The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-06
STRIKE AT LETTER MINES
SITUATION AT THE TOWN OF
ZEIGLER Is VERY PECULIAR.
No Marks of Bullets To Show Signs OF
the Firing that Has Been Reported
Every Night-Reports of Wounded
Union Men Deny that they are Gull
ty of Any ViOlence-A Statement by
Mr.. Letters Attorney.

Duquoin, ILL.,, December 3.-After
several months of labor trouble at the
Letter mines, in the town OF Zeigler,
during which many reports OF active
skirmishing have eInanated from the
rival camps, the situation there is one
Of most peculiar in the history of recent
labor disturbances. 1t is stated by dis
interested persons living near Zeigle;,
that firing has been heard nearly every
night for several weeks in the vicinity
of the stockade surrounding Zeigle-
and from the pump house, located at
some distance from the town.
After a thorough investigation, how
ever. staff correspondents of st. Louis
newspapers declare that they have been
unable to find any. marks of bullets
either on the stockade or at the pump
house.
towns that miners and strikers have
been wounded. have proved, upon in
vestfgation to have been incorrect.
From the latest authentic reports
there are about % miners encamped
about four miles from Zeigler. In the
town there are about eighty miners,
militiamen and forty-f1ve
deputy marshals including both state
and federal officers.
Immediately upon the establishment
of the union miners camp, reports CT
clashes between the union men and the
men employed by Letter to take their
places began to ernanate from various
sources. Several trains carrying non
union men to the mines were fired upor
from ambuScadeS but there was moth
ing to connect the striking miners di-
rectly with the occurrences. Although
generally termed strikers the off c.
ials of the union authorized to speak
for the men declare that they are not
on strike. They say Mr.. Letter offered
a wage scale to which they could not
agree and so they left the mines. They
also deny all knowledge of the alleged
attacks on the town of Zeigler, and
while admitting that they have at
tempted to persuade tn enimers
tempted to Persuade the miners to leave
the employ of Mr.. Letter, they declare
that no violence has been used.
Henry r. Platt, Mr.. Letters attorney,
sums up the situation as follows:
Our employees have been reduced &c
a state of terror by the !b1shwhack:ng
which has become a nightly occurrence
Our stockade and our property has
been fired upon repeatedly, and there
has been one murder which I have no
hesitancy in saying was the work Of
union mines on strike and in accord
ance with the plans of the organization
which holds control over the strikers.
On some nights hundreds of shots have
been fired from the surrounding woods.
THE rapid fire guns have replied
whenever the location of the attackers
could be found. We appealed to the
sheriff of this county for protection and
two companies of militia came in res
ponse to his request for help. There ,s
every reason, from the standpoint of
justice and law, for the bringing of the
troops f'
Reports Of the strikers declare en-
phaticaily that this claim made by the
Letter supporters is not we'll grounded.