Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-11
LYNCHED ALIEN
WANTED HIS BODY
WRAPPED IN FLAG
Mand Who Led Mob TestifieS
at the Inquest in
Illinois
By Associated Pres

Collinsville, ILL.,, April 1.-THE in
quiry into the hanging Of Robert p.
Prayer by a mob here last Friday
morning probably will be concluded
tonight by Coroner Roy A. Low. De-
velopments at the inquest thus far,
which has been secret, are said to
indicate that at least one participant
in the hanging has confessed.
Joseph Riegel, % years old, a Col
linsville miner and honora bly, dis
charged United States soldier. is said
TO have told the coroner's jury yes
terday he was the leader of the mob,
that he and another man dragged
Prayer from the basement of the city
hall and that although he did not
pull the rope that hanged the man,
he looked on. He asserted the dying
wish of Prayer was that he be buried
in the American flag. This was COM
piled with when Prayer was buried
Mt st. Louis while Riegel was testi-
flying before the coroner's jury.
Prayer was hoisted into the air by
boys from twelve to sixteen years
old, Riegel is said to have testified.
He is declared to have said that
Prayer denied that he was a spy, or
that he had boarded powder with
the purpose of blowing up the Mary
vile mine. Riesel, it is said, paid a
tribute to Prayers bravery, declaring
that the latter never shed a tear
when he kissed the flag, and that he
did not beg for mercy.
RiegeI made a confession early
Yesterday to n st. Louis newspaper
man. and persons present at the in
auest asserted last night that <Riegel
had reiterated before the jury every
detail mentioned in his statement to
the reporter.
RiegeI Joined the Crowd
According to Riegel's alleged state
ment to the newspaper man, he said
he was in a Collinsville saloon. at
1915 o'clock Thursday night, when
policeman came in and ordered the
place closed, explaining that crowd
had collected around the jail and a
disturbance was feared. Leaving the
saloon, he found the crowd.
THE Mayor came out and made a
speech and tried to get us to go
away" the confession said. HE de-
clared the man was gone. / asked
whether he would allow a United
States Army man to go in and see,
end, showed him my army dis
charge papers.
He told me to come on in, which
I did, and the crowd followed. If we
had found the man in the cell we
would not have bothered him. but it
made lis angry to feel that the po-
lice had sneaked him away. We went
outside, surrounded the place and
decided to look again.
Another man and I went into the
cellar and found Prayer hiding in a
pile of tiles. He came out and we
grabbed him by each arm and led
him out"
Forced to Kiss the Flag
Riegel said that en- route to the
scene of the hanging several persons
were met in automobiles and Prayer
was forced to sing and kiss the flag
For them. At the tree, members of
The mob questioned Prayer for twen-
" minutes regarding his alleged pro-
Giermanism.
I'VE asked him IL he was a Ger
man spy and If he had tried to blow
up the Maryville mine and why he
did not keep his date at Edwards
Vile with Nose Johnson. He denied
he was n spy and that he had hoard
ed powder, but made no answer
about not keeping his date. If he
had kept that date we never would
have bothered him."
This date was with a district lead
er of the mine workers union rela-
tive to Prayers admission to the
union
Riegel's story then proceeds:
Somebody tied the rope around
Prayers neck and several boys from
twelve to sixteen years old pulled
him up. His hands We're not tied and
ne grabbed at the rope. They let him
DOWN, and we said: Now, are you
going. to tell whether anybody is
mixed up with you?' We told him