Schwab’s Knights in This State. . . The Knights of St. John, Headed by Mayor Schwab of Buffalo, Has Negro Commandery in North Carolina. . . Schwab is the President-General of the Knights of St. John. He Is the Man That Hired Obertean to Spy on the Ku Klux Klan, Which Resulted in the Death of Thos. H. Austin of North Carolina, Obertean Also Losing His Life
The Wilmington Moring Star at Wilmington, N.C., on Sunday, June 1, 1924, published an eight-page supplement featuring the negroes and their institutions in Wilmington. One-half page of this supplement was devoted to write-ups of the negro Catholics in Wilmington. It was headed “Negro Catholics Have Fine Church Facilities in This City.” On this page was a picture of the Knights of St. John of Wilmington. The picture showed a catholic priest seated with 15 negro men around him. Under the picture appeared these words: “Knights of St. John.”
Mayor Schwab of Buffalo, N.Y., is the President-General of this order, and recently called on the Knights of St. John to strengthen themselves to fight the Ku Klux Klan.
In the write-up of this order the members of Wilmington are named, and among the list appears the name of George King of Clayton, N.J., and Calder Walker of New York City. The article does not state whether or not these two men are negroes. However, their names appear in the write-up of the negro Catholics of Wilmington, N.C.
In mentioning the Knights of St. John, this supplement to the Wilmington Star says: “The men have an organization known as the Knights of St. John. This latter is a military benevolent order. Its object is to provide its members with assistance in time of need.”
If this order in Wilmington is not made up wholly of negroes, it evidently has a large negro membership, because of its appearance in the supplement to the Wilmington Star, which was devoted entirely to the negroes of that city.
In speaking of the church facilities for negroes, it has the following to say:
“When the Catholic congregation, which for over half a century had worshipped God within the hallowed and venerable walls of old Saint Thomas’ on Dock Street decided to build a larger and more commodious edifice to meet the requirements and demands of its every steady and continuous growth, it was decided to turn over to the colored members of the congregation old Saint Thomas’, to be an independent and separate parish for their sole and exclusive use. This great undertaking, which has meant so much for the colored Catholics of Wilmington, was made possible by the generosity of the Reverend Mother Katherine Drexel of the Sisters of the Blessed sacrament of Philadelphia, Pa., to whom the colored people throughout the country owe an everlasting debt of gratitude for her many works of charity for the intellectual and moral uplift of the race.
St. Thomas Catholic Church
The organization of an independent parish has naturally offered the colored members an initiative; a capacity for development, a sense of responsibility, that would hardly have been feasible in a parish composed of both races. Hence, a new stimulus, a spiritual vigor and growth has been the direct result of the change that with God’s help and blessing will enable St. Thomas’ to continue doing its work for God and the salvation of immortal souls.
Like all well organized parishes, St. Thomas’ has its societies for men and women, boys and girls. They may be enumerated as follows: the Blessed Virgin Sodality for women, the Children of Mary society for the girls; the boys have the St. Thomas’ Boys’ Club; the men have an organization known as the Knights of St. John. This latter is a military benevolent order; its object is to provide its members with assistance in time of need, to succor the widow and orphan in time of sorrow and death. It has an insurance department second to none in the country. Each lodge is known as a commandery. These commanderies are spread throughout the country. The following are the present officers of St. Thomas’ commandery, No. 256: Ernest king, president; Louis McRae, first vice president; W.A. Brown, second vice president; J.W. Allen Jr., recording secretary; W.D. Politte, financial secretary; George Wade, messenger; the Cuba and Trinidad, B.W.I.; Rev. C.B. Winekler, chaplain.
“The members of the Knights of St. John are as follows: William A. Brown Sr., William A. Brown Jr., Charles Brown, Edward L. Davis, William D. Politte, John Divine, Ernest King, William King, James W. Allen Sr., William Newkirk, Louis McRae, George Wade, Frank Marshall, Fred Simmons, William Pierce, George King of Clayton, N.J., Calder Walker of New York City, Robert Wright.”
Just why the Catholics deem it (some words omitted in the article printed) zation in which they have negro members “for the protection of the weak” we are at a loss to understand when the government of the United States maintains standing armies.
From the front page of the Carolina Jeffersonian, Raleigh N.C., September 25, 1924. Some newspapers were Republican, some Democratic, some independent. The Carolina Jeffersonian aligned itself with the Ku Klux Klan.
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073001/1924-09-25/ed-1/seq-1/#words=SEPTEMBER+25%2C+1924
