KU KLUX KLAN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 June 1924, Page 5

KU KLUX KLAN.

MURDER. CHARGEvS. ACCUSED ACQUITTED. fiY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT NEW YORK, June 17. A telegram from Lilly, Pennsylvania, states that a number of townsfolk charged with the murder of three persons as the results of riots at Lilly in April, were acquitted after a brief trial. Mr. Weimer (the prosecuting attorney) announced that he will continue the trial of the others. He is not discouraged, but the general belief now is that the matter will be discontinued and the prisoners released, since the prosecutor is compelled to depend on the same testimony throughout. The court has adjourned till July 1. The renewal of the Ku Klux Klan’s anti-racial campaign manifested itself with disastrous results in the town of Lilly, Pennsylvania, on April 6. The inhabitants there are chiefly Roman Catholic. The Klan had ‘been attempting to erect flaming crosses in the ton n, but each time the townspeople had driven them away. The Klan band, however, increased in numbers and descended on the town. They killed two of the inhabit ants, fatally wounded one and iseriouslv iniumll eleien others. The Klansmen theh successfully planted their flamiim crosses m the principal streets. State troopers having received the alarm, attacked the marauders and arrested 23 ofthen-number. They rrere charged with noting and murder. The townspeople attempted to stop 400 marchiim Klansmen who had gathered from neighbouring towns by turning a fire hose upon them, hut the Klansmen upon their leaders’ orders, fired re-i volvers at the inhabitants, who returned their fire desultorily injuring' 7 e y, i of th ®‘ intruders. A - number of children who had gathered to watch the combat were among the wounded