Klan Influence In Williamson County
Cyclops Paper
The Klan was very influential in Williamson County, in November 1922 seventeen men walked in the First Christian Church on Sunday morning in full Klan regalia, hoods up and everything. But what they didn’t know was this wasn’t going to be the last time these men would wreak havoc on their day to day lives. The Klan had a severe prejudice for immigrants and took up residence in small towns in southern Illinois. Williamson County was the perfect place for them. They led residents to believe that they were respectable and wholesome. One of their key quotes was they wanted people to think they were just trying to be “100% American” of which I will inform you how they are nothing but the opposite.
When the Klan invaded Herrin …show more content…
they were there to supposedly stop the illegal acts of alcohol being produced and even sent in Kleagle’s to scout the area to see if it would be a good place for the Klan to be. The Protestant church was the perfect alliance for them to gain popularity and get members to join their Klan. And that is exactly what they did, ministers were under their belt and supported them at any cost. Bootlegging was dominating southern Illinois in 1923, and Glen Young played a huge part in the Klan’s force. Young was clearly unhappy with what the law enforcement was doing to stop bootlegging and took it upon himself to “clean up” Williamson county. The Sheriff at the time, Galligan, detested Young.
Raids were started by the deputized “officers” who really were Klan members in Marion, Murphysboro, Herrin and Carbondale. They made several arrests which totaled up to 256 in the matter of two days! But in March of 1923 the Grand Jury of Williamson County found that the raids were unfair, the Klan used excessive force, beating people and imprisoned them secretly. After the raids in December of 1923 Wallace Bandy, a Klansman, was picked up on a warrant. This started a riot at the Herrin Hospital that caused several injuries and even deaths. Sheriff Galligan called in the National Guard and they tried to restore order in Herrin to no avail. Galligan finally gave in and told the Klan that he would send the National Guard away if they would stop the raids. The Chief of Prohibition, Anderson, telegrammed and stated that all raids would end immediately.
In the meantime Galligan was trying to convince saloon owners to shut down their bars and find another way to earn a living. But this proved ineffective also out of 83 owners only 3 agreed to shut down their bars. Galligan discharged his anti-Klan policemen and hired Klan sympathizers. On January 14th of 1924 his deputies did 8 raids and in the next few days completed 10 more. The sheriff removed the troops on the 15th but on January 20th Glen Young raided 35 residences with his large contingent resulting in 66 arrests. Young spoke at a meeting on the 31st of January and stated that the raids would continue no matter what basically. The largest raid of the year occurred 24 hours after this speech was presented. Between 1,200 and 1,300 Klansmen participated in this raid.
On February 8th 1924 Galligan had a meeting to discuss what to do about Young and his Klan still conducting unauthorized raids where 2 Klansmen showed up and caused Anti-Klansmen and Klan members to engage in a gun fight that resulted in multiple shootings and beatings. Herrin Hospital took on the victims and became the place of a fierce riot. The Proprietor of the hospital locked the doors to keep Klansmen out. But the Klan kept firing and trying to get in the hospital. The National Guard was called again and Major Robert Davis walked into the mob while they were attacking the hospital and ordered them away.
The next day Young declared himself the new Chief of Police and arrested Mayor Anderson and Sheriff Galligan for the murder of one of their Klansmen, Cesar Cagle, from the night before. On February 11th almost 2,000 soldiers were in the area with machine guns patrolling. Their job was to disarm the whole town. Major Milton Forman took control from Young and announced that only authorized officers were allowed to carry firearms. Young was forced out of his position and the mayor and sheriff now occupied their positions again. March 17th 1924 the Klan had a protest parade and 3,000 supporters gathered at the Church in Herrin. Then Young and his wife left to go to East St. Louis since it was time to clean up that area in his mind.
The Primary Election on April 8th of 1924 the Klan’s candidates swept the majority of the offices. As a result from the election the Klan still held their old beliefs and that caused problems for the sheriff again. Young came back to town to supposedly visit family meanwhile his wife and himself were shot, causing his wife to become blind and him to be injured in the knees. More violence erupted and Young and the Klansmen who were indicted for the riot at the Herrin Hospital were acquitted by a jury that was pro-Klan. The Klan paid Young $1,000 to leave Williamson County and return to East St. Louis, since they no longer supported his way of handling things. But on January 28th 1925 Ora Thomas, anti-Klan, shot and killed Glen Young.
Klan members still were unruly and when the Chief of Police, Matthew Walker, was threatened for his life multiple times by the Klan something had to change and it did. Harold S. Williams had a good reputation for transforming troubled areas and he was asked to come to Herrin and preach to try and turn the town around. Miraculously it was, after he came to Herrin the town was pretty much quiet and that the Klan was virtually nonexistent after 1926.
I have always thought the Klan targeted specifically the black population, but in contrast they really were prejudiced towards more than just somebody’s skin color.
