New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-02
Jury Frees
II In Prayer
Lwching Case
Continued from page 1

properly consider Prayer as an upris-
ing? If so. then we have only used up
one lamp post. We have 499,999 of
them left"
1--WE are up against very serious
matter here" he went on, "a problem
that will be of international moment.
At least it is gravely important to the
we establish precedent which permits
a mob to take prisoner from the
hands of legal authority and string
him up just because he happens to be
an alien and even an enemy. People
in other parts of the state will have a
right to say, We'll, the crowd in Madi-
son County got away with it; We'll go
out and lynch few ourselves
There is the fearful menace Of it
these prisoners. We are merely trying to
prove that law and order in this coun-
try must be upheld in spite of every
thing else. We are in the greatest war
of all times to make the world safe for
democracy. What is democracy? My
definition says a people capable Of
making and enforcing it's own laws by
peaceful process. The other thing is
anarchy, and we must be very careful
lest it take root.
Gas far as Prayer was concerned
III NV uSielulIiS Hllii. I1e may nave
been the meanest prot German who
ever came into, the county. If he was
the sort of man they say, think he's
about where he belongs, a dead one
in his grave. But it wasn't for dis
orderly mob of citizens to put him
there. He was entitled to fair hear
ing, as we'll as any other man, and if
ne were guilty the government which
all loyal citizens back, would have,
taken care of him."
States Attorney Streuber, in sum-
ming up for the prosecution, said that
the trial seemed to have turned into
a patriotic rally. "There may be more
than one Interpretation of patriotism, "
ne added. ITO my notion love for
country does not mean the mere wav-
ing of a flag. 1t ought to go deeper
than that. 1t ought to mean standing
right with legal authority for one
thing. We went to war with another
nation because We decided she was an
outlaw Having done this, are we will
ing to accept outlawry as part of
our own national life? 1t will amount
to that In this community, at least, if
the State of Illinois is not upheld in
tae right to enforce public peace"
In his instructions to the jury the
judge said in part:
"Whatever Prayers nationality, what
ever his offence, it was murder none
the less when he was taken from the
| hands of peace officers and lynched.
The jury has only to consider whether
any of these eleven defendants took
part in his killing. To have aided the
mob by advice or encouragement con-
stitutes guilt equal to the guilt of the
men who placed the rope about Prayers
neck"
&c At,1x
der the statutes of Illinois and the
penalty ranges from fourteen years to
life imprisonment, or may be death by
hanging.
Commenting on the jury's verdict,
Bandy, the defence's attorney, said he
was not in doubt from the moment the
trial started. eve knew what the case
was and how strong our defence was.
I'm only sorry they didn't let me get
in some of that stuff about Prayer.
That man was bad one.
II have no feeling whatever against
the defendants" said Mr.. Middlekauff.
"They are hard-working men of pre-
vious good reputation and it really was
an unpleasant duty to try to convict
them. 1t wasn't really case against
individuals. but the trial of law against
lawlessness, and we fought hard to
establish that fact
! "The jury evidently decided that
none Of the defendants were in the
mob that hanged Prayer. l should
hate to feel the verdict means that
Madison County has acquitted the en-
tire mob, along with the eleven men
accused Of belonging to it."
The defendants were Richard Dukes.
ir., Enid Elmore, William Brockmeir.
Cecil Larremore, James Dematties,
Frank Flannery, John l.. Hollsworth,
coal miners; Joseph Riegel, cobbier;
Charles Cranmer, clerk; Calvin Gill
more, plumber, and Wesley Beaver,
saloon porter. ~.
The trial lasted seventeen days.