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Archiver > NCORANGE > 1997-11 > 0880774034


From: "Carol A. Johnson" <>
Subject: Ku Klux Activities in Alamance 2/2
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 21:27:14 -0600


Those who occupied state offices were not idle during this period. State
officials condemned the Ku Klux severely, but would not or could not stop
its activities. When the Legislature met in the autumn of 1869, Gov. W. W.
HOLDEN urged the passage of a law that would give him greater power to
control the situation. T. M. SHOFFNER, a resident of Alamance County,
introduced a bill granting sweeping powers to the governor "for a better
protection of life and property;" one power being that of declaring a
county in a state of insurrection. The bill was passed and became law in
January, 1870.

During the same session, HOLDEN sent a company of militia commanded by a
Raleigh saloonkeeper to Alamance County to investigate the whipping of
Caswell HOLT. Nothing was accomplished in the county, but the expedition
did much to secure the imimediate passage of a law which made going masked,
painted, or disguised a misdemeanor, and made any act of trespass, force,
or violence committed while so disguised, a felony.

Early in 1870, the Orange County Ku Klux voted for the death of T.M.
SHOFFNER, who had introduced the "for better protection" bill, and started
to Alamance to carry out the deed. The news had preceded them, though, and
a group ofAlamance Klansmen turned back the visitors. Eli EULISS, head of
the Constitutional Union Guard personally escorted SHOFFNER to Greensboro.
SHOFFNER was terribly alarmed by the incident, and soon moved to Indiana.

Wyatt OUTLAW, the negro police officer who had fired upon the Klansmen at
their first appearance in the county, was head of the Union Leauge, an
anit-ku Klux group in the county. His death had been determined by certain
members of one of the klan orders. A party of them rode into Graham on the
night of February 26, 1870, seized OUTLAW in his home, and carried him to a
tree in the courthouse square. Ther they hanged him, leaving on his breast
the inscription; "Beware, ye guilty, both black and white." As the
raiders went home, a semi-idiotic Negro named William PURYEAR saw some of
them and reported the fact. He disappeared that night and was found dead
some weeks later in a neighboring pond. All attempts to discover the
perpetrators of these two murders were unsucessful. Though public
sentiment in the county strongly condemned the hanging of OUTLAW, many
believed that the Ku Klux Klan had nothing to do with PURYEAR's death.

Shortly thereafter, Governor HOLDEN declared Alamance County in a state of
insurrection, but sent no troops, despite his threats. A few days later,
the governor notified the President of his action affecting Alamance, and
asked for Federal Troops. He suggested that Congress authorize the
President to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in order that the criminals
might be arrested and, after trial by military tribunal, shot. He also
notified the senators and representatives from North Carolina of his
actions:

STATEOF NORTH CAROLINA
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
RALEIGH, MARCH 17, 1870

HON. J.C. ABBOT, U.S. SENATOR
WASHINGTON, D.C.

What is being done to protect good citizens in Alamance County? We have
Federal troops, but we want power to act. Is it possible the government
will abandon its loyal people to be whipped and hanged? The habeas corpus
should be at once suspended. Will write you tomorrow.

W.W. HOLDEN, Governor.

These were anxious times, indeed, for those people of Alamance who sought
peace and quiet, but soon a louder rumbling echoed over the County.

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