davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
cided to rid themselves Of the man by
making him leave town. They had no
thought of taking his life.
They Discussed 1t
in Forty Saloons

thought OF taking his life.
They Discussed 1t
in Forty Saloons
On the night of the lynching groups
OF miners were gathered as usual in
Collinsville's forty saloons, discussing
rumors of spies and passing about
copies of "The Collinsville Herald"
which had just printed q German spy
editorial, afterward apologized for by
the editor, which bore the caption:
"a LITTLE TAR MIGHT HELP" y
The name Prayer was mentioned by
a Marysville miner in connection with
the tar suggestion. Lets get him."
some one shouted, and the half-drunken
crowd set forth.
And afterward, according to the tes-
timony Of Joe Riegel, the confessed
ringleader, the mob showed no par
ticular emotion over the thing they had
done. 1--WE felt kind of silly and fool
ish," he said, shifting his feet like an
abashed schoolboy who has been caught
in mischief.
Riegel was formerly a miner and
later became the village cobbler. At
one time he served as a soldier in the
United States army, but was dis
charged for disability. He is twenty
eight years old, married, and is the
father of girl of three years. His
recital of the events of the lynching,
made at the coroner's inquest, forms a
strange record.
The Incidents Just
AS They Happened
This will be pretty long story"
he said as he sat down in the witness
chair, laid down his cap on the floor,
tilted his chair back and smiled little
shamefacedly. "But I will tell it just
as it happened. I was standing in
Schiler's saloon about 10 o'clock in the
evening"" he began, "when the bar
tender got orders to close up. I fin
ished drinking my glass of beer and
went out with the rest.
"As soon as we got out some one
said that bunch had caught a German
spy and had taken him to the City
Hall. On the corner the crowd was
talking about going to the City Hall
and getting this man. About the time
started some one brought a flag and
the crowd fell in behind it.
"At the City Hall Mayor Siegel was
talking to the boys, telling them that
they could not have the man. Just
about that time some one came around
the building and said he had been
taken away.
after that the Mayor invited the
crowd into the cellroom to see There
was nobody there. Then the crowd
wanted to search the building
II went down into the basement
along with Wesley Beaver, called Pop
eye,' and lot of others We looked all
around, but didn't see him, and ! saw
two cells down there, one made of bars
and the other of sheet iron or some
thing Of the sort. l thought he might
be hidden in this closed cell, and was
starting back up from the basement
when Beaver, who was looking over
around some sewer tile, called out that
Prayer was there.
II laughed at him and said, What
arc you trying to give me, you damn
fool?'
"The tile didn't look to me like it
was big enough for man to hide in.
Found Him Crouched
Down in Hole
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28

the civilian chooses for himself.
Parents who do not have liquor in
their houses dislike their sons get
ting the taste Of it. Particularly
does this refer to the navy, where un-
til a few years ago the rum ration was
taken out of pay. This has been al
tered-or was altered before the war
and my impression is that no sea
man need now pay money for the
ration unless he wants. But, the re-
ceipt of the ration is very solemn
ceremony and men take it most
seriously. One little detail is the
gradual breaking down Of the ira
dition that the Kings health must
be drunk at mess-in wine.
Perhaps, I may add that French
efficiency has grown with the pro-
hibition of absinthe-a fine and
courageous measure of characteris-
tic patriotism. In England, at any
rate, Russia's attempt to abolish
vodka is not at the moment en- ex-
ample to be coniured with. Some
cynics attribute to it the revolution
and ask if we want the same to hap
pen among engineers and furnace
men, who like their glass of beer.
cannot but believe, however, that
Russia, whatever her present diff
culties, has taken an upward step.
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28

ture is cleaned up and counter
amusements, with meals, provided,
OF course, for money paid. In one
case, there is cinema house and
bowling green and food takings are
5000 (S1,000) a week.
The rum ration continues in the
front line trenches of the British
army. l wish that a substitute could
be found, but it is not easy. You
cannot boil tea and coffee and cocoa
when lying under the narrow cover
of a she'll hole. At least, the officers.
who are not all temperance orators.
deny that it can be done. No one
can get drunk on any single rum
ration, which contains less Of kick
| am informed by experts, than a
Bronx cocktail. But if you are
thrifty rs well IS thirsty and save
rp many rations in your flask, then.
you n,av. once q Fortnight. overdose
yourself. So far sa my krowlcdes
goes, the rum ration is net served
az Eases or in billets and it is thus
limited to what are considered to be
the strict necessities of the case.
The great difficulty is that in an
army there must be one custom and
one standard in many matters where
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Some Vernin
BY Robert W. Chambers
OF The NigiIantes

