Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1901 — SHENKLE SAVED FROM MOB [ARTICLE]

SHENKLE SAVED FROM MOB

Illinois Soldiers Guard Him at Trial. ORDERED OUT BY GOVERNOR. Th® Prisoner Pleads Guilty In Order to Escape Personal Violence —His In~ careerstson Ordered by the Court Under State Indeterminate Law. Albert Shenkle, charged with assaulting Grade Gfller, a daughter of Charles H. Giller, the girl being aged but 13 years, pleaded guilty in the court at Carrollton, 111., Friday, and was sentenced by Judge Owen Thompson under the indeterminate law. He was taken to the depot immediately upon the announcement of the sentence and hurried by special train under a heavy guard to the south Illinois penitentiary at Chester. Upon the arrival of the prisoner from the county jail at Springfield, whither he had been taken to avoid a lynching, a large crowd had assembled in the street at Carrollton, but all plans of violence were frustrated by the presence of four companies of state militia, specially ordered out for the occasion by Gov. Yates. The accused marched through the streets heavily shackled, with a strong cordon of police keeping the mob -back along the line of march. No hostile demonstrations were made, the people appearing to be aware that the numbers of the soldiery were sufficiently large to insure the failure of any attempt to subvert the due processes of law. No unnecessary time was wasted In preliminaries. The warrant charging Shenkle with the crime was read and the prisoner asked to plead. “I plead guilty," said Shenkle. “The judgment on your plea is that you be confined in the penitentiary at Chester, there to remain until your discharge in the due process of law,” said Judge Thompson. Shenkle flushed, bit his lips and then sat down. Sheriff Conlee arose, and without a word the condemned prisoner extended his hands for the shackles. A moment later the militia formed a guard around the sheriff and his prisoner and started down the street for the station. Within five minutes after their arrival the train departed for Chester. Shenkle made a full confession of his crime while ,on the way from Springfield to Carrollton.