The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-04-19
BIRGER, gang
Leader, dies
ON GALLONS
Notorious Gunman Pays by
Moose for Murder of
Illinois Mayor.
HEAVY GUARD AT SCENE
ThrOng Mills Around Jail as
Criminal Goes to
His Doom.
By United Press

By United Press
BENTON. ILL.,, April 19-Charlie
Birger, one of the most colorful
gang leaders of southern Illinois,
died on the gallows at 9:51 a. m. to-
day, charged with conspiring the
murder of Mayor Joe Adams of West
City.
"Its a beautiful world" Birger
said as he walked alone up the thir-
teen steps of the gallows and looked
out on the crowd.
Just before Phil Hanna, the White
County hangman, stepped up to adj
just the moose and black head mask,
Birger waved his hand to man in
the crowd and said: Good by, Doc"
Then he asked:
"Where is the hangman?"
Hanna stepped up, and in his
characteristic manner sought quiz
etly to apologize to the doomed man
for the duty he was about to per-
form.
"That's all right; you don't have
to apologize for anything. I have
nothing against anyone in the world
any more"
A moment later Hanna rapidly
adjusted the moose, and at 9:51 the
trap was sprung, sending Charley
Birger TO the fate he openly defed
for years and then mocked when
placed in prison.
Thousands at Scene
More than a thousand persons
we're gathered outside the county
Jail as Birger walked to the gallows
the last man to die in Illinois by
that method. One hundred special
deputy sheriffs-picked for their
ability as marksmen-patrolled the
street and mingled with the crowd
as the hour for the hanging drew
near.
Birger, known as the machine gun
gangster of the coal fields, was ac-
cused of plotting the death of Mayor
Joe Adams of West City. Adams
was shot down on the front porch
Of his home during one of the many
bitter gangster wars of the area.
With the Solace of a Jewish rabbi
who conferred with him in his cell
and the roped-off Franklin County
Jail, Birger appeared in marked con-
traSt to the profane man who dis
rupted his final legal appeal Tues
day, sanity hearing.
FOrgives Everybody
Birger was represented by Rabbi
j. H. Mazur as being in wonder
full spiritual condition" The rabbi
added that Birger forgave all who
had participated in his prosecu-
ton.
Throughout the night Birger re-
fused to sleep, but sat up talking
with county officials, jailers and
newspaper men. At 2:30 he called
for glass Of lemonade.
Previously he had been shaved
and given haircut at his own re-
quest. He was supplied with new,
freshly pressed blue serge suit for
the hanging
Only about 500 holders of tickets
issued by Sheriff James S. Pritchard
were permitted entrance to the
fenced-off stockade.
With his death less than an hour
away, Birger sat in his cell, joking
lightly with relatives and friends.
Outside the Jail the raucous voice
of newsboys could be heard shout
ing "The life of Charley Birger, Is
cents"
An undertaker's hearse, with a
morgue slab for Birger's body lying
on the ground by its side, was
parked outside the stockade. His
nephew, Nathan Birger, said the
body would be taken to st. Louis
for burial.
Convicted of Conspiracy
Birger was convicted of con-
spiracy in the murder of Mayor Joe
Adams of West City, ILL.,, shot to
death at the door of his home by
two of Birger's gangsters, Harry
and Elmo Thomasson.
Mayor Adams, it was said, had
sided with the Shelton gang, rivals
of the Birger gang.
Twice during the last week, his
jailers divulged today, Birger at
tempted to commit suicide, once by
hanging and once by taking poison.
In both instances he was discovered
by guards.
Until day before yesterday, when
his sanity hearing ended, there had
been hope of saving Birger's life.
His attorney, Robert E. Smith, who
had appealed twice to the Supreme
Court without success, had won the
sanity hearing two days before the
gang lord was to have been hanged
on Friday, April 13.
But after hearing only few min
utes of weak testimony from the
only man the defense had called to
prove it's contention that Birger was
insane, the jury retired and re-
turned in twelve minutes with a
verdict which closed the last avenue
of legal appeal. 1t found no indi-
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