Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-13
SMITH SENT TO
GIBSON COUNTY
BY GOV. M'CRAY
Adiutant General to Sift
Trouble Between Residents
and Foreigners.
MANY LEAVE DISTRICT

Adiutant General Harry B. Smith
of Indiana was ordered by Governor
Warren T. McCray today to go i'm
mediately to Gibson county to in
vestigate the situation arising from
the action of citizens of that county
in compelling foreign labors to leave
the district.
A committee of mine operators
who called on the governor told him
that all mining. operations and all
construction work bad stopped and
that ell of their laborers had left
the district under threats of death
if they should recurn.
The Governor got into communication
with officials at Princeton and demanded
that the law be enforced and that the
Iaborers be permitted TO return to work.
The grand jury has convened and ottlclal
promise was given that action would be
taken Immediately to determine respon-
sibility and to punish those responsible.
The mine operators told Governor Nc
Cray that all is quiet in the coal fields,
but tkey declared the quietness Is due to
the fact that all the men against whom
violence was threatened have left the dis
trict and are afraid to return because of
threats against their lives
MUST IMPORT LABOR TO
CONTINUE OPERATIONS.
The committee members said they can
not obtain sufficient labor among resi-
dents Of the community and that if they
are not permitted to import labor it will
be impossible for them to continue with
mine operations and railroad construc-
tion.
1t was made clear to the Governor
that the affair is not one IN which unions
are concerned and they stated that the
United Mine Workers are in sympathy
With the operators
The committee Of operators was com
posed OF George A Enos, Cleveland, pres
ident Of the Enos Mining Company; Fred
S. Mcconnell Of Cleveland, vice president
of the Enos Mining Company; J. L. Kle-
meyer, Nincennes, and w. NJ. Wilmore,
Yincennes, directors of the AYRSHIRE Dis
trlct Collleries Company, which has
mines at Francisco where the trouble
started.
The Governor saw the committee i'm
medirtely on his return from his home in
Kentland and was closeted with them for
more than an hour During the course
OF the conference [. S. Lesh. attorney
general, and General Smith were
called IN.
The Governor said that as soon as he
was told OF the situation he called James
Robinson. prosecuting attorney, by tele-
phone and demanded that be and other
officials take cure Of the situation. lie
said the prosecutor told him the grand
jury would he convened Immediately and
that every possible action would be taken.
STATE EXPECTS LOCAL
AUTHORITIES TO ACT.
It was indicated at the Statehouse that
the attitude of the State win be that the
companies involved must be allowed to
continue operation with whatever labor
they please and that this labor must be
given adequate protection. 1t was also
indicated that local authorities would be
given every chance to act before any.
thing is done qy the State.
'"There will be no sinking responsible
ity," Governor McCray declared ''As
long as l am Governor of Indiana law
and order viii be maintained. I am told
that things are quiet in the Princeton
district. but if quiet means simply that
one side has been whipped and dares not
so back to work something must be done
We VIII not have that kind of quiet"
There was considerable speculation as
to the effect the new deputy sheriff law,
Continued on Page Two)