The Mankato free press., 1922-06-23

here. A man named Mcdowell.
foreman at the mine, was beaten to
death, and the other IA, exclusive
of the man hanged were shot to
death. 1t was stated the men were
massacred when they attempted to
escape after being taken prisoner
The dead non union men were
reported to have been among forty
four prisoners captured at the strip
mine Four others were found rid
died with bullets and are not ex..
pected to recover. What became OF
the other twenty four could not be
learned.
Springfield, ILL.,, June 22.-Adju-
tant General G. e. Black at 10:30
o'clock this morning, declared his
telephone information from Herrin
was that the local authorities have
the situation well in hand. The
general had just concluded talking
with Colonel Hunter who had been
at Herrin. He said the colonel had
to hang three prisoners taken by
the strikers. Regarding the number
reported killed, the general cor.
mented that "the multiplication table
is at work.
When informed that bodies OF
nineteen dead miners had been
counted by newspaper man at
Herrin, Adjutant General Black said
he had received no further word but
was trying to get in touch with his
staff officer. Colonel Hunter.
Colonel Hunter was talking from
Marion, General Black said. He re-
ported that he had been unable to
verify the rumor that anybody had
been killed. General Black said
troops would not be sent into Her
rim unless asked for by local au-
thorities.
IL was pointed out that Governor
Small is the only state official en-
powered to call out the troops. Gen
eraI Black will merely make the
recommendation should it become
necessary.
Witnessed The Killing
Herrin, ILL.,, June 22.-There were
several thousand men and boys pres
ent when the sixteen non union
men were killed at nine o'clock this
morning. The forty four men were
taken prisoners at the camp, herded
in front of the captors and when
they reached a point about half way
between the mine and Herrin where
they passed through a wood, the
prisoners, by an apparently pre- ar
ranged signal, made a dash to es-
cape and that they were pursued
and killed. The three dead union
miners were killed in last nights
fighting. The bodies of the nineteen
dead were counted by an experienc-
ed and conservative newspaper man.
Four of the sixteen bodies of
strike breakers were found at the
foot of the tree from which the body
of a man hanged were susepnded.
The bodies of the other eleven dead,
and four wounded, scattered through
the woods.
The man hunt was continuing over
a wide area. Six men later Were
captured and taken in the direction
of the mine.
Check Up At Noon Today
= A check up at noon today, made
by The Associated Press, showed
twenty known dead and indication
that the total would be more than
thirty in the hostilities between
striking union miners and employees
of the strip mines of the Southern
Illinois Coal company near here.
Bodies we're spread over an area
fifteen miles square, some of them
riddled with bullets, others beaten
to death and three hanging by
ropes from trees.
An Associated Press correspond i
ent, after ten Intellectual attempts
today, finally persuaded a taxicab
driver to take him through the
scene of the fight. The strip mine
had been fired and freight train
cir ole Nxy31 a
miners looted several cars of food
supplies.
PitifuI Scenes Described I
Out in road near the mine, six
men tied together and terribly
mangled Dy bullets and clubs lay
in a scorching sun, while hundreds
of men and women laughed at their
pleas for water made in the name
of God.
One of the men his face bloody
and one shoulder shot away appar
emily was within few minutes Of
death.
Please. boys, give me a drink, :"
he moaned.
A laugh from the hundreds OF
spectators was the only reply.
The correspondent rushed to a
house for water and when he re-
IufHCQ u6 Wdo le1C0u Wy oWoIu,
quickly drawn pistols and told to
keep away.
When the man begged again for
water, "for Gods sake" a young
woman with a baby in her arms,
placed her foot on the mangied
body and said:
'I'll see you in hell before you
get any water"
The men apparently had been
dragged down a rock road behind
an automobile. Their clothes were
bedded in their mangled flesh.
Senator William j. Sneed of Her
rim, the only union man" in the
constitutional convention at Spring
field announced at noon today that
he would leave Immediately for
Herrin to act as peacemaker.
Fighting Has Ceased
The union miners deny they killed
any strike breakers. The CORES
pondent accosted a striking miner
and the following conversation fol-
lowed: s.
How many were killed." the
correspondent asked.
"No one killed at ALL"
why, the dead are all over" the
correspondent coupntered.
I'VE didn't kill them, they just
dropped dead from freight when
we surrounded their camp"
The striker then asked whether
the militia was coming here, adding,
'"if the militia comes down here that
will mean just so many more guns
for u.s."
The fighting has ceased and the