▁his ▁new ▁role , ▁Col esc ott ▁had ▁" init i ated ▁several ▁property ▁sales " ▁to ▁raise ▁money ▁for ▁the ▁K lan . ▁He ▁personally ▁led ▁efforts ▁to ▁re organ ize ▁the ▁K lan , ▁and ▁tou red ▁the ▁Northern ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁Mid western ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Florida ▁in ▁attempts ▁to ▁appeal ▁to ▁a ▁wider ▁audience . ▁Ch ester ▁L . ▁Qu ar les , ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁criminal ▁justice ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Mississippi , ▁points ▁that ▁Col esc ott ▁had ▁considerable ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁K lan ▁rec ru iter ▁across ▁several ▁states . ▁He ▁views ▁Col esc ott ▁as ▁having ▁good ▁organiz ational ▁skills , ▁but ▁leaving ▁much ▁to ▁be ▁desired ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁speaker . ▁Some ▁K lan ▁leaders ▁employed ▁glad - hand ing ▁as ▁a ▁strategy , ▁but ▁Col esc ott ▁was ▁not ▁among ▁them . ▁His ▁t ours ▁were ▁met ▁with ▁susp icion ▁and ▁host ility ▁in ▁the ▁Mid western ▁United ▁States , ▁including ▁his ▁native ▁Indiana . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁the ▁K lan ▁in ▁this ▁region ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁D . ▁C . ▁Steph enson , ▁whose ▁term ▁ended ▁with ▁a ▁major ▁sc andal ▁and ▁his ▁conv iction ▁for ▁murder . ▁This ▁and ▁other ▁cases ▁of ▁" K lan ▁cor ruption " ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁organization ▁with ▁a ▁decided ly ▁negative ▁reputation ▁among ▁Mid - western ers . ▁ ▁Over all , ▁Col esc ott ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁ex od us ▁of