Cole argued that he had rented the field legally and that the Lumbee had disrupted his meeting.

Prosecutors emphasized the inflammatory campaign that came before the rally, including the cross burnings and rhetoric that had created the conditions for violence.

He was convicted.

The Klan leader who had entered the county promising to impose order ended up defending himself in court because of the disorder he helped create.

That reversal extended the story beyond one dramatic night.

The state did not treat the event simply as an unfortunate clash between two equally responsible crowds.

Officials placed significant responsibility on the Klan leadership.

Governor Luther Hodges publicly condemned the Klan after the confrontation and said responsibility for the disorder rested with its leaders.

For a white Southern governor in 1958, that public stance mattered.

The Klan had failed socially, visually, and legally.