Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-18
White HOUSE DELAY MOB LEADER SLAIN
Four important District Ap Shot Down by Deputies At
pointments Hung Up. tack on Cairo, ILL.,, Jail
NEW RECORDER OF DEEDS FOUR OTHER MEN INJURED
Thought Will Not Militia Called
Reappont Dancy. Purse Snacher
MARYLANDERS SEE MR.. TAFT DEAD MAN EX-MAYOR
Conference Had Refused to t.
Be GivenH Him =
FOUR OTHER MEN INJURED
Militia Called Out to Guard Negre
Purse Snatcher.
DEAD MAN SON OF Ex.MAYoR
Passes Away on Steps After Sheriff
Had Refused to Allow Aid T.
Be Given Him.


CAIRO. H.. February 1a-Thirty nfii-
members of Company K, OF this
city. this morning patrolled the sidewalk
in front of the Alexander county court
house. where. shortly before an,
Alexander Halliday. leader of q mob At
tack on the Jail. was shot to death By
deputy sheriffs, several of whom are
negroes.
-Four other men, two OF them not mem-
bers of the mob. were wounded.
Halliday. son of a former mayor of
Cairo, lay for three hours dying beside
the courthouse steps, with the tempera-
ture few degrees above zero. During
that entire time Sheriff Nellis, acting ON
orders received by telephone from Gov.
Deneen, refused to permit any one to
remove the wounded man or to allow a
physician to enter the inclosure.
The sheriff says he believed the man
was dead. Militiamen who removed his
body at am. say j. was warm, indicat-
ing that death had come but a short
time before.
Halliday was thirty-five years old, q
dairyman and the son of former Mayor
Thomas w. Halliday of Cairo He was
wounded in the head and body.
Four Men Wounded.
The wounded are:
Samuel Wessinger, former policeman.
wounded in head and shoulder: at sc.
Mary's Infirmary.s.
John Maloney, brother-in-law Of Mru.
Rose Maloney, whose purse was snatched
by one OF the negro prisoners sought by
the mob; slight wound on cheek.
Horton Crehan. wounded in ankle: had
stopped to see what was the trouble.
George b. Walker, the Associated Press
correspondent, wounded In the leg. -
Eight deputy sheriffs, whose a1lotH
killed Halliday and wounded the others,
were negroes. This fact was not definite
ly known to the crowd, which stormed
the courthouse, but was suspected. Tho
supposition helped to arouse the racial
feeling that spurred on the crowd.
The deadly volley which the sAerins
men fired from the windows OF the sher-
iff and circuit clerks Offices, on the
first floor Of the courthouse, was fired In
answer to scattering shots from the
crowd and after the deputies, In obedience
to the sheriff's order, had fired one vo1-
ley in the air.
Sheriff Struck by Shot.
One of the bullets fired from the crowd
grazed the sherif's right hand, causing
blister. but not breaking the skin. 9th
ers fell near him. 1t was after this. he
said. that his men fired directly into the
crowd.
The mob fell back to two saloons ad-
joining the courthouse and Jail, and re-
mained there until the saloons were closed
shortly after 3 am, on order OF Mayor
Parsons, caused by a message from the
governor at Springfield.
When the men were turned out Of the
saloons it was too cold to remain outside.
Another attack on the courthouse was
not ventured.
The militia company, ordered by the
governor at midnight. did not succeed In
assembling until am. At that hour the
militia relieved Nellis' deputies.
The mob attack on the jail was the
outgrowth of public Indignation over petty
crimes by negroes. particularly purse
snatchings and annoyances to women.
Mrs Rose Maloney's purse was snatched
Wednesday evening. She drew q revol-
yer and fired at the negro. but he escaped
with her purse. -
to which a postage stamp had become
attached. Mrs. MalOney told the po-
lice of this fact. When a negro offered
such a coin in a drug store yesterday
The prisoner. John Pratt, confessed
that he had taken Mrs. Maloneys purse,
and also that Of Mrs. Accord. He said
Lincoln Wilson was his -accomplice. Wi.
son, a negro. was arrested.
Sheriff Nellis heard talk Of mob Law
yesterday afternoon. At 10 pm. the
sheriff called up Gov. Deneen at Spiyug-
field.
Militiamen Ordered Out.
An order was sent to Cairo for Capt.
Greaney Of the local militia company 60
in finding Greaney, and In arousinG the
militiamen.
The sheriff called on Mayor George
Parsons for aid from the police. The
mayor said he would order some Of
the night force to assist Nelis. but none
Of the eight night policemen appeared
at the courthouse.
From 10 pm. until midnight the crowd
gathered in the saloons. Talk Of lynch.
ing grew into the determination to at
tack the Jail and take out the two negro
prisoners.
The building itself was dark. The mob
could not see the sheriff and twelve depu-
ties standing guard with shOtguns at the
windows of the two Offices on either side
of the main entrance.
AS the crowd rushed toward the stepo
Sheriff Nellis called loudly: ss.r
stand back or my men will fire on
you.
The first four men in the crowd, Nellis
declared, had handkerchiefs over their
faces.
Nellis drew a revolver and. shouting
command to fire. fired himself shot
over the heads Of the mob The deputies.
who had been ordered to fire their hrst
volley in the air. did so.
gan sounding from the crowd and bullets
struck around the sheriff Then came the
second volley.
Halliday Falls at Fire.
Halliday. who had started up the steps
in advance OF his fellows, was felled by
charges from at least two shotguns. He
fell over the railing OF the courthouso
steps and lay silent In the snow.
The others fell back hurriedly, carry
ing the wounded men in the rush for
safety. II
From a saloon where a physician dress-
ed the wounds of the four men, q teie-
phone message was sent to the sheri3.O
ofice. Nellis answered the telephone.
We want to send over and got tho1
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