Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE GAINESVILLE EAGLE iiy the Eagle Publishing Company. VOLUME LIII. OUSE Blue Death || As a Preventive for BED BUGS; it not only 11 kills the insects but destroys their eggs. II Large Bottle - . -25 C 11 Cedar Flakes gives positive protection II to your winter clothing against moths. II Large Package _ - - IOC Il Camphor Balls, per Package - IOC Reflecto Furniture Polish, large bottle y price - - - -25 C Piedmont Drug Company If it’s from the Piedmont, it’s the best. We send for and deliver your prescriptions free. THE EAGLE WISHES TO MAKE SUGGESTION TO CITY FATHERS. A Suggestion that Ought to be Taken up—a Suggestion that Will Cost Very Little Money —a Good Suggestion. Gentlemen, please allow us to make the following suggestion: We have looked at the square un til we are ashamed to look at it any longer in the condition it is in. Away last summer the city fathers had grass planted on the square and the trees trimmed up, and really we thought we were going to have a beautiful square, and we would have had such, had not the good work stopped when it did. We have just been thinking how nice it would be to have these walks laid with concrete. The walks are and the expenditure would be very little on the part of the city. Mayor Robertson could pay for it with three fines from blind tigers, and two from speed law vio lators. This would add to the ap pearance of the square about half. Then in the summer when the watermelons are in season, make it a fine to eat watermelons on the lawn and leave the rinds. This has been done from ‘he time we could remember. People eat watermelons on the square and leave the rinds where they had the feast, to draw Hies, yellowjackets, and hornets by the scor° —this is neither beauty fying nor sanitary. If that suggestion is a litttle too stout, how about packing those rock down, and hauling a few loads of sand, and putting on thejwalks? Really it is a shame for it to re main in the comdition it is in. Pe cestrains are now walking on the grass to keep from hurting their feet on the stones that are on the walks. Let’s get this fixed, brethren, be fore the summer guests begin to cojne in to our city. It will cost very little, and then it will look so nice. Planing Mill Sold. Trustee W. C. Thomas knocked off to Mr. J. H. Hunt the plant of the Gainesville Lumber Co., bank rupt, for $2,005. Three lots were sold to Mr. Hunt for $477, and three lots were sold to Mr. A J. Munday for $7 37, aggregating a to tal sale of the plant for $3,21t, pro vided the sale is confirmed by W. B. Sloan, referee. It is not known whether Mr. Hunt will run the planing mill m connect ion with his present mill’ or will run the two separately. HALL COUNTY’S VOTERS— REGISTRATION FOR 1912. Books Closed by Collector Hudgins with an Excellent Showing. Tax Collector J. J. Hudgins closed the registration book Monday, with a total of 4,481 legal voters on the list. By precincts the registration is as follows: Wilsons 93 Oakwohd 138 Flowery Branch 239 Roberts 109 Friendship 85 Clinchem 125 Morgan' 148 Candler 160 Tadmore 283 Gillsville 150 Glade 105 Lula 138 Narramore 111 Polksville 168 Quillians 295 Tom Bell 78 Big Hickory 91 Bark Camp 215 Whelchels 98 Fork 141 Gainesville 1511 4481 Longstreet Chapter U. D. C. Enjoyed a most delightful meeting last Friday at the home of Mrs. J. R. Boone Many items of business were trans acted. Program for Memorial Day was discussed and arranged. Prof. Mat thews lias kindly consented to be the speaker of the day. Especially interesting aud entertain ing wa« the social hour. A guessing contest was enjoyed and a prize award ed to Mrs. Bob Sanders as the success ful contestant. Delightful refreshments were served, and Mrs. Boone was, as usual, a charm ing hostess. The May meeting will be he-d with Mrs. R. G. Harper on Brenau avenue. Rev. W. H. Bridges'Dead. As we go to press we learn of the death of Rev. W. H. Bridges, perhaps one of the best known ministers in North Georgia. Rev. Fridges died at his home. No 8 Sycamore street,last evening from pella gra, at the age of 72 years. He was a Baptist minister, and came to Gaines ville about five years ago from Jackson county, but has not been actively en gaged in ministerial work for some time. Mr. Bridges served through the late war and was a brave soldier. He is survived by several children; his wife preceded him to the grave by two years. The remains will be carried to Pen dergrass, his former home, for interment tomorrow, the Masons having charge of the burial rites. Mr. Turner to Leave. The people of Gainesville will re- Jgret very much to know that Mr. G. F. Turner and his excellent fam ily will move to Atlanta about May Ist. Mr. Turner contemplates go ing into the real estate business in the Gate City. He is a good busi ness man and wiil succeed in any etiterprize he undertakes. GAINESVILLE. GEORGIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1912. MIV AND ORDER LEAGUE ORGANIZED FOR THE COLORED PEOPLE. A Branch Office of this Most Excellent Order Organized in Gainesville—Let the Good Work Go On. Prof. I. N. Fitzpatrick, whose home is in Madison, Ga., was in Gainesville several days last week organizing a branch of the Law and Order League, an institution des tined for the betterment of the ne groes and to cultivate friendly and peaceful relations between the races., He is a man of exceptional intelli* gence, well educated, and has trav eled in many lands in the old world, including many parts of Africa. As to the objects of this organ ization, the following is taken from the Constitution of the order: “The object of this organization is aid and encourage its members in liv'uijp purer lives morally and religiously and, to incite loftier ideals of true citizen-’ ship; and to aid the strong arm of thet law in putting down and suppressing crime, preserving peace and order in the bounds of the organization, and else where when necessary.’’ “To cultivate friendly and peaceful relationship between the white and colored races; and encourage its mem bers to buy homes and improve them; and to be honest, economical, industri-; ous, and law-abiding citizens.” The following.is a part of the ob ligation each member must take: “I firmly believe in the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and I do solemnly promise in the presence of God, and these witnessess, that I will keep invio late the Sacred obligation of the Peo ple’s Benovlent, Business, Law and Or der League.” Four of the Cardinal Principles: “I do furthermore promise that I will do all in my power to cultivate friendly relationship between the white and colored races, and will do all in my power to live an honest, upright, in dustrious, law-abiding citizen, and in peace and good will with all. I do furthermore, promise tn do all in my power to prevent crime, and I will at all times aid in upholding the strong arm of the laws of our State and gen eral government. I do furthermore promise that I will not knowingly shield, aid or hide in my house any criminal. I do furthermore promise that I will obey the laws and keep sa cred the rules of this and any other League of which I may hereatter be come a member.” While here Prof. Fitzpatrick told the Eagle that he was grateful to Judge Brand for giving him an opportunity to address the people at the term of court at Jefferson last summer, on which occasion Judge Brand spoke in highest terms of the league work and encouraged all the colored people that could get in to join the order, as it was one of the best institutions to solve the race problem, and would prove of mutual benefit to both races. “I am glad to say,” said he, “that I am encouraged in this work by the best elements of both races, ex cept a few of my own race. I had one man in your city to tell me that he would not endorse anything that Judge Brand endorsed, as he bad no respect for him. 1 undestand he is opposing our work in Gaines ville.” The following leading members of the colored race have joined the League: Prof. C. E. Williams, Dr. N. A. Doyle, R. A. Chamblee, John Reed, Sam Ashe, Fred Mat thews, Len Reed, G. S. McCrary, Jennie E. McCrary, Aaron Wyatt, A. P. Butler. Prof. Fitzpatrick will speak at the court house on Sunday, April 14, at 3 o’clock p. m., and wishes the city and county officials and the white and colored citizens to be present. This is a movement that should be given the hearty and constant encouragement of everybody, white and colored. It is not only to the interest of the negro race to make good citizens, but is also to the vital interest of the white race. Established in 1860. SOUTH CAROLINA’S FIRST KLANSMAN TELLS TALES OF THE WORKINGS OF KU KLUX. Capt. B. H. Bates, the Original Ben Cameron of Tom Dixon’s “Klansman”, Talks Long and Interestingly of Ku Klux Klan. By Stickem. In the past weeks we have given our readers stories concerning the Georgia Ku Klux Klan, and another one from a South Carolinian, but now comes one from the Chief of the South Carolina Klan, the first one that was organized in the State. We had heard that Capt. B. H. Bates of this city was the original “Ben Cam heron ” of Thomas Dixon’s famous ‘Klans man” and under this impression we went to see Capt. Bates, and are thor oughly satisfied with our call—the only regret being that we couldn’t spend the day with him—for he can tell tales that will pay you for your time. | We are under the impression that everybody from Dan to Beersheba knows ’Capt. Bates, but peradventure there are ,feome of the younger generation who may not have the pleasure of knowing the Captain, it might be well to make an informal introduction. Capt. Bates is a South Carolinian by birth, but a Georgian by adoption, hav ing come to this State immediately after the disbanding of his Klan. He is a man that is blessed with as many friends In Hall county as any private citizen can boast of. He lived for a number of years at Pendergrass, where his friends are the entire inhabitants. L When we called to see him we made .known our business, and when the Captain found that we were represent ing a newspaper, he was loth to talk on the subject, for Caotain Bates, may it be said to his credit, is not a man that appreciates newspaper notoriety, and in very few words he made it plain to us that we could not get any information ont of him for public print, so we promised that we would not make his Statement public; but when he had talked to us for some time we felt our selves slipping from the promise, and when he had finished we were dead cer taip that the promise would have to be *Brbken. Anyway, if a man in the news paper world told the truth on every oc casion he would be laid up in a hospital for about six months out of the year. Now to our story: “Yes,” said Mr. Bates, satisfied now that he would not De quoted in the newspapers, “I suppose I am the origi nal “Ben Cameron”—everybody seems to think so, and the very idee tical things that happened to the “Ben Cameron” of Thomas Dixon’s “Klansman” hap pened to me. “I was arrested by a negro bailiff and tried before a negro justice of the peace, but I was turned loose.as nothing could be proven on me, and sometimes now, in reverie, I think that some of the Klan must have notified the negro justice that it would be better if I were found not guilty. I was doing some little chores around the house one morning when the negro bailiff came for me. He said, ‘Mr. Ben, dey tole me sorter fotch you up to de court house.’ I said ‘I won’t go with you anywhere; you go back and tell them I will be up there presently.’ But he protested that they had told him ‘ter fotch me.’ I told him that 'would be all right—l would come up pretty soon,’ which I did, and was carried through a form of trial, but there was nothing to it, and 1 went home. This incident was especially mentioned in Tom Dixon’s Klansman, with many others where they tried to get me in close quarters. With this Capt. Bates spoke of the organization of the Klan. “My Klan was organized in March, 1870, by me, which was the first Klan organized in South Carolina, being the second Klan organized in the South. The first Klan of Ku Klux organized in the South, was the one organized at Shelby, North Carolina of the same year, and the Chief of this Klan came to Spartanburg and gave me the oath, with all the by-laws, which were verbal —no writing, or trace of writing,can be found that ever belonged to the Klan. After I had taken the oath I then or ganized a Klan in Spartanburg, and other Klans all over the State. “In each territory where a Klan was organized, we had an Advisory Board to which all cases called to the atten tion of the Klan were sent, and this Board after due consideration of the facts of the case, either advised that the case be attended to or that it be dropped. This board consisted of six of the best men that could be found in the county, and when they recommended that a case be adjusted, it was a fact that it needed attention.” Here we asked regarding the oath taken by a member of the Klan. “Why, when an application was made to become a member, we blindfolded the applicant, administered the oath, and when this was done the blindfold was removed and he was shown what the end would be if he should give away the Klan —he looked into the muzzle of two big revolvers.” We thought this sufficient persuasion for a man to keep a secret. With this Captain Bates lapsed into the facts that led up to the organization of the Klan and some of the workings. “After the surrender, the entire country was full of carpet-baggers, and scallawags that didn’t do a thing but pilfer and steal. They also put it into the heads of the negroes that everything should belong to them—that they had worked for the Southern planters and made it, and it was justly theirs, and all they had to do was to seize it; and un der these conditions, it behooved us to do something, and do it at once, for the negroes would go to the white people’s houses and help themselves to such things as they saw fit, and there was no way of the whitefolks helping them selves. There was no law, and what were we to do but but make law our selves? There was no alternative, and we got about taking the law in our own hands and straightening things out. “Some of the negroes would even push white women out into the streets from the side-walks. These were our reasons for organization. We were not a lawless set of men, as pictured by some writers; we were the very men that stood for law and order. It #ras not our intention to break the laws, but to enforce a moral law, as the facts will show.” We then asked the Captain to tell us of the workings of the Klan. “Well, we dressed in Jong white robes with cornucopia shaped caps that fitted closely about the head, with holes cut for the eyes and nose, with a string tied under the neck to hold them cn. We always rode horseback when on a raid, and the horses were covered with white sheets, while on their feet were worn foot pads made tor the purpose that kept the horses’ feet from sounding on the hard road as we traveled. With our tall caps, and mounted on horses, we looked very tall and spooky,and many are the times that I have heard both white and colored people running through the woods when they would see a delegation of Ku Klux approaching. We always rode about five paces apart when out on a call,with the Chief in front, designated by a big ‘O’ with three ‘K’s’ under it in line on his breast, while the next highest officer rode at the rear. “We never worked in our immediate settlement. For instance, there was a case that had been recommended by the Advisory Board in our territory—this case was referred to the Klan perhaps twenty miles away, and this Klan would come to our settlement and do , our work, and, vice versa, we would! go to their settlement and fix up their! cases; in this manner when a raid was j near our home we could always l prove an alibi —the other Klan did the : work. Many are the times that my I Klan rode fifty miles m one night to adjust some crime that had been com mitted in some other settlement. My horse one time stood in the stable two | weeks with the saddle on—we were out every night during this time. I now begin to feel the exposure that I suf -I sered during the war and the strenuous years immediately thereafter. “As to some of the calls we made and the whyfores. I