The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-19
MILITIA HOLDING
CAIRO MOB BACK
Race War Situation Remains
Tense, but Is Under Control
of Authorities.
THREATS MADE AGAINST
SHERIFF WHO DID DUTY
One Member of Mob Officers
Fired Upon Is Dead; Four
Others Wounded.

CAIRO. H.. Feb. ls.-With three com
panies OF militia guarding the court
house and jail. under direct supervision
OF Adjutant General Frank s. DiclSin-
son OF Springfield. this city settled down
tonight to complete quiet after a strenu~
Gus twentyfour hours. Authorities be-
lieve 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 allowed 10 congregate
Threats have been made against Sheriff
Fred d. Nells for the killing of Alex
ander Halliday early this morning by his
deputies and for the wounding of four
others in beating back the mob that
would lynch a negro purse -snatcher, but
the presence OF soldiers is having a gooo
effect.
A third militia company was asked for
by the sheriff this afternoon and Com
pany IL OF Champaign was ordered out,
arriving at $50 O'clock
John Pratt. the negro the mob intend
ed TO lynch and who today was given
an indeterminate sentence OF not more
than fourteen years In the Chester peni-
tentiary on two charges of robbery, VIII
be taken to the prison tomorrow with
twelve other convicted prisoners.
One Suspect Released.
ed companion OF Pratt in the snatching
Of women,s pocketbooks was released to-
night. The grand jury failed TO return
an indictment against him.
Pratts indictment and sentence took
less than half an hour. At O'Clock the
indictment was returned and ten minutes
later he pleaded guilty and was SEN
fenced
a searching investigation of the at
tack on tho jail this morning. when Hal
liday was killed. was ordered this after
1z.. to. n
grand jury Immediately after the dis
posal OF the cases of the two negroes.
Judge Buffers instructions were. In
substance, demand that the rioters
be brought TO justice and made TO stand
trial for rIotng.
stopped. he said. Law that is not en-
forced ceases 10 be law,
Scoring for Mob Law.
"There have been five murders in Cairo
other occurrence OF mob violence. These
crimes show that mob law is no deter
rent to crime and it is your duty 10 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 10 go slow
ly In his investigation. SheriU NeDlS
was in close touch with Governor Deneen
by long distance telephone all day and
said that his course has been commend
ed by the governor.
n stray SnOl nled DN II VI tilt
mob was the direct cause OF the voiley
from the deputies guarding the jail ac-
cordlnE 10 Sheriff Neilis.
Statement of Sheriff. r.
Il was standing on the front porch Of
the court house parleyinS with the mob,
Pratt" he said. when some one fired
from the crowd
My deputies, watching the parley
from a second story window, thought that
fred shot a signal. They then
fired volley into the air.
''The mob refused TO retreat, and my
deputies then fired into the crowd. You
know tho result. My conscience is easy
over the entire AFFAIR Thcy were de-
termIned to get me unless / got them.
did my duty by protecting my prison
ers at any price
Evidences Of Battle.
a dozen broken windows in the court
house today showed the result OF the
shots fred into the building by the mob.
but no serious damage was done. Sherin
Ncllis received q slight flesh wound on
the hand. All OF the party with him IN
the iail escaped injury.
There were six negroes In the party
OF fourteen armed deputies that defend
ed the Jail The defense party num-
bered twenty. but there were not guns
enough to go around.
NclIIs had great difficulty I'm enlist
Ing deputies and negroes were impressed
into service. he says, because nc cou'o
not get enough white men.
Despite this explanation, the sheriff is
being critised for deputizng negroes to
fire on whites. and the malcontents are
using the incident as an argument tot
further demonstrations
Old Feud Revived.
The conflict between city and county
ourhorities that marked the November
lynchings Is again In evidence Mayor
pa rscns saws nc was not notified of any
trouble until o'clock. and that he then
ln
OF tho sheriff.
Captain Greaney OF Company k. the
Cairo military company mat was ,,! ordcrSn
Dcneen. and did not report nntl :
q o'clock, said he did not receive the gov
ernor's order untll o'clock. Mayor Par
closed until danger OF further disturbance
is passed. -, ,,.,,, ,r,,
they have retained an attorney to sue
the sheriff and the county Tor damages
Victim Left to Die.
halliday. who was a son Of former
Nayor r. w. Halliday. was shot through
the neck and lay on The ground near the
rourt house porch nearly three hours be
fore Nellis would permit Ipil'iaiin1h 10
remove nm 10 hosl'taI' 'i' VIZ" WV
WeI,is replies 10 criticisms Of his re-
fusaI to permit tho injured man to be
moved by saying ne cbcyed orders from
C;oyernor Deneen To permit no person
near the building.
samuel Wcsslnger Is IN" only one OF
,bc Injured whose condition Is serious.
S:.orgr r. Walker, correspondent Of the
Associated Press. who was shot IN the
| leg in watching the afair, had five holes
shot through his clothes
Jobn pearl n street car conductor. was
niiIcd off the car on which he Was work
| Ing tonight by milltIanren after he called
nne iiS of them. II is alleged. az insulting
onnoo He was lodged In jail on dis
| nrderly charge.