Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, March 19, 1907, Image 1

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VOL. XjLVI. NO. 14,439.
PORTLAND, OREGON, TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1907.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
ait.
FRESH BUNCH IN
GRAFT DRAGNET
Astounding Exposures
in Bay City.
100 COUNTS AGAINST RUEF
Board of Supervisors Makes
"Clean Breast.'
DEALS UP.:. IN MILLIONS
Traction Company . Mulcted, .of
$450,000 Money Taken From
Two Telephone ( Companies.
Cnrly Boss Kept Hog's Share.
SAN FRANCISCO. March 18. As
sistant District Attorney Heney said
a few daya ago, when asked for a
candid personal opinion of his evi
dence against officials indicted and
about to be Indicted, said:
?'I have stronger evidence against
these people than I had In the land
fraud cases In Oregon where the jury
convicted."
i
SAN FRANCISCO. March IS. (Special.)
Before tomorrow morning dawns, Abra
ham Rtief. fallen boss of San Francisco,
now on trial lor extortion, will have
been indicted' by the grand Jury on vari
ous counts, aggregating nearly 100 In
number, covering a period of many
months and based on bribes running into
hundreds of thousands of dollars. With
him will, be .criminally Involved Mayor
Schmits, almost a score of the officials
of the city government and a number of
millionaires of prominence in San Fran
cisco and In the Kast.
Seventeen of the 18 County Supervisors
wtrtt before the grand Jury today and
confessed in detail graft operations and
their magnitude carried on during their
-'-"Fnure of office. Principal: among these
, wa the award of a blanket franchise to
the United Railroads) to transform its
cable lines into an overhead trolley sys
tem, for which Ruef had mulcted Pat
rick Calhoun, president of 'the company,
in the sum of J45O.O0O.
Grafts Aggregate Million Dollars.
The confessions revealed, details ajo
of the Home Telephone and Ocean Shorn
' Railroad franchise deals and others less
extensive, but involving in the aggregate
upward of 0,000,000. ' It is believed that
the Supervisors who 'confessed have been
promised Immunity from prosecution." '
In addition to these confessions it' Is
understood that the grand ' Jury has' ob
tained a nurnber of -others from 'present
or former city officials, revealing- graft
operations by the various municipal com
missions under the direction of Ruef and
Mayor Schmitx. Direct evidence was
given of the payment of JM.OOO to Rucf
by prizefight promoters for permits.
Amors prominent names mentioned !n
this) connection with today's revelation
ere those of Patrick Calhoun and Thorn
well Mullally. of the United Railroads,
and J. Downey Harvey, of the Ocean
Shore Railroad.
The first witness called before the grand
jury this afternoon was James L. Galla
gher, chairman of the finance committee
of the supervisors, one time Acting
Mayor, and Ruef's direct agent In dis
tributing bribes among his colleagues. He
was followed by Andrew M. Wilson, busi
ness man, former Ruef supervisor, and
now State Railroad Commissioner.
They were succeeded on the stand- Jby
Thomas Lonergan and Colonel Charles
Buxton, both prominent' supervisors. Then
in turn the testimony of the other super
visors, with the exception of Rea was
heard. It is said that Rea was the only
member of the board who had refused to
participate in the grafting.
Tales Told Are Astounding.
The story given to the grand Jury and
Prosecuting Attorney Heney Is almost
unbelievable. Deals hitherto barely sus
pected and deals absolutely unknown
were divulged with an amplitude of ex
planation and wealth of facts that
amazed the inquisitors.
First and most important, the purchase
of the city by the United Railroads,
through its president. Patrick Calhoun, is
known. The price paid for the franchises
which permitted the United Railroads to
Inflate its stock Into the millions by turn
ing its cable lines Into a trolley system
was $450,000. Of this Immense sum the
supervisors received but a small share,
while the bulk went Into the pockers of
Abe Ruef and Mayor Schmitz.
Ruef demanded $150,000 from Patrick
Calhoun to carry through the transaction,
and this money was drawn by the United
Railroads In Installments, calculated to be
email enough to divert suspicion. Ruef
specified that $85,000 of this was to go to
a mysterious person whom he Insisted had
to be "squared," $85,000 more was set
aside for the Supervisors, and this sum
was placed in the hands of Gallagher by
Ruef. Gallagher retained S.E.000 for him
self, $10,000 was given to Daniel Coleman,
$10,000 went to Wilson and other Super
visor received $00 each. Still others
were given as little as $3000. A few may
have received nothing.
