Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-04
Killings Over. Troops Keep
Seething Factions From
Open War-Glenn Young's
Khan Raids Blamed
BY l.. C. OWENS
bI u. 2. wv EMS
Copyright 1924, by the Consolidated Press
Associa tion-Special Leased Wire

Associa tion-special Leased Wire
to The Atlanta Journal)
HERRIN, Ill, Sept. Bloody
Williamson county today is again in
it's old familiar role-the killings
over, but factions torn by bitter ha-
tired kept peaceful only through the
intervention Of hardened troops,
here on their third invasion Of the
year.
This worst Of Williamson county
feuds-and williamson county has
had feuds since before the Civil war.
when Kentucky mountaineers took
up their abode here's the out
growth of the rast winters free-for
all liquor raiding parties conducted
by the Ku kluX Khan. The specter
of S. Glenn Young, free lance law
enforcer and his army of raiders still
haunts the district.
These klansmen, followers of
Young, have tho bitterest hatred for
their county's law enforcement Off
GER, Sheriff George Galligan, the
other personality in this incipient
civil war. Young has gone, taken
from the payroll, of the khan, where
he drew $1,000 per raid few months
ago, but Galligan remains to rankle
the klansmen, now without a fight
ing leader.
Peace Came, But Went
Peace presumably had come to
the district six months ago when,
after the killing of Constable Gaze
sar eagle, khan leader, troops occu-
pied the district for a month while
business and professional men OF
the county worked out a plan for
law and order. 1t was then thai
Young left the. klan's employ and
Sheriff GalligIl took on three new
deputy sheriffs, efficient men, ne-
ther members Of the khan nor of
the Flaming Circle, the counter-or-
ganization.
But the hatred smouldered. The
sheriff tried to get rid of his non
partisan deputies. The Shelton boys,
who the khan was convinced killed
Constable eagle, were freed last Sat
urday while at the same time
charges were pressed against Young,
and<bonds of $42 900, held by klans-
men, ordered forfeited.
The sheriff attempted to tamper
with this finder box of trouble and
killing resulted. 1t was the old.
old Williamson county story-armed
men looking for trouble and find
ing it,
Sheriff Galligan, now safely en-
trenched in the county jail at Mari
on, leaving law enforcement to the
troops, has seen great deal of his
county's troubles. His official career
started after the Herrin massacre.
June %, 1922, when twenty-one non
union miners were slaughtered when
they surrendered after attempting
to break the strike at the Southern
Illinois Coal Mining company's slip
mine near here. He was elected by
the labor vote for his activities at
that time.
Staying Now the Code
Then moonshining prospered in
the county and the ground work
was laid for the present trouble
trouble that no one here thinks can
be settled so long as law enforce
ment is in the hands Of either klans-
men or their opponents. Raiding re.
suited, with hundreds of moonshin-
ers taken in by spectacular scouting
parties, conducted by Glenn Young
on warrants issued by Caesar eagle.
This khan activity brought into be-
ing the knights of the Flaming Cir.
Gle, organizedS by Ora Thomas, now
Galligan-appointed deputy sheriff,
and one of those wounded in this
latest killing affair.
Staying since then has come to be
the code here. Suspicion and hatred
rule men. Moving of the troops was
a signal for the attempted killing
of Glenn Young and his wife, both
of whom were wounded. Then came
the killing of the supposed would
be assasSins of the khan leader.
The writer, during the disturbance
last January, was a dinner guest of
Sheriff Galligan at the county Jail.
the most pretentious building in the
county. Ora Thomas was there as a,
DEPUTY sheriff and head Of the
Knights of the Flaming Circle. Both
were loaded down with guns, the
sheriff, though, was Wilted after his
kidnapping by klansmen. He said
that only mistake in signals had
saved him from being murdered dur
ing his midnight ride through south
ern Illinois to the Springfield Jail.
He told of being tortured. His fight
was against the khan.
The same bitterness prevails on
both sides. Killing is talked of free
~ by members of both factions.
There seems little prospect of peace
until there is a general change in
county officials, with control taken
from both hands of partisans and
given into the hands of the business
element.