.  Judge  Farwell  was 
there,  a  prisoner,  too,  but  his  rage  had  somewhat  sub- 
sided, and  he  came  forward  and  vainly  tried  to  console 
the  aged  captive. 

"A  prisoner,  and  at  my  age !  Just  think  of  it ! "  ex- 
claimed the  old  man.  "Here  is  the  temple  of  justice 
prostituted  into  a  prison  by  a  hideous-looking,  mercen- 
ary hireling,  and  innocent  citizens  incarcerated  without 
indictment  and  without  even  being  informed  of  the 
charge  against  them !  The  Constitution  is  set  at  defi- 
ance, and  the  laws  trampled  under  foot  by  a  petty 
tyrant!  Liberty  is  dead,  justice  dethroned,  law  abol- 
ished, and  personal  security  has  been  swept  away  by 
the  coarse  hand  of  a  maudlin  desperado !  And  this  is 
'  Reconstruction '  under  the  auspices  of  the  Republican 
part}^ ! " 

Several  members  of  the  Klan  came  forward  to  speak 
to  him,  but  he  was  inconsolable,  and  sat  for  a  long  time 
on  one  of  the  long  benches  in  the  court-room  with  his 
face  buried  in  his  hands. 

None  of  the  prisoners  had  been  given  a  trial,  nor 
had  they  even  been  informed  of  the  cause  of  their  im- 
prisonment, and  Cross-eyed  Telf  was  by  this  time  too 
drunk  to  accord  them  a  trial,  even  if  he  had  been  dis- 
posed to  grant  them  that  Constitutional  privilege. 


210  Kv^Klux  Kla/n  No.  JfO. 

Sam  Washburn  was  the  only  absent  member  of  the 
Klan,  and  he  had  been  spared  only  because  he  had  not 
sufficiently^  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  wound,  re- 
ceived in  the  battle  of  a  few  days  before. 

The  following  is  a  sample  yard  of  the  bloody  woof 
as  woven  by  the  before-mentioned  outrage  looms : 

"MURDER  BY  THE  KU-KLUX! 

"the  members  of  a  whole  klan  arrested! 

"On  yesterday  Captain  Crawford  Tellefson,  com- 
mander of  the  troops  stationed  at  Westville,  arrested 
and  imprisoned  every  member  of  a  den  of  Ku-Klux, 
known  as  Klan  No.  40,  for  the  murder  of  Mr.  Jasper  Fon- 
tell.  Our  readers  will  remember  how  the  story  of  that 
horrible  crime,  which  was  published  in  these  columns  a 
few  days  ago,  startled  the  whole  civilized  world,  and 
caused  the  Governor  of  that  State  to  proclaim  West 
county  in  a  state  of  insurrection,  and  put  the  county 
under  martial  law.  Since  that  time  Hon.  Donald  Wes- 
ton, State  Solicitor  for  that  judicial  district,  has  been 
unremitting  in  his  efforts  to  ascertain  who  the  perpe- 
trators of  the  crime  were,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
his  own  life  was  endangered  by  the  investigation,  and 
his  labor  in  this  direction  has  been  rewarded  at  last  by 
the  accumulation  of  evidence  amply  sufficient  to  con- 
vict a  whole  Klan.  Witnesses  at  first  were  timid,  having 
been  threatened  with  death,  if  they  told  anything,  by 
the  bloody-handed  Ku-Klux ;  but  as  soon  as  the  author- 
ity of  Captain  Tellefson  had  been  firmly  asserted  and 
established,  a  feeling  of  security  pervaded  the  county, 


Still  Weaving  Bloody  Woof.  211 

and  the  witnesses  were  emboldened  to  tell  the  truth 
regardless  of  the  menaces  of  the  Klan.  The  evidence 
discloses  a  terrible  state  of  lawlessness  in  that  county. 
It  shows  that  Mr.  Fontell's  death  was  agreed  upon  by 
the  whole  Klan,  which  makes  every  member  guilty  as 
an  accessory  before  the  fact,  whether  he  actually  parti- 
cipated in  the  hanging  or  not.  The  Klan  includes  per- 
sons in  every  class  of  society  to  be  found  in  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  which  is  fast  becoming  known  in  the 
South  as  the  Ku-Klux  party.  It  is  said  that  one  old 
lawyer,  Major  James  Wyland,  remonstrated  vehe- 
mently against  being  imprisoned,  but  Captain  Tellefson 
discharged  his  duty  with  an  indomitable  courage  that 
is  to  be  commended.  There  are  other  dens  of  the 
night-riding  ghouls  in  the  community,  and  an  open  war 
between  them  and  the  troops  is  daily  expected.  It  is 
understood  that  the  Governor  has  asked  for  the  assist- 
ance of  Federal  troops,  but  if  this  aid  is  not  furnished 
by  the  general  government  Captain  Tellefson  will  be 
reinforced  by  other  companies  of  State  troops." 


212  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi, 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  HEROINE  APPEARS. 

On  the  morning  succeeding  the  incarceration  of  the 
members  of  Klan  No,  40,  a  young  lady  appeared  in  the 
office  usually  occupied  by  the  editor  of  the  Westmlle 
Cotiservative,  and,  taking  the  vacant  chair  at  the  desk, 
sent  the  errand  boy  for  the  foreman.  In  answer  to  the 
call,  a  coatless  young  man  appeared  in  the  door,  with 
his  sleeves  rolled  up  to  his  elbows,  and  his  face,  hands 
and  arms  besmeared  with  grease  and  rust  from  the 
printing  presses. 

"  I  have  come  to  take  charge  of  the  editorial  work 
here,"  said  the  young  lady  with  a  business-like  air  that 
evinced  the  stubborn  determination  of  a  very  resolute 
woman. 

The  foreman,  at  first,  had  manifested  some  embar- 
assment  on  account  of  his  own  untidy  appearance,  but 
now  he  was  abashed  by  what  he  considered  the  imper- 
tinent usurpation  of  an  obstinate  woman.  The  young- 
lady  noticed  his  incertitude,  and  so  attempted  to  dispel 
his  perplexity  by  introducing  ■  herself  and  asserting 
what,  in  her  opinion,  constituted  her  right  to  assume 
editorial  control  of  the  paper. 

"  I  am  Bessie  DeYoy,"  she  began  (she  had  at  once 
adopted  her  true  name  after  the  death  of  Mrs.  Seaton), 
"  and  Albert,  the  editor,  is  my  broth — ,"  but  the  emo- 
tions excited  by  the  last  word  stifled  further  utterance, 
and  all  her  bold  aspirations  vanished,  leaving  her  only 
a  helpless,  pitiable,  grief-stricken  girl. 


A  Heroine  Appears.  213 

The  foreman  now  became  convinced  that  bis  first 
estimate  of  her  character  was  incorrect,  and  that,  in- 
stead of  the  bold,  resolute  virago  he  had  at  first  im- 
agined her  to  be,  she  was  evidently  a  poor  demented 
girl,  whose  mind  had  lost  its  equilibrium  on  account  of 
the  disappointments  and  buffetings  of  a  cold  and  heart- 
less world,  and  who,  hearing  of  the  vacancy  in  the  edi- 
torial department  caused  by  the  imprisonment  of  the 
editor,  had  fancied  herself  his  divinely  commissioned 
successor.  Her  beautiful  face,  gentle  eyes,  and  quiet 
demeanor  all  negatived  the  idea  of  a  shrew,  and  her 
deportment  was  inexplicable  on  any  other  hypothesis 
than  that  of  mental  aberration.  But  even  this  false 
impression  was  dispelled  immediately  on  her  recovery. 
She  was  only  a  woman,  tender-hearted  and  emotional, 
and  her  agitation,  under  the  circumstances,  was  per- 
fectly natural,  but  she  soon  banished  all  excitation  of 
feeling,  and  returned  to  her  original  resolution. 

"  You,  doubtless,  think  me  strangely  agitated,"  she 
said,  recovering  her  self-possession,  "  but  you  would  not 
be  surprised  if  you  knew  the  circumstances  that  excite 
such  feelings.  It  is  altogether  unnecessary,  I  hope,  for 
me  explain  the  cause  of  my  embarrassment,  and  it  will 
be  sufficient  for  me  to  say  that  my  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  editor  of  the  Conservative  will  acquit  me 
of  the  charge  of  intrusion,  or  usurpation,  in  taking  pos- 
session of  the  editorial  department.  If  you  doubt  that 
I  am  entitled  to  this  privilege,  you  may  become  con- 
vinced by  communicating  with  the  editor.  I  presume 
the  rigors  of  his  imprisonment  do  not  debar  him  from 
all  communication  with  the  outside  world." 

"I  do  not  know  what  arbitrary  rules  the  military 


214  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  li,0. 

tyrant  has  established  for  the  government  of  his  pris- 
oners," answered  the  foreman,  who  by  this  time  was 
convinced  of  the  sanity  of  his  visitor ;  "and,  as  for  my 
part,  it  makes  but  little  difference  who  furnishes  the 
editorial  matter,  and  I  think  our  printers  would  be  still 
less  disturbed  by  any  idea  of  a  change  in  this  depart- 
ment, provided  their  weekly  salaries  are  paid  with  reg- 
ularity." 

"  I  will  allay  all  uneasiness  on  that  account  by  pay- 
ing them  a  week's  wages  in  advance,"  said  Bessie. 
"What  is  the  capacity  of  your  force  and  printing 
presses  V 

"  Our  press  has  a  capacity  sufficient  for  the  publica- 
tion of  a  daily  paper,"  answered  the  foreman ;  "  but 
our  force  of  type-setters  is  able  to  produce  only  a 
weekly  edition." 

"  Can  you  obtain  the  additional  help  necessary  to  get 
out  a  daily  edition  ?" 

"Very  easily." 

"  Then  ascertain  what  assistance  is  required,  and  pro- 
cure it  at  once  in  order  that  we  may  begin  the  issue  of 
a  daily  to-morrow  morning," 

"And  for  what  length  of  time  shall  I  engage  the  ad- 
ditional help  ?" 

"  Make  a  contract  for  only  fifteen  days  at  present. 
This  will  carry  us  over  the  election,  and  my  purpose  is 
to  publish  a  daily  for  campaign  purposes." 

The  foreman  looked  at  the  delicate  white  hands  and 
pretty  face  before  him,  and  wondered  what  influence 
such  an  innocent  creature  could  have  in  a  campaign  in 
which  race  prejudice  and  unbridled  party  malignity 
were  the  chief  factors.  The  malevolence  of  party  strife 


A  Heroine  Ajppears.  215 

was  never  more  virulent,  and  the  acrimonious  debates 
heard  on  the  hustings  had  to  be  reflected  in  the  news- 
papers. Indeed,  a  paper  that  aspired  to  the  dignity  of 
being  called  the  party  organ,  would  be  expected  not 
only  to  reflect  public  sentiment,  but  would  be  required 
to  take  the  initiative  in  all  political  movements,  and  to 
act  as  a  sentinel  on  the  walls.  Hence,  the  shrewd  fore- 
man prophesied  disaster  to  the  enterprise  in  the  hands 
of  the  unsophisticated  girl ;  but  the  same  mercenary 
motives  he  attributed  to  the  other  employees  in  the  of- 
fice, guided  his  own  actions,  and  he  was  ready  to  em- 
bark in  any  undertaking  that  promised  a  continuation 
of  his  present  employment. 

"  How  many  copies  of  the  daily  edition  do  you  desire 
to  have  printed?"  asked  the  foreman. 

"  I  have  not  completed  by  estimate  yet,"  answered 
Bessie.  "I  wish  to  have  the  paper  furnished,  gratis,  to 
every  person  who  can  read  in  the  county,  until  election 
day." 

