Charlie Birger: Wrestling with the Past

Before there was Al Capone, there was Charlie Birger. Before there was John Dillinger, there was Charlie Birger. Long before Bonnie and Clyde, there was Charlie Birger. In the 1920s, Prohibition took hold and the most notorious man in Illinois was Charlie Birger. Of course, he would die for his crimes as the last man to face death on the gallows in Illinois, but along the way, Birger captured the hearts of many while at the same time, Birger riled just as many. His actions are still legendary in an area of Illinois short on heroes but long on history.

Charlie Birger

Charlie Birger was born in Russia. At an early age, the family immigrated to the United States. The family settled in St. Louis. At the age of 17, Charlie joined the Army. His job was to break horses. It seems odd but that is what he was good at. However, the need for breaking wild horses was nearing an end as the industrial age and automobiles began to dominated the economy. After getting out of the service, Virden worked odd jobs in St. Louis before settling for a while in Virden, Illinois. His stay was not long there, either. Charlie ran a pool hall. And to put it mildly, the small town did not take kindly to his methods. Eventually, Birger made his way to southern Illinois to work in the coal mines. It was here that Birger fell in love with the region and its people.

Southern Illinois is not what most people think of when they think of Illinois. It consists of rolling hills, wide valleys, beautiful vistas, and sits in between the Wabash, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers. Unlike the rolling prairies of central Illinois, the region is then filled with forests and is southern in culture and climate compared to rest of Illinois. Here, Birger would make his home for the rest of his life.

Charlie Birger soon turned from mining to being a businessman. He would open up a small restaurant that turned in to a drinking establishment. In addition to food and drink, other assorted vices soon made their way into Birger’s new business. Charlie was good at what he did. He was charming, dashing, and took care of those less fortunate. He was like Robin Hood in one sense, but in another way, he was not. Charlie was not afraid to kill those who got in way. One included his competition, another bar owner in town. Birger even helped the local police from time to time. By 1920, Harrisburg, Illinois might as well been called Birgerville. However, things changed with the 18th Amendment and Prohibition.

Birger’s Prohibition life was more sordid and more bloody. His business soon became known as Shady Rest. It was intended as a stop over for people running alcohol from Florida to St. Louis. But it was more than that. Birger was asked to leave by county authorities but Birger laughed it off. He only fortified his facilities even more. Birger’s bootlegging business soon took off. Another area gang, the Shelton Brothers of West City, soon were at odds with Birger. Long before Al Capone came to power in Chicago, the rival gangs of southern Illinois were competing and killing in style using Tommy guns. Both sides built armored cars that were more like tanks. The Sheltons even bombed Birger’s Shady Rest from the air.

In 1922, the county of Williamson soon exploded. Not only was there alcohol, but there was a miner’s strike that resulted in the Herrin Massacre. To qualm the area, some ministers in the country called on an unexpected source to clean up the county. Enter the Ku Klux Klan. The ministers wanted the KKK to clean out the alcohol, bootleggers, and new immigrants. Eventually, the Klan would get Birger arrested. In 1924, Birger was released from prison in Danville. Meanwhile, the Shelton Brothers began to fight against the Klan. The Brothers formed a group to fight the Klan called the Knights of the Flaming Circle. Many shootouts between the Klan and the bootleggers took place. Eventually, the National Guard was called in. Depending on what county you were in, determined who was arrested. Eventually, the leader of the Klan, Escelene Young, was killed by a sheriff’s deputy in a cigar shop. The deputy also died. With Escelene Young out of the way, 1925 saw the KKK begin to fade away in southern Illinois. However, the coming election in 1925 saw conflict between the two sides. Shootouts even occurred at the polling place, the Masonic Lodge, in Herrin.

Birger and his gang

The elections of Harley Boswell as State’s Attorney in Williamson County saw the biggest change. Boswell, the former attorney for Young, soon dropped any cases against Shelton. The following years saw Birger’s power wane. Birger, whose Shady Rest would be burnt down, tried to continue his business. In his attempt to regain power, Birger had the mayor of West City, Joseph Adams, killed. In addition, Birger had two women, Laurie and Ethel Price, killed at the same time as Joe Adams. The public would not stand for how far Birger was taking his war with the Sheltons. In the trial of Joe Adams, Birger would be found guilty along with the two men who pulled the trigger. Those men got sent to prison. Birger was to hang for his crimes.

Birger’s coming execution became the hottest ticket in town. Only 100 people were given entrance to the courtyard. However, many more claimed to be there. Pictures of the execution show pictures of people clinging to the branches of the tree. Birger wore a black hood at his hanging so as not to look like a member of the KKK. In 1928, Birger showed up to his execution in a dapper suit and smile. He knew he was the star of the show that day. Before the hood was placed on his head, Birger stated, “It’s a beautiful world.”

Birger's Execution

Birger would be buried in a cemetery with his born name, Shachna Itzik Birger. After his death, his legend continued to grow. In an area short on heroes, Birger stands as larger-than-life than figure. Many songs were written about Birger and his execution including this one:

Charlie Birger Time

A group’s gathering, it must be getting close
Gonna get their money’s worth tonight
Are they my enemies, who wanna see me squirm
Or friends, who wanna see me off right
Can’t help but smile at how they do it here
Both sides downstate they thirst for blood
You heard it once, this world is beautiful
That’s what I said, but I’m really thinking

All of you are coming with me
Knots and rope alone won’t get me
You or me will, learn the hard way

And it’s a beautiful world, that’s what I said
To remember me by
And it’s a beautiful world, that’s what I said
But I’m really thinking

All of you are coming with me
Knots and rope alone won’t get me
You or me will, learn the hard way
All of you are coming with me
Knots and rope alone won’t get me
You or me will, learn the hard way

However beloved Birger was, there are many who do not see him as a romantic hero of Prohibition. The producer of the documentary The Legend of Charlie Birger, David Kidd, stated:

“Today, everywhere we look, the image of the gangster is being transformed into a likable character…a friendly sort who only gave the public what it wanted—good times and harmless fun in a dry and colorless era. The past looks great through these rose-colored glasses, until you examine the life and times of a gangster like Charlie Birger. In doing so you soon discover that the rose-colored glasses have been tinted with blood. And so it is with the legend of Charlie Birger. No matter how it’s dressed up and presented, our system of justice hangs in the balance. This is the legacy, not the legend, of Charlie Birger.”

Southern Illinois will always wrestle with the deeds of Birger during Prohibition. Which will be greater, the legacy or the Legend?

For further reading
A Knight of Another Sort: Prohibition Days and Charlie Birger By Gary DeNeal
Bloody Williamson: A Chapter in American Lawlessness By Paul M. Angle

For further viewing
The Legend of Charlie Birger by WSIU-TV

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