The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-06-07

1
who are to great extent, the produc
OF the police practice to protect them
in almost any evil act-provided a
ways they will do right" on election
lay and al other times, also, Con
ners was somewhat of a bully amons
his kind. He had been for years ;
notorious police character: he killeC
a man and served time for ii. He
was therefore a hero in the eyes oi
| tho lower strata OF negroes and had
some following which made him
sought after by contending political
| factions. Something over a year ago
| he went into Charley Powers place
on upper Commercial (now Mckee'S
'EIonkatonk'D and tried TO kill the
negro who had charge of the lunch
stand. The bullet from his pistol
plowed up the side of the other fell
lows face making an ugly but not
a dangerous wound. Corners was ar
rested on state warrant sworn out
by the man he had shot, he was ar
ragned before Judge Ross. but being
an anti.adminlstration negro he
thought he could not get justice by
any Judge connected with the city
police department, and he took a
change of venue 10 Judge Robinson.
There he was held TO bail in the sum
Of $500. Ed Mal>y, also au anti-ad.
ministration boss" of the lower
strata, seeing one of his pals in
trouble Went to the rescue and of.
fered bail; but Judge Robinson re-
frsed TO accent his bond, as he had
no property in his own name. having
put all his holdings in his wfes
name to avoid an action for damages
in one of the several mysterious muir
der cases in which he has been in.
volyed. On seeing that he was to be
taken to Jail Corners promptly
turned over" proclaimed himself
ready TO become an ally of the police
department, and in few minutes
the police department furnished him
with a good and sufficient" bond
and he was set free When, ten days
later, his case was called for trial
The prosecuting witness had "dlsap-
Deared" and Corners was discharged |
What he did TO again bring him in !
TO dlsfayor with the police depart |
ment is not clear: but that it was not |
merely an infraction of any law may |
be safely assumed from he fact that |
his attempt to kill Powers lunch |
counter man, did not bring him into |
llsfavor with the department But, |
whatever II may have been II Is GER
lain that he did incur the depart. |
ment's serious displeasure. some say
because he was not just right" at
he last city election. At any rate |
lie was arrested several weeks ago |
or creating a disturbance at Smith
Bros. saloon He made an ugly fight.
md was dubbed into submission,
AIKEN to Jail, fined 800. and on
recommendation of ,he police was
given stay of execution on condi-
ion that he leave the city. tAnother
Ugly incident is related in connection
With this case at this stage which
iced not be repeated here; the story
5 bad enough without iD. Corners
eft, going to st. Louis, IL is said, but
eturned the day before he was
illed. The following night he was
cen by Officer Johnson who,
With a companion arrested him. He
vas thoroughly searched for weap-
ms; none were found uDon him and
o was being led toward police heal
uarters when he was killed. What
just before the killing is
in dispute. but that Con
ers broke away from the officers
18th the remark Il amt gwine to let
Oh niggers take ME 10 jail" that
ficer Johnson shot him in the leg
isabling him and then sent three
ullets in quick succession into his
cad killing him instantly-this
Gems 10 be well attested by eye wit
esses and by circumstances. The
jury has declared hat !,
ficer johnson was justified in the
ct and II must have had statements 1,
citing forth circumstances quite diff .
rent from those above stated. al 7
Iough these are testified to very
rongly. Be the other details OF the
agedy what they may, there seems
be no question but that Officer
'hnson shot. and shot with the evil
mt determination 10 kill. a man r
HON he knew to be unarmed; and
lis fact alone casts serious doubt
pom the justice of the jury's finding
this case.
Granting that Conners was bad
an; granting also that the com ri
unity is better AMI safer without C,
m than with him: we can not ID
Inmate from the case the fact glar- 81
gly apparent at various stages of r
onner's career that the police de- VI
irtment has been grTevously at fault liz
its conduct toward him and toward
lie public; and tnat the Corners Ion
ise is of a class with the Dick Tay- La,
7 case and others. in which the lea
copies servants were guilty OF con Il
let calculated to produce rather lu
ian nFpKpuf rapG yaasfug 20 oros-,,- | =.