bed, Chesnas was arrested shortly afterwards and while in jail in
Harrisburg made certain admissions to bootlegger Charles Birger, sub-—
sequently hanged in Benten, with whom he was friendly, Birger inform-
ed the officers and when questioned Chesnas confessed the murder, At
his trial, he pleaded guilty, hoping to avoid the death sentence even
though the Judge had previously informed him that with such a plea he
could still be sentenced to die, The judge heard the evidence and
“sentenced Chesnas to hang. Chesnas then asked permission to withdraw
his guilty plea, plead not guilty and stand trial before a jury. This
request das denied and the case was appealed to the Illinois Supreme
Court which affirmed the conviction, ruling that Chesnas' rights had
not been violated in that he hed been warned that the death sentence
could still be pronounced in spite of his guilty plea, On Mareh 15,
1927, while the case was pending before the Supreme Court, Chesnas
and another prisoner overpowered the jailer and escaped but were re-
captured within a few minutes, He.was hanged behind an enclosure at
the Saline County Jail imam on June 17, 1927.
MFAN OLD JAIL by Small, pages a
156 NORTHEASTERN 372
See A KNIGHT OF ANOTHER SORT by deNeal, pp 90-91 - my library.
bed. Chesnas was arrested shortly afterwards and while in jail in
Harrisburg made certain admissions te bootlegger Charles Birger, sub-
sequently hanged in Benton, with whem he was friendly, Birger inform-
ed the officers and when questioned Chesnas confessed the mrder,. At
his trial, he pleaded guilty, hoping to avoid the death sentence even
though the Judge had previously informed him that with such a plea he
could still be sentenced to die. The judge heard the evidence and
sentenced Chesnas to hang. Chesnas then asked permission to withdraw
his guilty plea, plead not guilty and stand trial before a jury. This
request das denied and the case was appealed to the Illinois Supreme
Court which affirmed the conviction, ruling that Chesnas' rights had
not been violated in that he hed been warned that the death sentence
could still be prenounced in spite of his guilty plea. On March 15,
1927, while the case was pending before the Supreme Court, Chesnas
and another prisoner overpowered the jailer and escaped but were re=
captured within a few minutes, He.was hanged behind an enclosure at
the Saline County Jail at Harrisburg on June 17, 1927.
MEAN OLD JAIL by Small, pages ze
156 NORTHEASTERN 372 .
See A KNIGHT OF ANOTHER SORT by deNeal, pp 90-91 - my library.
bed. Chesnas was arrested shortly afterwards and while in jail in
Harrisburg made certain admissions to bootlegger Charles Birger, sub-
sequently hanged in Benten, with whom he was friendly, Birger inform-
ed the officers and when questioned Chesnas confessed the mrder. At
his trial, he pleaded guilty, hoping to avoid the death sentence even
though the Judge had previously informed him that with such a plea he
could still be sentenced to die, The judge heard the evidence and
sentenced Chesnas to hang, Chesnas then asked permission to withdraw
his guilty plea, plead not guilty and stand trial before a jury. This
request was denied and the case was appealed to the Illinois Suprene
Court which affirmed the conviction, ruling that Chesnas' rights had
not been violated in that he hed been warned that the death sentence
could still be prenounced in spite of his guilty plea, On March 15,
1927, while the case was pending before the Supreme Court, Chesnas
and another prisoner overpowered the jailer and escaped but were re-
captured within a few minutes, He.was hanged behind an enclosure at
the Saline County Jail at Harrisburg on June 17, 1927.
MEAN OLD JAIL by Small, pages a
156 NORTHEASTERN 372
See A KNIGHT OF ANOTHER SORT by deNeal, pp 90-91 - my library.
ied shartly aftervarés and while in jail in
ae eer eee
ome to a5t ty Sth, pose 915
iseaoenstok ae
Con ee 2.
nS fa 2 Os ~ 0-Lck—-
a use te ayph te man of Lithuanian descent, one of six children, was
from a breben: home, his father having deserted the family when he was
ten years old,, When he was 13, he was sent to the St. Charles Re-
formatory for burglary and remained there for seventeen months,
After his release, he spent his time stealing and gambling and mixed
with a number of beotlegging gangs, He subsequently served two terms
in Pontiac Prison fer theft and was released on parole in April, 1926,
when he returned to Harrisburg, Saline Co,, Ill, On the night of
Aur. 5, 1926, he and two friends, Joe Ingram and Alfred Dixen, broke
inte and robbed, the home of William ("Uncle Billy") Unsell, a rural
mail carrier, They had reason to believe that the aged man kept
areund $200 in his heuse, but they were able to find only $6 which
they split evenly among themselves, The next day Dixen and Ingram
were both arrested and Mr, Unsell identified Dixon as one of the
robbers. Chesnas feared that he, too, would be arrested and identi-
fied, so on the night of August 8, he fortified himself with liquer
and watched the Unsell house until Mr, and Mrs, Unsell had retired
for the night. He then broke into their dwelling by removing a
screen from a back window and shot and killed Unsell as he lay in
CHESNAS, Joe
re ~o-bch a
Chesnas, hite man of Lithuanian descent, one of six children, was
from a broken home, his father having deserted the family when he was
ten years old,, When he was 13, he was sent to the St, Charles Re-
formatory for burglary and remained there for seventeen months,
After his release, he spent his time stealing and gambling and mixed
with a number of beotlegging gangs. He subsequently served two terms
in Pontiac Prison for theft and was released on parole in April, 1926,
when he returned to Harrisburg, Saline Co,, Ill, On the night of
Aug. 5, 1926, he and two friends, Joe Ingram and Alfred Dixen, broke
inte and robbed, the home of William ("Uncle Billy") Unsell, a rural
mail carrier, They had reason to believe that the aged man kept
around $200 in his heuse, but they were able to find only $6 which
they split evenly among themselves, The next day Dixen and Ingram
were both arrested and Mr, Unsell identified Dixon as one of the
robberse Chesnas feared that he, too, would be arrested and identi-
fied, so on the night of August 8, he fortified himself with liquer
and watched the Unsell house until Mr. and Mrs, Unsell had retired
for the night. He then broke into their dwelling by removing a
screen from a back window and shot and killed Unsell as he lay in
CHESNAS, Jee
~ (even obel pub
Ghesnas, ayphfte man of Lithuanian descent, one of six children, was
from a broken home, his father having deserted the family when he was
ten years old,, When he was 13, he was sent to the St. Charles Re-
formatery for burglary and remained there for seventeen months,
After his release, he spent his time stealing and gambling and mixed
with a number of bootlegging gangs. He subsequently served two terns
in Pontiac Prison for theft and was released on parole in April, 1926,|
when he returned to Harrisburg, Saline Go,, Ill, On the night of
Aug. 5, 1926, he and two friends, Joe Ingram and Alfred Dixen, broke
into and robbed, the home of William ("Uncle Billy") Unsell, a rural
mail carrier. They had reason to believe that the aged man kept
around $200 in his house, but they were able to find only $6 which
they split evenly among themselves, The next day Dixon and Ingran
were both arrested and Mr, Unsell identified Dixon as one of the
robbers. Chesnas feared that he, too, would be arrested and identi-
fied, so on the night of August 8, he fortified himself with Liquer
and watched the Unsell house until Mr. and Mrs, Unsell had retired
for the night, He then broke into their dwelling by removing a
sereen from a back window and shot and killed Unsell as he lay in
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