They caused many innocent people to be killed and injured just because they were born a certain race and religion. The Klan had a terrible reputation and I think some of it was some person’s foolishness to accept that they were the “new Klan.” When the Klan entered Williamson County they were led there because of the Kleagles that told them this would be a good place to be. Bootlegging was going on everywhere and law enforcement was proving to be inefficient in stopping the people who were breaking the law making their own alcohol. The Klan saw this as a perfect opportunity to get people to follow …show more content…
them.
Prohibition was underway and the citizens saw the Klan was doing more than their own police in the townspeople’s eyes.
The churches that had ministers who were pro-Klan played a big part in wooing the townspeople over to side with the Klan and their forces. The Klan did many raids resulting in arrests which the citizens in the area believed was justice since they were being taken to Benton and arrested for not abiding the laws associated with prohibition. This made the Klan popular even if it was unnecessary force and beatings that achieved the status that they came to get. I don’t think people in this day and age would be as easily swayed by the Klan as they were in the 1920’s for the simple fact that people are far more educated now. Also groups of this caliber now aren’t as big as the KKK was in those days so the lower numbers means less attacks in my eyes.
The new Klan that was supposedly Christian and peaceful wasn’t any different in the way I see things simply because they still had the old beliefs and still were prejudiced which is what led them to do all these unruly and unspeakable acts. I personally do not think the author agrees that the new Klan was any different either. The author proves that they didn’t change from all the beatings, deaths, injuries, and innocent people dying for no reason at all, they just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong
time.
The KKK exploited nativism and xenophobia so much by targeting people who weren’t as they called “100% American” people like the Roman Catholics, and other people who immigrated to the United States. The Klan benefited from the Christian churches in Southern Illinois because the minister’s of these churches stood behind them all the way. They participated in bringing in new members, even used the church to hold a protest parade that surely was not the way God intended these “Christians” to behave. Church is supposed to be about worshipping God and gathering as a congregation, not organizing hate crimes and stopping people that you don’t feel are “100% American” who are we to judge who is American and who is not, that is something that only you can decide not somebody else.
I feel this reading applies to our course greatly because racism and prejudice are still a big part of the world’s problems whether its directed at blacks, whites, browns, yellows or whatever. We all immigrated at one time or another even if it wasn’t across the ocean so how many of us are truly 100% American? So many people still discriminate against women, they think they cannot do a job as well as a man could. This is perfect example of how things may have changed but how much of it still exists in 2011?
The Klan was very influential in Williamson County, in November 1922 seventeen men walked in the First Christian Church on Sunday morning in full Klan regalia, hoods up and everything. But what they didn’t know was this wasn’t going to be the last time these men would wreak havoc on their day to day lives. The Klan had a severe prejudice for immigrants and took up residence in small towns in southern Illinois. Williamson County was the perfect place for them. They led residents to believe that they were respectable and wholesome. One of their key quotes was they wanted people to think they were just trying to be “100% American” of which I will inform you how they are nothing but the opposite.
When the Klan invaded Herrin …show more content…
they were there to supposedly stop the illegal acts of alcohol being produced and even sent in Kleagle’s to scout the area to see if it would be a good place for the Klan to be. The Protestant church was the perfect alliance for them to gain popularity and get members to join their Klan. And that is exactly what they did, ministers were under their belt and supported them at any cost. Bootlegging was dominating southern Illinois in 1923, and Glen Young played a huge part in the Klan’s force. Young was clearly unhappy with what the law enforcement was doing to stop bootlegging and took it upon himself to “clean up” Williamson county. The Sheriff at the time, Galligan, detested Young.
Raids were started by the deputized “officers” who really were Klan members in Marion, Murphysboro, Herrin and Carbondale. They made several arrests which totaled up to 256 in the matter of two days! But in March of 1923 the Grand Jury of Williamson County found that the raids were unfair, the Klan used excessive force, beating people and imprisoned them secretly. After the raids in December of 1923 Wallace Bandy, a Klansman, was picked up on a warrant. This started a riot at the Herrin Hospital that caused several injuries and even deaths. Sheriff Galligan called in the National Guard and they tried to restore order in Herrin to no avail. Galligan finally gave in and told the Klan that he would send the National Guard away if they would stop the raids. The Chief of Prohibition, Anderson, telegrammed and stated that all raids would end immediately.
In the meantime Galligan was trying to convince saloon owners to shut down their bars and find another way to earn a living. But this proved ineffective also out of 83 owners only 3 agreed to shut down their bars. Galligan discharged his anti-Klan policemen and hired Klan sympathizers. On January 14th of 1924 his deputies did 8 raids and in the next few days completed 10 more. The sheriff removed the troops on the 15th but on January 20th Glen Young raided 35 residences with his large contingent resulting in 66 arrests. Young spoke at a meeting on the 31st of January and stated that the raids would continue no matter what basically. The largest raid of the year occurred 24 hours after this speech was presented. Between 1,200 and 1,300 Klansmen participated in this raid.
