Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-02-23
GRAND JURY WILL
|ND|CT RIOTERS
SHERIFF COMMENDED BY Gov
ERNOR FOR HIS MANAGE
MENT OF SITUATION.
SENTENCING OF PRISONERS AND
ARRIVAL OF MILITIA GAINS
-HE CROWD.

Cairo, Feb. 19-With three compa-
MES of militia guarding the court
houose and Jail, under supervision OF
Adjutant General Dickson, the city
last night was completely quiet.
Groups gathered about the streets and
ecinity of the jail, but no crowd
was allowed to congregate.
Threats were made against Sheriff
Nellis for the killing OF Alexander
Halliday early yesterday morning by
his deputies and the wounding of four
others in driving back the mob, but
the presence of the soldiers prevented
demonstrations The sheriff request
for a third militia company yesterday
afternoon resulted in the arrival OF
the Champaign company on special
train last evening
John Pratt, the negro the mob in
tended to lynch and who was given
an intermediate sentence of not more
than IA years in the Chester peniten-
tiary on each of two charges of rob
berry yesterday afternoon, will be
taken secretly to prison at five O'Clock
this morning with twelve other con
yicted prisoners on a special train.
His removal, it is believed. will re-
move all apprehension of another jail
assault.
Lincoln Wilson, arrested as a sus-
pected companion of Pratt in snatch
ing women's pocketbooks, was re
leased last night, as there is no in
dictment against him. At three O'Clock
Pratt's Indictment was returned, ano
ten minutes later he pleaded guilty
and was sentenced by Judge Butler
who Immediately directed the grand
jury to make searching investigation
of the attack on the jail
The judge instructed the grand jury
that the rioters must be made to stand
trial for rioting.
This sort of procedure must be
stopped" ne said Law that is not
enforced ceases to be law.
There have been five murders in
Cairo since Nov. II, when we had an
other occurrence of mob violence
These crimes show that mob law is no
deterrent to crime. 1t is your duty to
see that mob law ceases"
The states attorney is cooperating
with the grand jury.
Coroner McManus has not yet called
an inquest upon the death of Halliday.
He said last night he intends to inves-
tigate slowly
The sheriff was in close telephone
touch with the governor all day, and
said last night that his course was
commended by Deneen The sheriff
said last night: Il was standing on
the front porch of the court house,
parleying with the mob which demand
ed that l give up Pratt, when some
body in the crowd fired a shot. My
deputies, watching the parley from a
second story window, thought | fired
a volley into the air.
The mob refused to retreat and the
deputies then fired into the crowd.
Ny conscience is easy They were
determined to get me unless l got
them. | did my duty by protecting
the prisoners at any price
Il may have paid a pretty good
price to hold a job l may lose in the
courts" said Nellis, referring to the
suit of Davis, the deposed sheriff, TO
Gust him.
4 dozen broken windows in the
court house show the result of the
mob's bullets, but no serious damage
was done The sheriff received a
slight flesh wound in the hand
Six negroes were in the party OF
fourteen armed deputies that defend
ed the Jail. Nellis says. His party
numbered twenty. but there were not
guns enough to go around Negroes
were impressed into service. he says,
because he could not get enough white
men to serve He is being criticised
for deputizing negroes to fire on
whites.
The conflict between the city and
the county authorities that marked
the November lynching is again in
evidence. Mayor Parsons SAYS he was
not notified of any trouble until two
O'Clock. He then ordered the police
TO assist the sheriff. Captain Grea-
ney, of the local militia company.
which was ordered out at ten o'clock
by the governor and which did not
report until two o'clock Yesterday