Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-02-04
GLENN YOUNG SLAIN
IN HERR|N BATTLE
Rum Foe, Ora Thomas and
Two Others Killed
Troops on Guard.

Herrin, Ill.-Four bodies lie in the
morgues here while this murder-rid-
den little center of bloody William
son county draws its first inapprehen-
sive breath in months National
Guardsmen from Carbonate are pa
trolling the streets.
The quick trigger finger of S. Glenn
Young, one-time paid raider of the
Ku klux ana more recently individual
crusader against booze, is stilled. So
also are the dexterous index fingers
of Ora Thomas, deputy sheriff, gam
bier and bootlegger. Young's sworn
and Only feared enemy.
Herrin, while these two lie in sep
arate morgues, awaiting the inquest,
is as always, quiet when the soldiers
are here. Two other bodies lie in the
morgue with Young They are those
of Ed Forbes, his chief lieutenant,
and Homer Warner klansman.
Both Died as They Wished.
The meeting of Young and Thomas
in front of the European hotel on the
main street here abou ten O'Clock at
night was spectacular and colOrful.
Thomas had sent word that he was
coming back to Herrin after an alb
sence. Young heard about it, strapped
on his siX-shooter, and paraded the
streets with his thumbs hooked char
acteristically in his vest pockets just
above the heavy pistol butts.
While the rival leaders were en-
gagged in a mutual hunt, a shot was
fired from an alley. Ross Lizenby,
Herrin policeman and klansman, said
the shot was fired by Thomas and
directed at him.
Thomas, he said had been toward
the European hotel, the front of which
is occupied by the Bioni barber shop
and cigar store, headquarters of anti
klansmen. Young and his followers
started for the hotel.
Forbes First to Die.
Thomas was seen outside it. Sud-
denly a shot was fired. 1t killed
Forbes. The supporters of the khan
claim it was fired from an upper story
of the hotel. The klansmen claim the
wound, from the top of head down
ward, proves he was shot from above
The anti-klanSmen assert the Young
forces fired first; that he shot at
Thomas while in the street. Thomas,
seeing himself outnumbered, retreated
still facing his foes and firing. into
the Bioni store.
Dung, with the others at his heels,
stormed into the place after him.
Thomas was crouched behind the
counter, blazing away with revolver
in each hand.
Just as he entered the door Young
fell dead, bullet through his shoulder
and another through his heart. War
rem fell fatally wounded.
Last of all Thomas sank to his
knees shot through the chest. One of
the men he had shot is said is have
sent the fatal bullet while lying on the
floor.
Behind the shooting lay the hatred
bred between the two men while
Young was paid raid leader of the
Au AluA Mill VI NHlldlIlSOu COuuty z.
Young led the klansmen on hundreds
of raids, had his men and himself dep
utiZed, seized great quantities of wine
and liquor, and made hundreds of ar
rests.
Thomas was an avowed hater of the
khan, the open enemy of all klansmen
and of Young in particular. Thomas
was originally coal miner, but with
the coming of prohibition was said to
have drifted by his proclivities and
his hardness with the pistols into
bootlegging and beer running, and
thus, while he was unsympathetic with
the khan and Young's activities, had
more selfish reasons for his hatred of
the dry raid leader.
Some months ago khan and anti-klan
leaders met and arranged a truce, one
of the terms of which was that both
S. Glenn Young and Ora Thomas leave
Williamson county and stay away for
good. Both men agreed. Young broke
that truce first; then Thomas broke it,
also.