"  That  will  entail  a  tremendous  expense,"  suggested 
the  foreman,  still  underrating  the  sagacity  of  the  new 
editress. 

"  The  work  will  be  accomplished  regardless  of  ex- 
pense," answered  Bessie,  in  a  tone  calculated  to  allay 
the  suspicions  of  the  penurious  foreman. 

"  And  how  shall  we  secure  the  names  and  addresses 
of  our  would-be  subscribers  ? " 

"  Go  to  the  Sheriff,"  answered  the  girl,  "  and  secure 
his  assistance.  He  is  well  acquainted  with  the  people 
of  the  county,  and  with  the  aid  of  his  tax-books  can 
give  you  the  name  and  address  of  almost  every  person 
able  to  read  in  the  county.    He  is  an  ardent  Democrat, 


216  Kv^Klux  Kim.  No.  J^O. 

and  will  readily  assist  you.  Take  the  county  by  town- 
ships, and  make  the  list  as  complete  as  possible.  With 
the  help  of  the  Sheriff  and  your  present  subscription 
list  to  the  WeeMy  Conservatme,  I  hope  you  will  be  able 
to  obtain  a  pretty  accurate  list  for  the  daily.  Secure 
at  once  the  requisite  number  of  employees,  and  then 
revise  your  subscription  book.  And  remember  we 
have  no  time  to  lose." 

Bessie  laid  a  roll  of  manuscript  containing  editorial 
matter  on  the  editor's  desk,  and  then  placing  a  well- 
fllled  purse  in  the  hands  of  the  foreman,  left  the  office. 

"  By  Jove !  "  exclaimed  the  foreman,  as  he  gazed  out 
the  window  upon  the  queenly  form  retreating  down 
the  street,  after  feasting  his  greedy  eyes  upon  the  con- 
tents of  the  purse;  "that  woman  possesses  business 
qualifications  that  never  fail.  At  least,  she  has  shrewd- 
ness enough  to  adopt  a  precaution  that  always  secures 
prompt  action  in  this  office.  I'll  exhibit  this  purse  to  the 
boys  down  stairs,  and  every  mother's  son  of  them  will  fall 
in  love  with  her  without  even  seeing  her  face ;  though, 
if  I  was  a  suitor  for  her  hand,  I  would  prefer  that  all 
rivals  should  have  their  eyes  dazzled  by  visions  of  her 
gold  rather  than  by  a  sight  of  her  pretty  face.  In  fact, 
I  fear  I  should  be  as  jealous  as  old  Abraham  was  over 
Sarah,  and  would  call  her  my  sister  in  order  to  avoid 
the  enmity  of  rivals.  Great  God ! "  he  exclaimed 
again,  after  a  few  moments'  reflection  over  the  incident 
of  Abraham  and  Sarah  before  Pharoah,  "  I  verily  be- 
lieve that  girl  is  Albert  Seaton's  sweetheart,  and  she 
tried  to  palm  herself  off  on  me  as  his  sister  in  order  to 
make  some  show  of  authority  for  assuming  control  of 
the  office.     I  wouldn't  be  afraid  to  hazard  this  purse  as 


A  Heroine  Appears.  217 

a  wager  that's  it,  and  she  choked  at  the  word  'brother' 
because  she  couldn't  tell  a  story.  That  explains  her 
strange  conduct  at  first ;  at  least,  I'll  keep  an  open  eye 
on  her  and  find  out." 

"  I  wish  to  see  Captain  Tellefson,"  said  Bessie,  ad- 
dressing Husky  Diggs,  as  she  appeared  a  few  moments 
later  at  the  door  of  the  court-house. 

"All  right,  ma'am,"  he  answered  with  more  civility 
than  he  had  hitherto  exhibited  towards  any  visitor. 
"  Jest  keep  still  a  minute,  till  I  go  an'  tell  him." 

"  There's  a  bundle  of  rufiies  an'  frills  at  the  door  what 
wants  to  speak  to  you,"  was  the  polite  announcement 
the  unlettered  aide-de-camp  made  to  his  superior  oflBcer, 

"  Is  she  pretty  ?  "  asked  Cross-eyed  Telf . 

"  Purty  as  a  pink,"  answered  Husky  Diggs ;  "  an' 
she's  pranked  out  in  her  Sunday  bib  and  tucker,  too." 

"  Tell  her  to  come  in,  then." 

Husky  Diggs  returned  to  where  Bessie  was  left  stand- 
ing. 

"  The  Capting's  all  smiles.  Miss,"  he  said,  "  an'  says 
he'll  be  glad  to  see  you,  an'  you  needn't  be  too  skittish, 
for  you'll  never  know  the  squint-eyed  loon  is  lookin' 
at  you." 

Saying  this,  Husky  Diggs  ushered  Bessie  into  the 
presence  of  the  tyrant,  Tellefson,  with  all  the  obsequi- 
ous deference  he  could  command. 

Cross-eyed  Telf  was  sitting  in  front  of  a  small  table 
on  which  lay  some  writing  material,  and  on  the  appear- 
ance of  the  young  lady  he  arose  and  bowed  politely. 
The  side  of  his  head  from  which  his  ear  had  been  shot 
was  turned  toward  Bessie,  and  the  girl  actually  shud- 
dered at  his  repulsive  appearance. 
14 


218  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  1^0. 

"  I  have  called,  Captain  Tellefson,"  said  Bessie,  "  to 
inquire  if  I  may  be  permitted  to  send  a  few  copies  of 
the  Westmlle  Conservative  to  your  prisoners  each  morn- 
ing?" 

"  Why,  certainly,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  looking, 
as  Bessie  thought,  directly  at  Husky  Diggs,  and  verify- 
ing that  sage's  prediction  as  to  the  uncertainty  of  the 
object  of  his  master's  vision.  "But  I  thought  the 
Conservative  was  only  a  weekly  paper." 

"  It  will  be  issued  daily  for  a  few  weeks,  at  least," 
answered  Bessie. 

"Ahem !"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "I  had  hoped  the  dirty 
sheet  would  be  suppressed  when  we  cooped  the  young 
Ku-Klux  editor ;  but  it  seems  that,  as  fast  as  we  tie  the 
thongs  around  the  claws  of  one  scribbler,  another  crops 
up  to  take  his  place," 

"  Just  as  many  another  deserving  enterprise  has  been 
fostered  by  the  hand  of  persecution,"  answered  Bessie 
boldly. 

"  You  are  quite  pert,  Miss,"  answered  the  lop-eared 
clown,  "  but  I'll  have  vou  to  understand  there  is  no 
persecution  in  this  case,  unless  you  call  shackling  the 
bloody  hands  of  a  murderer  persecution." 

"Albert  Seaton  is  not  a  murderer,"  answered  Bessie 
hotly,  "  and  any  insinuation  to  that  effect  is  a  malicious 
slander.  But  I  do  not  desire  to  discuss  that  question 
now,  and  as  I  have  accomplished  the  object  of  my  mis- 
sion, I  wish  to  thank  you  for  your  kindness  in  grant- 
ing my  request,  and  now  I  am  ready  to  return." 

"  I  would  like  to  know,  before  you  leave,  who  the  new 
quill-driver  is  to  be,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf. 

"  I  expect  to  edit  the  paper  myself,"  answered  Bessie. 


A  Heroine  Appears.  219 

"O,  ho !  and  there  is  to  be  a  female  hand  at  the  plough," 
answered  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  Well,  old  Ben  Butler  said 
at  New  Orleans  that  '  there  is  no  difference  between  a 
he-adder  and  a  she-adder  in  their  venom ;'  but  I  warn 
you  now,  Miss,  that  the  first  time  you  begin  to  sneer 
at  my  authority,  you  will  find  such  a  hornet's  nest 
about  your  ears,  you  will  wish  you  had  never  heard  of 
a  printing  press." 

"  I  shall  conduct  the  paper  according  to  my  own  no- 
tions of  propriety,"  answered  Bessie  indignantly,  "and 
in  return,  I  warn  you  that  you  are  preparing  a  halter 
for  your  own  neck  when  you  imprison  innocent  citizens, 
and  refuse  to  accord  them  the  Constitutional  privilege 
of  a  speedy  trial." 

During  the  time  consumed  by  this  dialogue,  Bessie 
had  remained  standing,  having  declined  to  accept  a 
proffered  chair,  and  she  now  turned  and  left  the  room, 
before  Cross-eyed  Telf  could  recover  from  his  amaze- 
ment at  her  defiance  of  his  authority  sufficiently  to  an- 
swer. 

"  Gosh !  the  ruffles,  you  spoke  of,  were  in  her  temper 
instead  of  her  skirts,",  said  Cross-eyed  Telfj  to  Husky 
Diggs  after  she  had  gone. 

"  She  is  a  little  cantankerous  for  sich  a  dapper  gal," 
answered  the  witless  underling ;  "an',  then,  you  can't 
snap  your  fingers  at  a  purty  gal  as  easily  as  you  can 
choke  a  Ku-Klux." 

"  Don't  you  put  a  thorn  in  your  heart,  and  go  into 
mourning  on  that  account,  until  you  see  me  deal  with 
her,"  answered  the  ill-visaged  master. 

Bessie  returned  to  her  office  in  the  Conservative  build- 
ing, where  she  found  everything  in  a  state  of  bustling 


220  Kv^Klux  Elan  No.  Jf-O. 

activity.  Her  instructions  to  the  foreman  had  been 
obeyed  with  promptitude,  and  every  employee  in  the 
office,  stimulated  by  the  incentive  found  in  the  purse  of 
gold  exhibited  by  the  foreman,  had  worked  with  such 
unremitting  assiduity  that  the  ponderous  press  was  al- 
ready rolling  off  the  outside  pages  of  the  Daily  Con- 
servative. Every  attache  of  the  office  had  been  made 
acquainted  with  Bessie's  alleged  engagement  to  Albert 
Seaton,  which  the  sagacious  foreman  had  related  to 
them,  with  many  embellishments  and  improvements  on 
the  story  of  Abraham  and  Sarah  as  told  in  the  ttvelfth 
and  twentieth  chapters  of  Genesis,  and  when  she  ap- 
peared in  the  door  of  the  printing  room,  to  observe  how 
the  work  was  progressing,  a  wave  of  excitement  swept 
over  the  room,  and  all  heads  were  turned  toward  the 
reputed  betrothed,  like  heads  of  wheat  all  turn  in  one 
direction  before  a  gust  of  wind.  Bessie  was  altogether 
unconscious  of  the  real  cause  of  their  curiosity,  but  at- 
tributed their  excitement  to  their  natural  desire  to  see 
the  successor  to  the  imprisoned  editor. 

After  satisfying  herself  that  everything  was  moving 
on  smoothly,  and  ascertaining  that  the  editorial  matter 
furnished  by  her  early  in  the  morning  was  amply  suf- 
ficient to  fill  all  available  space  in  the  first  issue  of  the 
paper,  she  returned  to  the  embrace  of  her  dearest 
friend,  Minnie  Wyland,  from  whom  she  had  separated 
that  morning,  after  many  earnest  protestations  on  Min- 
nie's part  against  her  assuming  the  position  of  editress 
of  a  party  organ,  in  a  time  of  such  turbulence  and  par- 
tisan violence. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  she  should  live  with  Min- 
nie, at  least  until  after  the  election,  when  everybody 


A  Heroine  Appears.  221 

hoped  that  the  fever  of  political  excitement  would  sub- 
side and  the  hand  of  persecution  be  sta3^ed,  and  they 
mutually  endeavored  to  comfort  and  assist  each  other. 
One  of  them  mourned  the  banishment  of  a  father  and 
an  acknowledged  lover,  and  the  other  bewailed  the 

absence  of well,  no  relation  whatever;  but  her  grief 

was  sincere  and  pathetic,  notwithstanding. 

l^ext  morning  the  whole  country  was  surprised  at 
th€  appearance  of  the  Daily  Conservative,  but  amaze- 
ment changed  to  admiration  when  the  announcement 
was  read  that  Judge  Farwell  was  the  Democratic  can- 
didate for  Congress  from  that  district,  and  Albert  Sea- 
ton  the  county  candidate  for  the  Legislature.  The 
county  was  electrified,  and  letters  and  communications 
approving  the  nominations  came  pouring  in,  until 
there  was  not  space  for  their  publication.  Every  Dem- 
ocrat in  the  county  rallied  to  the  support  of  the  stand- 
ard-bearers, and  the  words  "  From  prison  to  Congress  " 
and  "  From  prison  to  Legislature  "  became  the  battle- 
cries  of  the  party. 

