Klansmen charged with island plot

Press, 9 May 1981, Page 9

Klansmen charged with island plot

NZPA-Reuter New Orleans

A Federal indictment alleged yesterday that 10 men who allegedly plotted to invade the Caribbean island of Dominica were promised money and power by a former prime minister they intended to restore to power.

The men — eight Americans and two Canadians who were arrested on April 27 — were promised rights to a variety of enterprises, including gambling, agriculture and lumber from Government forests, the indictment alleges.

Six of the 10 men have

been active members of the Ku Klux Klan, the often violent, white-supremist organisation. One, Stephen Black, aged 27, of Birmingham, Alabama, is a Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. The involvement of klansmen is striking because the 10 allegedly were hired to work on behalf of a black. The indictment alleged that Michael Perdue, aged 32, of Houston, Texas, was the leader, and was promised $150,000 in cash from the Government Treasury plus a position in the Government. The indictment alleges that Perdue entered into a writ-

ten agreement on the invasion and take-over with the former Prime Minister of Dominica. Patrick John. The indictment identifies Perdue as a ringleader of a plot “to overthrow the lawful government of the Republic of Dominica and depose Prime Minister Eugenia Charles and set up Patrick John as the new Prime Minister.” Mrs Charles defeated Mr John in the most recent election in Dominica, which is 47km long and has a population of 70,000. She had him arrested last month after learning of the alleged conspiracy.