After subtracting the $$$.000 for the
Supervisors and the $83,000 for the person
Ruef insisted must be taken care of, but
who may never have received the money,
(4MW0 was laft fo be di Tided jxweun
Mayor Schmitz and Ruef, each of them
receiving about $140,000.
Ail this boodllng was carried forward
while the city was yet In the throes of
the social convulsion following the earth
quake, and while the very existence of
San Francisco was still threatened. The
proposal, came directly from the United
Railroads, and Patrick Calhoun, presi
dent of the corporation, while he did not
personally appear In the negotiations by
which the money was delivered, engi
neered the purchase himself. ' '
But the corruption surrounding the
history of the franchise granted to the
Home Telephone Company was even
more damnable, and explodes the cher
ished proverb that "there is honor
among thieves." The Board of Super
visors was bought twice, once by the
Pacific States Telephone Company,
which wished to keep the rival cor
poration out of the city, and once by
the Home Telephone Company, which
was fighting to get an entrance into
the city. The Pacific States Company
paid the most money even hired a
suite of apartments in which the
5
Adolplx Sprockets, Who Tetia-d Be
fore Grand Jury In Graft Inquiry'
Yettterday.
boodle was griven but the franchise
went to the Home Telephone people.
This was brought about by the pur
chase of Mayor Schmitz and Abe Ruef
by the foreign concern, and they, with
their pockets well lined, cracked the
whip over the Supervisors and forced
the granting- of the coveted privilege.
Most of the Supervisors had grot $5000
apiece from the pacific states Com
pany. A little later the Home Tele
phone agents paid a number of the
Supervisors $3000 each, but Ruef and
Schmitx, having been seen meanwhile,
the sum was considered enough to com
plete the transaction.
Another transaction, which was sus
pected, but never proved until today, on
the sworn testimony of the Suvervisorial
witnesses before the grand jury, is the
(Concluded on Page 2.)
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, t 51
degrees; minimum. 40.
TODAY'S Showers; wlfids mostly southerly.
Railroads.
Signs that Roosevelt and railroad presidents
will reach understanding on new laws.
Page 1.
President Yoakum interviews Roosevelt and
Mellen. will meet him today, page 1.
Ripley, of Santa Fe, says Roosevelt is to
blame for anti-railroad agitation. Page 1.
Hearing begins In Spokane rate case. Page 3.
Harriman buys Salt Laice Railroad. Page 1.
' Foreign.
Three Emperors willing to discuss disarm
ament at' The Hague conference. Page 5.
Shah dismisses two ministers at demand
of National Assembly. Page 5.
Salvador Joins Honduras .axainst Nicaragua.
Page -3. ' -
r 'ationaV . '
Experts give strong evidence against negro
rioters. Page 2. - ; '
Land Commissioner v Balllnger- makes
changes among officials. Page 2
.. Domestic.
Mrs. Thaw's affidavit read in court;: evi
dence to be finished today. Page 1.
Haskln tells ' adventures of the Pearcy
brothers, page J. .
Gold field employers tell reasons for war on
Industrial Workers. Page 3.
Land Office clerks give' strong - evidence
against Hermann. Page 3.
Sentence on rich Nebraska land thieves.
Page 2. -
Governor Hajtrerman, 'of New Mexico, ac
cused of land frauds. Pag 4..
Brisbane to start Socialist colony in New
Jersey. Page 4- ,
Pacific Coast.
Graft cases, overshadowing all that have
gone before, uncovered in San Francisco
last night. Page 1.
Motion to dismiss M oyer-Hay wood cases be
cause of delays dismissed by Judge
Wood. Page 7.
Washington's State Auditor will withhold
Increase In pay to appointive officehold
ers. Page 6.
Heavy rain storm in Southern Oregon. Page
e.
T scr ma Cooks and Walters Union demand
Japanese employes In restaurants be dis
charged. Page 3.
Local athletes leave for Spokane tonight.
Page 10.
Stanford track team will meet Oregon at
Eugene. May 3. Page 10.
Commercial and Marine.
Sharp advance in canned salmon predicted.
Page 17.
Low record price In Chicago wheat market.
Page 17.
Wall street calms dowa. Page 17.
Portland & San Francisco steamship j.neto
cut running time of steamers ten hours.