The  astonishment  was  nowhere  greater  than  among 
the  prisoners  in  the  court-house,  when  Husky  Diggs 
threw  a  bundle  of  papers  in  the  door  with  the  remark : 

"  Come  an'  git  yer  daily  breakf ust,  an'  the  greediest 
nose  gits  the  most  swill.  Husky  Diggs  always  feeds 
his  hogs  the  kind  of  slop  they  like  to  waller  in  best, 
an'  the  little  she-editor  has  b'iled  ye  some  soup  that 
will  tickle  the  nose  of  any  swinish  Ku-Klux,  Come  up, 
an'  git  yer  swill !" 

The  papers  were  eagerly  seized  and  their  contents 
devoured  with  avidity,  notwithstanding  the  heathenish 
announcement  of  the  ill-bred  outlaw.     It  is  impossible 


222  Kv^Elux  Elan  No.  J^O. 

to  describe  the  sensations  produced  by  the  paper. 
Forty-eight  hours  of  imprisonment  had  not  tamed  the 
spirits  of  the  prisoners,  but  had  increased  their  desire 
for  a  knowledge  of  what  was  going  on  in  the  outside 
world,  wonderfully,  and  the  article,  proclaiming  the 
candidacy  of  two  of  the  prisoners,  so  thrilled  their 
hearts  that  a  shout  of  approval  issued  from  a  hundred 
throats  at  once  and  fairly  shook  the  window  panes. 

Major  Wyland  advanced,  his  heart  filled  with  emo- 
tion, and  grasped  the  hand  of  Judge  Farwell  and  Al- 
bert, and  after  congratulating  them,  assured  them  of  his 
hope  of  their  election.  Every  man  in  the  house  fol- 
lowed the  example,  and  a  regular  scene  of  hand-shak- 
ing ensued. 


The  Judiciary  Exhausted.  223 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    JUDICIARY    EXHAUSTED. 

Our  late  unfortunate  civil  war  has  frequently  been 
spoken  of  as  the  "  time  that  tried  men's  souls "  ;  but, 
while  conceding  the  fact  that  it  requires  great  moral, 
as  well  as  physicalcourage,  to  discharge  efficiently  the 
duties  of  a  soldier,  it  must  still  be  asserted,  speaking 
with  reference  to  the  South,  at  least,  that  the  real  time 
that  "  tried  men's  souls "  was  the  period  of  twenty 
years  immediately  succeeding  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
mattox. The  unsettled  condition  of  the  country,  re- 
sulting from  the  overthrow  of  the  Confederate  gov- 
ernment, made  the  South  an  inviting  field  for  political 
adventurers,  and  the  conflict  which  then  ensued  between 
the  right  and  the  wrong,  though  noiseless,  was  more 
soul-destroying  than  the  great  war  ;  because  men,  in 
their  greed  for  wealth  and  inordinate  desire  for  politi- 
cal preferment,  forgot  all  moral  obligations  and  resorted 
to  crime  in  order  to  accomplish  their  aims  and  reach 
the  goal  of  their  ambition.  Many,  even  among  those 
who  had  reached  the  last  round  in  the  ladder  and  stood 
upon  the  very  pinnacle  of  fame,  prostituted  their  high 
offices  to  serve  the  basest  of  partisan  purposes. 

Human  nature  is  a  strange  thing,  and  is  unsuscepti- 
ble of  correct  analization.  Religious  devotees  will 
commit  murder,  or  any  other  crime  mentioned  in  the 
decalogue,  if  in  their  wild  fanaticism  they  can  be  per- 
suaded to  believe  that  their  crimes  will  further  the 
interests  of  the  church ;  and  partisan  enthusiasts  will 


224  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

do  the  same  thing,  in  order  to  insure  the  success  of 
their  party.  Why  this  is  so  is  incapable  of  explana- 
tion, and  yet  history  teaches  us  the  truth  of  such  an 
assertion.  The  history  of  the  period  of  reconstruction 
certainly  justifies  such  a  statement,  as  every  person 
who  resided  in  the  South  during  that  eventful  time 
well  knows. 

The  enterprising  Westville  Conservative  may  relate 
how  the  Governor  prostituted  his  powers  to  serve  the 
base  conspiracy  to  perpetuate  the  reign  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  by  denying  to  innocent  prisoners  their 
Constitutional  rights.  The  issue  of  July  25th,  1870, 
said : 

"  Yesterday  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  issued  by  the 
Chief  Justice  of  our  Supreme  Court,  was  served  on 
Capt.  Crawford  Tellefson,  commanding  him  to  bring 
the  body  of  Major  James  Wyland  before  the  Chief 
Justice,  that  the  cause  of  his  imprisonment  might  be 
inquired  into ;  but  the  officer  who  served  the  writ 
made  return  that  Captain  Tellefson  indignantly  refused 
to  surrender  his  prisoner,  saying  that  he  was  acting 
under  the  orders  of  the  Governor  in  disobeying  the 
mandate,  and  that  he  would  not  give  up  his  prisoner 
until  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  Governor,  or  compelled 
to  surrender  to  superior  forces.  He  also  intimated 
that  a  court-martial  had  been  appointed  to  try  the 
prisoners  now  confined  in  the  court-house  in  Westville, 
and  sneeringly  remarked  that  writs  emanating  from 
our  civil  courts  had  '  played  out.' 

"On  receipt  of  the  Sheriff's  return,  the  Chief  Jus- 
tice wrote  to  the  Governor,  inquiring  whether  Captain 
Tellefson  was  acting  under  the  Governor's  orders  in 


The  Judiciary  Exhausted.  225 

disregarding^,  the  writ,  and  on  being  informed  that 
such  was  the^fact,  the  Chief  Justice  refused  the  order 
for  an  attachment  against  Captain  Tellefson — a  motion 
for  an  attachment  having  been  made  by  counsel  for 
Major  Wyland — and  the  proceeding  was  dismissed. 

"  Thus  the  power  of  the  Judiciary  fails  because  our 
Governor,  who  is  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  State 
militia,  and  has  the  whole  power  of  the  State  at  his  back, 
elects  to  serve  the  behests  of  his  party  by  trampling 
the  Constitution  under  his  feet.  Innocent  persons, 
men  of  high  moral  character  and  superior  intelligence, 
are  charged  with  the  crime  of  murder,  and  held  in  close 
custody,  and  are  denied  the  constitutional  right  of 
having  the  cause  of  their  detention  inquired  into  under 
the  most  sacred  process  of  our  civil  courts. 

"Yerily,  these  are  evil  days,  and  our  people  are 
swallowing  the  very  dregs  of  the  cup  of  misery,  but 
the  Conservative  would  still  advise  the  exercise  of  pa- 
tience and  endurance.  Our  affliction  is  indeed  great, 
but  a  resort  to  violence  would  only  aggravate  the  evil 
by  producing  civil  war,  and  God  knows  our  country 
has  already  seen  enough  of  blood. 

'•  For  the  action  of  our  Chief  Justice,  there  is  at 
least  a  word  of  excuse  ;  but  for  our  Governor,  none. 
Suppose  the  writ  of  attachment  had  been  granted  by 
our  Chief  Justice — who  could  execute  it  ?  The  Gov- 
ernor has  declared  this  county  in  a  state  of  insurrec- 
tion; he  is  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  State 
militia ;  every  able-bodied  man  in  the  State  belongs  to 
the  militia,  and  he  has  ordered  a  part  of  the  militia  to 
make  these  arrests  and  disregard  the  writs  of  our  civil 
courts.     How,  then,  could  the  Chief  Justice  order  the 


226  Kiv-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

remaining  portion  of  the  militia  to  violate  the  orders 
of  their  Commander-in-Chief,  and  engage  in  conflict 
with  the  portion  already  in  the  field  ?  Thus  it  may 
be  seen,  that  the  whole  responsibility  for  this  subver- 
sion of  the  liberties  and  rights  of  our  people,  rests  on 
the  Governor,  and  the  power  of  the  Judiciary  is  ex- 
hausted." 


A  New  Scheme.  227 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A    NEW    SCHEME. 

Dr.  Wyland  was  a  good  man,  whose  faith  in  the  right 
never  deserted  him ;  consequently  he  was  not  discour- 
aged by  the  adverse  decision  of  the  Chief  Justice,  as 
recorded  in  the  last  chapter. 

"God  is  not  only  good,  but  just,"  he  muttered  to 
himself,  as  he  wended  his  way  toward  the  courthouse 
on  the  morning  after  the  announcement  of  the  Chief 
Justice's  decision,  "and  the  right  will  yet  prevail. 
Heaven  knows  these  men  are  not  murderers,  and  a 
prison  is  not  the  proper  abode  for  such  spirits  as  theirs." 

So  saying,  he  reached  the  courthouse,  and  was  ac- 
costed by  Husky  Diggs. 

"  Hello !  old  pill-maker,"  said  that  worthy,  as  the 
good  physician  approached  the  door.  "  None  of  the 
jail-bird  Ku-Klux  is  sick,  so  you  needn't  come  prowlin' 
around  tryin'  to  feel  their  pulses." 

"  I  have  not  come  to  administer  physic,  as  you  im- 
agine," answered  the  doctor,  "  but  I  simply  desire  to 
have  an  interview  with  my  brother.  Major  "Wyland." 

"  Have  to  see  Old  Cross-eyed  Telf  about  that,"  an- 
swered Husky  Diggs ;  "  but  I'll  go  an'  ax  him." 

Cross-eyed  Telf  was  found  at  his  usual  place  beside 
a  whiskey  keg,  but  it  was  too  early  in  the  morning  for 
him  to  be  very  drunk. 

"  There's  an  old  leech  at  the  door  what  wants  to  talk 
with  the  old  cross-questioner,"  announced  the  bandit. 

Having  received   the  instruction  from  his  master, 


228  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  kO. 

Husky  Diggs  ushered  Dr.  Wyland  into  the  presence  of 
the  terror  of  the  county. 

Cross-eyed  Telf  was  sitting  beside  a  keg  of  his  favor- 
ite brandy,  and  was  too  ill-mannered  to  rise  on  the 
approach  of  his  visitor ;  and  as  he  seemed  to  be  looking 
directly  out  of  the  window,  Dr.  Wyland  saw  at  once  that 
he  was  likely  to  meet  with  a  very  cold  reception.  The 
squint-eyed  worker  of  iniquity  was  more  hideous  look- 
ing than  ever,  for  the  gangrenous  ulcer,  that  had  ap- 
peared in  the  place  of  his  lost  ear,  gave  him  a  most 
frightful  appearance. 

"  I  wish  to  be  allowed  to  speak  with  my  brother, 
Major  Wyland,"  said  the  doctor,  addressing  the  repul- 
sive looking  being  before  him. 

"  And  what  do  you  want  to  see  him  about  % "  asked 
Cross-eyed  Telf. 

