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Friday, August 13, 2021

Bruce Craven, Former Grand Dragon of KKK, Wants Meet With Attorney General, Aug. 13, 1921

Craven Desires to Drive Klan From the State. . . Will Confer With Attorney General Relative to Prosecution

By Jule R. Warren

Raleigh, Aug. 13—Major Bruce Craven of Trinity, who recently resigned as grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina and ordered the Klan disbanded, has written the Attorney General that he will be in Raleigh sometime during the coming week for the purpose of conferring with him about the activities of the Klan in this state. It is understood that Mr. Craven is not satisfied with his order for disbanding the Klan but would like to see the state take some actin against the organization wich will look to running it out of the state.

Attorney General James S. Manning says there is sufficient law for handling the Klan or any other secret organization which are guilty of the things Bruce Craven seems to think the Ku Klus is guilty of. The Attorney General has come to no conclusion about pushing the charges made by the former Grand Dragon of the society, for he does not think the published statements of Major Craven sufficient for him to start action. If Craven wants to carry out his threat to run the organization out of North Carolina, the Attorney General will give his assistance, provided of course Craven is able to show that the order has been violating the laws of North Carolina.

Societies as “Menace”

The Attorney General along with other prominent citizens and office holders has held all along that the Klan would have to be handled mighty carefully to prevent it becoming a menace instead of a help in the enforcement of the law. He cites the provision in the constitution which says that secret political societies are a menace to the country and should not be encouraged.

The probabilities are that the special session of the Legislature may take some official notice of the organization and the charges made against it by Bruce Craven. At the last session a bill was introduced by Senator Luns Long of Halifax which would have prevented parades by masked men. The bill was introduced following the parade of the Ku Klux through the streets of Raleigh during the session of the Legislature. Senator Long offered the bill, but was called home soon afterwards, and did not have the opportunity to push it. Since that time the sentiment has been crystalizing, and the chances are that when the special session meets in December some members will furnish the opportunity for the legislature to vote on an anti-Klan bill.

From The Charlotte News, Saturday, Aug. 13, 1921

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