Jackson County IL Archives News..... KU KLUX MAKE SECOND RAID ON CITY SALOONS August 8, 1924
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mary Riseling riseling@insightbb.com July 13, 2006, 5:33 pm

Murphysboro Daily Independent August 8, 1924
 

    A small company of Ku Klux conducted raids shortly after 9 o'clock Friday
night at George GUALDONI's bar, Walnut and 9th streets, at the Henry COX
restaurant, farther south on 9th, and at the UNDERWOOD bar, 11th and Locust
streets, according to Police Chief Joe BOSTON.

    Chief Boston said that following the raids, which netted raiders nothing, he
said he understood, he found it hard to get any information from any source as
to all that happened.

    Police say the raiders, or at least some of them, were Murphysboro men. 
Several of them were recognized at the Gualdoni bar where Gualdoni is declared
to have brushed aside a revolver one of the raiders is alleged to have stuck
into his ribs just after the raiders had entered.

    A report current at the jail and courthouse today was being made much of to
the effect that after Ku Klux searched Gualdoni's bar, Guadoni searched the Ku
Klux.

    "After the bar keeper brushed aside the revolver menacing him," so the story
is told by prominent attorneys, among others, "he told the K.K.K. men to go
ahead and search his bar.  This they did.  We will now search the basement the
K.K.K. announced.  "Not before I search you fellows," Gualdoni is declared to
have replied and, stepping forward, searched the men in the company, saying in
substance "I don't want you fellows to go down there and drop a bottle of booze
as evidence against me."  The men then went through the cellar.

    From the fact that Ku Kluxers took no prisoners it seems evident they failed
to find anything.  Police had quit reporting raids by members of the force
because, they say, they find it unnecessary to continue raiding.  The declare
the K.K.K. has taken the job over and that suspected dealers in this city who
had defied the police department are looking for a new way to checkmate the new
drive against them.

    Police say they have no authority to interfere as klansman are apparently
led by a constable and deputized the same way, and are armed with legally drawn
warrants.  A local klan leader has declared that evidence of a local Flaming
Circle has reached them.  Headquarters of the alleged circle is said to be on
North 9th street.  Citizens opposed to raiding and other activities of the
"hooded order" declare talk of a Flaming CIrcle here is all "rot,"

    A prominent business man was in Gualdoni's at the time, drinking root beer,
he said, when the raiders entered.  "There were seven or eight of the raiders. 
They were young fellows armed with revolvers, shotguns and rifles.  Some of them
looked like they had just come from a hard day's work."

    "Some entered and two went behind the bar.  One or two stood at the front
door and would not let customers pass out.  One young fellow walked around the
interior, revolver drawn and cocked."

    "I started out.  'You can't go out,' a raider told me.  I went back and sat
down.  There were about eight customers in the place.

    "The raid was orderly.  No loud or bad language was used.  The guns,
however, kind of got under your hide.  Later on, before the search of the cellar
had been completed, I was allowed to pass out."

    The citizen was asked if he saw Gualdoni brush aside the gun of one of the
raiders when it was pointed at his ribs.  He said he could not recall seeing
Gualdoni do this.  He was asked if the saloonist searched klansmen for booze
before they entered his cellar.  The jeweler replied, "I remember hearing
something said about that at the time."


Additional Comments:
Transcribed by Mary Riseling from grandfather C. E. RISELING's collection of old
newspapers.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/jackson/newspapers/kukluxma81nnw.txt

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