The Mena weekly star., 1911-06-08
Holiday Celebration OF Gang OF
Greeks Excites Railroad Officials
and the People OF Grannis.
SHERIFF'S POSSE GETS IA
Examination Before Squire Smith
Results in Release of Entire Par
ty OF Foreigners-With Scare
Over Was Little Evidence.

According to the dispatches sent
over the wires Saturday night the
wild and bloody shooting up of
town in manner resembling the
famous Brownsville, Tex, affair
was being enacted at the town of
Grannis in the southern part of Polk
county.
According TO the statements of
Witnesses in justice court Monday
gang OF Greeks at Grannis had
a kcg Of beer and were celebrating
one of their national holidays, fired
a few shots in the air, and had a
minor fuss with a couple of white
men after some one had thrown a
rock into their boarding car.
Fourteen OF the Greeks were ar
rested by Sheriff Thornton and his
posse and brought TO Mena Sun
day, but they were turned loose aud
sent back TO their friends.
Word of the trouble came to Sher-
III Thornton shortly before mid
night Saturday in the follow
ing telegram from the Kansas City
Southern chief dispatcher at Heav-
ener:
Some of the Greeks in extra gang
at Grannis are drunk and shooting
INTO houses and drawing knives on
citizens. All of them reported TO
seem TO be on warpatch. Can ar
range for you TO go there on our No.
5f, leaving Mena 1888. Can you CO."
Upon receiving the message Sher-
III Thornton tried TO get Grannis
over the phone. The operator at
Mena told him they could not get
the Grannis operator TO answer the
call. Thornton then went TO the de-
| pot and tried to send a telegram Of
inquiry to the agent at Grannis. The
Mena operator said the Grannis Of
| flee was dead.
IL looked like conditions were se-
rious, SO Sheriff Thornton called u.
5. Deputy Marshal Holt and Deputy
Sheriff Norris, and swore in about
a dozen citizens as deputy sheriffs,
secured arms for the entire force
and boarded a fast freight for the
scene Of the trouble.
Thornton found that the trainmen
had been warned OF the trouble and
before reaching Grannis all the
lights on the train were put out.
But upon pulling into the station at
about $3.50 Sunday morning the en-
tire village seemed to be in peace
full slumber, or everybody dead. In
vestigation proved the former con-
dition to exist. Several citizens were
aroused and Sheriff Thornton was
told that the gang OF Greeks. who
were at that time all asleep in their
boarding cars, had loaded up on
beer, ran the depot agent away, shot
into houses and surrounded two cit
lzens, threatening their lives with
long daggers.
The sheriff with his posse waited
until daylight and then, with his
armed posse, went down TO the car
occupied by The Greeks, and placing
the entire gang under arrest, or
dered them out OF their cars. The
men came out, over fifty in number
meek and sleepy.
| Investigation through the Greek
interpreter showed that a bunch OF
fourteen in one car had caused all
the trouble, whatever il was, and
taking these men in charge and d.
recting the witnesses to come tc
Mena Monday morning, Sheriff
| Thornton brought the IA men tC
this place and put them in Jail. The,
were taken before Squire Sam Smitf
Monday, all charged with assault
with intent to kill, but when the wit
nesses were questioned in cour
about the worst they could say wa
that the Greeks had keg of beer
they fired several shots in the air
. but stopped that when ordered to d.
so. Later some one threw a rocl
into the car and several wrath,
foreigners danced a war dane,
} around a couple Of men, who cam'
J by the car soon after the rock
, were thrown.
II 0ne witness said it Looked lik'
some of them had long knives ii
scabbards.
II With no stronger evidence thar
this Squire Smith turned the mel
: loose. They went back to thei
,'amp on the first tfalr.
Sheriff Thornton is considerable,
pro uked because OF shs trouble an
espense he was eau ~. 1t appear
4 that the first repoess made wer
ther overdrawn or fear OF furthe
, lrouLle caused witnesses to max
! irht of the affair. rE fa.,l that 4
/ Ihar.1 was done iE Et.catss that Iii
i former conclusion is correct.