Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-19
SHERIFF DEFEATS
MADDENED MOB
CROWD AT CAIRO, ILL.,, SEEKS
MORE TROUBLE
MILITIA GUARDS JAIL; GOVERNOR
uPHoLDs OFFICER
Negro Whose Crime Caused Trouble
Is Sent to Prison-Much Criti-
cism INDUCED in by
Rioters
[Assoclated Pressl

court house and jail, under direct
supervision of Adjt. Gen. Frank 5.
Dickson of Springfield, this city set
tied down tonight to complete quiet
after a strenuous twentyfour hours.
The authorities believe they have the
situation we'll in hand. There are many
scattered groups of men in the streets
and near the Jail, but no crowd is al
lowed to congregate.
Threats have been made against
Sheriff Fred d. Nellis for the killing of
Alex Halliday early this morning by
his deputies, and for the wounding of
four others in beating back the mob
that would lynch negro purse snatch
err but the presence of soldiers is haV-
ing a good effect.
A third militia company was asked
for by the sheriff this afternoon, and
company NJ of Chicago was ordered
out, arriving at $50 o'clock.
John Pratt, the negro the mob in
tended to lynch, and who today was
given an indeterminate sentence OF
not more than fourteen years in the
Chester penitentiary on each of two
charges of robbery, will be taken to
the prison tomorrow morning with
twelve other convicted prisoners.
Lincoln Wilson, arrested as sus-
pected companion of Pratt in the
snatching of women's pocketbooks,
was released tonight. The grand jury
failed to indict him.
Trial Is Quick
Pratt's Indictment and sentence took
less than half an hour. At 3 O'Clock
the Indictment was returned, and ten
minutes later he pleaded guilty and
was sentenced.
A searching investigation of the at
tack on the Jail this morning when
Halliday was killed was ordered this
afternoon by Judge Butler, in charge
to the grand jury after the disposal OF
the cases of the two negroes.
Judge Buffers instructions were, in
substance, a demand that the rioters
be brought to justice and made to
stand trial for rioting
This sort of procedure must be
stopped" he said. Law that is not
enforced ceases to be law. There have
been five murders in cairo since No
vember II, when we had another occur
renee of mob violence. These crimes
show that mob law is no deterrent to
crime. and it is your duty to see that
mob law ceases to be-"
Coroner James. McManus has called
no inquest into the killing of Halliday.
He said tonight that he intends to go
slowly in his investigation.
Sheriff Nellis was in close touch with
Governor Deneen by telephone all day,
and said tonight that his course has
been commended by the governor
A stray shot fired by a member OF
the mob was the direct cause of the
volley from the deputies guarding the
iail according to Sheriff Nellis.
''I was standing on the front porch
of the court house parleying with the
mob, which was demanding that give
I'D Pratt" he said tonight, when
some one fired from the crowd.
Why They Fired
my deputies, watching the parley
from a second story window. thought
that 1 fired a shot as a signal. They
then fired a volley into the air.
'"The mob refused to retreat, and my
deputies fired into the crowd. You
know the result. My conscience is easy
oyei. the entire affair. They were de-
termined to get me unless I got them.
I did my duty in protecting my pris-
oners at any price"
A dozen broken windows In the court
house today showed the result or the
shots fired into the building by the
mob, but no serious damage was done
Sheriff Nellis received a slight hesh
wound on the hand. All the party
with him in the Jail escaped injury.
There were six negroes in the party
of fourteen armed deputies that de-
Tended the Jail. The defensive party
numbered twenty, but there were not
enough guns to go around. 4
Neiiis had great difficulty in enlisting
deputies and negroes were impressed
into service he said, because he could
not get enough white men.
Despite this explanation the sheriff
IS being criticised for. deputizing ne
groes to fire on whites, and the NAL
contents are using the incident as an
argument for further demonstrations.
The conflict between city and county
authorities that marked the Novem-
ber lynching is again in evidence.
Mayor Parsons says he was not notl-
fed of any trouble until o'clock and
that he then ordered the police to go
to the assistance of the sheriH.
Orders Delayed
Cant. Creamy of company K, the
Cairo militia company, ordered out at
10 o'clock last night and did not re
port until o'clock, said he did not
receive the governors order until
o'clock.
Mayor Parsons has ordered the sa-
looms to remain closed until danger of
further disturbance is passed.
The Halliday family said tonight
that they had retained an attorney to
sue the sheriff and the county for dam
ages
Halliday, who was son of former
Mayor T. w. Halliday, was shot
through the neck and lay on the
ground near the court house porch
nearly three hours before Nellis would
permit militiamen to remove him to
hospital. He died two hours later.
Nellis replies to criticisms of his
refusal to permit the injured man to
be moved by saying he obeyed orders
m nc No
person near the building, and believed
Halliday dead.
Samuel Wessinger Is the only one
of the injured whose condition is
serious.
George B. Walker, correspondent Of
the Associated Press, who was shot in
the leg while watching the affair, had
five holes shot through his clothes.
John Pearl, q street car conductor,
,1,n,. rn,1llad off hia car hN rnilitia men