Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-06-16
REV. SIMMONS ATTACKED
AFTER ESCAPING
KIDNAPERS
NOW IN HOSPITAL
HEAD, FACE AND BODY BAT.
TERED AFTER LEAPlNG FROM
CAPTORs' TOMOBiLE-DRAG
GED FROM PORCH or LONE m
WIFE's PRESENCE.

La Sale, H., June lG.-(Special
Correspondence - Attacked and
beaten by three men, who seized him
on the porch of his home, where ne
and his wife were sitting, Rev. w j.
Il. Simmons, pastor OF the Baptist
church, lao night was so badly in
jured he was removed to The Peoples
hospital in La Sale, whore he con.
tinues a patient today.
Reinforced by crowd estimated 9t
figures vary from twenty to hun
dred, the trio, who are said to have
Crept stealthily over the parsonage
porch at the corner Of Third and Gut
ting streets. dragged the minister
from the steps and rushed him TO an
automobile which had drawn up 2t
the curb and threw him in the ma
chine. The driver, who haI sat alone
in the car, threw the engine into high
and started away at top speed. Tb"
clergyman shook himself free Of his
captors and jumped to the pavement.
dragging one OF the assailtants with
him As he ran back to the house -
escape the wrath Of his pursuers his
flight was intercepted b" another gang
of men, who it is reported, appeared
from the rear of the home.
Beaten Almost to nsensibIity.
Laying onto the pastor, the others
beat him until he Is said to have
fallen dazed to the ground Police
men appearing on Tia" scene about this
time beat off the crowd and compelled
them to quit their attack. simmons,
when he arose. demanded the arrest
OF his assaIlGnts. The officer is re.
ported to have guaranteed to arres,
any and all OF the crowd, providing
Rev. Simmons went to the station u
sign complaints against the men aud
women in the crowd. This he refused
to do
Seeing that the victim was in neeG
of medical attention, the police rush
cd the preacher to the Peoples hes
pital, whore a physician found his
head face and body badly bruised and
battered A trained nurse was as
signed the case after the doctor had
given out a statement that he COul /
not forecast the outcome of Rev. Sim
mons injuries until after he had more
time to give the patient thorough
examination.
Defies "Banishment' Order.
The attack on Rev simmons, who's
employment of a socalled monk to
deliver an oratOrical TRADE against
the Catholic church and its leaders.
resulted in his being twice before at
tackled by angry crowds and ordered
to leave La Sale never to return, oc.
cured at S:0j o'clock. Together with
Mrs Simmons he was on the porch #
their home, passing a quiet hour be.
fore retiring for the night Mrs, Sim
mons, the police learned, was facing
the direction from whence the three
men appeared over the side of tn"
porch and cried to her husband to
run, fearing a plot against Mr., Sim
mons life was being matured in h"
presence.
Simmons jumped up and tried to
reach the front door, but before he
could get that far the trio blocked thr
way, seized him roughly and dragged
him toward the curb.
About this time the auto appeared
and drew up alongside the parsonage
Simmons was thrown into the car AMI
started toward the east. No mention
was made of what the destination was
or what the trio intended doing with
him. The auto proceeded only a
short distance when the captive shook
himself free and leaped from the auto
to the street. dragging one of the men
with him, Simmons, a powerful man
Of large stature, then hurled the man
who clung to him to the street and
started for the house, only to be
caught by the gang that appeared
from the rear. The worst of the beat.
ing given Mr.. Simmons occurred just
before the police arrived to dispel the
rapidly forming crowd.
Attacked Twice Before.
Twice before Rev Simmons was
subjected to attacks of this kind, the
latest before last nights episode re
sulting in his being badly manhan-
died and fleeing to Peru for protec.
tion. He demanded of the sheriff that
he be given protection, and Sheriff
Ayers, with deputies. went to La Sale
to guard against a recurrence of the
trouble in event another attempt was
made to beat Simmons.
It is reported that Rev. Simmons,
in defiance of the order banishing him
from La Sale under penalty of phys
ical pain should he return, returned
to the city some days ago and has
been occupying the parsonage with his
family.