I have a story about the guy in the below Twitter story.
Of course this all happened nearly 35 years ago.
Just after I got out of the Navy, my (soon to be ex-) wife and I moved to Arkansas. More specifically to the small town of Harrison, AR. I made some money there by repairing pumps and motors. Not enough money to continue living there, but enough. One of the ways I would make some cash was I would sell you a rebuilt pump for $80, as long as you gave me your old broken one. I would rebuild that motor and put it on the shelf for the next person. The rebuilt motor I sold you was warranteed for 12 months: if it broke, I would trade it for another, free of charge. It was a decent deal. Most pumps broke because the bearings, seal, capacitor, or start switch were bad. Occasionally, the electric motor would be bad and I would rewind it.
Anyhow, I was in the shop one day and this guy came in to trade in a pump. We talked for a bit while he explained how he moved to the area to escape the high crime of the big cities. After he left, he came back in and handed me a newspaper that said: The White Patriot: Voice of the Klu Klux Klan in America, Thomas Robb, National Director.
To the other guy in the shop, I said, “Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Look at the check he just gave you,” was his reply.
The check said Thomas Robb.
The story, as interesting as it is, would have ended there, except Robb called me a few days later and asked if I could come out and install the pump. I agreed, and went out there. The place was guarded by at least two rifle toting guys who cleared me through the gate and watched me the entire time I was working.
He looks like I remember, although quite a bit older. I’m sure I look older as well, but that’s the story of how I met the head of the Klan.
7 Comments
Steve · October 5, 2026 at 1:05 pm
I recognize that name. There’s a book called Them: Adventures with Extremists where the author interviews and hangs out with several interesting characters, Robb being one of them.
TRX · October 5, 2026 at 1:05 pm
He’s head of *a* Klan, and the largest one, last time I looked, but there are a bunch of “we’re the real Klan, trust us” groups out there. Some only have a handful of members, and some apparently only exist in SPLC listings, like the “Sword of the Lord” up near Fort Smith.
Joe Blow · October 5, 2026 at 1:29 pm
I found out after I moved here, that _____ County TN was once a hot-bed for such proclivities. It was one of the other kid’s Mom from Boy Scouts here that filled me in, her grandfather was quite active she said. Ya don’t say? I wondered why the crime stats were so consistently low.
Big Daddy · October 6, 2026 at 9:28 pm
Funny how that works out, isn’t it?
Univ of Saigon 68 · October 5, 2026 at 6:48 pm
I wonder how many of those new members are being paid by the FBI or the SPLC.
Skeptic · October 6, 2026 at 6:29 pm
I remember being much younger and thinking how awful those Klan people were
I’m wiser now.
Adventures of Divemedic – Area Ocho · October 7, 2026 at 3:24 am
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