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Author Taylor Personeau spoke about
1930s era criminal groups in Southern Illinois at the September 2026
Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society meeting.
Before becoming an author, Personeau dreamed of writing books for
years. He was a political writer for the St. Louis Post Dispatch
then president of the Illinois Coal Association. His first books
were biographies of former governor Dan Walker (1993) and former
Governor Richard Ogilvie (1997).
Personeau has now written eleven books, most of which featured
either governors or gangsters.
His third book is about the Shelton
gang, who he heard many stories about growing up in Belleville,
Illinois. In 2002, Personeau’s book Brothers Notorious: The Sheltons,
Southern Illinois’ Legendary Gangsters came out. He said it is his
most popular book, with sales of almost 22,000.
Starting in the 1920s with prohibition and ending in the mid-1960s,
there was quite a bit of lawlessness and violence in Southern
Illinois.
The Shelton boys grew up in a poor farm family in Wayne County just
outside of Fairfield. Personeau said they were bullies who learned
early on how to shoot guns and drive fast cars—two ingredients for
gangsters. The brothers opened a tavern in East St. Louis. When
prohibition began, they turned the front room into a confectionary
and sold alcohol in the back room.
Soon, the boys became bootleggers and got booze for other taverns.
They had a monopoly on bootlegging in Southern Illinois. Personeau
said taverns bought protection from the Sheltons. The boys paid off
political officials to ignore what they were doing.
The leader of the Shelton gang was Carl Shelton, a handsome ladies’
man who did not like violence. His brother Big Earl, did not go to
school beyond the eighth grade, but was a good businessman. Bernie
Shelton was the muscle who liked to shoot first and talk later.
During this time, Personeau said there was a rebirth in Southern
Illinois of the Ku Klux Klan, who wanted to see prohibition
enforced. There was soon a war between the bootleggers, the
gangsters and the KKK. The Shelton gang took control of some towns.
Other towns were guarded by the KKK, who had its own army and
commander, and people had to get clearance from them to go into
town.
At one point, a rival gangster named Charlie Burger challenged the
Shelton brothers leading to an all-out war. Over a few months,
Personeau said 40 to 50 men were killed. Burger had previously been
a captain in Shelton’s group but had a falling out with Carl Shelton
over a woman.
Personeau shared a story where the Sheltons commandeered a World War
II Jenny and tried to bomb Charlie Burger’s headquarters, promising
Elmer Kane and Henry Mundale $1000 and a brand new car to fly the
plane.
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Personeau’s book
shares the story of Kane flying the plane as someone tossed the
bombs behind Shady Rest. The first and second bombs were both
duds. Burger’s men shot at the plane with rifles and machine
guns. The only casualties were a bulldog and an eagle. Because
Kane and Mundale were caught driving what turned out to be a car
stolen by Shelton henchmen, they were later arrested.
The Shelton gang set
up machine guns in the back of a large truck and would patrol the
highways at night, scaring many. Personeau said even cops got out of
their way.
Charlie Burger was hung in 1928 for the murder of Joe Adams. He
hired two teenage boys to assassinate Adams. Personeau said Burger’s
hanging was the last public hanging in Illinois. The gallows can
still be found in Benton, Illinois.
Another of Personeau's books about a gangster is Dapper and Deadly:
The True Story of Black Charlie Harris. Harris had coal black hair
and a swarthy complexion. Personeau said Harris grew up idolizing
the Shelton boys. Carl Shelton even taught Harris’ Sunday School
class at one point.
While Harris was a driver in Detroit for the Shelton gang during the
bootlegging era, he was arrested for having counterfeit money. After
being sent to Leavenworth for ten years, Harris never forgave the
Shelton boys. When he was released from Leavenworth, Harris became
their enemy.
Personeau said between 20 and 25 killings were attributed to Harris.
He was a hired assassin in places like Los Angeles and was at the
top of the FBI list. If you crossed Harris, you could either leave
Southern Illinois or dig your grave.
To find out more about Harris, Personeau was able to eventually
track down Harris’ niece Bea Riley in Kansas, who asked him to come
alone to meet her. He spent three days interviewing her and she gave
Personeau the photo he used for the cover of the book.
Through interviewing Riley and several others, plus getting letters
from Leavenworth, Personeau was able to share the story of Harris’
criminal behavior. This book came out in 2010 and has sold around
6,000 copies.
Harris allegedly orchestrated Carl Shelton’s assassination in 1947.
Big Earl survived three or four assassination attempts and Bernie
was assassinated in 1948.
Personeau said his books about gangsters are his best sellers.
The next LCGHS meeting will be Monday, October 19 with a
presentation by someone from the Illinois State Museum.
[Angela Reiners] |