Pago 16-
Portland and Vicinity.
Scheme on foot to buy rich tidelands on
Columbia River above Tongue Point, at
low rate. Page 12.
Council water committee plans to assess
frontage tax for extension of water
mains. Page 10.
Senator Miller defends Governor Chamber
lain for attitude on normal school situa
tion. Page 11.
Kelly Butte gang must return to work or
starve. Page 13.
Railroads are entirely unable to handle the
immense business now heading toward
Portland. Page 16.
Peter Garrets will be charged with murder
In first degree. Page 11.
Great floods in Truckeo and Sacramento
Valley Page , -
1
LASHED
y
Evelyn Thaw's Charge
Read Before Jury.
VICTIM OF THAW'S FRENZY
Case Will Probably Reach Ver
dict Friday Night.
FINISH EVIDENCE TODAY
Delmas Finally Admits Affidavit
Hummel Says Mrs. Thaw Made.'
and Offers Evidence Thaw Was
Insane After Ills Arrest.
NEW YORK, March 18. When the
Thaw trial was adjourned today, there
remained but four expert witnesses to be
examined before the taking of evidence
closes. Three experts were disposed lit
today in a little more than an hour,
so it is generally believed the last word
of evidence may be entered In the famous
case tomorrow. In that event the sum
ming up for Mr. Ielmas for the defense
,wlll begin Wednesday morning. District
Attorney Jerome will reply on Thursday.
Justice Fitzgerald may proceed immedi
ately with his charge to the jury or- he
may defer It until Friday unless the un
expected happens, there, should be a ver
dict by Friday night.
Beaten Worse Than Supposed.
The case for the people was finally
closed today by the Introduction of the
much discussed Hummel affidavit, which,
with the consent of the defense, was read
in full to the Jury. The affidavit proved
a surprise only In the alleged severity, of
the . assaults Harry K. Thaw Is said to
have made upon Evelyn' Nesblt during
their trip through Europe, in 1S03, when,
according, .to. the, testimony, of Abraham
Hummel. Miss Nesblt would not sign
statements which Thaw had prepared
accusing Stanford White of having drug
ged her and ruined her. It is said the
action contemplated - when- the - affidavit
was made was the recovery of certain
property which It was alleged. Thaw had
wrongfully taken from the girl. Indicat
ing the affidavit. Hummel referred to
himself as Miss Nesblt's attorney, she be
ing reported to have said:
"I have received certain letters and
cablegrams from Thaw which I have
turned over to my attorney, Abraham
Hummel."
Thaw Crazy When Arrested.
When Mr. Delmas began introducing
testimony in sur-rebuttal he put upon the
stand three persons who saw Thaw, the
night of the tragedy and early In the
morning after, and they all declare that
he either loolted or acted irrationally. To
two of them he complained of hearing
young girls' voices. The witnesses ad
mitted on cross-examination that there
were seven women In the station the
night Thaw was there and they were
making considerable noise, but could not
be heard from Thaw's cell. After this
testimony had been presented, Mr. Del
mas passed Into the final stages by in
troducing seven alienists for the defense.
UNCLAD
Tomorrow's experts will be Drs. Wag
ner and Evans, who have heretofore tes
tified for the. defense and who will now be
asked to give an opinion on Mr. Jerome's
long question, and Dr. Charles W. Pil
grim, of Poughkeepsie, N. T., president
of the New . York Lunacy Commission,
and Dr. Miner Gregory, superintendent of
the psycopathlc pavilion at Bellevue Hos
pital. , .... ..
AFFIDAVIT PIT IX EVIDENCE
Delmas Gives Vp and Calls New
Batch of Alienists.
NEW YORK. March 18. When the pro
ceedings in the Thaw trial began today
District Attorney Jerome offered In evi
dence the broken pieces of a photographic
negative of the last, page of the famous
Hummel affidavit, bearing the signature
of Evelyn Nesblt. Mr. Delmas objected to
its introduction and began an argument
upon the point. -
Justice Fitzgerald overruled the objec
tion. Mr. Jerome then offered in evidence a
photographic, print from the negative. .
Mr. Delmas objected to the introduction
Sylvester R. Rush, Special Assistant
to the Attorney-General of the
L'ni-ed States.
of the print also, and another long ar
gument ensued.
