The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-22
SUMMON TROOPS
 IN MINERS STRIKE The Foreign Miners Rebel
 Against Natives SITUATION IS SERIOUS Foreigners Give Armed Demonstra- tion and Bloodshed Has Been Narrowly Averted-Mining
 Town Is Besieged
SITUATION IS SERIOUS

| of 10 companies of the Illinois National Guard are patrolling the mining town Of Benld. south of here and the presence of the troops has had a salutory effect on | the striking miners who, as late as this morning joined in demonstration call culated to awe those who wanted to TO- 1 turn to work
 Operations in mine No. 1, located here, and one of the three shafts owned by the Superior Coal company, will be re- sumed at o'clock tomorrow morning. One company of guardsmen is policing | this property
 Sheriff Elmo Etter of Macoupin county | is in Benld with force of 50 deputies | and cooperating with Col. Edward J. Lang, commanding the National Guard. States Attorney James Murphy of Car | iinevllle also is on the scene giving the sheriff counsel
 That wholesale arrests are to follow is the statement from both the states attorney and the sheriff. Warrants will De issued for all who are known to have borne arms and against all others who took part in melting the riotous demon- strations. The saloons have been closed. There are 23 saloons in Benld, one for every 104 inhabitants. .
 
 presented by Mayor Powell to Colonel Lang would not accomplish the desired result citizens committee corno~rd of F. W.'Edwards, Louis Toiga and Ed ward Lowery left for Springfield to per sonally urge Governor Deneen to call the troops off
 Colonel Lang and Sheriff Etter visited the three mines of the Superior Coal company after camp had been pitched near the interurban station. The recon naisance completed, patrols were located at the three mines and other patrols assigned to duty in the town of Benld proper
 When the first squad was sent out on patrol duty large crowd collected, press ing closely upon the guardsmen. Orders were given to disperse the crowd and in pushing back the foremost ones an uni identified miner sprang at one of the me with an open knife. The guardsman pre- sented his rifle with bayonet fixed and charged his would-be assaiant The man fled, pursued by the trooper The latter gave up the chase after a couple of hundred yards.
 All told there are 325 guardsmen in Benld. including the officers. The ann intuition furnished is the riot small shot cartridge, though each man also has with him enough regulation cartridges to meet any emergency.
 One thousand strong. and well armed, the foreign speaking coal miners of Benld, H., conducted sunrise demonstration today against their English speaking brethren of the town of Gillespie, com manding those who stood upon the side walks to get in line.
 Caution of the older citizens and bus mess men of Gillespie against violence probably prevented bloodshed.
 Throughout the might vigilant citizens of ha nf entire town. They had been warned that the Bend miners were marching on Gill lespie.
 When the first music of the demonstra- tion from Benld was heard the citizens of Gillespie were prepared for siege. Some had sought refuge in the rooms above store buildings along the main street. declaring they would shoot if the marchers came into the town. Never theless the procession passed through the village and not shot was fired.
 An hour later Col E. J. Lang, com manding the Fifth regiment, Illinois Ma ti64al Guards. arrived from Springfield on an interurban car and took charge of the situation. The Effingham and Paris companies were the first of the troops to arrive. ordered out at 1:30 this morn- ing by Governor Deneen. The other com mands arrived by 9 o'clock, nearly all of them coming on the interurban line from Springfield.
 It is Colonel Langs plan to march his troops from Gillespie to Benld, two and a half miles, by wagonroad and disarm the belligerents. many of whom are In a disagreeable temper. If necessary, Col onel Lang is ready to proclaim martial law in Benld to enforce his plans for quietng the disturbance. Citizens of Gill lespie insist there will be bloodshed in Benld when the troops attempt to disarm the foreigners.
 Three months ago John P. Reese came to Gillespie from Iowa to take the su- perintendency of the Superior Coal cont pany properties, succeeding J. w. Miller, who was killed in the traction wreck In Benld on October 4, when 40 persons lost their lives.
 Superintendent Reese inaugurated sev- eral changes not favorably received by the foreigners among the miners.
 The climax was reached ten days ago when 20 men were discharged from the mines for improperly loading cars. It was charged that the miners were loading their cars light as a reprisal Tor the superintendent's action in putting in mine No 1 an additional machine, with which he hoped to bring the tonnage up to ca- pacity.
 Workers of America of Illinois voted against a strike and ordered the men back to work. When the whistle blew for work in mine No 1 yesterday morning, however, the American miners were pre- vented from going to work by 500 for eigners, who marched from Benld and defied the local authorities. Several fights occurred and one man was hurt Tn view of reports that the foreigners were preparing to march upon Gillespie and apply the torch. the citizens, in q meeting, directed an appeal to Governor Deneen for aid. Scarcely person in the 74O0 population of Gillespie slept last