KKK paraphernalia auctioned in Howell (MI)

[shugah]

Saturday, January 29, 2005

BY DAVID EGGERT
ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOWELL -- Ku Klux Klan robes sold for up to $1,425 and a KKK knife drew a $400 bid Saturday night during a 3 1/2 hour auction of robes and other paraphernalia that has attracted a high level of interest and criticism.

snip

Howell is a growing city of more than 9,000 people in overwhelmingly white Livingston County. About 97 percent of the county's 157,000 residents in the 2000 census were white. Only a half-percent -- fewer than 800 people -- were black. In Howell itself, only 29 blacks were counted.

Outside the auction, Howell Mayor Geraldine Moen was among the protesters.

http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm2575_20050129.htm

[shugah]

1. local story differs somewhat

Sunday, January 30, 2005

A museum focused on the history of racism - using money from the Livingston 2001 Diversity Council - purchased one of the Ku Klux Klan robes at the sale at the Ole Gray Nash Auction House Saturday evening and plans to keep it at its Big Rapids facility.

By the time the Daily Press & Argus was printed Saturday night, most of the 10 robes for sale had been purchased, the most expensive one for $5,400.

It was a blue robe with a hood, from Kentucky in 1926, and the purchase price included a sword and a certificate.

Robert Bailer was the successful bidder, and he also bought a another robe for $1,200. He wouldn't say where he lived, but said the purchases were "for historical purposes."

The robe that started all the controversy, which had a pink sash and came from Florida, went for $1,425. The purchaser, an African-American man, refused to comment. He said he was from out of town.

http://www.hometownlife.com/Howell/News.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=82901&Section=Page%201&OnlineSection=Page%201&SectionPubDate=Sunday,%20January%2030,%202005&RefDate=1/30/2005

[Psephos]

2. Rashomon n/t

[orthogonal]

3. I blame the homos

The robe that started all the controversy... had a pink sash and came from Florida (was purchasd by) an African-American man... from out of town.

Damned homos, destroying marrriage and the Klan!

[shugah]

5. they all called it a pink sash

all the articles talked about the "pink sash," but the actual case is that the robe was in poor condition, and the red satin had bled through the white, giving it an uneven, faded pink sort of color.

[lebkuchen]

4. Me buy Trent Lott's bed sheet?

Nein, danke.

[Toots]

6. Could a person extract DNA from these robes and track down

the previous owners if one so wanted. If I was a former or current member of a hate group such as this I sure wouldn't want my robe in the public domain. I'm sure collecting DNA is not an easy chore and identifying it "almost" impossible but?????????????????