New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-06-16
Regard State Attor-
neys Interference
With Their Law as
Foreign Meddling"

When the real lynchers were enjoy
ing liberty.
AS the trial dragged through its
nal1-nearted course hitter feud was
klndled between the Offices of the
States Attorney and Sheriff Jenkin
jenkins. At the opening session of
court Mr.. Streuber insisted that the
Sheriff was prejudiced in favor Of
the accused, and demanded that he
be relieved Of the work of summon
ing talesmen. The question of
whether the prisoners should wear
handouts also became an issue.
Sheriff and Attorney
Have Run-In
cts nobody's business how we
bring them back and forth from Jail
as long as they keep on totalling
ELEVEN" was the Sheriff's argument
The discussion was dropped, but
lll-feeling continued to grow. On
the evening Mr.. Streuber made his
opening speech to the jury the
trouble came to head. Across the
street from the courthouse is Mays's
saloon. Here, with the exception of
Judge Bernreuter and the eleven
prisoners, those connected with the
case habitually gathered after the
thirsty hours with the law.
jenkins met Streuber at the bar.
and hot words passed. Then the
Sheriff went for his man, and the
States Attorney emerged from the
fight with black eye and a deep
cut in his head.
The Sheriff was pleased with his
handiwork. He found The New
York Tribune correspondent a few
minutes later and reported in detail.
Got an item for YOU" he said. "I've
just beat up the County Attorney"
He was questioned as to motives.
Il don't know" he replied, Except
that ! just can't stand that man. I
was going to do it anyhow, some
time, and what's the use of putting
off little thing like that? Pm 90
ing to vote against him at the next
election, too"
Jenkins started work in the mines
many years ago as a trap boy, and
fought his way with his fists into a
respected position in the county. He
left the collieries to become Sheriff
and is reputed to be a good official.
With the exception of his chief
deputy he can lick almost any man
in the community.
The deputy, who is admittedly p
shade more able-bodied than his
chief, was in personal charge of the
eleven Prayer defendants. His meth
DDS with prisoners are peculiar. His
duty, was to take the prisoners to
court in the mornings and escort
them down the main street back to
the county jail in the evening. On
the return trip he usually carried a
large bundle Of cigarettes he col
lected for them during the day. He
sauntered at the head of the process
sion without paying a great deal of
attention to his charges, and they
followed him around like sheep. The
entire eleven were on hand when the
verdict of acquittal came in.
In the deputy's mind there was not
the least fear that the men would
try to escape. "Why would thew
want to get away?" he asked. Gwen
If they did they know me too well to
try such a thing"
Other prisoners in the Jail learned ,
to know the chief deputy. One Of
these was huge negro, who came to
Edwardsville during the Prayer trial
and tried to outfit himself at the ex-
pense of a local clothier. He tried
on seven pairs of pants, one over the
other, and calmly walked out of the
shop wearing them all.
Hampered even as he was by ex-
cess clothing, the negro quickly
bested the police force that tried to
arrest him. The chief and two of
his men were painfully mauled. and
in the end it required the help Of
half dozen citizens to overpower
the pants thief.
When the negro was taken to the
county jail the chief deputy shut
himself alone in room with the
prisoner, locked the door and
pocketed the key. "They tell me
you're hard egg" he said. I
II certainly am hard" said the
negro.
"I'm going to show you how to
scramble the hard Ones" the deputy
said.
At the end of half hour the
officer let the battered negro sit up
in corner of the room and stepped
back to view the wreckage. "How
about it now" he asked. you're
not as hard as you thought you were,
are you?"
The man admitted he wasn't that
sort Of egg at all, and the pact of
peace was promptly sealed. "Id
have had trouble with that man
every day if I hadn't talked to him
in the beoinning." ex-