THE KU-KLUX CONSPIRACY.

This report cousists of thirteen volumes.

Volume I contains the report of the committee and the views of the minority.

Volume II contains the testimony taken by the committee in relation to North Carolina, and the report of the trials in the United States circuit court held at Raleigh, North Carolina.

Volumes III, IV, and V contain testimony taken by the committee in relation to South Carolina, and the report of the trials in the United States circuit court held at Columbia, South Carolina. Index to the three volumes is contained in volume III.

Volumes VI and VII contain testimony taken by the committee in relation to Georgia. Index is contained in volume VI.

Volumes VIII, IX, and X contain testimony taken by the committee in relation to Alabama. Index is contained in volume VIII.

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Volumes XI and XII contain testimony taken by the committee in relation to Mississippi. Index is contained in volume XI.

Volume XIII contains miscellaneous testimony taken by the committee, testimony in relation to Florida, and miscellaneous documents.

SOUTH CAROLINA-Continued.

YORKVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, July 24, 1871.

JAMES ROLAND WILLIAMS sworn and examined.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Do you live in this town?

Answer. I live here right below the depot about two hundred yards.

Question. How long have you lived here?

Answer. For the last fifteen years the 25th of last December.

Question. What is your occupation?

Answer. I am a striker in the blacksmith shop here; in Kerr & Roach's shop.
Question. Are you a native of this State?

Answer. Yes, sir; born and raised in Winnsboro, fifty miles from this place. partly raised there and partly here.

I was

Question. Have you been approached at any time here with a request that you would become a member of a secret organization?

Answer. I have not, sir.

Question. Commonly known as the Ku-Klux?

Answer. No, sir; I do not know anything more than what I have heard. It is just all over the country just as anything should happen, I would probably get hold of it. Question. I am not asking about the things that have happened over the country. The point of my question is, whether any one has either requested or required you to become a member of any organization of that kind?

Answer. No, sir, they have not.

Question. I do not propose to show that you know anything about what has been done in the county at present, but to know whether you have any knowledge of the existence of a secret society into which you have been initiated, either by request or by any degree of force that was used to get you in.

Answer. No, sir; I have not known anything of that kind.

Question. Do you know of the existence of the Ku-Klux organization, as it is commonly called, in this county?

Answer. I do not.

Question. Do you know of an organization called the "Invisible Circle ?"
Answer. I do not.

Question. Have you any knowledge of such an organization in this county?

Answer. I know nothing more than I have heard. I have heard of such being in the county, but I do not know anything about it.

Question. Is there any other man of your name living here?

Answer. I have a brother, Samuel Henry Williams, living thirteen miles from here in this county.

Question. How long has he lived here?

Answer. Ever since we have been here. He left Winsborough a few months after I did.

Question. Has there ever been administered to you, or have you ever heard administered to anybody else, an oath similar in terms to this:

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the 'Invisible Circle;' that I will defend our families, our wives, our children, and brothers; that I will assist a brother in distress; that I will never reveal the secrets of this order, or anything in regard to it that may come to my knowledge; and if I do, may I meet a traitor's doom, which is death, death, death: So help me God, and so punish me my brethren." Answer. I did not, sir.

Question. You never have heard it administered to anybody else?
Answer. No, sir.

Question. Nor taken it yourself?

Answer. No, sir. I am a man that attends to my own business. I work every day ; that is the way I get my living-just to work for it. I work from daylight until dark, from sometimes before the stars quit shining, and go to bed by the time it is dark, and get up in the morning by break of day; that is the way I make my living. I am only a striker in a shop.

Question. Have you any knowledge of the existence of an organization in this county or State known as the "Invisible Circle?"

Answer. I have not, sir.

Question. Have you ever taken yourself, or administered to any one else, or heard administered, an oath similar to this:

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the 'Invisible Circle;' that I will defend our families, our wives, our children, and brothers; that I will assist a brother in distress; that I will never reveal the secrets of this order, or anything in regard to it that may come to my knowledge; and if I do, may I meet a traitor's doom, which is death, death, death: So help me God, and so punish me my brothers." Answer. No, sir, I never have.

