Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20
Special Dispatch to The Star.

| HERRTN, Ill, July 19 (N.A.N.Ao.-
Since 2 gangsters were hanged IN THIS
neighborhood two years ago and ID were
sent to the penitentiary there has not
been killing or crime of violence IN
the community.
Bloody Williamson" County has laid
away its guns and revolvers and Is try
| ing to build peace on the foundation
of the golden rule.
For five years before those hangings
this county was overridden by rival
| bands of booze runners, Bookkeeping
gangs and armed and hooded mobS.
The shadow of bitterness, strife, muir
der and fear hung over the whole
county.
Sixty Men Killed in Five Years.
In that 5 years so men were done to
death with bullets, bludgeons, knives
and bombs, and many more fell with
| fearful wounds. Herrin, commercial
and industrial center of the county, was
an armed camp. Battles were fought in
its streets and its red annals were writ
| zen in big headlines across the first
pages of the newspapers OF this land.
But Herrin has been of the front
pages for the last two years.
AS ] stuck a finger into old bullet
holes in store fronts merchants came
sauntering out to smile and talk con-
| tentedly, for peace and prosperity now
reign in Herrin.
What worked this change and quelled
those passions? Hal w. Trovillion, edi-
! tor of the Herrin News, who saw 1t all,
| gave the following answer:
First, we held an old-fashioned re-
vival of religion and persuaded God to
come back to Herrin. Then we hanged
q couple of gangsters and sent ID more
to the penitentiary. Since then we have
had peace here. Love and law rule
where once were hate and strife and
murder"
The county got its name, Bloody
| Williamson" 20 years ago. 1t was set
| tied by families from the mountains
of Virginia, Tennessee and the Caro-
linas, who brought their feudS and
guns with them.
The region then gave O niggardly
return to its farmers and the county
was poor until 40 years ago, when coal
twas discovered. Riches and new towns
sprang up. Thirty years ago o corn
field lay where now Is Herrin, with
1000 people.
Strike Breaker Shot Down.
Eight years ago the miners struck.
One owner, defying the strikers, put a
barricade around his mine and brought
strike breakers from Chicago. 1t was
a strip mine" and the men had to
work in the open. Strikers showered
| them with bullets.
| At last a truce was called, but when
| the men came out a mob marched them
| to a grove and shot and dubbed ~ to
death and wounded "a.
No man was ever punished for those
murders.
In elections that followed men were
t. Hx,1an fNlAdOAH
not to probe the massacre or trouble
any one who took part in it. Those
officials connived at violations of the
prohibitory and other laws. William
son County became a nest Of rum run
ners, bootleggers and gamblers.
Four churches organized the Ku Klux
Klan and brought 8. Glenn Young from
Kentucky where he had been pro-
hibition enforcement of1icer. He arrived
in Herrin with a rife in the crook Of
his elbow and two Six-shooters strapped
to his hips. In his first raid Of liquor
joints he rounded up rs men.
Reign Of Terror Began.
The county divided into new groups.
The Knights of the Flaming Circle
arose to combat the Khan, led by Young
The guns began to bark. A reign of
terror began. Troops came in, banished
Young restored quiet and went away,
but the bootlegging gangs remained.
Men were killed from ambush, and in
a street battle in Herrin seven were
killed. The troops came again, quelled
the riots and departed.
Young returned with his six-shooters.
He was an understood, thin-lipped man
who looked like Napoleon and was with
out fear. Ora Thomas, by then q
deputy sheriff, became leader of the
anti-Klan forces. January "a, 1925,
Thomas and Young met in q store and
killed each other and two other men.
AT the inquest for Thomas the court
room bristled with weapons.
Into that armed court room went the
widow of Ora Thomas, a brave Chris
| tan woman, member of the Baptist
her cheeks, she pleaded that members
OF the churches lay down their guns
and take up their Bibles.
Five hundred men in this town alone
have taken out permits to carry re-
volvers, and many of them are members
OF the churches" she said.
We live in an atmosphere of hate
and fear. On that road we can have
only more hate, more assassinations,
more widows, more orphans, more of
condemnation from the outside world.
|
to the old-time religion of Jesus
Christ"
Editor Summons Evangelist.
In that court room audience sat
Trovillion, the editor, and the words of
the widow came to him as an inspira-
ton. In Cairo, Ill, an evangelist, How
ard S. Williams, was nearing the close
of successful revival meeting. To him
the editor wrote a letter 1t outlined
the troubles of Herrin, "a town that
God has forgotten or deserted Alto
| gether," and told how the churches
were preaching vengeance. And he then
urged Williams to come and undertake
the towns redemption.
| The evangelist came. They built
him tabernacle that would seat 5000
and for six weeks it was filled each
night and he preached the gospel of
brotherly love. Each noon a meeting
was held and all business houses closed