The next day after Stover's arrest the town was in a furore. The man who had for years been looked upon as one of Wilford Springs' most successful business men had been charged with a felony. Groups of excited people met on the street corners discussing the case. The Eagle stated the facts in connection with Stover's arrest without any editorial comment. The Journal stated that the arrest of "Jim Stover, Wilford Springs' most distinguished citizen, was spite work by Klan leaders and a girl who had been discharged from Stover's employ." The Reverend Earl Benton had just finished reading of Stover's arrest when his door bell rang. Mrs. Benton went to the door and admitted a young lady who asked to see Rev. Benton. Mrs. Benton showed the young lady into the pastor's study. "Rev. Benton, I am Pearl Gardner," she said by way of introduction. "Have a chair, Miss Gardner. What can I do for you?" "I wanted to talk to you about a certain matter. I came to you because you are the only person I know whom I was sure belongs to the Ku Klux Klan. I wanted to talk to a Klansman." "I have stated in a number of public lectures that I belong to the Klan." "I had heard that you said that you belong to the Klan and as I wanted to get the help of the Klan, I came to you." "I will be pleased to carry your message to the Klan if it appears that that organization can be of any service to you." "I think it can. I have been keeping company with a young man by the name of Chester Golter. We are engaged to be married but he refuses to keep the engagement." "What did you want the Klan to do in the matter?" "I thought if a letter were written to him telling him that if he didn't keep his promise to me he would be visited by Ku Kluxers that he would marry me." "Has he actually refused to marry you?" "Not in so many words. He used to keep company with another girl who worked in the bank. Her name is Ruth Babcock. Since we have been engaged I have seen a letter she wrote to him. I discovered by the contents of this letter that he had asked her for her company after he had told me that he did not care for her and would not go with her again. She told him in this letter very positively that she would not go with him. Of course I was offended and refused to go with him to a show the following night. Since then he has gone with another girl several times and has said that he does not know whether we should get married or not; that he is afraid we are not compatible. He is afraid of the Klan and if he had a threatening letter from the Ku Kluxers he would keep his promise to me."