Question. Have you never heard one similar to that?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Or one that imports the same thing with any other name than the "Invisible Circle?”

Answer. I never have.

Question. Are you a member of any organization in this State or county, whose hailing sign is three taps on the left ear with the left hand?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. The reply to which is, the right hand in the pocket, thrust out, with the left foot advanced?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Are you a member of any organization whose grip is the little finger interlaced with the fore-finger on the wrist?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Or any organization whose hailing word is: "S-a-y," and the reply is "N-o-t-h-i-n-g?"

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Either pronounced by single words, or by letter or spelling?

Answer. No sir.

Question. Whose word of distress is "Avalanche ?"

Answer. No, sir.

Question. And the answer three whistles?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Do you know anything of an organization to which the name commonly given is Ku-Klux?

Answer. No, sir, I do not.

Question. Do you know anything of the murder of a man in this county named Anderson Brown?

Answer. I do not.

Question. Have you heard of it?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Can you tell when he was murdered?

Answer. I do not remember the date. It was Saturday night.

Question. What month was it?

Answer. I declare I do not know the month. I think in February, probably.

Question. Were you in this place that night?

Answer. Yes, sir,

Question. Were you any place else?

Answer. No, sir, I was in my room that night.

Question. The whole of the night?

Answer. The whole of the night.

Question. Did you, on the morning succeeding that, come into this town in company with Tomlinson and Colcock?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Were you in company with them that night?

Answer. I was before bed-time. Mr. Colcock and myself clerk in the same house together.

Question. Where were you after closing business?
Answer. I went to bed in the room over the store.
Question. Did he sleep there also?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you sleep together?

Answer. Yes, sir, in the same bed.

Question. Do you know anything of the circumstances attending the murder of Anderson Brown?

Answer. No, sir; I heard it on the street next morning. Mr. Dobson, with whom I work, went on the jury of inquest.

Question. Was there another man in the county named Addison Brown, as well as Anderson Brown?

Answer. I do not know.

Question. You only heard of one Anderson Brown?

Answer. Yes, sir, only the one.

Question. Were you here the night the county treasurer's office was broken into? Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How far is your store from here?

Answer. Two or three hundred yards; first door this side of the hotel.

Question. What was the first information you had of that?

Answer. I heard it first right here at the corner. A crowd was gathered there.

Question. What time of night was that?

Answer. I do not know. It was the after-part of the night, I think.

Question. Had you been aroused by the crowd coming in, or had you been to bed? Answer. I had been to bed. I had been to bed after church.

Question. Was that Sunday night?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Had you any knowledge or apprehension beforehand that this was to take place?

Answer, No, sir.

Question. Had you no intimidation of it from any quarter?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Is there any understanding about this organization that requires its members to deny their membership and conceal its operations?

Answer, I do not know about that.

Question. Is that the popular understanding?

Answer. I do not know that.

Question. You never heard that?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Is there any doubt here about the existence of this organization?

Answer. I do not know. I do not know a thing about it.

Question. Have you any doubt about it? Do you know whether it exists in the county or not?

Answer. There is something; I do not know what it is, though I suppose

Question. To what do you attribute that raid on the county treasury?

Answer. I have no idea what it was; not the least. I never heard.

Question. Have you no idea who the men were that composed that company?
Answer. No, sir.

Question. How many were there?

Answer. I have no idea; it was dark.

Question. Which way did they come into the town?

Answer. I do not know.

Question. Did you hear?

Answer. I heard they came from the jail.

Question. From what direction?

Answer. From this direction, [west.]

Question. From what portion of the county?

Answer. The western portion.

Question. That would be in the neighborhood of Spartanburgh or Union Counties? Answer. It is both; they are in a west course. I never was at Spartanburgh or Union. Question. Do you not know the location of the counties?

Answer. No, sir; not exactly. It is rather west.

Question. If they came in on this [west] road, would it indicate that they came from

that direction?

Answer. Yes, sir; they came by the jail.

Question. When you saw this number of men, did you go among them?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Why?

Answer. I did not think I had any business among them. I did not know what might be the consequence.