Mr. Delmas said the photographic copy
of the affidavit could not be introduced
to contradict Bvelyn Thaw, for she was
not shown the copy on the witness stand
and had no opportunity to affirm or deny
her signature.
Mr. Delmas argued that the copy of a
paper was not competent evidence on
which to contradict the witness.
Mr. Jerome went to some length in ex
plaining that the original of the Hummel
affidavit had been traced to Mrs. Thaw's
hands, and she had said no such .Vper
exlsted. Under thee clr.ctin-.Stanoes. he
s.id, It should hot b allowed to Introduce
secondary evidence. The evidenclary
value or photographic copies; he contend
ed, had frequently been sustained . by
courts. . .....
Delmas Withdraws Objection.
Mr. Delmas concluded by saying that if
Mr. Jerome would put Evelyn Nesblt
Thaw upon the stand and let her say
whether she knowingly signed the paper.
he would offer no objection to the affidavit
going in evidence.
For the purpose of argument, Mr. Je
rome joined the offer of the carbon copy
of the affidavit in evidence with the
photographic copy, and Mr. Delmas said
his offer to withdraw objection to the af
fidavit after it had been shown to Mrs
Thaw on the stand referred to the carbon
copy also. Mr. Jerome started to reply to
Mr. Delmas. when the latter said:
"Oh, well, let the whole thing go in. 1
withdraw all objection." Mr. Jerome then
read to the Jury the carbon copy of the
affidavit. In the affidavit 'Miss Nesblt
said she was 18 years of age. During June.
1H03. she went to Europe with her mother
at the request of Thaw. They remained in
Paris for a time and then went to Bou
logne. Miss Nesbit and her mother re
mained there while Thaw went to Lon
don. He returned for them and they went
to London. Then Thaw and Miss Nesblt
made a trip to Holland and Germany,
(Conclude d on' Page 5. )
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f WrsifritAiwiw-',a f
!
SELECTING A MAN TO BELL THE PRESIDENT
GROW
TO
TAKE MEDICINE
Railroads May Agree
With President. .
EXTRA SESSION IS POSSIBLE
Roosevelt Working for Better
Understanding.
HEAD OFF RADICAL ACTION
Transportation Kings Eager to Have
Legislation Passed Lest the Gov
ernment Ownership Craze
Grow Irresistible.
Confers With Mellen Today.
WASHINGTON, March 18. Presi
dent Charles S. Mellen, of the New
York, New Raven A Hartford Rall
. road, arrived here tonlKht and to
morrow will confer with President
Roosevelt on the railroad situation.
Mr. Mellen went Immediately to his
hotel apartments and denied himself
to interviewers
t- 4
WASHINGTON. March IS. (Special.)
There are unmistakable and multiplying
indications that a "better understanding'
between the Government, the railroads
and the people, of which so much has
been heard pro and con for a consider
able time, is approaching realization.
Railroad magnates swallowing with some
bitterness, naturally, a certain pride that
has characterized them, are beginning to
knock at the White House door. Some
of thenx have had audience with Presi
dent Roosevelt already, and, the Ice once
broken, they find it not eo hard to seek
admission again. President Mellen, of
the New York, New Haven A. Hartford
Railroad, to to. have his conference to
morrow afternoon, and after- that it is
likely that other railroad presidents who
previously were scheduled to visit Wash
ington by arrangemeat of J. P. Morgan,
and some more in addition, will .trail
aleng during the coming week.
Strong Game of High Politics.
President Roosevelt Is playing one of
the strongest games in the Seld of high
politics that ever has been carried on by
an American President. The depth and
importance of it all will unfold a little
later.
B. F. Yoakum, president of the Rock
Island road, paid his second visit within
a week to the White House today. The
exact nature of his interview with the
President is a secret and possibly there
will be more or lese secrecy regarding
tho conferences with other notables of
the railrqad world, for a time at least
Extra Session. for Quick Action.
In all seriousness, the suggestion has
been made within a. day or two that, if
further legislation Is to be had sooner or
later, the quicker it comes the better, so
as to restore confidence and let the rail
roads get the financial aid they require
to make improvements. It is believed
that men who a year ago sneered at Mr.
ANXIOUS
Roosevelt and his policies will even go so
far aa to urge the calling of Congress in
extraordinary session to meet the present
situation and clear .the atmosphere.
