Westen Charles has been the source of several chips featured in "Illegal Of The Day" posts. He is pretty good at finding and furnishing the "Team" with chips and starting points for research.

This is the 1st Illinois "Illegal Of The Day" for 2015 and it is "ALL" Westen. He found the chips and the research is all his.

Take it away, Westen.

I contacted the town library, got what I sent you from them. I'm still hunting down the town historian.

Westen C

JEC Chain Mold from the Hunt records.

James E. Connory 8/20/51
104 E. Court
Paris, IL

No matching record in Mason or Taylor records.

According to his 1942 city directory listing, Connery worked at Gibbons Pool Room and lived with his wife Helen at 806 Douglas. Interestingly, if you look up Gibbons, you find that John Z Gibbons owned the Palace Billiard Hall - so I assume it's the same establishment. Connery apparently was in the Navy during part of the war. The next directory we have chronologically is 1947, which shows Connery owning the Palace Billiard Hall, located at 104 E. Court.

In 1957 Connery is listed as living at 612 Vance St and owning Jim's Tavern on 108 Union plus operating the Palace Bar at 104 E. Court (Marcus Whitcher is given as owner), but 1959 - 1964 he again owns the 104 E. Court location, now called Palace Cocktail Lounge. His wife is listed as an employee. In the 1967 directory, Helen is listed as a widow and owner of the Palace Cocktail Lounge.

According to St. Mary's Cemetery records, James Connery was buried Feb 1, 1965.

104 E. Court is in downtown Paris, one storefront east of the square. It's now an Antique Mall.

My note: IMO the best call for ID on the JEC chips is Palace Billiard Hall, located at 104 E. Court. Connery either worked there or owned it 1942-1965.

As I've stated many times: Without the history, they are only "little pieces of clay."
Thank you Westen.