On February 8th 1924 Galligan had a meeting to discuss what to do about Young and his Klan still conducting unauthorized raids where 2 Klansmen showed up and caused Anti-Klansmen and Klan members to engage in a gun fight that resulted in multiple shootings and beatings. Herrin Hospital took on the victims and became the place of a fierce riot. The Proprietor of the hospital locked the doors to keep Klansmen out. But the Klan kept firing and trying to get in the hospital. The National Guard was called again and Major Robert Davis walked into the mob while they were attacking the hospital and ordered them away.
The next day Young declared himself the new Chief of Police and arrested Mayor Anderson and Sheriff Galligan for the murder of one of their Klansmen, Cesar Cagle, from the night before. On February 11th almost 2,000 soldiers were in the area with machine guns patrolling. Their job was to disarm the whole town. Major Milton Forman took control from Young and announced that only authorized officers were allowed to carry firearms. Young was forced out of his position and the mayor and sheriff now occupied their positions again. March 17th 1924 the Klan had a protest parade and 3,000 supporters gathered at the Church in Herrin. Then Young and his wife left to go to East St. Louis since it was time to clean up that area in his mind.
The Primary Election on April 8th of 1924 the Klan’s candidates swept the majority of the offices. As a result from the election the Klan still held their old beliefs and that caused problems for the sheriff again. Young came back to town to supposedly visit family meanwhile his wife and himself were shot, causing his wife to become blind and him to be injured in the knees. More violence erupted and Young and the Klansmen who were indicted for the riot at the Herrin Hospital were acquitted by a jury that was pro-Klan. The Klan paid Young $1,000 to leave Williamson County and return to East St. Louis, since they no longer supported his way of handling things. But on January 28th 1925 Ora Thomas, anti-Klan, shot and killed Glen Young.
Klan members still were unruly and when the Chief of Police, Matthew Walker, was threatened for his life multiple times by the Klan something had to change and it did. Harold S. Williams had a good reputation for transforming troubled areas and he was asked to come to Herrin and preach to try and turn the town around. Miraculously it was, after he came to Herrin the town was pretty much quiet and that the Klan was virtually nonexistent after 1926.
I have always thought the Klan targeted specifically the black population, but in contrast they really were prejudiced towards more than just somebody’s skin color.
They caused many innocent people to be killed and injured just because they were born a certain race and religion. The Klan had a terrible reputation and I think some of it was some person’s foolishness to accept that they were the “new Klan.” When the Klan entered Williamson County they were led there because of the Kleagles that told them this would be a good place to be. Bootlegging was going on everywhere and law enforcement was proving to be inefficient in stopping the people who were breaking the law making their own alcohol. The Klan saw this as a perfect opportunity to get people to follow …show more content…
them.
Prohibition was underway and the citizens saw the Klan was doing more than their own police in the townspeople’s eyes.
The churches that had ministers who were pro-Klan played a big part in wooing the townspeople over to side with the Klan and their forces. The Klan did many raids resulting in arrests which the citizens in the area believed was justice since they were being taken to Benton and arrested for not abiding the laws associated with prohibition. This made the Klan popular even if it was unnecessary force and beatings that achieved the status that they came to get. I don’t think people in this day and age would be as easily swayed by the Klan as they were in the 1920’s for the simple fact that people are far more educated now. Also groups of this caliber now aren’t as big as the KKK was in those days so the lower numbers means less attacks in my eyes.
The new Klan that was supposedly Christian and peaceful wasn’t any different in the way I see things simply because they still had the old beliefs and still were prejudiced which is what led them to do all these unruly and unspeakable acts. I personally do not think the author agrees that the new Klan was any different either. The author proves that they didn’t change from all the beatings, deaths, injuries, and innocent people dying for no reason at all, they just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong
time.
The KKK exploited nativism and xenophobia so much by targeting people who weren’t as they called “100% American” people like the Roman Catholics, and other people who immigrated to the United States. The Klan benefited from the Christian churches in Southern Illinois because the minister’s of these churches stood behind them all the way. They participated in bringing in new members, even used the church to hold a protest parade that surely was not the way God intended these “Christians” to behave. Church is supposed to be about worshipping God and gathering as a congregation, not organizing hate crimes and stopping people that you don’t feel are “100% American” who are we to judge who is American and who is not, that is something that only you can decide not somebody else.
I feel this reading applies to our course greatly because racism and prejudice are still a big part of the world’s problems whether its directed at blacks, whites, browns, yellows or whatever. We all immigrated at one time or another even if it wasn’t across the ocean so how many of us are truly 100% American? So many people still discriminate against women, they think they cannot do a job as well as a man could. This is perfect example of how things may have changed but how much of it still exists in 2011?