Benton Illinois is a town with a fascinating history. The jail was preserved and turned into a museum because of what happened in this area during Prohibition. It led to bootlegging and gang warfare throughout Illinois and we have all heard the violent stories of Al Capone in Chicago. But the lawlessness in southern Illinois was just as damaging. The Franklin County Garage museum and the Historic Jail Museum both preserve memorabilia and stories from this era.
The Shelton Gang and Charlie Birger terrorized this region for decades. We talked to a descendent of the Shelton family at one of the museums and she told us that even Capone’s gangs were scared of the Shelton gang. Before Prohibition, parts of Southern Illinois had developed a reputation for murder stemming from family feuds and labor strife. The 1922 Herrin coal mine strike, also called the Herrin Mine Massacre, left 23 dead. So Prohibition brought more murders.
And then, one of the Shelton gang’s own members rebelled. Charlie Birger had his own place within the Shelton domain. Legend says it was love that destroyed his loyalty. He struck out on his own in 1926, after Carl Shelton had an affair with his girlfriend. Known for brutality, Birger was also beloved for generosity. One of his wives said, “When he found out there was a family in need, he didn’t make it known. He went and bought this stuff and set it on the porch. He would leave money in envelopes under their doors.”
He had no generosity toward the Shelton gang. It was all out war. They battled each other with handmade armored cars, jerry-rigged bombs dropped from airplanes, and weapons that often outnumbered local law enforcement’s. The feud ended when Birger was hanged in 1928 for the murder of Shelton associate and West City, Illinois Mayor Joe Adams, which he ordered.
The jail is where Birger was held and even the scaffoling used for his hanging have all been preserved.
On a much lighter note, Benton is also known for a visit from George Harrison, months ahead of the Beatle’s 1964 America debut, George Harrison and his brother came to Benton, Illinois to visit their sister who was married to a midwesterner. The Beatles were still unknown in America, despite being at the top of the charts in England, and George was able to remain anonymous during his two week stay. He played with a local band, bought a guitar in a neighboring town, and mostly hung out as a tourist. He did a radio interview which is memorialized in the Jail museum.