In the various internment camns !,
the United States arc many Germans
nominally prisoners. actually pension
ers OF the Republic, wel fed, we'll
lodged, we'll treated.
These Germans owed everything 70
the kindly welcome extended to them
by the Republic when they first set
foot here. Our laws had protected
them, our government had asked moth
ing Of them except that they behave
decently; all opportunities for their
betterment and prosperity were open 10
them.
These are the people who in her
hour of need turned against the land
that welcomed them. These are the
people who proved disloya., trcach
erous, aurdcrous-tlese sleek, idle,
we'll housed. well fed rats known com.
monty as alien enemies.
What is to be done with them at
the end of the war? Are they to be
liberated and permitted once more to
resume residence and occupation among
US here in the land which they be-
,srayed and which they would gladly
hay, done to death?
Remember what the word German"
stands for to-day in the civilized
world.
Don't forget what this loathsome
word German" now means. 1t means
government-applauded by its swim
ish people--that hands q million Ar
menians over to the Turk to Be butca-
ered-al ages, both sexes 1t means
the people who struck medals to cec-
brate the death of women and children
on the Lusitania. 1t means people
who began this war with a lie and who
have lied ever since--a people now so
degenerate, SO brutalized, that only the
vile blaspheny of the "Black Mass can
compare to the living blasphemy Of
which their War Lord and the hordcs
he leads are the never to be forgotten
symbols.
Are the interned Germans of this
identical breed to be permitted to re-
main in this country after the war?
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Robelot' S Reasons
4 French War Story
ransiafed By William L. Mcpherson
lopyrt0ht 1918. bu he Trbune 4 saociaton

Here IS story aOyittea spirit of pleusantv It
has familiar ove-one employed TIME out of mind IN drama
2nd felton, But here the setting d6noueme
both dverting and reasonable.
What are the of heroism? They are manifold He-
redatary INSTINCT spiritual DISCIPLINE emotional eroltato the
hst o d1stnct1on the 1ncltement of du the force
pe the fighting tempcraetamy of conscious or
sbco1scoMs STIMULI But most heroes men of qrea si-
phc't01th thoughts not far aavay from routine of the
homes they haze e Why then exclude from the motjes to
heoasm the notlue Of Robeot ic has its of the
most ancient complications Of domestic life?
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
[Staf Correspondence
. COLLINSVILLE, ILL.

A PRIL 27.-The village that
n lynched Robert Prayer has
awakened to the cold dawn of
after-reckon;ng. The calm forces Of
the law, ignored and forgotten through
the length OF one black, tragic night,
are remorselessly at work again. The
grand jury says that murder was
done on the hill beneath the village
naples. Twelve citizens have been
indicted for the commission of crime;
four policemen for the omission of
duty. A special agent has been sent
on from Washington to cooperate with
the Illinois peace officers in an effort
to keep future peace. Collinsville has
come to it's senses with a shock of
horror.
The iynching was casual affair, ap-
parently without even the saving ex-
cuse of uncontrolled rage The lynch
ers did not intend to lynch the man
at all. That idea came later when the
tipsy mob found itself standing in the
grove on the little hill by the out
skirts Of the village. BY chance a
rope was procured, a moose was ad-
justed to Prayers neck, and some Of
the men pulled him up to limb. They
waited around carelessly until their
victim was dead, and then gradually
broke up and went home.
It was very quiet on the streets of
the town to-day. Men with drawn,
sober faces gathered in knots outside
the saloons and discussed impending
events in whispers. Other indictments
are momentarily expected, and the vii
layers are wondering who will be sum-
moned next to answer for the work on
the hill
And more intense even than the fear
of consequences Is the community's
growing sense of shame.
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Obsessed by Fear
Deep in the Mines

Pragcr's claim that he had worked
in Germany, coupled with an unfortu-
nate habit he had of asking questions
about the mine was his undoing-a
necessity for him, for he was new to
mining. Since the war began a series
of mysterious explosions have taken
place in the mines of the Illinois coal
belt, and reports Of German activities
have been current among the men.
There is always the fear of death lurk-
ing deep down under the ground, and
the miners are on the lookout for
enemy agents with concealed cxplo-
gives. Several ofreigners with taint
Of Toutonic in their accent have been
tarrcd and feathered and rallied out of
their communities by suspicious fellow
workers, and in these days Of expected
sabotage a stranger is condemned al
most on sight.
A slow fire has been eating it's way
through the lower strata Of the Done
mine, where Prayer was employed, for
space Of ten years or more. 1t was
started by water dripping on sulphur
Gus fire clay and has been creeping
and spreading ever since. Heavy con-
crete walls shut out the burning part
of the mine from the workings, but the
workers have an evcrpresent fear that
some day the flame will burst through
and trap them beyond the shafts.
Prayer was curious about the fire
that burned behind the walls. He was
reported to have asked what might
happen if the concrete wall should be
blown down. The word was whispered
through the galleries, and there grew
a sullen suspicion that some time he
would answer his own question by ex-
periment Tia frightened miners de-
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Somebody Got a
Rope Over a Limb

