The “Shams” were opposed in their movements not only by the party who had formerly upheld the K. K. K. idea as an alleged necessity of the times, but by that more conservative influence which, though maintaining the same political views as the latter, contemned the use of all secret agencies in politics. When it was possible to anticipate their raids, rotten-egg battalions were formed, which, in their efforts to deter them from their purpose, employed every character of violence that did not involve the commission of crime. Not unfrequently their places of meeting were discovered, and when this was the case, a descent was planned, and the subject of “unfinished business” rendered one of lively interest to its membership. But, frequently, organized resistance, from the very nature of the case, was out of the question, and where citizens were placed at the mercy of their raids, they sometimes took the execution of the law into their own hands. An instance in point, which has been given to the public in different forms, but never correctly, has been related to the writer.
In the western portion of the State lived a farmer who had so frequently suffered from the incursions of these gentry, that he resolved on retaliatory measures, and loading his shot-gun lay in waiting. The corn-crib seemed to have been a favorite objective with them, and as he had stationed himself where his gun commanded the approaches thereto, he quietly bided the moments. His calculations were well taken, for in a brief time a party of five men, gowned and otherwise disguised, rode to the neighborhood of his concealment, and taking sacks from their saddles proceeded to the crib. Here their movements were guided by a plan that was unique if not original. Obtaining a rail from a neighboring fence, one end thereof was inserted under the corner of the building, and their combined strength applied to the other; a leverage which easily gave a sufficient aperture to admit their bodies. One of their number was now stationed on the end of the improvised lever as a teetering weight, and the party proceeded to business.
While matters were progressing thus favorably for the marauders, our hero’s feelings may be better imagined than described, and observing with what a saucy air the individual who balanced the fulcrum performed his other duty of sentinelcy, he took steady aim and fired.
The result, as ascertained some hours afterwards, was truly wonderful, and deserves, if it has not received, a place in the archives of the Moses’ administration. The bodies of four dead negroes were found, one pierced with bullets, and the remainder having their necks broken. We will not offend against good taste by giving further details, and especially desire that the plausibility of this story may be seen in the readiness with which the reader comprehends the mystery of their deaths respectively.
It is needless to state that this affair was heralded to the world as a Ku-Klux murder, and as the parties wore uniforms, and affected the characterization, some doubt touching the integrity of the announcement may have existed in the minds of those best acquainted with the facts.
CHAPTER XVII.
A MORAL POINTED.
A Problem for the Phrenologists—“Self-Preservation is [said to be] the First Law of Life”—A Mooted Question put at Rest—Experiments in Metaphysics—An Anecdote Dealing with the Characteristics of some People—Another—Peculiarities of the Caucasian—Ditto of the African—An “Awakening” among the Children of the New Abrahamic Covenant—“Brudder Jones’s Preechin’”—What it Wrought—Unpleasant Truths—Sins of Omission and Commission—The Pale-Faced Settlers in Distress—An “Artifice” of Retrenchment—Eloquent Discourse—Nineteenthly, and what followed—K. K. K. redivivus—“Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching, etc.”—A Break for Tall Timber—The Best Time on Record.