SPRINGFIELD (UPI) A fire at the headquarters of a civil rightsgroup headed by the Rev. Charles Koen, a gubernatorial candidate, isbeing investigated by federal authorities, investigators said.
The fire gutted Koen's United Front headquarters in Cairo onSept. 19, 1985. James Elder, special agent in charge of the federalBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in St. Louis, said the blazeclearly was arson.
Koen is the Illinois Independent Party candidate for governor.He is executive director of United Front and a Cairo alderman.
United Front was active in the 1960s and 1970s promoting civilrights in southern Illinois. The group led the drive to integrateCairo's restaurants and a city pool.
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