"Me holding one arm and somebody
else the other, we led him to an auto
mobile which had stopped just behind
the crowd and asked him If he had
anything he wanted to write I didn't
know then and I don't know now just
how we happened to ask him that, for
l didn't have much idea we were going
to hang him-everybody had been talk
ing about tar and feathers.
Another man there took the name
and address of his parents in Ger
many, copying down the names and
street address in Dresden on a piece Of
paper.
"We partly translated the note as
we stood there--I can read little Ger
man--to see that he wasn't putting
anything over on US.
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Learn a New
Meaning for Loyalty

The hanging fo Prayer is generally
denounced now. On the night of the
tragedy the mob that gathered from
the saloons was loud in its profession
of patriotism. But the village since
has changed it's notions on the sub
ject of loyalty
"The men who did this thing have
proven themselves the open enemies
of q decent government" said a citi-
zen to a street corner group, and the
opinion was bitterly accepted.
In an attempt to purge the village
lence on the part of miners from the
Marysville works, state council of
defence was organized in Collinsville
c. H.. Doris, the superintendent Of
schools, acted as chairman.
Every time there is an outbreak Of
this sort in the United States" he said,
"the news is carried on the wings of
wireless to Germany, and the Kaiser
tries to make the people believe that
democracy is breaking down. Every
lawless citizen becomes the enemy of
his own government and the friend of
Prussia" He sat down amid an out
burst of applause. Mr.. Doris has two
sons in the American army Several
other prominent citizens spoke at the
meeting, and all tiercely deplored the
crime that crowd of drunken ire
spOnS blcS have visited uDOn Collins
Vile.
Singularly enough, the members of
the mob to-day are unable to tell why
they hanged Prayer. Somebody told
some one that the man was disloyal.
He was registered in Collinsville as an
enemy alien because he came origi-
nally from Germany, but no evidence
has been found that he ever committed
an overt act of any sort or expressed
Il word of hostility toward the United
States. But he was friendless, his
antecedcnt5 were unknown. When he
applied for admission to the miners
union and went to work in the Done
mine at Marysvlle he said he had
been employed at one time in the coal
diggings at Westphalia. The union re-
quires record of apprenticeship be-
fore accepting new members, and he
knew this. 1t has been learned since
that he lied to obtain his job. By pre-
vious training he was baker, not
miner.
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Found Him Crouched
Down in a Hole

Sure, he's here, Beaver called back.
/ laughed at him again, but l walked
over to the place, and there we found
him crouched down in the tile. He was
little and short or he could never have
hidden there.
"Beaver and pulled him out and
marched him upstairs
when we got him upstairs we start
ed him down to Main Street, holdin.
his left arm and somebody else holding
his right arm. Beaver and somebody
else went ahead, carrying the flag.
when we got out into Main Street
somebody in the crowd hit him and
knocked him down. When we got dow,.
the street four or five blocks almost to
the turn of the street into the part
called St. Louis Road, we met street
car. We held Prayer up in the light
so that every one could see, and the
crowd al yelled that he was German
spy. Later we met another car down
by 'Hardscrabble' saloon and did the
same thing.
"Au this time we were making
Prayer kiss the flag and sing, though
about all the singing he did was to re-
peat over and over The Star-Spangled
Banner and Three Cheers for the Red.
White and Blue
"When we got down to the end of
the pavement we had him sit down and
take off his shoes I don't remember
who told him to do this.
when we got down to the top Of
the hill the crowd halted ard asked
how much further we would go. Being
stopped, there didn't seem to be any
use going further.
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
1t Looks as if
Drink Was Increasing

| simply reckon IS to the SOW
ereign. This looks as If the United
Kingdom were SO per cent more
drunken in 1917 than she was in
1914, but this is not the fact. The
value of money has declined roughly
by one-half. The true expenditure
on drink to-day is about $600,O0O,-
600. not s1,295,ooO,0oo. And the
number of gallons of alcohol actu-
ally consumed has heen.
New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
As We Become DRY"
We Drink More