"  I  desire  to  consult  him  as  to  the  best  method  of 
securing  his  release  from  prison,"  answered  the  doctor, 
boldly. 

"  Don't  you  know  you  have  already  tried  your  highest 
court,  and  made  a  flash  in  the  pan  ? "  asked  the  Cross- 
eyed bandit,  looking  savagely  at  the  keg  of  brandy,  as 
Dr.  Wyland  thought,  but  in  reality  at  the  doctor.  "  I 
tell  you,  old  man,  these  bush-whacking  Ku-Klux  are  to 
be  tried  by  court  martial,  and  no  crafty  old  sheepskin- 
thumber  oan  prevent  it,  so  you  just  as  well  pocket  the 
affront,  and  truckle  to  it  at  once." 

"A  trial  before  a  court,  organized  for  the  express 
purpose  of  convicting,  would  be  a  farce,"  anwered  the 
doctor. 

"  Not  more  so  than  the  trial  of  a  Ku-Klux  before  a 
Ku-Klux  jury,"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf. 


A  New  Scheme.  229 

"  We  have  no  Ku-Klux  juries,"  answered  Dr. Wy land ; 
"but,  rather,  with  the  aid  of  radical  Sheriffs  and 
Judges,  our  juries  are  largely  composed  of  scalawags, 
carpet-baggers  and  negroes.  But  I  do  not  care  to  dis- 
cuss these  matters  now.  I  want  to  see  my  brother, 
and  to  know  if  he  can  devise  any  means  to  secure  his 
release  from  imprisonment." 

"  I  have  already  told  you  your  civil  courts  were  out 
of  date,"  said  Crossed  Telf ;  "  but  if  you  insist  on 
having  the  agile  old  limb  of  the  law  to  whistle  jigs  to 
a  milestone,  I'll  send  Husky  Diggs  after  him  and  let 
you  see  him  bite  the  dust." 

The  case  did  look  hopeless,  indeed ;  but  Dr.  Wyland 
had  witnessed  too  many  triumphs,  due  to  his  brother's 
astuteness  and  skill  as  a  lawyer,  to  abandon  all  hope 
without  giving  the  old  lawyer  a  chance,  and  therefore 
he  insisted  on  seeing  him. 

Husky  Diggs  soon  returned  with  his  prisoner,  and, 
after  an  affectionate  greeting,  Dr.  Wyland  informed 
his  brother  of  the  object  of  his  visit. 

"  And  on  what  ground  did  the  Chief  Justice  refuse 
to  enforce  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  by  the  issue  of  an 
attachment  ?  "  asked  Major  Wyland,  on  being  informed 
of  the  previous  failure. 

"  Because  I  told  him  such  writs  had  played  out," 
interposed  Cross-eyed  Telf. 

"  I  have  not  seen  a  copy  of  his  decision,"  answered 
Dr.  Wyland,  "  but  I  understand  he  based  his  opinion 
on  the  ground  that  any  officer  whom  he  could  appoint 
to  execute  the  writ,  must  necessarily  be  a  member  of 
the  State  militia,  and  as  the  Governor,  acting  in  the 
capacity  of  Commander-in-Chief  of   the  militia,  had 


230  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  Jt.0. 

already  directed  Captain  Tellefson  to  disobey  the  writ, 
the  authority  of  the  Governor  must  be  treated  as  para- 
mount to  that  of  the  civil  courts." 

"That's  it,"  again  interposed  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "I 
tell  you,  my  sway  in  these  parts  is  not  to  be  sneezed  at 
by  any  silk-gowned  opinionator,  and  as  long  as  I  rule 
the  roost  the  d — n  Ku-Klux  must  keep  in  doors." 

"Ah,  I  see  the  point,"  said  Major  Wyland,  again  leav- 
ing the  boastful  remarks  of  Cross-eyed  Telf  unnoticed. 
"  The  civil  process  failed,  simply  for  the  want  of  power 
to  execute  it." 

"And  is  it  true,  then,  that  the  power  of  our  civil 
courts  is  exhausted  ?"  asked  Dr.  Wyland. 

"  No,"  answered  the  lawyer,  "  that  is  never  the  case, 
except  in  time  of  war,  and  all  we  need  now  is  to  find  a 
judge  who  knows  his  power  and  has  the  courage  of  his 
convictions." 

"And  where  can  we  hope  to  find  such  a  judge  ?" 
asked  the  doctor. 

"Our  Federal  court  judges  would  not  be  hampered 
by  any  such  considerations  as  seemed  to  trouble  the 
Chief  Justice,  and  I  recommend  that  you  resort  next 
to  the  judge  of  our  Federal  District,"  answered  Major 
Wyland. 

"  Useless,  I  tell  you  ;  it  is  useless  !"  again  ejaculated 
Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  The  Governor  is  my  seconder,  and 
as  long  as  he  backs  me,  I  intend  to  hold  you  at  the 
sword's  point,  though  Grant  himself  should  come  to 
the  rescue." 

"  I  think  I  shall  act  on  your  suggestion  at  once,  my 
brother,"  said  Dr.  Wyland,  "and  I  will  now  take  my 
leave  of  you,  that  no  time  may  be  lost."  . 


A  New  Scheme.  231 

So  saying  Dr.  Wyland  departed,  and  as  Husky  Diggs 
conducted  Major  Wyland  back  to  his  quarters  upstairs, 
old  Cross-eyed  Telf  was  heard  to  mutter : 

"  D — n  that  old  needle-minded  lawyer,  I  half  believe 
the  pawky  old  Ku-Klux  will  clip  the  wings  of  our  plan 
yet." 

"  Hello !  What  fate  is  that  you  are  bemoaning  as  if 
you  had  been  steeped  to  the  lips  in  misery !" 

It  was  Tinklepaugh  who  spoke,  as  he  and  Weston  en- 
tered the  room.    . 

"Oh,  I  wasn't  whining  over  anything,"  answered 
Cross-eyed  Telf;  "but  I  just  thought  to  make  a  wry 
face  at  the  old  Ku-Klux  lawyer." 

"  Come,  now,  no  prevarication,"  said  Weston.  "  That 
was  not  a  tone  of  defiance  we  heard,  so  just  confess 
that  you  are  a  little  crestfallen  over  something." 

"  Oh,  I  was  simply  a  crop  too  low,  I  guess,"  answered 
Cross-eyed  Telf,  "and  was  beginning  to  pipe  my  eye 
over  nothing,  so  just  join  me  in  splicing  the  main  brace 
with  a  bowl  of  grog." 

Cross-eyed  Telf  handed  a  decanter  of  brandy  to 
Weston. 

"  Come,  gentlemen,"  said  Weston,  "  I'll  be  the  priest 
while  we  sacrifice  at  the  shrine  of  Bacchus.  Each  man 
shall  drain  to  the  bottom  the  glass  I  fill  for  him." 

So  saying,  he  filled  three  glasses  to  the  brim. 

"  Good !  I  vote  you  a  silk  surplice  for  your  clever- 
ness already,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  as  he  quaffed  the 
contents  of  his  glass. 

"And  I  a  silk  skull-cap,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  I 
see  he  don't  undertake  to  help  a  lame  dog  over  a  stile 
with  one  hand.  He  said  I  was  ailing,  and  I  see  he  be- 
lieves it,  so  I  had  just  as  well  confess." 


232  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  Jfi. 

"Pray,  what  is  it  that  troubles  you,  then?"  asked 
Weston, 

"  Oh,  nothing  except  that  old  Ku-Klux  Wyland  has 
advised  his  brother  to  apply  to  the  Federal  Court  for 
another  writ  of  habeas  corjpus^''  answered  Cross-eyed 
Telf. 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  do,  if  it  is  granted  ?" 
asked  Tinklepaugh. 

"  Well,  I'm  only  playing  second  fiddle  in  this  matter, 
you  know,  and  I  reckon  the  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to 
hang  on  to  the  Governor's  sleeve  until  the  bubble 
bursts." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  suggest  that  we  cannot  depend 
on  your  assistance  in  this  emergency,  do  you  ?"  said 
Tinklepaugh. 

"  Depend  on  me  ?"  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  mani- 
festing some  displeasure  at  the  question.  "  Didn't  I 
tell  you  I  was  going  to  swing  on  to  the  Governor's 
sleeve  as  long  as  he  stood  at  the  helm  ?  I'm  no  shilly- 
shally waverer,  to  play  fast  and  loose  with  fortune, 
when  the  chances  for  me  are  all  on  one  side.  If  the 
Governor  flickers  I  fail,  but  as  long  as  he  sticks  to  me, 
I  intend  to  torment  the  Ku-Klux  until  the  last  bloody 
night-rider  crouches  in  the  dust." 

"  That  is  a  noble  sentiment,  fittingly  declared,"  said 
Weston.  "If  the  Governor  possessed  your  pluck,  I 
would  entertain  no  fear  of  our  success." 

"And  do  you  really  apprehend  that  there  is  danger 
of  our  defeat?"  asked  Tinklepaugh. 

"  I  feel  compelled  to  answer  that  I  do,"  said  Weston. 
"If  a  F  ederal  Judge  should  order  a  United  States 
Marshal  to  execute  the  writ  he  would  have  the  whole 


A  New  Scheme.  233 

Federal  army  at  his  back,  and  our  State  troops  would 
be  obliged  to  give  way." 

"  But  don't  you  know  that  the  general  government 
is  with  us  in  this  fight  against  the  Ku-Klux  ? "  asked 
Tinklepaugh. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Weston,  "  but  there  is  the  habeas 
corpus  act  of  1867,  which  our  Federal  Judges  dare  not 
ignore,  and  if  a  writ  is  once  granted  under  the  statute 
and  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  United  States  Marshal,  it 
would  be  enforced  if,  in  order  to  do  so,  it  should  be 
necessary  to  call  into  requisition  the  whole  power  of 
the  government." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  our  good  Solicitor,  now, 
Captain?"  said  Tinklepaugh,  addressing  Cross-eyed 
Telf.  "  It  seems  to  me  he  is  the  one  who  is  rather 
despondent,  now." 

"  Yes,  the  thought  of  a  United  States  Marshal  seems 
to  take  all  the  grit  out  of  his  craw,"  answered  Cross-eyed 
Telf.  "  He  seems  to  be  worse  down-in-the-mouth  than 
he  accused  me  of  being,  when  he  first  came  in." 

"  Perhaps  he  needs  another  drink,"  suggested  Tinkle- 
paugh. 

"  I  think  I  shall  officiate  at  the  altar,  myself,  this 
time."  And  Tinklepaugh  imitated  Weston  by  filling  the 
glasses  to  the  brim. 

"  I  tell  you  what  I  would  do,  if  I  were  a  Federal 
Judge  and  an  application  was  made  to  me  to  release 
the  Ku-Klux  prisoners,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  as  he  swal- 
lowed the  fiery  brandy.  "  I  should  treat  them  as  having 
forfeited  their  citizenship  when  they  joined  an  organi- 
zation hostile  to  the  government,  and  would  leave  them 
to  the  mercy  of  the  State  authorities." 
15 


234  Ktc-Klux  Klan  No.  UO. 

"  And  that  would  be  to  hang  the  last  one  of  them," 
said  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  But  I  tell  you  what  would  save  a 
lot  of  hangings,  even  if  we  had  the  power  to  hang. 
If  we  could  muzzle  the  mouth  of  that  little  Ku-Klux 
editress  we  would  nip  in  the  bud  a  sight  of  devilment 
in  these  parts." 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  that,"  said  Weston.  "  Her  sug- 
gestion of  candidates  for  Congress  and  the  Legislature 
appears  to  have  received  a  hearty  response  from  the 
Bourbon  Democracy,  probably  because  the  men  selected 
were  the  most  obnoxious  to  all  other  classes,  and  if 
something  is  not  done  to  check  the  popular  drift  they 
will  be  successful  at  the  polls." 

