Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-06
UNS CONTINUE PUSH TOWARD AAIlENS
of
Prayer Being
Hunted DOaUr1

Cclllnsville, H.. April 6-The
coroner Of Madison county today
applied for warrants for the arrest
OF five men whom he had been in
formed were in the mob that lynch
ed Robert Prayer early Friday
morning. Four justices of the
peace refused to issue warrants.
The four justices gave as rea-
/ son for refusing to issue the war
rants that they didn't care to get
/ mixed up in the matter"
One of the justices yesterday was
surrounded by men in saloon and
asked to sign pledge of loyalty.
/ He complied.
I Coroner Lowe said he would ask
/ the states attorney to issue the
/ warrants and that he thought the
/ five men desired would be under
arrest before night.
William f. Trauttmann, first as
/ sistant to Attorney General Brun-
/ dage of Illinois, and Colonel Claude
/ Z. Ryman, representing the adju-
/ tant generals office. began an in
vestigatiOn here today OF the events
/ leading up TO the hanging by mob
! Thursday night of Robert P Pra-
/ ger, charged with making disloyal
i utterances. This followed a dec
! laration by Governor Lowden that
members of the mob must be pros
ecuted.
/ Inquest over the body of Prayer
| will be held next Monday, a Jury
for that purpose having been Sc
! cured yesterday. At that time a
report of all investigations now un-
der way by federal, state and coun-
ty authorities will be made and
| warrants for the arrest of the par
/ ticipants in the demonstration are
| expected to be issued. 1t was rum
ored early today that six arrests
had been made already, but this
could not be verified.
Concrete instances OF Prayers
alleged disloyalty still are lacking,
although Nose Johnson, district
board member of the United Mine
Workers of America, has promised
that lat the proper moment" he
will issue a statement to show
members of the mob were in pos
session of certain information that
caused them to take their drastic
action. Prayer is said to have
/ come to this district a year ago
and went to work in the mines at
Maryville. A month ago his pro-
lnounced socialistic views are said
to have bordered on the disloyal
and for that reason he was threat
ened with violence by the miners.
Since his death rumors have
spread of Prayers attempt to
hoard powder in one of the mines
with the idea of destroying it; of
numerous discriminating maps; Of
his humble little home furnished in
the luxuries that only wealth can
| buy; of mysterious visits to his
house of a stylishly dressed wom-
an. All these rumors we're intend
ed to show that Prayers real oc-
cupation while in Collinsville was
not that of miner or baker, as he
said, but that of a German spy.
Springfield, Ill, April 6.-When
informed that four justices of the
peace at Collinsville had refused to
issue warrants for men supposed to
have been members of the mob that
lynched Robert Prayer Thursday
night, Attorney General Brund-
age today declared state authori-
ties would take charge of the pros
ecution II local officials did not do
their duty.
There will be no passing of the
buck at CollinsviIle," Mr.. Brundage
said. Governor Lowden Is de-
termined that the guilty shall be
brought to justice. If local officers
don't do their duty the state will
interfere.
IF 1t is found necessary to estab-
iish military rule, inquiries will be
carried on by court martial. At any
rate the investigation will be re-
lentless."
Washington, April 6.-Enactment
of more stringent laws and their
vigorous enforcement was urged in
telegram read in the senate by
Senator Overman from Mayor Sic
gel of CoIlinsville, III,
'"The lynching was the direct re-
suit of a widespread feeling in this
community that the government
will not punish disloyalty, and al
though I depreciate the existence
of this feeling, it is nevertheless
not without some foundation" the
telegram said.
I'VE have repeatedly reported to
federal authorities cases of disloy-
alty where no action has been taken
and probably could not be taken by
reason of the inadequaey OF the
law"
Mavor Siegel said this spirit is
not confined 10 Collinsville, but rs
universal in this section"