speaking for myself, make no Sc
cre' OF the fact that like the Ameri-
sah ,. method Of combating drink.
WIN US, it is q fight by bureau
efa's' With you, the people them
@e'seS decide. Last week The Trib-
1Ae published figures which seemed
% snow that the United States
aii''Ss more and more freely as she
"ee'fnes more and more dry. | do
hot pretend to understand these fig
afes' but they appear to suggest
mere is something to be said for the
.sa@ .s. as a whole gripping the neck of
this evil.
ne in Britain are trying to do
.his IN two ways. We reduce the
DfeWing Of beer and spirits and Their
,ss pie On taxes. Actually, Mr.
''Dhar Law this year doubles The al
ready doubled liquor duties. Liquor
~ mus great machine for collecting
revenues. The brewers pass ON the
.azes TO the consumer. They put on
'ne price and they dilute the
strength, 10 that patriotic people pay
psnriies for pure water. Our brew.
sf'ss are thus selling less alcohol and
mating moro money by 1T than ever
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18

Bycrs' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
S. Sapp, East Burgess street.
Fresh oysters and fish daily. Fan
cy herring, haIibut, white fish, perch,
catfish, grass pike. salmon, trout. fish
eggo and salt fish. 16 North Main
street, phone 1856. XII
Mrs. r. +. liosack of Frederick
town went to Columbus Friday after.
noon.
We will pay straight salary cach
week for man or woman with
rig to introduce Eureka Egg Produc.
er. Six months contract Eureka
Mfg. Co.. East st. Louis. III. XII
Mr.. and Mrs. Chapman returned to
Columbus Tuesday after visiting here
with friends.
Every wardrobe and every closet in
Mt. Vernon contains clothing to which
we can add months of useful service.
The Sanitary Dry Cleaning Co., south
west corner Public Square. XII
Mrs. George T.. lIoush and family
went to Mansfield Wednesday morn.
ing where they will join Mr.. Hough
and make their future home.
Dr. A. d. Wclkcr of Gambler spent
Thursday here.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
THE L0ANCAMP PA|GN
IS NOT CONCLUDED
IN KNOX COUNTY

while Knox county has gone over
the top in the Fourth Liberty Loan
campaign, there are some people who
have not gone over the top remark
ed II member of the Knox county com
miltoG Thursday. thus indicating that
there are number who have failed
TO purchase Liberty Bonds who can
woll afford to do so.
II is true that Mt. Vernon and Knox
county have gone over the top in this
campaign, yet tho labors Of the com
mittec are not ended and will not cld
until the campaign closes next Satur-
day night
Tho members of the committee Will
keep on working up until that hour In
order that tle quota In this county
may be greatly ovcrsubscribed,
There are still quite a number Of
persons who have not purchased Lib
erty Bonds aud special effort will
be mado TO reach these men and wO'
men.
The members of the local commit
/ tee also request that those who have
! agreed TO purchase Liberty Bonds
and have not made their first pay
ment, 80 to their bank immediately
and seal the bargain with the cash.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
Mrs. Smith Recommends Chamber
lain,s Tablets

81 have had more or less of stom-
ach trouble for eight or ten years,
writes Mrs. G. II. Smith. Brewertol
N. Y. "Whcn suffering from attacks
of indigestion and heavincss after
eating. one or two of Chamberlain
Tablets have always relieved me.
have also found them Il pleasant lax
ativc." These tablets tone up the
stomach and enable it to perform its
functions naturally. If you are trou
bled with indigestion give them
trial, get we'll and stay we'll.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
CUT OFF FINGER
IN A BUZZ SAW

NORTH LIBERTY, Oct. 17-Chas.
Harding, while saving wood Wednes-
day, accidentally placed his left hand
under the saw, and cut off the ring
finger of his hand. and severely in.
jured the second finger.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18

Everett 3. Miller taxicab service,
Phone 1t2s. If
Have you Bought that Darcy churn7
WooIson's. XII MS"
Arthur Beck spent Thursday IN Co
iumbua
A. II. Coleman VI Danyille spent
Thursday hero.
William Mild went to Cincinnati
Thursday on business.
=. william Scribnor spent Thursda.
In Columbus on business.
Judge y. .. Levering spent Thurs.
day In Columbus on business
II. b. Nugent Of Coshocton avenue
spent Thusrday Ia Columbus.
NJ. Russell OF South Mulberry street
spent Thursday In Columbus.
Special for Saturday! Lux 2 for 2,c
EImlt four TO customer. Woolson'o
XII kiss
Ralph Jewell spent Thursday In Go
lumbus attending the National ,Dair,
Show.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
Spaulding-Pfautz
Wedding

