The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-02-15

ian colony and other foreign groups
in this district are large and these
groups are notoriously opposed 70
Americanized standards of life, citi-
zenship and law enforcement. It is
from this class that Sheriff GalligaL,
Ora Davis, and other leaders of the
corruption Ring recruited confed-
crates and selected their "hootch" re-
ta:lers. Some Of these men have
"iaid off" from work in a futile effort
to keep in touch with their imprison-
ed chiefs. They are the so called
strikers"
It is the concensus of opinion ex-
pressed to me by a score of represeu.
tative men, including non-Klansmen
as well as members of that patriotic
organization, that eighty-fve per cent
Of the total population of Williamson
county is in entire sympathy and ac-
cord with Mr.. Young's cleanup pro-
gram and will support movement to
make that stalwart officer sheriff of
the county as soon as Galigan is
convicted Of murder or removed from
Office.
With the best citizens, organized
for the first time in the cause of civic
righteousness and law enforcement,
determined to end the lawlessness
that has existed here under mayoral
regimes, Herrin and Williamson scoun-
ty face the future with the convic-
tion that even in the coal fields Amer
icanism shall triumph.
Discover Murder Plot
The conditions that forced William
son county's best citizens to enforce
the laws laughed at by the despera-
dos in public Office spawned many
sinister plots and desperate deeds,
but even the infamous miners mass
acre of eighteen months ago was not
so cold-blooded in its lawlessness as
was the conspiracy that resulted in
the staying of Constable eagle, the
kidnapping of Chief of Police John
Ford, his assistant Harold Crane, and
the attempted assassination of Law
Enforcer Young, Sam S.erns, Exalt-
ed Cyclops of the Marion Klan, A-e
Hicks, Police Magistrate, John White
side, Herrin business man and clean
up leader. The failure of the con-
spirators to murder all of these
marked men" is attributed by Young
to "a loss of nerve at the last min
ute" on the part of the gang leaders
who weakened when "Cagle pitched
forward ON his face when shot in the
back"
Constable eagle was killed Friday
evening, February 9Th. With his
wife he was attending funct o |,
given in her honor, at the Masonic
hall. His small son was down town
where he had been observed by the
enemy. When the youngster started
home he was stopped and directed to
60 to the Masonic hall and inform his
father that "There is trouble down
at the Rome club over the jefferson
saloon. Come at once" The inno-
cent child delivered the message to
his father. Constable eagle, good Of
ficer that he was, responded to the
call. AS he approached the entrance
to the saloon he was met by a gang
of men, one Of whom struck him in
the face. As he fell he was shot
twice by other members of the gang,
and died on the sidewalk like dog.
While this tragedy was being en-
acted similar message was sent to
Chief of Police Ford. He with Assist
ant Chief Crane, responded and up
on entering the "Rome" club, meet
ing place of the notorious. "Flaming
Circle" gang, the gangsters opened
fire upon them, disarmed and cap
tured them. During the shooting,
John Layman, Chief Deputy Sheriff
and one of the inmates of the resort
was wounded.
Law Enforcer Young, with a num-
ber of his aides, returning to Herrin
from Marion, the county seat, to ar
rest the murderers and quell the ex-
citement was ambushed from the
roadside. A volley of rifle shots
was poured into the automobile oc-
cupied by his party. That the party
escaped is due to the fact that they
rode in a new automobile which had
just been presented to Young by he
citizens of Williamson county as a
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