Illinois KLAN

1920
East St. Louis, Illinois
pop. 80,000+
86th Largest city in the country.

September 15th S. Glenn Young , a neophyte prohibition agent and his men made a raid on a home in Madison, Illinois near Granite City. A small still was found and a 25 gallon container of "spirits" . The occupant Luka Volkivic , pulled a gun and tried to shoot Young but it misfired. Young in self defense shot and killed the man.

A long winter of raids and arrests mostly just small operations kept Young busy. Throughout Southern Illinois until June 6th 1921. That day S. Glenn Young was on trial in Springfield federal court for the killing of Volkivic. Volkivics widow claimed that her husband was unarmed. Young was exonerated.

It was now May of 1923, the Ku Klux Klan arrived in Illinois from Indiana. A revival meeting in a open field near Marion, Illinois sparked the the outgrowth and just 6 days later, a cross lighting with 200 strong took the oath. A month later 2,000 more took the secret oath. By August hundreds more stood in the shadows of the firey cross pledging to God, Race and Nation!

One KKK flyer read..........

THE KKK INVITES ALL ABLE BODIED, LAW ABIDING, CHRISTIAN MEN OF THE PROTESTANT PERSUASION TO COME JOIN US IN OUR FIGHT TO PURIFY OUR NATION FROM THOSE WHO SEEK TO DRAG IT DOWN, THROUGH LAWLESSNESS, ROMANISM AND THE MIXING OF INFERIOR BLOOD. DEFENDERS OF TRUE AMERICANISM ARE INVITED TO COME TO OUR MEETING THURSDAY APRIL 23, AT 9:00 PM IN THE LARGE FIELD SOUTH OF MINE #3 AT CARTERVILLE. **NEW MEMBERS WILL BE INITIATED**

Young had a team of Klansmen and for several years he would raid stills due to the Volstead Act and the moral majiorty supported him. He was fired from his federal job for his law enforcement techniques. Bootleggers didnt have a leg to stand on..LOLOL
Large sums of money were at stake. The gangs did not like Mr. Young and eventually a price was put on his head.

The Klan led by S. Glenn Young was in its 3rd year and had amassed over 1000 arrests, and the newspapers were building on the sensationalism. Bruitality and unjustness was some stories the Post and Globe were replaying every week to sell more papers. Jew owned papers.
Due to the sucess of the raids the Sheltons and the Birger gangs were constantly after Young. Narrowly escaping attempts on his life numerous times. One occasion a friend and Klansman Mr. C. Caegle was shot and killed in a raid on a bootleggers still ran by the Sheltons. The Klansmans funeral was stellar. The ornate casket, draped with green KKK letters, an American flag and a brilliant red KKK cross made from roses. His robe and hood draped the casket and was buried with him.....Klan all the way!

With the opening of the Fairmont Jockey Club in the area outside E. St. Louis made even things harder to stop the flow of illegal booze into the area.the Sheltons and The Birgers both were at war with the Feds, the Klan, and each other for control of the entire southern Illinois region, where money , booze and blood flowed freely.

January 25th 1925, the last raid that Young made was a shady place just outside of Herrin, Illinois. It was a Charlie Birger joint and this time they were waitin for Young. Young and his men busted in and the shots rang out like the OK corral. Young was a Texas Ranger at one time and had Ora Thomas an anti-klan sympathiser confronted Young in the melee. Young told him not to draw but he did and though Young was quicker, Thomas had the aim but was hit, as they both slapped leather. Young had taken 2 shots to the chest and died, Thomas ran and lived....casualties were heavy for both sides but S. Glenn Young lay dead.

Youngs funeral was held in the Herrin First Baptist Church and about 20,000 showed their respects to the slain Klansman. Young was eulogized as a martyr and was buried in his purple Klan robe of a Kleagle. Several klansmen stood watch and there were flowers 20 feet high and beautiful crosses adorned the backdrop of a man that believed in his God, Race, and Nation. To many he was a rouge that tried to start a race and religious war, but to most he was a Klansman that was upholding the law of the 18th amendment and the Constitution.