Cards have been received here an.
nouncing the marriage OF Miss Grace
Parker Pfautz of Akron. n sister of
Mrs, Carl Woolson of this city, to Mr..
IrVing NJ. Paulding OF Pasadena, Cal.
The wedding occurred In New York
city on September Is. Mr.. Spaulding
Is member of the army medical
corps and is now cnroute to France,
while Mrs. Spauldlng has resumed
Aer studies at Columbia university.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
0srrhart. Fribley
WAddino

Mrs. Julia Barnhart Of Miller town.
ship, and Miss Blanche Oricl Friblcy,
daughter Of MIR. and Mrs. !. ]. Friblcy,
who rcsidc near Frcdericktown. were
united IN marriage at 4 O'Clock We'd
nesdsy afternoon at the home Of the
officiating minister, Rev. Foster G..
Anderson. on North Gay street MIR.
and Mrs. Darnhart left Wednesday
fdr short automobile trip TO Colum.
bus after which they will make their
home with the bridcgroom's mother
In Miller township.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
First fall shipment gold fish. wool.

First fall shipment gold fish. Wool
sons. XII KISS
FOR SALE-Potato onions for fall
planting. Citizens 2O4O-K. xlSxlS"
William l.. Ward spent Thursday in
Columbus attending the National
Dairy Show.
Another lot of those yard square
Neponoet rugs at 39c, Saturday, at
Woolson's. XII KISS
Mr.. and Mrs. r. S. Konof of Bell
vile went to Columbus Thursday to
attend the National Dairy show.
Get your lunch at Jack Longs res
taurant, formerly the Little Nugget,
2lS South Main street. XII
Mrs. Leroy G. Mayer has gone to
GAINESVILLE where she will spend sew.
cral days with relatives and friends.
Miss Nancy DeI'olt. who has been
working In Mansfield. has returned TO
her home on North Rogers street for
n few days.
Mrs o. +. Cooper of East Gambler
street was called to Marietta Wedncs
day by the Illness of her daughter,
Mrs. Sells.
Woolson's Saturday special, brooms
79c. A dollar value. XII xIS"
Mrs. Jennie Fleming OF Orrville,
who has been visiting Mrs. Lee Stofcr
OF Norton street, went to Jenterburg
Thursday,
DR.. and Mrs. George Linn returned
from Ashland Thursday. where they
had been called by the illness of DR.,
linn's mother.
Hon. and Mrs. Samuel Il. Gotshall
| enjoyed motor trip to Columbus
and Newark on Wednesday.
Let us make your clothing ready
for use this winter. Have II cleaned
and pressed. The Sanitary Dry
Cleaning Co.. southwest corner Pub
lie Square. XII
John Campbell returned to Pendle
ton. Ind, Thursday aftor visiting his
daughter, Mrs. William Slautlcr o.
: West Gambler street.
1917 REQ siX.cylinder touring ca
for sale First class condition. In
quire Woolson's garage, II lIas
Gambler street. t
Highest prices paid foI wool. Al
Kinds of farm products at old McCor
70 noll warehouse. Levering Bros.
| u "
Ivan kunklo. of naval transpor
IL visiting relatives in Dcmocrac!
Mr.. Kunklo has made several v0!
ages, including one trip to France.
i 1917 REQ siX.cylinder touring ca
for sale. First class condition, il
4 quire Woolison's garage, ~ Ea'
Gambler street
3, Miss Hannah Kinney of this cit
who is nurse In Cleveland no
- pital, Is quite Ill with the Spanish L
lluenza. according To word receive
by relatives In Mt Vernon ON Wc'
nesday
Don't junk your old tires and tube
They can be repaired by the lla
wood system. Prices reasonable, A
c. work guaranteed G. Il. hartman, iii
D. repair shop. % West Vine street.
s' i0l7,19 |
70. Mr.. aud Mrs. William w. Byers
ry Cleveland will arrive In the city +
day to visit over Sunday with MI
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
VISITED IN MiLLERSBURG

BRINKIlAVEN, Oct. I7-Mrs. Lii
lie llibbctts, Mrs. Addie llibbetts and
Hon. and Mrs. Newton Stillwcll OF
Mllcrsburg Wednesday.
The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-18
COUNTY BRIEFS
VISITS RELATIVES

DANVILLE, Oct. 17-Miss Eva Du'
Iladway. who teaches In the public
school at Bowling Green, is home be-
cause of the Spanish influenza cpl
dcmic in the school.