“Yes, you have preached your d—d heresies long enough,” was the answer. “If you’ve got any prayers to say, you had better be about it.”
Mr. Luke replied calmly, “I am not afraid to die, nor for such a cause. It is hard to die in such a way.”
Leave having been granted him to pray he uttered a most fervent appeal to God, soliciting mercy for himself and the negroes, and forgiveness for those who were persecuting them and him for righteousness and opinion’s sake. His prayers were rudely cut short, a rope was placed about his neck, the end thrown over the limb of a tree and his body suspended in the air. The four negroes were next dispatched.
John Goff, an eye witness to the proceedings states that the Klan tried to hang two of the negroes, named Cæsar Fredericks and William Hall, at once, but not being able to make the bodies balance, Pat Craig, a member of the Klan, shot Fredericks in the mouth, while Clay Keith murdered Hall in a similar manner. The other negroes were then hung singly, their bodies being drawn up slowly to increase their torture.
The defenders of the “white man’s race” then separated, fully satisfied with having performed one more service in support of the “White Man’s Government.” This outrage was so flagrant that the farce of an investigation was gone through with, and the suspected parties arrested. An examination resulted in their being discharged. The witnesses were all members of the Ku Klux Klan, and had sworn to regard no oath that would injure one of the brotherhood, and the murderers of William C. Luke still go unwhipt of justice. And these are the people who talk of their rights, of the oppression of Radical rule, of their determination to establish a Democratic Administration.
PROSCRIPTION.
It seemed to be the intent of the orders of the Ku Klux Klan everywhere throughout the South, to impress upon the people, the fallacy of attempting to entertain any opinion inimical to those put forth by the Klan. The attacks of the Klan were first directed to such of the people as were bold enough to declare themselves unionists and republicans. Scourging, banishment or murder were the measures adopted to enforce silence, and these terrible agents proved fully potent to accomplish the end.
This enforced silence, however, appeared to be dangerous, and was certainly more ominous to the order, than the freest utterances of the most radical views. “Those not with the order, must certainly be against it,” said the leaders, and a new crusade was forthwith inaugurated. The object of the new movement was to compel every able-bodied white man to join the Order and become bound to it by oaths, administered in the Camp.
Notices were accordingly issued by the respective Chiefs of Dominion from every Camp, requiring the presence of parties, for initiation into the Order. When these were not heeded, they were followed by warnings. If the parties were still refractory, then they received a visitation.
The two first cases arising under this new arrangement, were those of Paul Myers and John Chapman, of Jefferson County, Ala. These gentlemen were joint proprietors of a small store, and while inwardly opposed to the principles of the Ku Klux, had outwardly conducted themselves in such a manner as to give no cause of offence to the Klan. They were surprised in common with many others, upon receiving a notice to appear for initiation into the Jefferson County Camp of the K. K., and they resolutely refused to comply with the request.