Information has come' within a day or
two from men who abhor the very
thought of Government ownership that
they fear the result of the agitation now
rampant in the 'States and the grievances
that shippers complain of in the matter
of being afforded adequate facilities of
transportation will make Government
ownership a popular iasue in the next
campaign. United States Senators and
other officials have seen the seriousness
of the situation. The shrewd persons
who manage great railroad properties, no
matter how blind they may have been to
public sentiment in the past, are begin
ning to appreciate it also.
Driven to Ownership by Dlsgnst. .
It is declared that the spread of the
Government ownership idea is not likely
to be based on any analysis of what it
really means or consideration of Its fea
tures in any respect, but merely upon
disgust over car shortage and various
Patrick Calhoun, President of United
Railns-! Company of su Fran
cisco, Accused. f Bribing Abe
Ruef. v
other troubles which have confronted the
country. The people, it is declared, are
growing vindictive and may 'rush to the
Government ownership . standard out oC
pure ill-feeling against the railroads.
rather than as a result of reasoning upon
the economic questions underlying.
BPS HUT CLARK STOCK
HARKIMAX ADDS ANOTHER
ROAD TO HIS MERGER. .
Salt Lake Line Removes Only Com
petitor Across Nevada Clark
- Syndicate Retains Bonds.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 18. The Call
will say tomorrow:
"Senator W. A. Clark, of Montana, and
his associates are out of the San Pedro,
Salt Lake & Los 'Angeles road, and E.
H. Harriman is the owner of their stock.
The story given out in financial circles
today says that Harriman has purchased
all the shares In the Salt Lake route held
by W. A. . Clark.. R.. C. Kerens, David
Keith and Thomas Kearns.
The quartet of., millionaires retains pos
session of $35,000,000 of the road's bonds.
of which Clark holds '130.000,000, Mr. Ker
ens 3,000.000, Mr.. Keith 11,000,000 and Mr.
Kearns .1,000,000. .. . ,
SAYS MARKET WILL IMPROVE
Harriman - Ridicules Idea Union
Pacific Has Sold Stock.
NEW YORK, March 18. E. H. Harri
man returned to this city today from Vir
ginia. In reply to "the question whether
business of any urgent nature' had called
blm back, he said:
"No, I returned here because the muddy
roads down In Virginia made, employment
Impossible. Vv bat do I think of the finan
cial situation? I believe it is going to
improve from now on.
"The decline in the stock market was
due to a combination of circumstances
a combination of men and circumstances.
Some of these men have made a lot of
money as a result, but I don't think It
will do them much good In the end."
Mr. Harriman laughed at the report
that during the Tecent liquidation of
stocks the Union Pacific had disposed of
large quantities of Its stock holdings in
other railroad properties. He said there
was no foundation whatever for " the
story. ,
SAYS ROOSEVELT DID IT ALL
Ripley Blames Him for Panic Santa
Fe W1U Retrench.
LOS ANGELES. Cal., March 18. In an
interview In an afternoon paper. Presi
dent E. P. Ripley, of the Santa Fe, who
is now at Santa Barbara, is quoted as,
saying that President Roosevelt is re
sponsible for the present uncertain con
ditions In Wall street, and attributes the
recent semi-panic to a "brush fire which
the President started."
Mr. Ripley said that, because of the
general antl-rallroad sentiment, the Santa
Fe was prepared to Inaugurate a policy
of strict conservatism. In the matter of
expenditures and that many contemplat
ed Improvements in the company's prop
erty would nave to await more favorable
conditions. Mr. Ripley is also quoted as
saying that he believes it Is likely that
President Harriman. of - the Union Pa
cific, will retire from active railroad life
within a year.
Mr. Ripley is quoted in part as follows:
Z can see no good to come from a meet
Ins with President Roosevelt such as has
been proposed br J. P. Morgan. If the press
dispatches on the subject are correct. The
President -must be held responsible for hav
ing. started a brush fire that-now apparently
has become a conflagration and. while I
always have felt his motives to be . of the
best, it appears to be too late to stop the
fire that now is pretty nearly burned out.
Going- back to the subject of the apparent
Concluded on- Page 2.)
i SBMWWV' ij a.
CAREERS
0OT0O
E
Pearcy Brothers Rulers
of Isle of Pines.
ADVENTURES IN MANY LANDS
Samuel Pearcy's Conflict With
Cuban Republic.
