Ku Klux Klan Impresses Tarboro with Klan Parade, Dec. 18, 1924

Tarboro Stages Impressive Klan Parade Tuesday. . . Organization Surprises Folks of Old Town—Dr. Straub Tells People What Ku Klux Means

There probably have been larger parades surrounded by more elaborate settings, but North Carolina Ku Klux Klandom never enjoyed itself more than it did at Tarboro on Tuesday night of last week when some hundreds of the Knights gathered to show the ancient city by the Tar Just how important their organization was and just what it means to America.

Tarboro was a bit skeptical when it was given out that the Klansmen were to gather there and stage a ceremony. There were those who believed that the meeting would be something of a frost. There were few who had any idea that the thing would reach such magnitude as it did. First it was not believed that a fitting meeting place could be gotten. Then there was some doubt that the mayor would allow any kind of a parade.

The manager of one of the local tobacco warehouses, however, tendered his tremendous warehouse as a place of meeting, and the mayor stated that he could offer no objection to the parade.

Something more than 1,000 Klansmen went to the meeting, but because of the paucity of robes and hoods only about 400 marched in the parade. More than 8,000 spectators, however, lined the streets to witness the parade. Some of the spectators were not friendly to the Klansmen and occasionally attempted to rile the marchers. The paraders, though, had been warned that they were to pay no attention to remarks directed toward them.

The critical spectators were given opportunity to hear from the lips of Dr. W.L. Straub, klan lecturer, just for what the klan stands, and were less critical when the meeting came to an end.

There never has been a prettier parade than that staged at Tarboro. More than half of the paraders formed a living fiery cross—a body of men carrying red fire fuses and forming the cross which is the emblem of the order.

The parade traversed the principal streets of Tarboro and ended at the Commons, where Dr. Straub delivered his lecture. Dr. Straub was introduce by James H. Dodgen of Raleigh, who, in turn, was introduced by C.C. McIlwaine, Grand Kleagle of the realm of North Carolina.

From the front page of the Carolina Jeffersonian, Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, December 18, 1924