10 thoughts on “Phil got the male members of his family together for a family portrait.”
those are 100 round drums in those Tommy guns. nice to have, but they are a lot to carry around. and they also cost a lot more than the 50 round ones do.
I recognize that photo. It was in the book, “war in Illinois”. It is either the sheldon gang, or the Beger gang. They were the two bootlegger gangs that fought it out just south of here during prohibition. One of them offered a job as a driver to my grandfather when he was a young man. He declined. Two of the Tompsons that had been Held by the sherifs dept ever since were recently feature in an auction. When the book was reprinted, it was under the title ” the Shawne town dame.”
I asked a question of Phil over at my little websty, but this photo seems to have answered it, I’m thinkin’.
The southern Illinois gangs used planes to drop bombs on each other and also fought a number of battles against the Klan. The Klan viewed bootleggers as morally bankrupt. Pot meet kettle.
The Klan was rather strong at the time and were not viewed as morally bankrupt.
The Klan was very strong, The population of nearby Indiana had the highest percentage of Klan membership at that time. Nowhere was the Klan a majority and people who weren’t members thought the Klan were uneducated clowns with questionable ethics and morals.
Not at all well armed. Not an AR-15 anywhere in the pic.
those are 100 round drums in those Tommy guns. nice to have, but they are a lot to carry around. and they also cost a lot more than the 50 round ones do.
I recognize that photo. It was in the book, “war in Illinois”. It is either the sheldon gang, or the Beger gang. They were the two bootlegger gangs that fought it out just south of here during prohibition. One of them offered a job as a driver to my grandfather when he was a young man. He declined. Two of the Tompsons that had been Held by the sherifs dept ever since were recently feature in an auction. When the book was reprinted, it was under the title ” the Shawne town dame.”
cool, thanks
This looks like it.
https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Shawneetown-Dame-Madness-Twenties/dp/155753375X
The way it autta be now
I asked a question of Phil over at my little websty, but this photo seems to have answered it, I’m thinkin’.
The southern Illinois gangs used planes to drop bombs on each other and also fought a number of battles against the Klan. The Klan viewed bootleggers as morally bankrupt. Pot meet kettle.
The Klan was rather strong at the time and were not viewed as morally bankrupt.
The Klan was very strong, The population of nearby Indiana had the highest percentage of Klan membership at that time. Nowhere was the Klan a majority and people who weren’t members thought the Klan were uneducated clowns with questionable ethics and morals.
Not at all well armed. Not an AR-15 anywhere in the pic.