On January 8th, 1924, Williamson County Sheriff George Galligan requested of then Governor Len Small to send in the Illinois Nation Guard troops to ensure order. Galligan stated that the raids performed by S. Glenn Young and his Ku Klux Klan counterparts had assumed the proportions of mob violence and was afraid the raiders’ actions would create another mob. Young had recently been raiding personal homes and businesses and was said to be beating up people and officials and stealing money and property.
At a trial, held on this day, Young was on trial for assault charges filed by Paul Carter, the manager of a Marion clothing store. It was alleged that Young and his raiding crew had gone to raid the B.B. Tea Room owned by Mrs. Gears several nights ago. Since she had just closed, she refused admittance to the raiding party. When Carter exited the business, Young knocked Carter down and according to Carter, he was beaten by Young and the others.
Young attended his trial dressed in his full regalia of armament and during the trial, members of his raiding partner who were to be present as witnesses, showed up with Browning machine guns.
Additional charges against Young and his form of justice had been filed by Hosea Cagle who owned an amusement park just west of Marion (Old Marion Golf Course). Cagle alleged that the raiding party had stolen $7,000 worth of jewelry and money from his property in the course of the raid.
The following article from January 9th gives a sense of how well the request for troops was received.
Williamson Turns on Sheriff
Bankers, Ministers Hold Protest Meeting; Will Ask Troops Removal
Chief Executive Officer Responsible for Militia Said To Be Suffering of Anything from Mumps to Delerium Tremens—S. Glenn Young Claims He Has Evidence of Bribery Against Galligan—District Is Quiet–”Flaming Circle” Dead—Even Bootleggers Disgusted and Angry—Glenn Comes Clear
(United Press)
Marion, Ill., Jan. 9—The following resolution was presented to Adjutant General Black Wednesday morning following the meeting of the Marion Ministerial Alliance, held at the First Christian Church:
“Adjutant General Black, City.
“At a meeting of the Marion Ministerial Alliance, Mayor J.H. Clarida and Chief of Police Shaffer sitting with them, unanimously decided that we feel when you have made a thorough investigation of the conditions in Williamson County, you will find there is no further need for troops and that you will recommend their removal, as we believe no condition exists to justify the sheriff in making the request for them.”
A.M. Stickney, Pres. Ministerial Alliance, L.H. Knight, Secretary
At a meeting of businessmen held at the Citizen’s Bank, at which reporters for the city papers were in attendance, Mayor Clarida expressed the opinion there was no need for troops, Adjutant General Black was conferred with following the meeting.
Italians Appeal to Consuls
Herrin, Ill., Jan. 9 – A Herrin newspaper yesterday printed a report that Italian consuls in St. Louis and Chicago had been asked by some of the many Italian citizens here to come here to take action in the threatened trouble over prohibition enforcement.
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Marion, Ill., Jan. 9 – Marion and other Williamson County towns are indignant today over the bringing of troops into the county by Governor Len Small under the appeal of Sheriff George Galligan.
Everything was quiet in the county seat of Williamson County and citizens generally, those demanding enforcement of the prohibition laws and those breaking the laws, were laughing at the bringing of the soldiers and criticizing the actions generally of the sheriff.
One story goes that Sheriff Galligan is “pretending” at being sick. Others are reported to have said the sheriff has delirium tremens. People who called on him yesterday afternoon were told that he was suffering with tonsillitis. Major W.P. Greaney of Cairo, in charge of the three companies of militia, went to call on the sheriff following his arrival in Marion Tuesday night. When he entered the bed chamber of the sheriff, it is stated, the sheriff told him he had the mumps. With this the Major backed out of the room.
Leaders of both sides were said to be active Wednesday in condemning the actions of the sheriff.
Prominent Citizens Protest
A meeting of bankers, ministers and other leading citizens was called at the Christian Church Wednesday morning. At this meeting a protest will be made to Governor Small, advising him there is no need for troops. A formal protest was phoned to Governor Small Tuesday afternoon, but too late to have any effect.
