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EX-SCHOOL TREACHER PUTS RULE OF LAW BACK IN “BLOODY WILLIAMSON MARION, NL. May 25—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 Sherif Oren Cole man. He is 38, a bachelor, a World War veteran and a University of Illinois graduate. Without any blare of publicity trumpets he has taken one of the hardest law en forcement jobs in the United States and has made good. Peace Reigns Again The bombings, machine gun battles, ambuscades, massed fights and broad-daylight assassi nations that formerly were regu lar features of Williamson coun ty’s every-day life are ended. The rival gangs that once ruled the county with the ruthless freedom of medieval robber barons are broken up, their leaders in jail and their hangouts deserted. Most astonishing of all — it is even getting relatively hard to get a drink in Williamson county! To be sure, Coleman didn't do all of this unaided. It took co operation—co-operation with — fed eral officials, co-operation with sheriffs of other counties, co-oper ation with authorities in various cities. But one of Coleman's chief distinctions is that, in refreshing contrast to some of his predeces sors, he was disposed to seek co operation. Coleman took office last De cember. The famous Williamson county gangs at that time ruled supreme. Charlie Birger and his henchmen were fighting the Shel ton brothers and their followers for control of the district's rum running business. They went about their work openly. They committed robberies and murders in broad daylight, and scorned con cealment afterward. It seemed as if Williamson county would never rid itself of them. Armed His Deputies First of all, Coleman called sheriffs and states attorneys of nearby counties into conference and got their pledges of co-opera tion. 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 led three deputies to the home of Jackie Williams, north of Herrin, a hang out 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 ac tually under arrest. As a result of that raid, Harry Thomasson is serving a life term for the murder of Mayor Joe Adams: Ray Hyland is under in dictment and awaiting trial for another murder, and Ray Rone 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 H. 8. Phillips, a Carbondale mer chant. These men are now await ing trial. Then he turned his attention to the liquor trade that had been flourishing so freely. He began to move and to move rapidly. Since the first of the year he has arrested more than 60 bootleggers. Not a single shot was fired in any one of the raids, and more than 40 of the 60 arrested promptly cvened guilty without waiting for trial. Arrests Birger Himself At last, one morning, William son county citizens awoke to learn that Charlie Birger himself was under arrest charged with murder. More, as days went by, it became evident that the charge was seri ous business, and that Birger was actually in trouble at last, Wil liamson county began to believe that a new order of affairs actual ly had dawned. They were right. States Attor ney Arlie O. Boswell predicts that in less than a year every gang war murder in Williamson coun ty will have been cleared up. Her rin, Marion and adjacent towns are enjoying 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 Wil liamson county was full of men who had been his pupils, and they had a pretty good idea of the sort of sheriff he would make. He was elected overwhelmingly. When he took office Coleman made a few characteristic re marks. “I ran for sheriff,” he said, “not because I wanted office, but be cause I was dissatisfied with the way things were going and the events that were taking place. We don't need laws s0 much as we need law enforcement. Not Alter Glory “I'm not seeking any glory in this office. J I don't want anyone to refuse support or help because they fear I will succeed. Wl sign » pledge before God that I will not run for any office if that will cause the people of this county to get back of me and give me their “hole-hearted support.” He has aid very little since then. He has made a reputation for taciturnity. Charley Birger once remarked, “This is the only sheriff in southern Illinois I can’t call over the phone and engage in conversation.” One of Birger’s lieutenants, sent around to Cole man’s office shortly after election to find out what the gangsters might expect, reported, “This laad is pretty smart. He doesn’t talk much.” But oh, how he has acted t he Bandsters, taken sur rise, ae hear their guns Oren Coleman Ray Hylend Danny Brown Sheriff Oren Coleman and two of the gangsters he seized in his first raid, pictured above
Newspaper Details
Centralia Evening Sentinel
Centralia, Illinois, US
Wed, May 25, 1927
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Keith W.
USA 28 Aug 2026
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