Evening star., 1926-11-28
Situated the tth Now Reached the Armd Cars and Anrhne Guns State and
Trying 20 Fin Means Overcoming
RfmeT eWheFcm Trouble

I not only Williamson County, but
Franklin and Salina Counties as well.
| A dozen big road houses were running
full blast, some Of them "a hours a
day. Poker and dice Joints operated
! openly and brazenly. Shelton and
Birger. in a powerful combine, were
raking in a goodly portion OF William
son and Franklin Counties $4,000 goo
monthly pay roll.
Then Btrger and Shelton split
over q girl.
| And hell broke lose In Herrin.
1 A few days ago an airpfane swooped
down over Shady Rest. the roadhouse
at which the split had occurred. 1t
swooped a couple Of times and then
some flying thug in the cockpit re-
/ leased three homemade bombs. One
of them exploded with a crash.
In a few seconds the air was filled
with the whistle Of lead and the rat
tat-tat Of machine guns popping from
half dozen different places.
The airplane was part Of the equip
ment Of the Shelton ''mob." The ma
chine guns were in the hands of
Birger henchmen. The battle was but
one of many that have been fought
| as the direct result Of the split over
| the girl OF a vice lord.
Newspapers quoted "Limpy" Birger
| after his roadhouse had been bombed
| from the air:
'I'm going to buy whole damned
| wreck this whole country or drive
| them slzunks fthe Sheltons) from their
| holes"
Poor Herrin. Poor Egypt:
#A 2
! THIS fight is really battle between
ST. Louis and Chicago gangsters
! fought on foreign territory. II is an
incredible situation. I could not be-
| lieve that the present situation could
possibly exist in any section OF the
| United States If I had not seen it
with my own eyes.
! Here is Charles "Lirnpy" Birger.
well-known Chicago gangster. with
! more power in one hand than the
Governor of the State of Illinois has IN
his official seal. Around this vice lord
are gathered the forces OF the dark
world--nlen known to Chicago police
as hired killers. pickpockets, hold-up
men, loft workers, burglars, alcohol
and beer hustlers.
] Here Is Carl Shelton. formerly of
| ST. Louis. Around him are gathered
some of the toughest characters in
| st. Louis and East ST. Louis.
In the hands Of these men are
weapons - pistols. rifles. sawed-off
| shotguns. machine guns, bombs. air
| planes.
Authorities are absolutely poweriess
to stop the numbering. manning.
plundering warfare that has tho two
| counties in grip OF terror.
When I was In Berrin a few weeks
ago a reputed Chicago underworld
character was arrested on a charge
OF murder. There had been a dice
| joint fight and a Siciiian had been
| killed. stabbed in the heart. In the
room at the time Of the fight were
| eight men, all miners. Six Of them
testified that the Chicagoman looked
! like the man who had killed the Sicil-
| ian and fled out back door. Two of
| them positively identified him as tho
slayer. That was at the inquest.
| AT the trial the six first witnesses
testified that they could not identify
him as a slayer. and the two who had
previously identified him retracted
their testimony. and swore that he was
not the man. He was acquitted, and
the next day. / saw him driving the
automobile OF "Limpy" Birger, with
the ex.Chicago beer hustler lolling
| back in the rear cushions like a king
| In all the wars that have srneared