New-York tribune., 1921-09-09
siol.rl1 Holds Up
Illinois Miners
March ON Town
ao Strikers Encamped in
Hills of Hardin County
Face 400 Armed Guards
Defending E'izabethtown
Sheriff Asks for Rifles
Machine Guns Held Ready;
Baptist Delegates Turned
Back by Union Pickets

rYYzABETHTOWN, H.. Sept. 8 (Ry
e.. associated Press).-The advance of
-. $40 miners reported encamped in
=. Hills q few miles north of this
,,um ready for an invasion Of the -four
.n.r mines where armed guards have
,s.rolled since o strike began last De-
..,,ber. was blocked to-day by terri
9. rainssorni. Roads are impossible.
.bort 400 deputy sheritfs, private de-
.s~t;ves ard citizen guards are holding
he roads and nearby hills, prepared to
s,op the miners ii they attempt to in
,~se the field TIE miners are deter
n;ned TO reach the town. they say, to
,e,lect strike benefits due then. Armed
~.ards ara said to have been keeping
them away.
Early reports tonight said that the
n:nsrs we're returning TO their homes
Twentv-hve of them were reported to
have gone north through Karker's
Ridge.
l4AllS LOE SOILlC lAtO LnS EiliS
= force were held in allegiance follow
nc I, -gerc receipt Of v-ord that Adjutant Gen
srsi Dickson was on his way to Eliza
tefhtown ard Rosiclare as the personal
representative OF Governor Len Small
10 investigate the situation.
Hope TO Avert Conflict
County officials are hopeful that the
ssiutanS general can meet the invading
miners and turn them back without
boodshed
son, asking for $50 Springfield rifles
and the necessary ammunition. Under
the Illinois laws the adjutant general
* required to furnish the sheriff with
arms in emergencies.
Four machine guns were mounted on
trucks and $1,000 rounds Of ammuni-
ton was made ready for use. Four
more machine guns were due to arrive
here tonight.
Sheriff Cox telegraphed Governor
Small that false stories had been cir
culatsd in Williamson and Saline coun-
ties TO the effect that men were killed
ard women and children beaten in Rosi-
clare with the purpose of inhaming the
coal miners Outlying farmers and
lTdNEtSLS Stl laiC +Cd0S d1C OClGS tNISdL-
enad and held prisoners by the miners.
the Sheriff told the Governor, and he
asked that the sheriffs of Saline, Frank
lin and Williamson counties be ordered
TO prevent further invasion of Hardin
County.
the mayors of Rosiclare and Eliza
be1htown sent similar kilograms TO the
Governor and advised him that unless
the invaders are turned back heavy
aring with serious loss Of life would
follow.
The main body OF miners Is believed
10 be sncamped IN the wooded hills
Of the Furnace Land Forest, six miles
from Elizabethtown.
Camp Used Before Civil War
Scouts sent out last night reported
their camp fires in q clearing near an
old stone furnace used in pre- Civil
Var days to melt iron ore.
0utposts from EliZabethtown who
penetrated the hills halfway to the
mners camp reported no sign Of the
men who yesterday told an Associated
Press correspondent whom they halted
on the road that they intended attack
ing Rosiclare to-day. The defending
forces at Rosiclare and Elizabethtown
vera augmented when additional Ken
tuckians rowed across the river and
Volunteered to join fifty men who ar
rived from the Blue Grass state last
night. The Kentuchans are all well
armed.
HARRISBURG, Ill, Sept. s.--A party
Of Baptist delegates from this city en-
route to the General Baptist Associa-
ton meeting in Hardin County, were
halted to-day at Horseshoe, ten miles
west Of Rosiclare, by union men and
Warned that they were in danger by
continuing their journey. They re-
turned to this city.
Camped in and near Horseshoe are
about seventy-fve union coal miners
iron. various southern Illinois counties,
according to the party of Baptists. Six
men endeavoring to reach Rosiclars
Wednesday, night were halted by guards.
Three Of the men escaped. Nothing
nas been heard Of the other tgio.
The situation was felt by residents
Of this city to be critical.