The following post is a transcript of the Carbondale Free Press dated May 21, 1923. It is somewhat typical of the Klan’s approach to infiltrating its way into the good graces of local christian churches, as long as those churches weren’t Catholic, that is. This area during the early 1920’s, was wrought with bootleggers born out of prohibition, prostitution, gambling houses and gang warfare. Much of the system of authority and law enforcement were on the take and useless against these elements.
Many protestant churches only saw the “positive side” of the Klan, the side the Klan presented, and felt that they could have been their saving grace, thereby aligning themselves with the Klan, if in no other way, then tacitly. The main thrust of the Klan in the 1920’s for this area wasn’t necessarily the black community as much as what they considered foreigners and “wine-addicted” Italians, Catholic by default, and they did a good job of prejudicing the rest of the Christian community against them.
Hooded Men Visit Scoville Meet at Marion
Masked Figures Spread Consternation Over Audience
On Sunday, May 20th, seventeen men togged out in the ghost-like attire of the Ku Klux Klan, tiptoed single file into the Christian Church Sunday night, creating a thrill of apprehension; spread a flutter of consternation among the vast audience which thought Evangelist Charles Reign Scoville was about to be kidnapped before its eyes; left him $30 and vanished as mysteriously as they had appeared. The credentials left proved them to be Klansmen. Evangelist Scoville is conducting a revival there.
This was the first indication that Marion held within its environs a Klan.
A crowd of 2,000 was more consternated. It was frightened. It is no exaggeration to say some were affrighted for Dr. Scoville’s sake. Others appeared as if about ready to “check in.”
A letter of appreciation handed to the preacher by one of the Klan and the gift of $30 turned fright into joy. The joy too created applause when Dr. Scoville, after the Rev. A.M. Laird had read the letter, said “That tells you whether they are all right. They stand for something good.” The preacher commented on persons in certain districts not living up to the true morals of the community did so after a hint from a certain persons.
The letter, accompanying the $30 handed to Dr. Scoville, read:
Rev. Scoville
Dear Sir: Please accept this token of our appreciation of your efforts and great work you are doing for this community. The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan are behind this kind of work to a man, and stand for the highest ideals of the native born white Gentile American citizenship which are:
“The tenets of the Christian religion; protection of pure womanhood; just laws and liberty; absolute upholding of the Constitution of the United States; free public schools; free speech; free press and law and order. Yours for a better and greater community.”
“Exalted Cyclops”
The letter was written on a part sheet of plain white paper. The Exalted Cyclops is probably the president of the Klan here. As the letter was not on the note paper of any Klan, it is surmised that Marion has only a provisional Klan and not a chartered one. The typewriting had apparently been done by a man, judging by the impression made of certain letters. The writer of the letter was familiar with the use of typewriters. The letter did not appear to have been dictated, but was apparently composed and typed by the same person.
The leader of the Klan was arrayed slightly different to the other 16. His cape over the robe appeared to have a different colored lining than the others….Carbondale Free Press
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For more information on Klan infiltration see the post, August 1923 Lawlessness Appeals on the Square. Also see, History of the Klan, Part Two and 1923, Midnight KKK Initiation Ceremony in Marion.
Sam’ Notes: Charles Reign Scoville (1869-1938) was considered one of the most effective mass-evangelists among the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches since the Church was established. He was claimed to have converted thousand’s in his numerous evangelical campaigns across the Midwest.
Sitting among the congregation on previous nights would have been William J. Spiller, an ardent supporter of the Marion Christian Church who had attended the full week of meetings with Scoville. Spiller passed away on the exact Sunday night that the Klan showed up at the church. The local pastor of the church Rev. A.M. Laird and Evangelist Scoville officiated at his funeral.
(Extracted from the Carbondale Free Press, May 21, 1923)