The KKK Crash the Funeral of a Salt Lake County Sheriff

On April 19th, 1922, eight hooded Klansmen crashed the funeral of Salt Lake County Sheriff Gordon Stuart. The motive seems to have been a desire to be associated with law enforcement and to be seen in a grandiose manner.

A key difference between the 20th-century Klan and its 19th-century counterparts was its decentralized motives as the group expanded from the South. In Salt Lake County, Utah, one of the motivations of the local chapter seemed to be a desire to associate with law enforcement and to make a spectacle.

In Sandy, Utah, near Salt Lake City, eight Klansmen in full regalia crashed the funeral of Salt Lake County Deputy Sheriff Gordan Stuart on April 19, 1922. The presence of the Klansmen was a surprise to the funeralgoers and the local paper, the Salt Lake Telegram, painted their arrival as sudden and mysterious. The hooded men arrived toward the end of the funeral when the mourners had their heads bowed in prayer, and when they finished the Telegram stated, “the mourners lifted their heads only to stare at the ghostlike costume of the little group.”

The Klansmen placed a large floral cross on the grave bearing the inscription “Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Salt Lake Chapter No. 1, April 19, 1922.” They then simultaneously raised their left hand, an action the Telegram attributed to a “mark of respect to the deputy sheriff.” Following the salute, the Klansmen made their way to the other side of the cemetery where two vehicles waited to take them away. 

The motive behind the uninvited attendance at the funeral is unknown. It could be evidence of the departed deputy sheriff’s involvement in the local chapter of the Klan. However, a more likely explanation for their presence was a desire to be associated with law enforcement. The Klan had been struggling to gain popular support in Utah as the Mormon Church opposed its actions. The appearance allowed them an opportunity to emphasize their grandeur and intrigue as well as to show support for law enforcement. By doing so, it is possible they hoped to dispel negative connotations that were becoming synonymous with Klan activities. When looking at the details of Stuart’s death, as well as the details of the Klan’s procession at the funeral, this theory makes sense.

Deputy Sheriff Gordon Stuart died when attempting to serve civil papers to a farmer, who, mistaking the officer’s motives, opened fire with a shotgun and killed Stuart, who had pushed his partner out of harm's way. The Klan surely would have desired to be associated with the commemoration, either to appeal to the deputy sheriff's law enforcement martyrdom or to simply show respect for his service. 

Further evidence of this can be seen in the details of the procession itself. The Klan marched slowly in uniform—until eventually speeding up to reach the position of the funeral while the mourners' heads were bowed. Their organization and precision suggest that they knew they were being viewed and wanted to act accordingly. Furthermore, it seems the Klan wanted to appear in front of the bowing mourners before their heads were lifted. Regardless of their motives, the event shows the Salt Lake County chapter of the KKK desired an association with law enforcement.  

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