"There he  goes, again,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  "bemoan- 
ing our  fate,  instead  up  taking  up  cudgels  and  combat- 
ting the  opposing  forces." 

"And  how  can  a  man  fight  a  ^'^oung  woman?"  asked 
Weston.  "  If  the  editor  was  only  a  man,  we  could 
have  him  horse-whipped  and  silenced  in  an  hour,  but 
we  cannot  proceed  in  that  way  against  a  young  lady." 

"We  might  adopt  the  Captain's  suggestion,"  said 
Tinklepaugh  ;  "  we  might  muzzle  her." 

"  And  how  ?  " 

"  Well,"  answered  the  wily  ex-teacher.  "  suppose  she 
should  conclude  to  abandon  her  work  for  a  Avhile,  and 
go  to  some  summer  resort  for  the  benefit  of  her 
health  ?  I  know  of  a  little  hut — near  the  river,  where 
the  murderous  ghouls  tried  to  drown  me — that  would 
make  a  splendid  watering  place." 

"  That  is  a  good  idea ;  but  how  can  we  induce  her 
to  go  ? " 

"  Oh,  leave  that  matter  to  Captain  Tellefson,"  an- 


A  New  Scheme.  235 

swered  Tinklepaiigh.  "  He  is  an  adept  at  kidnapping 
folks  successfully,  and  leaving  the  memory  of  the  deed 
only  in  a  crazy  brain." 

Cross-ej'ed  Telf  was  so  startled  at  this  last  remark, 
that  his  eyes,  which  had  never  been  properly  set,  fairly 
danced  in  their  sockets.  This  was  the  second  time 
Tinklepaugh  had  hinted  that  he  possessed  dangerous 
knowledge  as  to  the  manner  of  the  untimely  death  of 
John  Latham,  but  again  Cross-eyed  Telf  remained 
silent,  wisely  thinking  that  if  Tinklepaugh  really  knew 
anything,  it  could  do  no  good  to  ask  any  questions. 

"  But  would  not  the  young  editress  be  a  little  lone- 
some in  such  a  secluded  place  all  alone  ?  "  asked  Weston. 
"  How  would  it  do  to  have  Miss  Minnie  "Wyland  accom- 
pany her  ?  If,  by  that  means,  we  could  drive  her  old 
father  crazy,  we  would  rid  ourselves  of  our  most  dan- 
gerous enemy." 

"  That's  a  good  idea,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf.  "  Cage 
all  the  Ku-Klux  and  their  offspring,  and  wipe  them  off 
the  face  of  the  earth  forever." 

Cross-eyed  Telf  was  now  thoroughly  convinced  that 
Tinklepaugh,  as  well  as  Weston,  knew  all  about  the 
death  of  John  Latham,  and  the  thought  made  him 
desperate. 

"  I  have  the  plan,  now,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  after  a 
moment's  reflection,  aided  in  his  devilment  by  the 
burning  brandy.  "  I  understand  the  young  editress 
spends  very  little  time  in  the  office  herself,  merely 
sending  the  editorial  matter  down  each  morning.  Now, 
if  she  could  be  removed  to  a  place  of  safety  before 
morning,  what  is  to  hinder  us  from  preparing  the  edi- 
torial matter  ourselves  ?     But  my  plan  is  a  little  more 


236  Kv^Klux  Klcm  No.  Ifi. 

extensive  than  that.  Suppose  we  prepare  an  editorial, 
suggesting  some  plausible  reason  for  withdrawing  the 
candidacy  of  Judge  Farwell  and  Albert  Seaton,  and 
leaving  the  Democratic  party  without  candidates  for 
these  two  important  offices.  You  remember  they  were 
nominated  solelj^  by  the  Westville  Conservative^  and 
though  the  nomination  has  been  generally  acquiesced 
in  by  the  party,  yet  they  do  not  stand  on  the  same 
footing  of  the  other  candidates,  and  a  withdrawal  of 
their  names  by  that  paper  would  throw  the  party  into 
such  a  state  of  confusion  that  they  would  be  unable  to 
recover  until  after  the  election.  It  is  now  only  a  few 
days  until  the  election,  and  the  fraud  could  hardly  be 
discovered  in  time  to  prevent  its  evil  consequences." 

"  Your  plan  is  an  admirable  one,"  said  Weston,  "  and 
I  believe  it  can  be  made  successful  if  Captain  Tellef son 
will  agree  to  perform  his  part." 

"  Well,  you  have  given  me  rather  a  ticklish  card  to 
play,"  said  Cross-eyed  Telf,  "  but  you  may  always  de- 
pend upon  me  to  do  the  needful  in  any  political  job." 

"That's  right,"  said Tinklepaugh ;  "and  now  there  is 
only  one  other  thing  to  do.  We  must  see  the  Governor, 
and  induce  him,  if  possible,  to  protest  against  any  in- 
terference on  the  part  of  the  general  government ;  but 
if  the  writ  should  be  issued,  any  way,  then  we  must 
secure  as  long  a  delay  as  possible.  Captain  Tellefson 
must  ask  for  time  to  prepare  his  return  to  the  writ,  and 
it  may  be  that  we  can  carry  the  matter  over  the  elec- 
tion." 

With  this  understanding  the  t-wo  little  villains  de- 
parted, leaving  the  lop-eared,  cross-eyed  villain  to  work 
out  his  own  plan  for  accomplishing  his  part  of  the 
"  political  job." 


Pro  Bono  Publico.  237 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


PRO  BONO  PUBLICO. 


The  diabolical  ingenuity  displayed  by  Weston  and 
Tinklepaugh,  in  inventing  the  scheme  for  silencing  the 
Democratic  organ  as  detailed  in  the  last  chapter,  was 
only  equalled  by  the  alacrity  with  which  Cross-eyed 
Telf  executed  the  plot. 

Bessie  DeVoy  had  worked  so  incessantly,  since  tak- 
ing charge  of  the  Westville  Conservative.^  that  the  labor 
and  excitement  had  already  begun  to  prey  upon  her 
health,  and  Dr.  Wyland,  her  physician  and  testamen- 
tary guardian,  had  recommended  frequent  exercise  on 
horseback.  Consequently,  she  and  Minnie  engaged  in 
that  delightful  recreation  every  evening,  accompanied 
by  Uncle  Ben,  who  had  given  up  all  hope  of  ever  pos- 
sessing "  de  forty  acres  an'  de  mule,"  and  had  returned 
to  his  old  master's  to  live.  The  road  selected  was  very 
quiet  and  secluded,  leading  along  the  river  bank,  and 
the  young  ladies  enjoyed  the  exercise  and  had  no  fear 
of  molestation. 

On  the  evening  after  the  plan  for  their  abduction 
had  been  concocted  by  the  three  villains,  and  its  exe- 
cution determined  upon  as  a  political  necessity,  the  two 
young  ladies  were  riding  quietly  along  the  road,  when 
all  at  once,  on  turning  a  sharp  curve  in  the  road  fol- 
lowing a  bend  in  the  river,  they  were  confronted  by  a 
motley  band  of  troops,  some  white  and  some  colored, 
led  by  Husky  Diggs. 

"  Hands  up !"  yelled  the  grim-visaged  ruffian,  adopt- 


238  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  ^0. 

ing  his  usual  method  of  making  arrests.  "  You  two 
bundles  of  frippery,  and  the  black  escort,  is  my  prison- 
ers." 

They  were  all  three  two  badly  frightened  to  make 
any  resistance;  besides,  any  attempt  at  opposition  would 
have  been  useless.  The  reins  of  each  horse  were  imme- 
diately seized  by  a  couple  of  troopers,  and  the  riders 
were  commanded  to  dismount. 

"  Oh,  please  do  not  kill  us !"  pleaded  Bessie,  recover- 
ing her  self-possession  sufficiently  to  speak,  and  recog- 
nizing Husky  Diggs  as  the  man  who  had  admitted  her 
to  the  interview  with  Cross-eyed  Telf . 

"  Oh,  don't  git  skeered,  my  butterfly,"  said  Husky 
Diggs.  "  We  ain't  goin'  to  hurt  a  hair  on  yer  head, 
nor  a  ruffle  on  yer  skirt.  Old  Cross-eyed  Telf  jest 
means  to  take  ye  under  his  pertectin'  arm  till  the  storm 
blows  over." 

"  Oh,  please  let  us  go,"  again  pleaded  the  frightened 
girl,  made  bolder  by  the  reassuring  words  of  Husky 
Diggs.  "  I  am  sure  we  have  done  you  no  harm,  and 
do  not  deserve  such  treatment," 

"  Too  late  to  plead  innocent  after  bein'  convicted," 
answered  the  heartless  bandit  in  a  tone  that  dispelled 
all  hope.  "  When  petticoats  are  changed  for  breeches, 
the  wearer  must  expect  to  be  served  like  a  man. 
Female  politicianers  must  eat  the  bread  in  soak  for 
their  Ku-Klux  aiders." 

These  ominous  words  of  the  ruffian  recalled  to  the 
mind  of  the  poor  girl  all  the  weight  of  the  terrible  re- 
sponsibility she  had  assumed  in  taking  charge  of  the 
party  organ — a  thought  she  had  been  fighting  back 
vt^ith  all  her  strength.     For  days  her  heart  had  been  bur- 


Pro  Bono  Publico.  239 

dened  with  a  sense  of  responsibility  she  shuddered  to 
contemplate,  but  her  resolution  had  been  fed  and 
strengthened  by  the  novelty  and  excitement  of  her  po- 
sition, and  her  power  of  endurance  had  been  sustained 
thereby  beyond  her  natural  strength ;  but  now  that  her 
occupation  was  about  to  be  rudely  wrested  from  her, 
she  realized  for  the  first  time  the  full  gravity  of  her 
situation. 

Husky  Diggs  was  never  dilatory  in  the  execution  of 
his  master's  orders,  so,  catching  Bessie  by  both  arms 
without  further  parley,  he  partly  assisted  and  partly 
dragged  her  to  the  ground,  and  then  performed  a  like 
service  for  Minnie.  He  next  turned  his  attention  to 
Uncle  Ben. 

"Git  down,  you  nigger  minion  of  a  Ku-Klux  master !" 
he  shouted,  in  tones  that  brought  to  the  poor  negro's 
limbs  all  the  suppleness  they  possessed  in  his  youth, 
when  he  danced  jigs  in  his  master's  kitchen,  and  caused 
his  feet  to  strike  the  ground  before  his  tormentor  ceased 
speaking.  "A  purty  servin'-man  you  are,  to  be  settin' 
there  in  the  saddle  and  the  ladies  waitin'  to  be  led  to 
their  hotel." 

The  horses  were  now  turned  loose  to  go  home  as 
they  pleased,  and  Husky  Diggs  conducted  his  newly 
made  prisoners  to  the  door  of  the  little  hut,  designated 
by  Tinklepaugh  as  a  suitable  place  of  safety  for  them. 
The  building  was  a  rude  log  structure,  situated  about  a 
hundred  vards  from  the  river,  at  the  foot  of  a  small 
mountain.  It  was  entirely  surrounded  by  trees  and  a 
thick  undergrowth  of  laurel,  and  the  only  means  of 
access  to  it  was  by  a  little  blind  path,  which  wound 
among  the  trees  and  laurel  bushes  in  such  a  labyrinth- 


240  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

ian  maze  as  to  bewilder  any  person  not  acquainted  with 
its  meanderings. 

On  reaching  the  door,  both  girls  began  to  cry.  The 
thought  that  this  was  to  be  their  prison-house  made 
the  little  frail  hut  look  as  formidable  and  dreadful,  to 
them,  as  the  great  London  tower  appeared  to  the  politi- 
cal victims  of  old  England's  persecutions  in  past  cen- 
turies. 

