Secrets of the Herrin Gangs by Ralph Johnson and Jon Musgrave

I am really becoming interested in Herrin Illinois!  Man, does this area have some odd history!

I picked this very easy to read book up a couple of weekends back while traveling through Herrin.  Its about 90 pages, and it would be a great intro for anyone interested in learning a little about the gangs in Herrin during the 1920s.

The first half of the book is a republishing of a 10 part newspaper account from 1927.  A former employee of Charlie Birger and a former member of the Shelton Gang, Ralph Johnson is the author.  Of course, Ralph Johnson wasn't his real name.

MODERN Illinois Historian Jon Musgrave adds notes to Johnson's story and he gives more detail on the gang activities in the area.  He offers a good argument for the identity of the gangster who used the name "Ralph Johnson" in 1927. 

AND, there is still a bit of a mystery surrounding Ralph Johnson in his later years!