Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-19
Around the Court House
And Jail at Cairo, III.
Three Companies Believed to
Have QueI|ed Mob Spirit.
Sheriff Threatened for His Part In
Defending Prisoner.

Cairo. ILL.,. Feb. 1S.--With three COM
panies Of militia guarding the court
house and Jail under direct supervis-
ion Of Adjutant General Frank S.
Dixon, Cairo settled down tonight to
complete quiet after a strenuous "a
hours. 1t is believed the mob spirit is
quelled. There are many scattered
groups IF men about the streets, but
no crowd is allowed to congregate.
Threats We're made today against
Sheriff Fred D. ellis for the killing of
Alexander Halliday and the wounding
Of four other men by deputies in
beating back the mob which attacked
the Jail last night in an attempt to
lynch Negro purse snatcher. but the
presence of soldiers prevents any open
demonstration. John Pratt. the Negro
the mob intended to lynch, was SEN
fenced today to prison for not more
than IA years. He will be taken to
prison tomorrow with II other convicts
in special train.
Lincoln Wilson, arrested as a sus-
pected companion of Pratt in the
sratchirg of women's pocketbooks,
was released tonight. The grand jury
failed to return an indictment against
him. Pratt's sentence was imposed 10
minutes after he entered court and
pleaded guilty to the indictment re-
turned yesterday.
y searching grand jury investigation
of the attack on the Jail was ordered
by Judge Butler Immediately after the
disposal of the cases against the two
Negroes. Judge Buffers instructions
to the grand jury were in substance
demand that the rioters be brought
to justice and made to stand trial for
rioting, felony.
This sort Of procedure must be
stopped he said. There have been
five murders in Cairo since Nov. II.
when he had previous occurrence of
mob violence. These murders 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 not order
ed an inquest of the killing of Halliday.
He said that he intended to go slowly in
his investigation.
Sheriff Nellis was in touch with Gov.
Deneen by telephone today He said that
his course had been commended by the
governor.
A stray shot fired by member of the
mob was the direct cause of the volley
from the deputies guarding the Jail that
laid several of its members low, accord
ing to Sheriff Nellis' version of the at
tack
my conscience is easy over the affair.
The rioters were determined to get me
unless got them. did my duty by pro-
tecting my prisoners at any price"
There were six Negroes among the IA
armed deputies that defended the Jail
with Nellis There were 20 deputies in
all, but there were not guns enough to
go round Nellis had great difficulty in
enlisting deputies and the Negroes were
impressed because the sheriff could not
get enough white men to serve.
The conflict between city and county
officers which marked the November
lyncching is again in evidence. Mayor
Parsons has ordered the saloons closed
until danger Of further disturbances has
passed.
The Halliday family tonight retained
an attorney to sue Sheriff Nellis and the
county for damages. Halliday. who was
a 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 anyone to remove him to a hos
pital. He died two hours later.