"  Oh,  I  do  not  want  to  go  in  there,"  cried  Minnie, 
shuddering  and  speaking  for  the  first  time  since  their 
seizure  by  the  bandits.  "  Please  let  us  go  home.  What 
have  we  done  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  any  one? 
Why  are  we  arrested  and  detained  in  this  secret  place?" 

"  Oh,  come,  now,  Miss,"  answered  Husky  Diggs ; 
"don't  fly  into  a  hysterical  fit.  now  .No  use  to  whine 
over  spilt  milk,  you  know,  an'  as  to  why  you  are  here — 
all  I  know  is,  Old  Cross-eyed  Telf  said  for  us  to  cage 
ye,  an'  that's  enough.  It  ain't  none  of  my  business  to 
ask  questions,  an'  it  won't  do  you  any  good  to  do  so, 
neither ;  so  jest  step  in  an'  make  yerselves  at  home." 

The  girls  feared  to  make  any  resistance,  or  to  per- 
mit Uncle  Ben  to  do  so,  and  so  they  entered  the  house 
as  directed.  Notwithstanding  the  uninviting  outside 
appearance  of  the  little  log  hut,  inside  it  was  real  cozy. 
The  rough  inside  ceiling  had  been  hastily  covered  with 
cheap  wall  paper ;  there  was  a  neat  little  carpet  on  the 
floor,  loosely  laid,  a  lounge  in  one  corner  by  the  rude 
fireplace,  a  neat  looking  bed  across  the  back  end  of 
the  room,  two  chairs  and  a  table  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  and  on  the  table  was  a  lamp  and  a  basket,  over 
which  was  thrown  a  white  cloth. 

Uncle  Ben  sat  in  the  door  without  saying  a  word, 
and  both  girls  sat  on  the  lounge  and  cried. 


Pro  Bono  Publico.  241 

"  Oh,  Minnie,"  said  Bessie,  clasping*  both  arms  around 
her  neck  and  hugging  her  hysterically,  "  I  alone  am  to 
blame  for  this,  and,  poor  girl,  you  are  made  to  suffer, 
too,  for  my  foolishness.  I  ought  to  have  known  better 
than  to  have  undertaken  to  edit  a  paper  during  such 
exciting  times,  and  I  remember  you  begged  me  not  to 
assume  such  a  task." 

"  Do  not  reproach  yourself  for  anything  on  my  ac- 
count," answered  Minnie.  "  Perhaps  you  did  right  in 
taking   Albert's  place ;    I  am  sure  all  will  be  right  if 


Several  ifs  proposed  themselves  to  Minnie's  mind  at 
the  same  time — one  of  them  suggesting  the  contin- 
gency of  their  final  deliverance  unhurt;  but  that  which 
choked  her  utterance,  was  one  that  was  intended  to 
introduce  a  clause  in  which  the  election  of  Bessie's 
candidate  for  Congress  should  be  foretold.  Not  even 
the  humiliation  and  peril  she  was  then  suffering  could 
expel  from  her  mind  and  heart  the  hope  that  Judge 
Farwell  should  be  elected,  and  a  reconciliation  be 
effected  between  him  and  her  father.  Perhaps  if  she 
could  have  known  that  the  imprisonment  of  the  two 
men  together  had  already  caused  them  to  clasp  hands, 
in  mutual  friendship,  she  could  have  borne  with  less 
pain  the  thought  of  her  confinement. 

The  sun  soon  hid  itself  behind  the  mountain,  and  the 
shades  of  a  fateful  evening  began  to  gather  and  close 
around  the  little  hut.  Husky  Diggs  came  in  to  light 
the  lamp  and  announce  supper,  but  the  sight  of  the 
two  weeping  girls,  lying  prostrate  on  the  lounge,  clasped 
in  each  other's  embrace,  was  enough  to  silence,  for  a 
moment,  the  tongue  of  even  such  a  gibberish  brute  as 


242  Kiir-Klux  Klan  No.  J^O. 

he,  so  he  silently  emptied  the  rich  viands  in  the  basket 
on  the  table  and  retired. 

Not  even  Uncle  Ben  had  the  courage  or  appetite  to 
taste  the  food,  so  it  was  left  untouched.  All  night 
long  the  two  girls  sat  on  the  lounge  and  cried,  and 
Uncle  Ben  sat  in  the  door  and  watched  and  waited  and 
nodded,  hardly  able  to  realize  the  situation,  and  utterly 
helpless  to  protect  those  under  his  charge.  The  troops 
remained  outside  the  hut,  and  slept  and  watched  by 
turns  until  day. 


A  Last  Effort.  243 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A    LAST    EFFORT. 

Day  dawned,  at  last,  around  the  little  hut  in  which 
Bessie  and  Minnie  had  spent  a  miserable  night.  The 
effulgent  rays  of  the  morning  sun  shot  across  the  floor 
through  the  open  door  and  peeped  in  at  the  only  win- 
dow in  the  walls  of  the  little  log  building,  and  a  whole 
colony  of  pretty  birds,  with  sweet,  chirping  voices, 
gathered  in  the  trees  around  and  sang  merrily  the 
praises  of  the  beautiful  summer  morning ;  but  none  of 
these  brought  comfort  to  the  two  sleepless,  helpless, 
disconsolate  girls  within.  Night,  with  its  sombre  hues 
and  death-like  stillness,  is  more  in  consonance  with  the 
feelings  of  newh^^-made  prisoners  than  the  open  day, 
with  its  activity  and  life,  because  every  evidence  of  the 
freedom  without,  when  viewed  through  a  prison  win- 
dow, is  but  a  painful  reminder  to  the  captives  within 
of  the  comforts  of  which  they  are  deprived ;  so,  the 
two  girls  still  clung  helplessly  to  each  other,  and  even 
the  merry  chirping  of  the  birds  in  the  trees  was  a 
source  of  annoyance  to  them,  iiotwithstanding  this 
was  the  only  sound  they  had  heard  since  the  evening 
before. 

A  negro  can  sleep  in  any  climate,  in  any  attitude,  and 
under  any  circumstances.  Indeed,  it  has  been  asserted, 
upon  apparently  good  authority,  that  they  have  been 
known  to  sleep  while  actuall}"  following  the  plough ; 
but  whether  this  ancient  implement  of  agriculture  was 
guided  with  the  same  degree  of  skill  under  such  cir- 


244  Kv^Khix  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

cumstances  is  not  recorded.  Uncle  Ben  was  no  excep- 
tion to  the  rule,  and  was  sitting  with  his  head  resting 
against  the  door-facing,  drinking  in  the  pleasant  sun- 
shine, when  he  was  awakened  by  some  one  violently 
shaking  him  by  the  shoulder. 

"I  hain't  done  nuffin'  to  be  'prisoned  fur;  I  jes'  lef 
de  'Publican  party  'cause  dey  wouldn't  gib  mede  forty 
acres  an'  de  mule,"  said  Uncle  Ben,  rubbing  his  eyes. 

The  innocent  old  darkey  had  gone  to  sleep,  under  the 
impression  that  all  the  troubles  he  and  his  proteges 
were  now"  experiencing  were  caused  by  his  recent  de- 
fection from  the  Kepubhcan  party,  on  account  of  the 
failure  to  carry  out  its  pledges  to  its  wards,  the  re- 
cently enfranchised  negroes. 

"  Xobody  cares  about  your  party  affiliations  now," 
said  Weston,  for  it  was  he  who  interrupted  the  man's 
slumbers.  "  Just  announce  my  presence  to  the  young 
ladies,  and  tell  Miss  Minnie  I  would  like  to  have  an  in- 
terview with  her." 

Uncle  Ben  was  a  model  servant,  having  received  his 
training  in  the  days  of  slavery,  and  he  announced  Wes- 
ton's appearance  with  the  same  ceremonious  air  he 
would  have  adopted  had  he  been  announcing  the  pres- 
ence of  the  most  welcome  visitor  to  the  residence  of 
his  late  master.  The  young  ladies,  however,  were  too 
much  astonished  at  the  approach  of  a  visitor  to  evince 
the  same  politeness;  besides,  they  suspected  that  the 
visit  of  the  little  Solicitor  boded  no  good  to  them,  so 
they  simply  remained  silent.  But  Weston  had  not  ex- 
pected a  very  cordial  welcome,  and  so  did  not  wait  to 
be  invited  in. 

"  Good  morning,  ladies,"  he  said,  taking  a  chair  by 


A  Last  Effort.  245 

the  table  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  "I  am  sorry  to  see, 
from  appearances,  that  you  probably  have  not  passed  a 
very  comfortable  night." 

"  I  would  presume,"  answered  Minnie,  disengaging 
herself  from  Bessie's  grasp  and  sitting  upright  on  the 
lounge,  "  that  whatever  suffering  we  have  had  to  en- 
dure is  a  matter  of  indifference  to  you,  since  I  doubt 
not  you  are  in  a  large  measure  responsible  for  it." 

"  You  do  me  great  injustice,  I  assure  you,"  answered 
Weston.  "  I  have  already  told  you  that  I  feel  a  deep 
concern  in  your  welfare,  and  the  purpose  of  my  visit 
this  morning  is  to  reassure  you  of  that  fact." 

"  The  most  positive  assurance  you  could  give  would 
be  to  release  us  from  our  present  environments,"  an- 
swered Minnie. 

"And  that  I  have  come  to  do,"  answered  Weston, 
"  but  on  one  condition — that  you  well  know." 

"  But  what  if  I  should  refuse  to  accept  freedom  on 
such  terms?" 

"  Then  you  must  take  the  consequences." 

"And  what  consequences  are  expected  to  follow  ?" 

"  I  have  only  to  say  that  I  will  not  be  responsible  for 
them." 

"  But  you  will." 

"  Then  if  you  prefer  it,  I  will  say  that  I  will  not  at- 
tempt to  prevent  them." 

"Mr.  Weston,"  said  Minnie,  nerved  to  desperation 
by  the  very  peril  of  her  situation,  "  I  told  you  once  that 
I  could  never  marry  you,  and  I  thought  it  was  agreed 
then  that  vour  suit  was  not  to  be  renewed." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  answered  Weston,  "  I  told  you 
then  that  if  I  could  not  win  your  hand  with  the  char- 


246  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  k-O. 

acter  for  honest}^  which  I  then  possessed,  I  would  re- 
new my  suit  as  the  villain  of  villains,  when  considera- 
tions of  personal  safety  would  make  it  to  your  interest 
to  marry  me.     That  time  has  now  come." 

Minnie  recalled  the  ominous  threat,  referred  to  by 
the  unprincipled  little  scoundrel,  and  her  whole  frame 
shuddered  with  fear.     But  she  did  not  hesitate. 

"  Mr.  Weston,"  she  said,  with  a  voice  quivering  with 
emotion  and  fear,  "  I  was  taught  at  first  to  esteem  you 
as  a  friend,  but  I  find  that  your  friendship  is  more 
deadly  than  your  enmity.  By  your  perfidy  in  misrep- 
resenting Judge  Farwell,  you  have  forfeited  all  claim 
to  my  friendship,  and  having  lost  that,  you  cannot  hope 
to  have  me  regard  you  with  the  holier  affection  of  love. 
Even  the  friendship  I  formerly  professed  and  felt  for 
you  has  been  changed  into  a  loathing  hate  by  your  in- 
sidious treachery  and  unscrupulous  abuse  of  the  power 
you  possessed,  and  nothing  now  can  ever  change  my 
estimate  of  your  character,  or  induce  me  to  entrust  my 
happiness  to  your  keeping.  Death,  accompanied  with 
the  most  horrible  agonies  your  diabolical  ingenuity  can 
inflict,  would  be  far  preferable  to  a  conjugal  union  with 
one  whom  I  view  with  such  horror." 