TREATY HELD UP IN SENATE
Josiah Ji.' Pearcy, Explorer' of Co
lombia, Father of Ku Klnx
Klan, Buyer of Canal Route
From the Indians.
mm
BT FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
WASHINGTON, March 13. (Special Cor
respondence.) There Is as much Incident
in the life story of Sam H. Pearcy and
his brother. Captain Josiah L. Pearcy, as '
one would find in the most thrilling fic
tion of adventure. Sam H. Pearcy Is the
head and front o'f the revolutionists "of
the Isle of Pines, that band of Americans
which has Insisted that President Mc
Klnley and Secretary Hay were correct
when they decided that thp island was
American territory and that President
Roosevelt and Secretary Root are wrong
In their decision that it Is Cuban terri
tory. Mr. Pearcy has led the fight, against
the treaty which gives a quitclaim deed
to the island', and for four years has suc
ceeded in preventing its ratification by
the Senate..
Sam Pearcy was a youth in Tennessee
when the Civil War broke out and he
joined the Confederate army. He served
with Dr.' T. J. Thomas, also a Tennes
seean and, when the war was over, they.
went to Mexico, where both of them
learned to speak Spanish. After two
years they returned to Nashville and Mr.
Pearcy married Dr. Thomas' daughter. Dr.
Thomas' wife died and he went to Spain.
At Madrid he set up in the practice of
dentistry' and In a little while became
the royal dentist to Queen Isabella, and
after her abdication to Alfonso XII. Two
years after he went away- a message came
to Tennessee that Dr. Thomas had died
of cholera.
Thomas Returns From Death.
Twenty-five years later an old man
came to the door of the ' warden's house
of the Tennessee State Penitentiary. Cap
tain Josiah L. -.Pearcy, brother of Sam,
was then warden. ' The old man asked:
"Joe, don't you know me?"
It was Dr. Thomas, whom they had '
thought dead for. a quarter of a century.'
The old man asked for his daughter and
Sam. and In the course of time took the .
whole family back to Spain. They visited
Balboa, Madrid and other scenes where
the doctor had amassed a large fortune.
He is now 82 years old.
As soon as the war with Spain ended in
1898, Sam Pearcy went to Havana and
opened a commission house, dealing large
ly in agricultural implements for the de
vastated plantations of the Island. The
Spanish people of Cuba feared they would
be despoiled of- their property and there
was a general exodus to Spain. The Isle
of Pines was owned largely by those who '
wished to go back to Europe, and Pearcy
obtained options on 80,000 acres, went to
New York, organized a company and got '
the money In one day to buy the land
for the Isle of Pines Company, of which"
he is now vice-president. The company
has since increased Its holdings to 160,000
acres, about one-fourth of the total area
of the island. -
Struggle for Isle of Piues
Sam Pearcy early came Into conflict:
with the Cuban government- He baa "
been arrested not less than 60 times for
trivial violations of Cuban regulations.
His yacht was taken away from him and
he has been harassed in every possible
manner. Nevertheless, he has kept up
his fight and is still contending for the
little ."Treasure Island" to be declared a
part of the territory of the United States r
according to the interpretation originally
placed upon the Treaty of Paris by the
State Department.
In this work he has been ably as
sisted by his brother. Captain Josiah L.
Pearcy. It was through the latter that
Representative James D. Richardson,
then leader of the minority in the House,
became Interested in the Isle of Pines
matter and Induced Senator Morgan to
take up the fight in the Senate. Mr.
Morgan has been successful In preventing ;
any action whatever, and the opposition
to the treaty says it is increasing in i
strength all the time.
Captain Pearcy was an artillery officer
in the Confederate Army, serving for a
while as Captain and Inspector on the
staff of General John O. Breckenridge.
After the war he went to Pulaski, Tenn.. i
and was one of the nine men who formed
the original Ku Klux Klan in the ruins -
of the old Carter mansion near Pulaski.
At that time there was no' political sig
nificance attached to the order, it was
merely a Greek secret society modeled .
after the Greek letter fraternities of the
colleges. .
Origin of Kn Klux Klan.
When the Ku Klux Klan Initiated its .
first new member, it rode through town -in
a fantastic masque. The negroes were :
thoroughly frightened and thought the
world was coming to an end. That was
the cue and the Ku Klux spread all over
the South. Captain Pearcy has a copy
of the original prescript of the organize ,
tlon, showing, among other things, that
the members were compelled to take an
oath to loyally support the United States
i'S oSd uo ppniouo)