"I had a little talk with our friend here, Mike McMichael, and he has a plan that I think will be a winner if it is carried out. I asked Mike to come down tonight and explain it to you," said McBryan. McMichael rose, spread his legs apart, and clasped his hands behind him. (A favorite position when addressing a jury.) "Gentlemen," he began, "the situation is serious. Something needs to be done and done quickly. You boys laid a plan and executed it in an effort to carry the election. The plan seemed feasible enough, but it did not work. It was bungled in several particulars. I am attorney for Krouse in the damage suit in which he is suing the county for permitting mob violence, and it's doubtful if you fellows have furnished enough evidence to make it stick. It was a mistake to paint his back instead of whipping him. A light whipping wouldn't have hurt that husky Dutchman. At any rate, he should have been willing to submit to a mild whipping for the good of the cause." "I think he would have submitted to it if we had asked it, but we were of the opinion that painted stripes would do just as well," McBryan, interrupting him, explained. "Yes, and there's where you 'pulled a bone-head.' If the stripes on his back had been actual bruises you could have called in men who are not in our gang to see them who would have served as witnesses; as it is, we are going to have a hard time to convince a jury that he was actually whipped, unless we are very successful in selecting a jury. "Now whatever is done from now on must be more regular. Mr. McBryan referred to a conversation we had in which I suggested a plan to eliminate the Klan. "What I propose is this: The governor has an opportunity to do something before the close of his term. We will get him to start a suit to oust the Klan from the state. This can be done on the grounds that the organization is inimical to the peace and safety of the state, or that it is an organization doing business in the state for profit without a charter. We will have the governor and attorney-general hold inquisitions in those localities in the state where the Klan is strongest. These inquisitions will not only serve to get evidence of use in the ouster suit but will be the means of exposing some of the fellows who are hiding behind a mask and wielding a powerful influence." "Like Judge Rider and Harold King," said Stover. "Exactly so," continued McMichael. "I want to see them give this young Judge the third degree." "That sounds goot, very goot, but suppose the governor won't act. Vat den?" Goldberg asked. "He'll act, all right, if it is put up to him strong. He wants to run for senator, and he knows that he won't stand a ghost of a show unless the Klan is gotten rid of." "What do you think of this idea, Stover?" Springer asked. The banker rubbed his skinny hands together for a moment before replying.