'•  Hold,  rash  woman !"  shrieked  the  little  demon  in  an 
impassioned  voice,  while  his  eyes  gleamed  with  satanic 
fury.  "  Do  not  exasperate  me  and  force  me  to  execute 
my  vengeance  before  the  time.  Let  me  keep  cool,  that 
the  work  may  be  accomplished  with  a  hellish  slowness 
of  torture.  Let  me  make  the  victims  of  my  enmity 
cringe  and  cower  before  me,  ere  I  inflict  upon  them  the 
excruciating  agonies  of  a  two-fold  death.  To  annihi- 
late my  enemies,  without  having  them  to  bow  before  me 


A  Last  Effort.  247 

in  supplication,  would  be  to  rob  myself  of  half  the  pleas-    , 
ure  I  would  feel  in  their  death.      So,  just  keep  cool,   \ 
and  let  your  final  rejection  of  my  suit,  if  such  must  be 
the  outcome,  be  done  deliberately  ;  but  I  warn  you     j 
now,  that  if  such  be  your  final  decision  (and  I  give  you    ,' 
one  more  chance  to  save  yourself  and  your  friends),  I 
will  search  the  very  archives  of  hell  for  a  precedent 
for  your  punishment,  and  employ  the  craftiness  of  the    / 
devil  himself  in  inventing  new  methods  of   torture.     ' 
Every  object  of  your  affection  shall  rest  under  the  ban 
of  my  malevolence,  and  I  will  pursue  them  to  the  death 
with  scorpions  of  cruelty.     Your  love  for  my  rival  shall 
be  a  fang  in  your  heart,  and  the  very  memory  of  him 
shall  be  a  canker  in  your  brain  and  a  moth  in  your 
heart,  that  shall  eat  out  every  joyful  recollection  or 
pleasurable  affection,  and  leave  you  the  most  bereft 
and  wretched  of  human  beings  !" 

"  Go,  then,  and  exhaust  your  inventions  of  cruelty," 
said  Minnie,  rising  and  stamping  her  delicate  foot,  while 
she  pointed  a  well-tapered  finger  at  the  little  villain 
before  her.  "  I  defy  your  power,  though  I  know  full 
well  3'^our  desperate  character.  I  have  already  told 
you  I  would  prefer  the  most  ignominious  and  horrible 
death  to  a  union  with  you,  and  I  tell  you,  again,  I  will 
never  marry  you  as  long  as  heaven  furnishes  me  with 
the  means  of  self-slaughter.  Fire,  water,  poison,  rope, 
steel,  powder  and  lead,  all  the  instruments  of  death, 
shall  be  exhausted  before  I  will  yield  to  such  a  calami- 
tous fate ! " 

"Yes,  a  calamitous  fate  it  would  be,  indeed,"  an- 
swered Weston,  and  the  fury  of  his  inordinate  passion 
lit  up  his  black  eyes  with  an  insane  gleam.     "  But  go, 


248  Kv^Klux  Klan  No.  Ifi. 

marry  the  political  renegade  you  call  your  betrothed, 
and  may  all  the  curses  of  hell  rest  upon  you ! " 

With  these  words  Weston  departed.  He  had  been 
foiled  in  every  attempt  to  secure  the  hand  of  the  girl 
he  loved  so  passionately,  and  with  the  malison  last 
uttered,  he  returned  to  Westville,  where  he  was  destined 
to  meet  with  another  disappointment. 

The  habeas  corpus  cases,  as  advised  by  Major  Wyland, 
had  been  acted  upon  promptly  by  the  Federal  Court, 
and  the  Court  having  found  no  just  cause  for  the  deten- 
tion of  the  prisoners  confined  by  Cross-eyed  Telf,  had 
ordered  that  they  be  discharged  immediately. 

The  result  was  as  Weston  had  foretold.  Even  the 
Governor  was  afraid  of  precipitating  a  war  by  advis- 
ing resistance  to  the  Federal  authorities,  so  Cross-eyed 
Telf  was  compelled  to  yield  the  custody  of  his  pris- 
oners to  the  United  States  Marshal,  who  released  them 
as  ordered  by  the  Court. 

Weston  was  unaware  of  all  this,  however,  when  he 
entered  his  room  at  the  hotel,  to  find  it  already  occu- 
pied by  Tinklepaugh  and  Cross-eyed  Telf,  who  had 
been  waiting  for  him. 

"  Hello !  Lothario,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  as  Weston 
entered  the  room ;  "  a  nice  fellow  you  are  to  be  off 
playing  suitor  to  a  young  Ku-Klux  pullet,  while  the 
old  cock-of-the-walk  of  the  whole  Klan  is  being  turned 
loose  upon  us  again." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Weston,  unable  to 
realize  so  many  disappointments  at  once. 

"  Mean  ? "  answered  Cross-eyed  Telf,  with  a  wicked 
leer,  as  his  eyes  began  to  chase  each  other  as  if  each 
was  ashamed  of  the  other's  company.  "  Why  he  means 


A  Last  Effort  249 

to  say  that  the  whole  Klan  of  the  ghouls  have  been 
uncaged,  and  our  little  game  up,  Just  the  day  before 
the  election,  too." 

"Yes,"  said  Tinklepaugh,  "  the  Federal  Judge  refused 
to  listen  to  any  appeal,  even  for  a  continuance,  and  the 
whole  Klan  has  been  turned  loose  on  us  on  the  very 
eve  of  the  election," 

"  Well,  if  our  scheme  to  defeat  Judge  Farvvell  and 
Albert  Seaton  succeeds,  we  will  have  accomplished 
something,  at  least,"  said  Weston. 

"  1  fear  we  are  destined  to  be  defeated  in  that,  also," 
answered  Tinklepaugh.  "  Our  little  trick  has  been 
discovered,  and  printers  are  already  engaged  in  pub- 
lishing a  disclosure  of  the  fraud." 

"  Then  our  whole  game  is  up,  indeed,"  said  Weston, 
and  he  threw  himself  across  his  bed  and  groaned  with 
rage. 


16 


250  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  1^.0. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

RESCUED. 

"  New  goots !  scheap  goots !  Hantherchifs,  ribbins, 
fine  dresses  and  jewelry.     Come  und  puy  vot  I  offers." 

Such  were  the  exclamations  of  an  old,  decrepit  ped- 
dler, as  he  approached  the  little  hut  in  which  Bessie 
and  Minnie  were  confined,  soon  after  "Weston  left. 

The  old  man  wore  a  long  gray  beard  which,  with 
his  long,  flowing  white  hair,  left  little  of  his  swarthy 
face  exposed  to  the  gaze  of  the  curious,  and,  though  a 
little  corpulent  for  one  accustomed  to  the  hardships  of 
a  peddler's  life,  he  was  bowed  with  age  and  walked 
with  a  complaining  limp.  He  had  on  a  long  linen  coat, 
or  duster,  much  the  worse  for  wear,  and  which,  owing 
to  his  stooping  posture,  almost  touched  the  ground  as 
he  hobbled  along.  His  pants  were  made  of  homespun 
flax,  and  though  they  appeared  torn  and  threadbare  in 
places,  they  still  retained  their  primitive  yellow  color, 
owing  doubtless  to  the  fact  that  they  had  not  been 
washed  often  enough  to  turn  white.  His  shoes,  also, 
were  old  and  yellow  for  the  want  of  polishing,  and 
were  turned  up  at  the  toe. 

He  spread  his  wares  out  on  the  ground  in  front  of 
the  door,  and  continued  to  invite  purchasers  to  come 
forward  and  buy,  without  success,  until  Huskey  Diggs, 
remembering  the  instruction  given  him  not  to  allow 
any  person  to  approach  the  hut,  came  up  and  ordered 
him  to  leave. 

"  Out  from  here,  you  lickpenny  landloper ! "  shouted 


Rescued.  251 

Husky  Diggs,  in  a  voice  that  threw  the  harmless  old 
peddler  into  a  state  of  terror  "  Military  commissaries 
is  no  place  for  vagrants,  so  jest  bundle  up  your  duds 
an'  git,  an'  don't  bother  our  ears  with  no  more  of  your 
furrin-tongued  gibberish." 

Thus  admonished,  the  hapless  old  pedestrian  repacked 
his  goods  with  a  trembling  hand,  and,  without  further 
parley,  was  soon  hobbling  back  along  the  narrow  path 
leading  out  into  the  public  road. 

Once  in  the  road,  he  turned  in  the  direction  of  West- 
ville,  and  notwithstanding  his  apparent  age  and  feeble- 
ness, he  made  such  fast  progress  that  he  was  soon  in 
the  midst  of  the  town. 

"  I  thought  I  w^ould  find  them,"  he  muttered  to  him- 
self, as  he  entered  a  well  furnished  room  and  threw  off 
his  disguise.  "  Old  Cross-eyed  Telf  thinks  he  is  mighty 
sharp,  but  I'll  pay  him  yet  for  this  wound  in  ray 
breast." 

It  was  Sam  Washburn,  the  spy  of  the  Klan.  He  had 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  wound,  he  received  in 
the  battle  at  the  court-house,  sufficiently  to  resume  his 
work,  and  his  labors  had  just  been  rewarded  by  the 
discovery  of  the  only  prisoners  left  in  the  custody  of 
the  tyrant.  Cross-eyed  Telf. 

His  next  duty  was  to  inform  the  friends  of  the  young- 
ladies  of  the  place  of  their  confinement,  and  this  he  did 
immediately.  In  an  incredibly  short  time,  more  than 
a  hundred  well-armed  young  men  were  galloping  to- 
ward the  little  log  prison  by  the  river,  swearing  veng- 
eance against  Cross-eved  Telf  and  all  the  mercenaries 
under  him.  Most  of  them  had  just  been  released  from 
prison  themselves,  and,  while  the  main  object  of  their 


252  Kvr-Klux  Klan  No.  W. 

haste  was  to  rescue  those  still  imprisoned,  they  were 
equally  anxious  for  the  opportunity  of  wreaking  their 
vengeance  against  their  lawless  persecutors  and  retal- 
iating for  some  of  their  acts  of  needless  cruelty.  Maj. 
Wyland,  Judge  Farwell  and  Albert  were  in  the  crowd, 
and  no  horses  were  fleeter  footed  than  those  rode  by 
them. 

No  concerted  plan  had  been  agreed  upon  for  the  res- 
cue of  the  prisoners,  owing  to  the  great  hurry  and  con- 
fusion, and  the  first  warning  given  Husky  Diggs  and 
his  men  of  the  approach  of  the  party  of  rescuers  was 
furnished  by  a  volley  of  balls,  one  of  which  pierced  the 
breast  of  the  villain  named  and  sent  him  rolling  in 
agony  upon  the  ground. 

The  next  moment  Maj.  Wyland  rushed  forward  and 
seized  Minnie  in  his  arms.  The  poor  girl  had  mistaken 
the  cause  of  the  alarm,  and,  imagining  the  firing  came 
from  Weston  and  his  allies  who  had  returned  to  exe- 
cute the  threat  made  that  morning  by  the  rejected  little 
Solicitor,  she  had  fainted  and  fallen  prostrate  on  the 
floor. 

"Oh,  my  darling  child !"  cried  Major  Wyland,  as  he 
kissed  her  and  pressed  her  to  his  breast.  "  They  have 
murdered  you,  at  last,  and  have  left  me  alone  just  as  I 
thought  to  have  you  with  me  again.  Oh,  my  idol,  my 
poor  daughter!" 

Others,  seeing  Minnie's  condition,  took  charge  of 
her,  and  placing  her  again  on  the  floor,  soon  restored 
her  to  consciousness. 

