Egypt - Timeline

Southern Illinois Coal Company opens strip mine in Williamson Co.Mine Opens

United Mine Workers of America strike

Company Dismisses union miners

Strikebreakers and guards imported from Chicago

Herrin Massacre - 19 killed

5 men go on trial for murder of strikebreaker

Men charged in massacre found not guilty - all other indictments waived by State's Atty Duty

Klan makes first appearances at churches

2000 klansmen initiate 200 new members in a field near Marion

Klansmen visit Herrin Methodist church, hand contribution to pastor

Another Initiation near Carterville

Klan stages "law-and-order" demonstration, initiates more

S. Glenn Young arrives in Williamson

Klan and Young raid scores of actual and alleged bootleggers

Another Raid

Third Raid

Caesar Cagle killed in Herrin.

Most of the troops are withdrawn

4th raid

Biggest raid of them all - train required to take those arrested to Benton for arraignment.

Klansmen shoot up herrin hospital

Young takes control, militia returns

Young yields power to county

Trial for bootleggers begins in Danville. Ora Thomas sentenced to long jail term.

Grand jury indicts 99 in murder of Cagle and hospital attack

Klan stages a parade in protest

Young takes over reorganizing Klan in ESL

Young and wife attacked in car driving from Marion to ESL

Jack Skelcher stopped by Klan police and killed

Young and Klansmen disrupt court hearing for Sheltons and Charlie Briggs

Klan in ESL dismisses Young

Federal Judge rules Young must stand trial on corruption

Herrin city judge rules Young's 39k bond forfeited

Klan stages huge demonstration at county fairgrounds

Riot at John Smith's garage in Herrin - six killed, militia returns

Young expelled from Klan

Ora Thomas appointed deputy sheriff

Thomas, Young, and two of Young's henchmen die in gunfight in Herrin

Sheriff Galligan agrees to leave county

Galligan returns

Harold S. Williams, evangelist, begins revivals

State's Atty strikes all cases originating in Klan War

Klan newspaper ceases publication

Williams revival ends

Election day riot in Herrin. End of Klan in Williamson Co.

Fights and killings in Herrin point to a war between gangs

Harry Walker & Everett Smith kill each other in a roadhouse brawl

Wild Bill Holland, Mack Pulliam, and Pulliam's wife shot as they leave a roadhouse. Holland dies

Gangsters attack an ambulance carrying Pulliam and beat the man unconscious

Sheltons fire on Art Newman and wife from armored truck

Birger gangsters shoot up unoccupied Shelton roadhouse

Birger and gang demand Adams surrender Shelton's truck, threaten to kill him

High Pockets McQuay and Casey Jones found dead, separately

Birger roadhouse near Johnston City is shot up burned down

John Milroy killed near Colp in roadhouse. Mayor of town later killed and chief of police later shot.

homemade bomb tossed at Shady Rest, misses

Machine gunners fire into home of Adams. Bombs drop from plane onto Shady Rest

Bomb damages Joe Adams home

Two young men murder Joe Adams at his front door

Shady Rest bombed and burned to the ground - 4 bodies found

Lory Price, state patrollman and friend of Birger's and wife are missing.

Sheltons go on trial for mail robbery at federal court in Quincy

Sheltons are found guilty based on testimony by Birger and Newman

Sheltons sentenced to 25 years. Body of Lory Price is found near Dubois.

Harry Thomasson and two other Birger gangsters convicted of robbery, sentenced to ten years.

Birger arrested for murder of Joe Adams

Harry Thomasson convesses to murder of Adams with brother Elmo at Birger's behest.

Birger gangsters Rado Milich, Clarence Rone, and Ural Gowan indicted for murder of Casey Jones

Art Newman arrested in Long Beach for murder of Joe Adams

Sheltons granted new trial after Harry Dungey, birger gangster, admits he perjured himself

Art Newman appears in court at Nashvill IL, admits his role in murder of Lory Price and wife, along with Birger, Ritter, Blue, Simpson, and Simmons

Mrs. Price is discovered in an abandoned mine where Newman stated it would be.

Millich and Gowan go on trial for murder of Casey Jones. Clarence Rone turns state's witness and isn't prosecuted.

Gowen sentenced to 25 years, Millich to death

Birger, Newman, and Hyland go on trial in Benton for murder of Adams

Three defendants found guilty. Death for Birger, life for Newman and Hyland.

Birger receives stay of execution

Rado Millich hanged at the jailyard at Marion

Supreme Court denies Birger's appeal for new trial. Execution set for April 13, 1928

Jury finds Birger sane, execution set for April 19

Birger hanged in the jailyard at Benton.

Birger kills Cecil Knighton at Halfway in self defense

Whitey Doering is killed and Birger wounded in a shootout at Halfway

Birger's trial and jail term begins in Danville

Beatrice leaves Charlie for Pennsylvania, leaving Minnie and Charline at her parents

Birger is allowed to return to Harrisburg for a week to untangle property matters

Birger returns to Danville

Released from jail, Birger returns to Harrisburg.

Birger sentenced 6 months in the county jail, remains free on bail.

Birger enters jail at Harrisburg

Birger released from jail. Shady Rest becomes reality.

Birger and Sheltons form partnership in slot machines

Charlie marries Beatrice

Charline Birger is born