The KKK was against Catholics and pro-probation, so Capone fought them. Lawfully elected officials returned to their offices, and Birger and the Shelton Brothers went back into business.Īctually happened in Southern Illinois - Al Capone fought the KKK. The Klan buried its dead and the coroner ruled that the deaths were homicides 'by parties unknown.Īlthough the Klan's losses were not large, the Herrin attack broke the back of the local KKK. The police were called repeatedly, but did not respond. In April 1926, Charlie Birger and the Shelton Brothers joined forces to attack the remaining Klan leaders in Herrin, using Tommy guns and shotguns. The Klan held a public funeral for Young that was attended by more than 15,000 people. Two of Young's companions joined in the melee, and all four men were fatally wounded. Young was able to shoot Thomas once before falling to the floor. Thomas drew his pistol and shot Young twice. Deputy Sheriff Ora Thomas responded and walked into a cigar store, where he saw Klan leader Young. On January 24, 1925, a shot was fired in the street in Herrin, Illinois. The state government was either unable or unwilling to reestablish lawful authority. These elected public officials were driven from office and replaced by Klan members. Many elected public officials of Williamson County were viewed as being allies of the bootleggers, perhaps correctly. Federal authorities apparently had deputized the Klansmen to aid in the enforcement of Prohibition. If alcohol was found, the occupants were taken to Klan 'prisons'. Large mobs began going door to door, forcibly searching houses for alcohol.

Glenn Young, a 58-year-old former federal law enforcement officer. The Klan soon found a charismatic leader in S. The Klan drew its support from both the farming community and people in the larger towns, the latter mainly of southern origin and belonging to the Baptist and other traditional Protestant churches. In the spring of 1923, the Klan began organizing in Williamson County, holding meetings attended by more than 5000 people. Alcohol was a part of their life, and bootlegging came naturally to them.

Many immigrants worked in the coal mines of southern Illinois, living mainly in very small towns with a strong ethnic identity. Alcohol was regarded as an 'un-American' vice practiced by immigrants, many of whom were Roman Catholics and other religions. In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan supported national prohibition. Charlie Birger and the Shelton Brothers Gang fought for control of the coal fields of southern Illinois, but their attention was diverted by a common enemy.

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