Bessie,  though  excited,  was  less  frightened,  and  stood 
up  to  meet  her  liberators  as  the  ideal  little  heroine  she 
had  been  during  all  these  days  of  peril.    Hers  was  one 


Rescued.  ,  253 

of  those  quiet,  strong  natures  that  never  quail  before 
any  danger,  nor  succumb  to  any  foe. 

Albert  was  proud  of  her,  and  as  he  imprinted  a  kiss 
on  her  flushed  cheek,  his  eyes  beamed  with  genuine  de- 
light; but  whether  the  kiss  was  an  expression  of  broth- 
erly affection,  or  another  attempt  to  imitate  old  Abra- 
ham by  trying  to  palm  off  his  sweetheart  before  the 
public  as  his  sister,  not  even  the  sagacious  foreman  in 
the  Westmlle  Conservative  office  could  have  told  with 
certainty.  Probably  Albert  himself  could  not  have 
told  how  it  was,  but  his  joy  was  supreme,  nevertheless, 
and  so  it  was  with  Bessie. 

After  the  most  cordial  greetings  and  hearty  congra- 
tulations all  round,  they  returned  to  town,  leaving  the 
military  hirelings  to  bury  the  lifeless  body  of  Husky 
Diggs,  or  convey  it  to  their  brutal  master,  as  they  saw 
fit. 

As  the  crowd  rode  by  the  Midland  hotel,  conveying 
Bessie  and  Minnie  to  the  house  of  their  friends,  Weston 
and  Tinklepaugh,  looked  out  from  the  windows  of  their 
rooms  with  a  fearful  scowl  on  their  faces.  There  were 
more  than  one  hundred  votes  in  that  crowd,  and  to- 
morrow each  ballot  would  fall  into  the  box  like  clods 
upon  a  coffin,  sounding  the  death-knell  of  all  the  hopes 
that  had  stirred  the  breasts  of  the  two  little  scoundrels 
since  the  death  of  Old  Stingy  Jap. 

That  evening,  as  Judge  Farwell  and  Minnie  stood  by 
a  large  window  in  the  parlor  of  Major  Wyland's  resi- 
dence, talking  over  their  recent  adventures  and  misfor- 
tunes, the  venerable  old  lawyer  approached  them,  and 
taking  Judge  Farwell  by  the  hand,  he  placed  his  other 
arm  around  Minnie's  neck,  and,  stooping  down,  kissed 
her  tenderly  and  lovingly. 


254  Ku-Klux  Klan  No.  W. 

"  I  have  been  very  cruel  to  you  both,"  he  said,  as  the 
tears  coursed  down  his  cheeks,  and  he  seemed  almost 
choked  with  emotion;  "but  I  see  my  error,  now,  and 
have  repented  it,  and  now  come  to  ask  your  forgive- 
ness. You  have  m}'^  consent  to  marry  now  as  soon  as 
you  please,  and  shall  have  my  blessing,  also.  God  bless 
you  both  and  prosper  you  !  You  have  been  a  good  girl, 
Minnie,"  he  continued,  kissing  away  the  tears  that 
rolled  down  her  cheeks,  "  and  I  honor  and  commend 
you  for  observing  my  wishes,  notwithstanding  my  con- 
duct toward  you  was  cruel.  I  assure  you  I  will  never 
more  interfere  to  deprive  you  of  one  moment's  happi- 
ness. Again  I  sa}^  God  bless  you  both !"  and  he 
turned  and  left  them  alone  in  their  happiness. 


The  Election.  255 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


THE    ELECTION. 


The  morning  of  election  day  dawned  brightly,  and 
as  the  first  streaks  of  light  shot  across  the  fields,  they 
were  followed  in  every  direction  by  men  in  eager  haste 
to  be  first  at  the  polls  in  the  different  precincts.  The 
polls  opened  with  the  rising  sun,  the  first  effulgent  rays 
of  which  lit  up  a  sea  of  eager  faces  at  every  voting 
place.  All  classes  were  there,  represented  by  all  colors, 
degrees  of  intelligence,  shades  of  opinion,  and  all  poli- 
tical organizations.  The  old  "Unioner,"  commonl}'^ 
denominated  a  scalawag,  argued  with  the  Democratic 
neighbor  and  charged  the  Democratic  party  with 
"  bringing  on  the  war;"  the  imported  statesman  from 
the  North,  commonly  called  a  carpetbagger,  elbowed 
his  odoriferous  "brother  in  black"  and  again  deceived 
him  into  voting  the  Republican  ticket,  with  promises  of 
"de  forty  acres  an'  a  mule;"  the  Ku-Klux  jostled 
against  the  Union  Leaguer  and  shoved  and  pushed  for 
a  place  at  the  polls ;  and  the  gray-haired  veteran  of 
the  Confederacy,  representing  the  most  intelligent 
class  of  all,  but  not  allowed  to  vote  on  account  of  the 
inhibition  contained  in  the  Iron-Clad  Oath,  stood  and 
gazed  upon  the  motley  throng  and  wondered  whether 
this  really  was  "the greatest  government  on  earth." 

Early  in  the  day  Judge  Farwell  went  forward  and 
redeemed  his  promise  to  vote  the  Democratic  ticket, 
and  many  other  former  Republicans,  disgusted  with 
the  meanness  of  their  party,  marched  up  and  did  like- 


256  Kw-Klux  Klan  No.  JfO. 

wise.  The  result  is  easily  foretold.  The  Democratic 
ticket  was  overwhelmingly  elected  throughout  the 
State,  and  the  gigantic  system  of  public  plunder,  inaug- 
urated by  the  Republican  party,  began  to  totter  and 
fall.  The  glorious  sunlight  of  Hope  began  to  pierce 
through  the  mists,  that  had  remained  so  long  settled 
over  the  quagmires  of  hate,  and  soon  the  clouds  rifted 
and  drifted  away. 

Bessie  and  Minnie  remained  up  that  night  to  hear 
the  election  news,  each  anxious  for  the  success  of  her 
particular  candidate.  There  was  a  full  moon,  and  its 
rays  fell  gentl v  upon  the  forms  of  the  two  pretty  girls 
as  they  stood  in  the  broad  piazza,  watching  and  wait- 
ing for  Judge  Farwell  and  Albert,  who  had  promised 
to  come  down  and  give  them  the  news  as  soon  as  the 
reports  were  all  in. 

About  twelve  o'clock,  the  two  young  men  entered 
the  gate  and  started  up  the  graveled  walk  toward  the 
house ;  but  Bessie  was  too  anxious  to  wait  for  their  ap- 
proach, and  rushed  forward  to  meet  them,  exclaiming : 

"  Oh,  it  is  good  news,  I  know;  lean  tell  from  the 
smile  on  your  faces,  even  in  the  moonlight!" 

"  Yes,  it  is  good  news,"  answered  Albert,  taking  her 
hand  in  his,  while  Judge  Farwell  walked  on  to  the 
house.  "  The  whole  ticket  is  elected  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing majority." 

"And  that  includes  you,  of  course,"  she  answered, 
while  her  eyes  beamed  with  delight. 

"  Yes,"  said  Albert,  leading  her  into  the  soft  shadow 
of  a  maD:nificent  magnolia,  "  and  I  am  indebted  to  vou 
for  even  the  suggestion  of  my  name  as  a  candidate.  I 
feel  now  that  an  honorable  career  has  opened  before 
me,  and  I  will  walk  in  it  if " 


Conclusion.  257 

"  If  what  ? "  she  asked. 

"  If  you  will  help  me,"  he  answered,  taking  both  her 
hands  in  his  and  pressing  them  to  his  lips.  "  Will  you 
help  me,  Bessie,  to  make  my  life  honorable  and  suc- 
cessful as  you  have  started  it  %  Since  you  cannot  be  a 
sister  to  me,  will  you  be  my  wife  ? " 

And  she  answered  softly,  "  Yes,"  but  only  Albert 
and  the  magnolia  heard,  for  Judge  Farwell  and  Min- 
nie were  already  busy  planning  their  wedding  tour, 
which  was  to  end  at  Washington,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
session  during  which  Judge  Farwell  was  to  hold  his 
seat  in  Congress. 


Where  novelty  ends  in  a  novel  there  the  novel  itself 
should  end.  Both  the  love  stories  having  been  traced 
to  a  successful  termination,  it  now  only  remains  to  dis- 
pose of  the  different  characters  in  a  summary  way,  and 
the  little  book  will  end. 

Old  Major  Wyland  lived  only  a  few  years  longer  to 
repent  of  his  former  opposition  to  the  marriage  of 
Minnie  and  Judge  Farwell,  but  he  made  a  complete 
atonement  at  last,  at  least  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  by 
dying  and  leaving  them  a  princely  estate. 

Uncle  Ben  lived  on,  as  the  trusted  servant  of  the 
house,  a  few  years  after  the  death  of  his  late  master, 
and  then  died,  uttering  with  his  last  breath  the  onl-y 
complaint  that  his  freedom  as  a  citizen  had  ever  known, 
that  "  de  'Publican  party  done  fooled  de  niggers  erbout 
de  forty  acres  an'  de  mnle." 

Mrs.  Latham  recovered  her  sanity  and  memory,  too, 


258  Ku-Klux  Elan  No.  Jfi. 

to  such  a  degree  that  her  testimon}^  with  the  aid  of 
that  of  Rev.  Dick  Madison,  who  turned  State's  evi- 
dence to  save  his  own  neck,  was  sufficient  to  convict 
Cross-eyed  Telf  of  the  murder  of  her  son. 

Cross-eyed  Telf,  as  has  just  been  intimated,  was  con- 
victed of  the  murder  of  John  Latham,  and  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  hung,  but  the  sentence  was  commuted  to 
imprisonment  for  life,  and  he  afterwards  escaped  under 
the  amnesty  act. 

Dick  Madison,  having  turned  traitor  against  Cross- 
eyed Telf,  sustained  his  new  character  by  betraying  Tin- 
klepaugh  for  the  uyirder  of  Old  Stingy  Jap,  and  Tin- 
klepaugh  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  be  hung,  too, 
but  had  his  sentence  commuted  with  that  of  Cross- 
eyed Telf,  and  after  the  passage  of  the  general  amnesty 
act  he  was  pardoned. 

Weston,  though  the  real  instigator  of  a  majority  of 
the  crimes  committed  in  the  community,  and  equally 
guilty  as  Tinklepaugh,  managed  always  to  keep  out  of 
court,  after  being  defeated  for  the  Solicitorship,  and 
as  Tinklepaugh  refused  to  imitate  Dick  Madison  by 
turning  State's  witness  against  Weston,  he  was  allowed 
to  join  the  exodus  of  carpet-baggers  that  began  imme- 
diately after  the  election,  and  return  to  his  native 
State.  The  bonds  he  and  Tinklepaugh  stole  from  Old 
Stingy  Jap,  after  murdering  him,  were  repudiated  by 
the  Legislature,  of  which  Albert  Seaton  became  an 
honored  member,  and  became  utterly  worthless.  He 
never  returned  to  execute  his  threats  against  Minnie 
and  her  friends,  and  she  and  the  Judge  still  live  un- 
molested. 

Bessie  and  Albert  still  live  at  the  old  Seaton  home- 


Conclusion.  259 

stead,  and  twenty-three  years  of  their  happy  married 
life  has  already  vindicated  the  wisdom  of  their  parents 
in  betrothing  them  in  their  infancy  by  will. 

After  the  restoration  of  peace  and  harmony  the  Klan 
disbanded,  but  many  a  citizen  of  Westville  still  remem- 
bers  with  gratitude  the  services  of  Ku-Klux-Klan 
No.  40. 


THE    END. 


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