will tell you one inci dent that caused considerable laughing among the Klan after it was all over. “There was a negro who lived on a widow woman’s farm in the adjoining territory, who would go to his former mistress’barn, potato bans, and smoke house and help himself to everything he wanted at any time. The case was set for our Klan. We called on him about 2 o’clock in the night and pulled him out of bed. He only had on his shirt when we earned him out into the open field and gave him a good chastisement. You, no doubt, have often heard about people ‘running some,’ and ‘it will take three to see ’em run’—well, those are all mild expressions. When we turned that negro loose and he started for the house, you could have played marbles on his shirt-tail —it was as straight out as a sign on a guide-post. He ran into a ditch in his flight and got the hardest fall I ever saw a mortal get—it knocked the breath out of him, but it didn’t slacken his pace—he was np almost as soon as he waa down and still running. “Well, this negro got very highly in sulted that the Ku Klux should bother him—‘a respected citizen of South Car olina,’ and he immediately began mak ing assertions in regard to his privileges and fell right back into the same old way of doing business. We were called out again on his case, and after the sec ond call there was not a better negro to be found in South Carolina. I “There was another case of a negro— SI.OO a Year in Advance NUMBER 15 I where I defended the negro She waa the former slave of the man she waa then working for, and this man didn’t wan’t to pay her for her work; and be cause she had refused to work for him longer without compensation, he had re ported her to the Klan. I was familiar with the circumstances, and went out on her case. We carried her several paces out and turned her loose telling her to get a job where she would be paid for her work, which she did; and we then told her former owner that we didn’t want to hear any more from him; and we didn’t—he never reported anv more cases to the Ku Klux. “I remember one case of a white man that I likewise befriended, and it hap pened this way: He had been guilty of several misdemeanors, and I knew it, but he had been punished on one oc casion, and he was almost scared to death. He was in a store one evening when our Klan happened to come up. If you have ever seen ‘a reed shaken by the wind’, that is not a circumstance. When we went in he was shaking from head to foot—thought we had come for him—and I spoke to him, and he told me the full details of the case, and stated that the Klan was coming for him again. I felt sorry for the poor fellow, and told him I would arrange it so that the Klan wouldn’t bother him when they called again if he would follow in structions. This he readily promised to do. I then told him when the Klan called, to place his right hand over his heart and repeat the words, ‘I am at home,’ and this he did and the Klan never bothered him again.” Capt. Bates theu told us how one carpet bagger skinned the ignorant ne groes for their money. “There was a carpet-bagger in the neighborhood that would stake off sev eral acres of land and sell it to any of the negroes who could raise any small amount of money, and it mattered not who the land belonged to. He gave the deed with this inscription: ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so have I lifted this negro out of his money.’ “Those things all had to be adjusted, and the Ku Klux organized to adjust them, and were truly paid for their trouble. Any old person of the war times can tell you of the good derived from the Ku Klux Klan." TIVO GAINESVILLE GIRLS MA Y LIVE IN WHITE HOUSE. Two of Woodrow Wilson’s Daughters were Born in the Queen City of the Mountains. Who is there among us that would not feel proud to see a Georgia woman mis tress of the White House—the first lady in the land? A Georgia woman is now mistress of the Executive Mansion of New Jersey, and her husband is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the Presi dency. And two Gainesville girls live with their mother in the Executive Mansion of New Jersey—the daughters of Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. Two weeks ago the following telegram was recieved by Hon. J. O. Adams in response to an inquiry: “Margaret Woodrow Wilson, eldest daughter of Woodrow Wilson, was born in Gainesville, at the home of her mother’s aunt, Mrs. Warren A. Brown; Jessie Woodrow Wilson, second daugh ter, was born at the Piedmont Hotel, then owned by the family of General Longstreet, her mother’s cousin. Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.” Mrs. Woodrow Wilson was born in Georgia, in Chatham county. She was known in ber girlhood air Miss Ella Axson, “the beautiful and accomplished Miss Axson.” Her father was the Rev. Edward Axson of Rome, a minister of the Presbyterian church, and it was in that city that she spent her early girlhood. Her mother was Miss Margaret Hoyt, daughter of Rev. Nathan Hoyt,who was a minister in Athens fur thirty years. Mrs. Wilson is a niece of Mrs. Warren A. Brown and Dr. H. F. Hoyt of Commerce. Mrs. Mary Davis, Aged 52 years, died at the residence of her sister in Buford Tuesday, from dropsy. She had lived in Gainesville sot a number of yeara r where she was a consistent member of the First Methodist church. The remains were brought heie and interred at Alta Vista, Wednes day, Rev. Frank Siler performing burial rites.