Days Gone By In Staunton

Thursday, January 4, 1923 -- GILLESPIE MAN SHOT BY OFFICERS -- William Dann, Insane, Killed After Attacking Officers -- One man dead and a policeman injured marked the close of the first day of the new year at Gillespie. William Dann, who became violently insane while eating dinner, was shot when he defied Night Patrolman Thomas Long and Deputy Sheriff Jack Duffy in their attempt to arrest him.

As the officers approached the Dann home, the insane man leveled a revolver through the doorway and told them that he would kill them if they took another step forward. The officers parried by telling him they wanted to talk with him. Dann then opened fire, the bullet cutting Duffy's left coat sleeve. Long plunged against the door and grappled for an instant with Dann. Both Dann and Duffy then fired twice and the former fell in a crumpled heap on his doorstep. Long's left hand was pierced by a bullet.

Both of Duffy's bullets took effect the first struck Dann several inches above the heart and the second pierced the upper lining of the organ. Dann at the point of a gun had driven his mother from their home into the street during the afternoon and told her that if she came back into the house he would kill her. He became abusive with the other members of the family, who called Mike McAvoy, day policeman, to the residence.

As he came toward the house Dann warned him to keep away or die. McAvoy retreated and arranged with Night Policeman Long to go to the house later in the evening.

As Long was going to report for work he met Duffy and told him of the affair. The two decided to go to the house and take Dann into custody.

Dann, who was a coal miner, became violently insane at the dinner table according to his mother, Mrs. William Dann, Sr. That he had become possessed with the idea of fighting was indicated by the materials found in his pockets. He was carrying two pairs of scissors, two razors, a quantity of ammunition, a small oil can, a bottle of iodine, two padlocks, several strands of wire, nails, several keys and various cloths which seemed to have been arranged into a first aid kit. The revolver which he used in the shooting was of 22 calibre.

NEW YEAR GETS A ROUSING WELCOME -- The dawn of the new year 1923 was met with a rousing reception in our city. Watch parties abounded in all parts of the city and as the old year passed out and the new one in, the merry makers gave the youngster a "rip-snorting" welcome. Whistles, bells, horns and other noise-making utensils were used to good effect.

PARADED AS OFFICER -- Walter Atwood was arrested in our city Saturday, charged with wearing a deputy sheriff's badge. Atwood, as we understand it, became involved in an argument with Albert Rice and during the course of the altercation took a shot gun from Rice and, using it as a club, broke one of Rice's arms. Later he became mixed up in another affair in our city and when arrested had on his person a badge of a deputy sheriff of Sangamon county. Investigation disclosed that he was not commissioned by the sheriff there and he is now being held at the county jail at Carlinville.

OUTPUT OF COAL GREATLY REDUCED -- The coal strike of 1922, which began in April and continued until the latter part of August, caused a decrease of 15,062,265 tons in the output of Illinois mines, according to the annual coal report issued by Director Robert M. Medill and Assistant Director Martin Bolt of the state department of mines and minerals. The total of 1,133 mines in the state had an output of 63,276,827 tons, as compared with 78,339,082 tons in 1931.

The report shows that the average number of days worked in the mines of Illinois was 124 and 98,000 men were employed. Machine mines of the state produced a total of 41,253,767 tons, and 22,023,060 were produced by hand.

The report shows that 159 men were killed in the mines of the state during the closing year, as against 222 in 1921. The number of non-fatal accidents was 3,879, as against 4,327 the next previous year. The decrease in the number of accidents is due to the safety first measures which have been adopted and mine rescue teams have aided much in decreasing the fatalities.

Of the total tonnage of 63,276,827 tons 38,140,978 tons were shipped to market and 18,764,287 tons were supplied to locomotives and 319,488 tons were sold to local trade. The total tonnage consumed at the mines, including waste and all coal not sold June 30, was 2,332,980.

CITIZENS ARRANGE TO PUT IN ROAD -- Staunton might well emulate the people of Troy who constructed a paved road down their Main Street and paid for it with citizen subscriptions. The command might well be "Go ye and do likewise." Our situation is quite similar to that of the people of Troy. There are some pieces of property along the trail through our city which can hardly afford the expense of the improvement. On the other hand, there is plenty of property which can well afford to pay the cost and perhaps a bit more.

It appears to us that our City Council should get busy right now and take steps to "pull in" the city limits to the south so as to throw as much of that territory back to the state as possible. With this done, the next thing in order would be to get an estimate as to the cost of the improvement and then set about to find ways of raising the amount.

There are no doubt public spirited residents in Staunton who would contribute to a "jack pot" to get tbe road built even though they do not own property along the routes to be followed. The abutting property could be made to stand a part of the cost and the city as a whole another part and in this manner the burden would not be too heavy for anyone.

Let's get busy and start something, Mr. Mayor and members of the City Council.

Now is the time to get to work on this matter so as to have the preliminary work taken care of during the winter months and be ready to start construction when spring comes along.