The last book in the Paisley Scrapbook series has been indexed and the index has been added to our Master Newspaper Index on our website. These volumes are related to the two trials held in late 1922 and early 1923 centered around the Herrin Massacre. They contain information related to the questioning of dozens of potential jurors and witnesses for the trial and reveal familial relationships, residential and occupational information of dozens of local residents. The index includes over 1,000 references.
Oldham Paisley and his father, W.O. Paisley, owned and operated the Marion Daily Republican from 1915 until it was sold in the 1970’s. During the 1920’s, Oldham covered all of the major events of the county as a reporter including the KKK, kidnapping and murder, gang members, gang warfare and the Herrin Massacre. Paisley collected all of his news clippings related to these events and grouped them. The historical society put these into book form to make them available to the public.
The entire series is as follows:
- Volume 1, 1922-24, Before & After Herrin Massacre
- Volume 2 & 3, 1922-23, First & Second Herrin Massacre Trials
- Volume 1A & 1B, 1922, Herrin Massacre
- Volume 4A & 4B, 1923-24, Ku Klux Klan
- Volume 5 & 6, 1924-26, Klan, Glenn Young, Charles Birger
- Volume 7 & 8, 1927-28, Charles Birger & Trial
- Volume 9, 1928-29, Birger, Boswell, Ritter