Bloody Williamson (42 page)

The best source for Leiter’s venture into coal mining and for his side of his struggle with the union is the elaborate
Brief and Argument for Joseph Leiter and Nancy Lathrop Carver Campbell, Appellees
, in the case of
Marguerite Hyde Suffolk and Berks
vs.
Joseph Leiter et al.
, Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, October Term, 1928. In this case, a celebrated one, Leiter defended himself against charges that he had mismanaged his father’s estate. He and his associates are quoted at length in the brief. Their testimony, though biased, is invaluable. For a copy of the brief I am indebted to Mr. Alfred M. Rogers of Chicago, one of Leiter’s counsel and now president of the Zeigler Coal & Coke Company. Through the courtesy of Judge Charles G. Briggle of the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois, I have also used to good purpose the Amended and Supplemental Bill in the case of the
Zeigler Coal Company
vs.
William Morris et al.
, filed in the Circuit Court of the United States in and for the Southern District of Illinois, December 20, 1905. C. H. Leichleiter’s article, “The War at Zeigler,” in
The Reader Magazine
for February 1905, is objective, thorough, and colorful. For a running account of the strike I have depended mainly on the
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
for the months of July and August, 1904. Its coverage was excellent.

Statistics of Coal in Illinois
, to which I have already referred, furnishes the best accounts of the disasters of April 3, 1905, January 10, 1909, and February 9, 1909. The
Brief and Argument
, cited in the preceding paragraph, also contains valuable material.

The whole Leiter story is well told in a feature article by Dickson Terry, “Final Shutdown for Famous Coal Mine,” in the Everyday Magazine of the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, January 13, 1949.

In addition to the
Marion Republican
, I have drawn heavily on the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, the
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
, and the
Chicago Tribune
, all of which covered in great detail the principal events described in this chapter. Galligan’s own story,
In Bloody Williamson
, written by Jack Wilkinson and published in 1927 (n.p.), is a sounder work than its lurid paper covers would indicate. On the other hand, the
Life and Exploits of S. Glenn Young
(Herrin: Mrs. S. Glenn Young; 1924), is such an egregious piece of special pleading that it is almost worthless.

There is valuable material, which I have used in the first part of this chapter, in two magazine articles: “Bloody Williamson County,” by Edward A. Wieck, in
The Nation
, January 3, 1923, and “Ku Kluxing in the Miners’ Country,” by Agnes Barnes Wieck, in
The New Republic
, March 26, 1924. The S. Glenn Young File of the Department of Justice, now in the Department of Justice Files, National Archives, is rich and often, in perspective, amusing.

No part of the book has presented more problems than the sketch of S. Glenn Young with which this chapter opens. Most of the biographical material that Young inspired is sheer fiction. George B. Young (a brother) of Lisbon, Iowa, Ira C. Young (not related) of Long Island, Kansas, and Marquette University have supplied some facts; but many more came from the Young files in the Department of Justice and the Treasury Department. The Treasury file is invaluable, and I am deeply indebted to Secretary John W. Snyder for allowing me to use it. It was there that I found the report of Special Agents A. A. Young and David Nolan, April 30, 1921, which resulted in Young’s dismissal from the Prohibition Unit.

The story of the events narrated here is taken almost entirely from the contemporary press—principally the
Marion Republican
, the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, and the
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
I have also made use of a series of feature stories by Jack M. Williams that appeared in the
Danville Commercial News
at various times during February and March, 1924.

The narrative in these six chapters is derived almost entirely from contemporary newspapers—the
Marion Republican
, the
Marion Post
(especially for the gang war and Birger), the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, the
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
, and the
St. Louis Star.
Dates not given explicitly in the text will be found in the Chronology (
this page
–
this page
), so readers who want to consult the newspapers I have used should have little difficulty in finding the specific issues.

The story of the Sheltons is told in detail by John Bartlow Martin in “The Shelton Boys,” one of the chapters in his
Butcher’s Dozen and
Other Murders
(New York: Harper; 1950). Mauritz A. Hallgren’s article, “Bloody Williamson Is Hungry,” appeared in
The Nation
, April 30, 1932.
Seven Stranded Coal Towns: A Study of an American Depressed Area
, by Malcolm Brown and John N. Webb, was published by the Government Printing Office in 1941, but is already a hard book to find.

St. Louis newspapers have printed a number of articles recently on the industrial progress of Williamson County, but I have received most of my information from those who have had a hand in the work.