S. Glenn Young, who was acquitted in a justice court Tuesday night of an assault charge, state Wednesday morning that he had evidence against the sheriff charging bribery. Young is said to have stated that Galligan was afraid of his “own skin,” hence was keeping himself in bed behind locked doors, and issued the sick bed call for the troops.
Marion 80 Per Cent Dry
A meeting of leading citizens was held Tuesday evening at which time metropolitan newspaper correspondents were called into conference. The newspaper men were told that Marion itself was 80 per cent dry and that the city could attend to its own prohibition enforcement. They were also told that 265 raids were made during the last few weeks.
The bootleggers are said to be criticizing the actions of the county officials. The “Flaming Circle”, which was said to have been composed of bootleggers and others opposed to the Ku Klux Klan is “dead”, they said. The Ku Klux Klan is said to be active in the prosecution of the raids, some of the raiders openly declaring they are Klansmen.
First Troops for Dry Cause (United Press)
Marion, Ill., Jan. 9 – One hundred and twenty five young men with bayonets, in olive drab of the Illinois Nation Guard, today opposed the reported threat of a whiskey rebellion in Williamson County.
After a sleep in the court house here, three companies of the guardsmen who arrived last night at 8:30 on orders of Adjutant General Carlos Black, were ready for guard duty or martial law.
The third company from Salem was sent to Herrin.
This is the first time troops have been called out as the result of efforts to enforce the prohibition of laws in the Unites States.
General Black, who arrived at 3 a.m., after an all-night journey from Springfield, was deciding what steps to take to quiet the tense situation which climaxed when Sheriff George Galligan, from a sick bed, penned a telegram to Governor Len Small declaring the situation had approached the riot stage and was out of control.
The guardsmen from the surrounding towns of Salem, Mt. Vernon and Cairo, under command of Major W.P. Greaney of Cairo arrived last night by train. They dis-entrained, silently marched through the streets past crowds of several thousands of persons, and unrolled their bed rolls in the big court room on the second floor of the court house.
Young Says Troops Will Go
S. Glenn Young, leading the dry raiding parties, was acquitted last night at 6:20 by a jury of five in justice court of the assault charge brought by Paul Corder whom he knocked down Saturday night after an argument over the raids. Young today declared the troops would be withdrawn soon “as there is no reason for their being here.” Young said he had told Governor Small about it over the phone, and that the executive had promised to withdraw the troops.
Warrants were sworn out last night by Hosea Cagle, proprietor of an amusement park which was raided Saturday night, charging four men who were acting as deputies in the raid, with theft of $700 in jewelry and money from his home. The four men are said to be from West Frankfort.
Arlie Boswell, attorney for Glenn Young told the newspaper men in Marion today of the dramatic situation of the two machine guns brought into the court house during the trial of Young. He said the deputies used the portable Brownings in their raid, and were summoned to attend the trial as they were returning from and early morning raid. They stopped in the court house and leaned the guns against the wall of the court room.
Sheriff Reiterates Need of Troops
Marion, Ill., Jan. 9 – Sheriff Galligan at noon gave out another statement declaring he had called the militia “because I thought it necessary to protect life and property in Williamson County.
I state without fear of successful contradiction that this is not entirely a booze war.
Religious and racial hatred play an equal part in view of certain things that have occurred in this county. I do not intend to have a repetition of them.”
Sam’s Notes: Only 2 day later, just when Galligan was about to fold and release the troops, Young was responsible for burning down two buildings. On the 11th, he persecuted young Italians in Herrin and on the 12th of January, John Layman, a representative of Sheriff Galligan met with Sam Stearns, the KKK Grand Cyclops in Herrin, tentatively reeling Young in.
Two of the militia companies were released on January 15th, leaving only the Salem company in Herrin, which was released a couple of days later. Unfortunately, it was long from being over and they would be back.
(The Daily Independent, Murphysboro, Illinois, January 9, 1924)