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Show Fighting Sheriff Wages War On Herrin Gangsters taken by surprise, ' ' ' ffSi could not drav t t I j Lfp,Y w ' I 1 ' V;) 0.en UySand ;.. Dnny Brom? n - f Coleman . j Slieriff Oren Coleman and two of the gangsters lie seized in his first raid, pictured above. MARION, 111. A square-jawed gray-eyed young man who used to be a high school teacher is just now putting the finishing touches on what everyone else had figured was an impossible job. He has restored law and order to "Bloody Williamson" county. The man is Sheriff Oren Coleman. He is as, a bachelor,, a World War veteran and a University of Illinois graduate. Without any blare of publicity pub-licity trumpets he has taken one of the hardest law enforcement jobs in the " United States and has made good. Peace Reigns Again The bombing, machine gun battles, bat-tles, ambuscades, massed fights and broad-daylight assissinations that formerly' were regular features or Williamson county's every-day life are ended. The rival gangs that once ruled the county with the ruthless ruth-less freedom of medieval robber as days went by, it became evident that the charge was serious business, busi-ness, and that Birger was actually in trouble at last. Williamson county coun-ty began to believe that a new order of "affairs actually had dawned. They were right. States Attorney Artie O. Boswell predicts that in less than a year every gang war murder in Williamson county will iiave been cleared up. Herrin, Marion Mar-ion and adjacent towns are enjoying enjoy-ing a taste of real law and order once more. ' . Coleman was" By' -vocation- a- high school principal. Last year he was about to enter the race for county school superintendent when friends induced him to run for sheriff. He had never had any experience as an enforcement officer ; but Williamson William-son county was Gull of men who had been his pupils, and they had a pretty good idea of the sort of sheriff sher-iff he would make. He was elected overwhelmingly. W7hen he took office Coleman made a few characteristic remarks. ''I ran for sheriff," he said, 'not because I wanted office, but because be-cause I was dissatisfied with the way things were going uind the events that were taking place. We don't need laws so much as we need law enforcement. Not After Glory "I'm not seeking any glory in j this office. I don't want anyone to refuse support or help because they fear I will succeed. I'll sign a pledge before God that I will not for any office if that will cause the people of this county to get back of me and give me their whole-hearted support." He has said very little since then. He has made a reputation for taciturnity. taci-turnity. Charlie! Birger onee remarked, re-marked, "This is the only sheriff in southern lillinois I can't call over the phone and engage in conversation." conversa-tion." One of Birger's lieutenants, sent around to Coleman's office shortly after, election to find out what the gangsters might expect, reported, re-ported, "This bird is pretty smart. He doesn't talk much." barons are broken up, their leaders in jail and their hangouts deserted. JMost astonishing of all it is even getting relatively hard to get a drink in Williamson county! To be sure, Coleman didn't do all this unaided. It took cooperation cooperation with federal officials, cooperation with sheriffs of other counties, cooperation with authorities authori-ties in various cities. But one of Coleman's chief distinctions is that, in refreshng contrast to some of his predecessors, he was disposed, to .seek cooperation. Coleman took office last "December. "Decem-ber. The famous Williamson county gagns at that time ruled supreme. Charlie Birger and his henchmen were fighting the Shelton brothers and their followers for control of the rum running business. - They went about their work openly. They committed robberies and murders in broad day-light, and scorned concealment afterward. It seemed as if Williamson county would never rid itself of them. Armed His Deputies First of all, Coleman called sheriffs sher-iffs and state attorneys of nearby counties into conference and got their pledges of cooperation. Then he saw to it that his deputies were given arms as good as those of the gangsters army rifles, machine guns and bullet proof vests. And then he got busy. On December. 27 'he le dthree deputies to the home of Jackie Williams, Wil-liams, north of Herrin, a hangout of the Birger gang. Coleman led his men in; the gangsters, taken by surprise, were unable to draw their guns, and, to their amazement, found themselves actually under arrest. As a result of that raid, Harry Thomasson is serving a life term for' the murder of Mayor Joe Adams; Kay Ilyland is under indictment in-dictment and awaiting trial for another an-other murder, and liay lione and Danny Brown are serving 10-year terms for other crimes. A week later Coleman led his deputies out and brought in four men charged with the murder of II. S. Phillips, a Carbondale merchant. These, men are now awaiting trial. Then he turned his attention to I he licpior trade that had been flourishing flour-ishing so freely. He began to move, and to move rapidly. Since the first of the year he has arrested more than (10 bootleggers. Not a single shot was fired in any one of the raids, and more than 40 of the 00 arrested promptly pleaded guilty without waiting for trial. Arrests Birger Himself At last, one 'morning, Williamson county citizens awoke to learn that Charlie Birger himself was under arrest, charged with murder. More, |