Show TROUBLE IN TEXAS Serious State of Affairs in the Lone Star tate l I THE RUKLUX KEAN REVIVED Murders Committed for Political Purposes Pur-poses Election raUlIII1 Regular Reg-ular Reign of Terror The Ku Klux At It WASHINGTON January nThe petition peti-tion of Stephen A Hackworth real estate dealer James L Moore a merchant and Carl Schutz exdistrict attorney of Washington County and editor of the Brenham Staats Zeitung presented today by Senator Ha ley sets forth that they were law abiding citizens of Brenham Washington County Texas who Daed to believe tfnd maintain the right to be Repub icans In politics Hor this their only crime it continues your petitioners peti-tioners are now exiles from tLlir homes having been compelled to leave under serious THREATS OF ASSASSINATION and abandon their property or to accept ac-cept for itsuch prices as were proffered them The petition states that at an election held on the 2d of last November Ia perfect reign of terror existed in Washington Wash-ington County caused by armed bands of white ruffians w < o by viol nceand by the destruction of the ballot boxes at Graball Flewellen and Lotts store election precincts prevented a free and fair expression of suffrage by the citizens citi-zens of said county whereby the men in whose interest those crimes were committed were declared elected who were not in fact elected and by the most shameless and unblushing frauds tbe election was made a farce Every effort the petition continues made to obtain redress for the wrongs and security for life and property has been prevented UY WANTON AND CRUEL MURDER of important witnesses and by the further fact that the body of State troops ostensibly ordered to the county to preserve law and orderin fact acted in open concert with the lawless gang who had committed the election outrages The pethion further avers that the Republicans Re-publicans are in a majority in Wash mitten Countv but tnat in order to prevent the Republicans from securing their political rights and privileges in the county Alfred Jones Shadraeh Teller and Stewart Jones three colored Republicans were arrested upon a pretended pre-tended and malicious charge of crime and while in custody of the civil authorities were SURRENDERED TO THE KU KLUX and hanged for the reason that the civil authorities of said county together with their leading political friends well knowing that satisfactory and adequate ade-quate evidence would be obtained at Mien trial which would expose and make public their political crimes ordered and instigated the death 01 said Alfred Jones Shadraeh Felder and Steward Jones Tne petitioners further allege that John Ireland Governor of Texas has failed and refused to make any effort whatever to have arrested and brought to justice the lawless men who committed tnis outrage although the I facts were known to Him and he was I earnestly requested to take prompt action thereon After further recital I in more detail of the charges warranted war-ranted THE PETIT CONCLUDES I And your petitioners hereby respectfully respect-fully submit all matters herein stated are complained of to your honorable body for your careful consideration and such action as you may deem necessary to cure the evils herein stated and thereby secure to all citizens citi-zens of the United States their rights under a republican form of government in fact as well a in name |