Lenoir County, NC - The Ku Klux Klan Farce ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carolina Messenger, November 12, 1869 [Goldsboro newspaper] The prisioners recently tried for conspiracy, and murder and Ku Kluxism, says the Newbern Journal of Commerce, were brought before the Superior Court of Lenoir County, Judge C.R. Thomas presiding, to answer the several charges. The bill of indictment consisted of no less than sixteen pages of closely written legal paper, but notwithstanding this formidable army of charges and specifications, the State Solicitor squarely backed down, as will be seen. The first case called was that of Messrs. A. Munroe and Calvin Herring charged with the killing of Kader Grady colored, on the Kinston bridge, in January last. The trial was not entered into, Solcitor Sherrard making affidavit that he did not believe that the State could obtain justice (bah!) in Lenoir County. The counsel for the defense selected Wayne, and His Honor fixed upon Wednesday after the first Monday in February next, for a final hearing of the case. The accused were admitted to bail in the sum of $10,000 each, giving a justified bond without difficulty. The cases for conspiracy known as the Ku Klux cases, were then taken up. The Solicitor again, making affidavit that he did not believe that the State could procure justice in Lenoir County, a similar dispostion was made of them as in the case of Messrs Munroe and Herring. All the parties were admitted to bail in the sum of $1,000 each, except Mr. Jesse C. Kennedy, the reputed "South Commander," who was required to give a bond of $10,000, which he did. Here the farce ends for the present. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Guy Potts ___________________________________________________________________