Evening star., 1926-04-14


age. Smith was the only person In
| jured, a bullet having grazed his neck
| His injury was not serious, however.
Following this episode. a call was
sent in for the Illinois National Guard
contingent at Carbondale.
The feeling after the first shooting
| became tense and later in the after
noon, about APO o'clock, the battle
was renewed.
Smith said that he and 10 other
Klansmen were engaged in a conver-
sation outside the Masonic Temple,
when several cars loaded with men,
also 10 in number, pulled up to the
curb, One Of the men got out or
the Ger and started to search him,
ordering him to hold up his hands.
After searching MIN, all of the men
emerged from the automobiles and
started firing at those standing on the
sidewalk outside the Masonic Temple.
The Klansmen returned the fire and
within few minutes five of the men
had been fatally injured and a sixth
killed. The dead man was brought
to a morgue while the others were
taken to the hospital where they died
later. Just before expiring. Ben Size
more said he was positive that he had
killed one Of the antiKlansmen.
Secrecy Shrouds Battle.
Secrecy enshrouds the entire affair
and States Attorney Boswell has
been unable to learn the names or
others who participated in the affair.
ONLY one arrest was made, that or
"Blackie" Arms, but he was released
later after identifying himself as a
deputy sheriff from Marion. He was
arrested originally charged with
speeding.
Boswell said feeling in Herrin was
intense in the county election week
ago and he had asked officials at
Springfield for troops to be sent to
Herrin as precautionary measure
After a conference of otiiciais' now.
ever, Boswell said, it was decided that
the troops were not needed. Disorder
was reported at the school election
last Saturday, the States attorney
declared. He said he anticipated at
that time there would be trouble at
the city election Tuesday, but had
made no request for military protec-
ton.
CHARLES Briggs, one of the men kill
ed. was in the automobile with Joe
Stelcher when the latter was slain In
May Of 1924, the day after S. Glenn
Young and his wife had been am
bushed near East st. Louis. At that
time Briggs was using the name
Brown" as an alias.
Eighty-four guardsmen from Car
bondale and Cairo were patrolling the
streets Of the city, having been called
here after the shooting at the Smith
garage yesterday morning. Company
K arrived from Cairo at $50 pm, and
is making its headquarters at the
Elks Club. The Carbondale con-
tingent arrived few minutes before
the outbreak yesterday afternoon, too
late, however, to prevent the trouble.
Peace Not Permanent.
The latest chapter in Herrin's his
tory of factional warfare came abrupt
ly. engendered by political hatreds.
It was written after citizens OF WI.
hanson County and the country at
large believed that the "hatchet had
been buried"
The supposed permanent peace fol-
lowed religious meetings in Herrin
last Spring, conducted by How
ard S. Williams. with the co-opera.
ton of local clergymen. Members OF
the Klan, anti-Klan union men and
non-union. vets and drys, were said
to have been affected by the meet.
lI1SS anu iIlOAC Il0AA 4SV"V PSASSAAS R~O
fessed faith.
The county was known as Bloody
Williamson" even SO years ago, but
came into new prominence June 22,
1922, % men being killed when non
union workers employed In strip
pit" or surface mine, were attacked.
The disturbances assumed serious
proportions and gained wide noto-
riety early in 1924. In February OF
alleged Klansman, was killed when
the Herrin hospital was riddled with
bullets.
The next high spot came on May
12. when S. Glenn Young, Klansman
and liquor raider. and his wife were
wounded when their automobile was
fired upon near Okawville. Young
was wounded in the leg and Mrs.
Young was shot in the face. She later
lost her eyesight from the wound.
On July l Jack Skelcher, one Of
the alleged attackers of the Youngs,
was killed in Herrin when he re.
sisted arrest.
Seven Killed i'm August.
Seven men, including members Of
both KIan and anti-Klan forces, were
killed in fighting which occurred
August 80. when Sheriff George Gal
ligan and his men attempted to seize
the automobile in which Young and
his wife were riding. The car was
in a Herrin garage.
Young, around whom much OF the
trouble centered, was killed January
a., 1925, when, with a group OF fol-
lowers, he shot it OUT with Deputy
Sheriff Ora Thomas and several COM
panions. Thomas and two others died
in the spectacular gun battle, which
was staged in the lobby Of the Euro
pean Hotel as guests and other non
combatants scurried for safety.
Following Young's death, the situa-
ton remained tense for some months,
but gradually the leaders Of the con-
tending groups attempted to enter
into agreements, designed to- elimin-
ate further trouble.
On several occasions State troops
patrolled the streets Of Herrin, sent
l.. f~~,-l \ a.