A tactic of the Ku Klux Klan to intimidate and to gain membership in the “order” was to “invade” church services while dressed in full regalia and to give a token donation to the church for some project of the church. Not all these Klan intrusions were reported in the newspapers. Here’s one just outside the “borders” of the Lykens Valley area that got coverage in the Pottsville Republican, February 20, 1928.
TAMAQUA CHURCH GIVEN $20 BY KU KLUX KLAN
Evidently feeling that the time was ripe for publicity in that the organization was being relegated to oblivion in all newspapers of recent date, five members of the Tamaqua Konclave of the Ku Klux Klan last night marched into the Trinity Reformed Church of that place, and without speaking a word, handed the minister, Rev. A. C. Thompson an envelope containing $20.
The contingent then turned about face and marched out of the church. They were all attired in the full regalia of the order with spiked helmet, mask, and white robes. The contribution was accepted by the pastor and placed to the account of the church building fund. The edifice in which the Trinity Reformed congregation worships was recently remodeled at a cost of several thousand dollars. The congregation was held spell-bound when the five white-robed Klansmen marched up the aisle single-fire and put on their little act.
The act as performed last night is an old one in Ku Klux Klan circles. It has been done in many churches throughout the nation and is always good for a “yarn” in the newspapers the next day. That is said to be the reason why such a dramatic little sketch is always perpetrated by the Ku Kluxers.
The Pottsville Republican was widely read in the Lykens Valley area, so the effect of the incident went well beyond Tamaqua, Schuylkill County.
______________________________________
News story from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.