Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-13

Marion, Ills, Nov. 12.-P)-The
airplane and aerial bomb today were
added to armored cars, machine
guns and other novel weapons used
in the southern Illinois gang war
fare between the rival Shelton and
Berger liquor factions.
Flying low over "Shady Rest" a
roadhouse operated by Charley Ber-
ger, gang leader, ten miles east of
Marion. an unidentified aviator
droppded a bomb which failed to
explode.
Seven or eight gangsters then ran
out of the place and began firing
at the plane with rifles and machine
guns as it circled around again and
dropped two more bombs. One was
dud. The other exploded in the
woods, 100 yards from the road
house.
The gnnfre did not find its mark,
the aviator flying away rapidly, to
the north. The attacking plane bore
no marks of Identification, and the
pilot could not be seen clearly from
the ground.
No damage was done by the eX-
plosion but Burger, who was at his
homeIat Harrisburg at the time, was
wrought up over the new method Of
wagifig war against him.
There will be something popping
off here now he told a newspaper
correspondent. "They can't try
that stuff on me. I'll get an air.
plane, If I can, apd I'll use it, too"
Tht air raid apparently was in
reply to AN early morning visit by
alleged Birger gangsters at West
City, near Benton, 20 miles north of
here, where they poured heavy
machine gun and rifle fire into two
houses in a neighborhood freQuented
by the Eheltonites.
One of the houses is occupied by
Gus Adams, and the other is the
home of Mrs. Mary Loughran, an
elderly widow. Both homes have
been described by Burger as Shelton
hangouts and Mayor Joe Adams,
who lives nearby, has admitted that
in the past he has enlisted the aid
of the Sheltonites as protection
against attacks of the Burger clan.
The two Shelton brothers were
arrested by two postoffice inspectors
assisted by the sheriff of Franklin
county. a deputy sheriff and a Unit
ed States marshal.
The Skeletons did not resist.
Their arrest disclosed that they
and another man, whose name has
been withheld. have been indicted
by federal grand jury at Spring
field, Ills. last Tuesday for alleged
completely in the $4,000 robbery of
a postoftice messenger at Coll1nsVllie,
Ills, on January q, 1929.
The Skeletons owe their arrest
largely to Birger. who has openly
charged they committed the Collins
vile robbery. They were taken by
train to East st. Louis where an
order was issued for their removal
to Springfield.
Burger tonight declared that two
men. claiming to beN "Jardown'
Arms and Ray Walker, members or
the Shelton faction. telephoned MN
that they had bombed his place.
One of the men. he said. minated
that there was a message tor MN,
contained in one of the bombs when
did not explode.
II don't care what it said" Biz
ger asserted. IT will send it back to
them and let them read it. IL we
can find the plane that dropped the
bombs. we will bring it back here
for a souvenir.
'My men did not fire on the plane
when it first flew over the road
house because they thought 1t was
a government plane, scouting a new
air mail route, and we never hre
ON the government. The govern
ment knows that If they wanted 10
arrest us. all they would have 10
do would be TO show their ere
dentials."