"Bloody Williamson" by Paul M. Angle and "Herrin Massacre" by Scott Doody

    

I did want to take a moment to mention a couple of books that I read recently involving the events in Herrin Illinois during the 1920s.

I read Paul Angle's book, packed with info, some time ago.  This book is a bit horrifying in many ways.  Anyway, even though the book was written three decades after the massacre, it still has a feel of coming from a time close to the events.

Just so you have a very rough idea of Herrin in the 20s, the town was packed with bootleggers, gangs, the KKK, and a tough local union.

Both books give detailed accounts of the various feuds and conflicts that went on in town in the 1920s.  The bootleggers are fighting over product.  The Klan is trying to get rid of the bootleggers.  Various players are trying to make a name for themselves......

AND, a coal mine is trying to keep churning out coal during a strike.  Scabs and guards for the mine are needed.  In a very union heavy area, you know that the non-union mine employees were not very popular........

In fact, some locals get away with murder as they deal with the non-union guys.

"Herrin Massacre" shows that the ripples from 1922 are still being felt in Herrin today.  Scott Doody's book on the subject came out just a couple of months ago and it is one of the most interesting books I have read in years.  Scott spends time early in the book covering Herrin's dark past.  He discusses his own personal quest (and lack of success) to locate the exact location of one of the victims of the massacre.  His efforts lead him to a very dark discovery about the local cemetery.

Check out Scott's web site about the book, and for more info on what is going on at the Herrin Cemetery-

http://www.herrinmassacre.com/

Both are fascinating reads about a fascinating area and era.  I like the Angle book because of its close connection (time wise) to the massacre.  And, being written in the 50s, it also has a more modern feel than a book written in the 20s would have.

Doody's book is a very easy read, and I like his story telling.  He uses very modern comparisons to get points across (he compares some events from the 1920s to modern "flash mobs" and getting tickets to a Cubs game late in the season).  Plus, his research on the cemetery and what has become of certain burial sites shows that the area is still dealing with this tragedy.  His book is very bold!