Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-16
and so be allowed to carry on their
propaganda unhindered.
WAS LOYAL AMERICAN
No Evidence Against the German Who
Was lynehed in Illinois.

No Evidence Against the German Whe
Was lynehed in Illinois.
\ request that his body he wrapped
in the American flag formed the last
words OF Robert B. Prayer. hanged
here by n mob early last Friday. ac'
cording to testimony before the cor
| nncr's inquest by Joseph Ricgel. II was
said tonight by persons who were
present at the inquiry which was held
/ behind closed doors. says n dispatch
of Wednesday from Collinsville. Ill.
Ricgcl. according to these persons
admitted he was a leader OF the mob
Prayer was hoisted in the air by
boys from l2 to Is years old, Riegel is
said to have testified. He Is declared
10 have said that Prayer denied that
he was a spy or that he had boarded
powder with the purpose Of blowing
up the Maryville mine. Riegel. II is
said. paid a tribute to Prayers brav-
cry. declaring that the latter never
shed tear except when he kissed the
flag. and that he did not beg for
mercy.
Riegel made a confession early today
TO a ST. Louis newspaper man. and
persons present at the inquest assert
cd tonight that Riegcl had reiterated
before the jury every detail mention
ed in his statement to the reporter.
According to Riegers alleged state
mcnt to the newspaper man. he said
he was in q Collinsville saloon at 10.l5
o'clock Thursday night when a police
came in and ordered the place closed.
explaining that disturbance was
feared.
"'rhc mayor came out and made a
speech and tried TO get us to go away
the confession said. "He declared the
man was gone. ] asked whether he
would allow United States army
man to go in and see, and | showed
him my army discharge papers.
He told me to come on in. which ]
did, and the crowd followed. If we
had found the man in the cell we
would not have bothered him, but II
made us angry to feel that the police
had sneaked him away. We went
outside. surrounded the place and de-
cided to look again.
Another man and ! went into the
cellar and found Prayer hiding In a
pile of tiles. He came out and we
grabbed him and led him out"
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 twenty
minutes regarding his alleged pro-
Gcrmanism.
I'VE asked him II he was q German
spy and If he had tried to blow up the
Maryville mine. and why he did not
keep his date at Edwardsville with
Nose Johnson. He denied he was q
spy and that he boarded powder"
S.<g.eSars starS then lproceeds:
Somebody tied the trope around
Prayers neck and several boys from
II to 16 years old pulled him up. His
hands were not tied and he grabbed
the rope. They let him down and we
said, Now are you going to tell wheth-
er anybody Is mixed up with you"
We told him we were going to kill him
II he didn't tell everything.
HE said his parents were living and
that he wanted to write to them. He
also said he had three partners, but
refused to tell their names.
"All the time the crowd kept getting
more excited and angry. Some one
shouted: We'll, II he won't come in
with anything, string him up a boy
produced a handkerchief and his hands
were tied. might have been the man
who did the tying. / was drunk.
Just as we were about to string
him up Prayer said: All right, boys.
go ahead and kill me, but wrap me in
the flag when you bury me-
Then they pulled the rope.
HE was the bravest man ever saw.
He never shed a tear except when he
kissed the flag and did not once beg
for mercy"
The inquest was continued tonight
in an attempt to conclude II by to-
morrow night. No arrests will he
made until after the inquest, accord
ing to w. f. TrautmaEn, assistant at
torncy general of Illinois.
Five Men Held.
Collinsville, ILL.,. April 1.-THE cor
oners jury. which investigated the
lynching here last Friday of Robert
p. Prayer alleged German sympathiz-
cr, at the close Of the inquest tonight
recommended that five men he held.
charged with murder In connection
with the hanging.
The men ordered held are: Joseph
Riegel, Wesley Beaver, Richard Dukes.
Jr., Enid Gilmore and William Brock
mier.
After having been In deliberation
since e:3O this afternoon the coroners
jury tonight brought in a verdict that
Prayer was hanged by n mob" and
recommended that the men named be
held charged with Prayers murder.
Warrants Immediately were prepared
by Coroner Lowe.
Wesley Beaver. a saloon porter. was
the first man placed under arrest.
Beaver testified at the inquest. but
was reported to have denied he had
any part in the lynching save that he
carried flag two blocks as Prayer was
being marched to his death.
Such testimony as has been made
public has made but slight mention OF
Dukes, Gilmore and Brockmier. All arc
miners. According to the statement by
Mayor Siegel, Dukes was in the crowd
that gathered at the city hall where
Prayer was hidden.
The inquest opened last Monday and
all sessions have been secret. It was
reported yesterday by persons who at
tended the hearing that Riegel. one OF
the men held, had confessed he was
leader Of the mob which hanged Pra-