Norwich bulletin., 1922-06-23
DETAILS OF POSSIBILITIES
 GIVEN BY WOUNDED MEN

Herrin, H.. June 22 (By the A P).- Half a dozen wounded men, some of them lying on death beds tonight gave an As sociated Press correspondent the first actual eyewitness accounts of the mine fight last night and this morning which brought dozens of casualties when five thousand armed striking minecs attacked the Lester strip mine near here which was being operated by imported workers and guards.
 The substance of the statements by the wounded, who were among the besieged. was that not a mine worker was injured during the fighting but that the numerous killed were shot down in cold blood after they had surrendered themselves and their arms. There was nothing from the union miners to contradict these claims.
 Several of the men imported to work the mine absolved the strikers from blame. saying that the ones responsible weer those iwho sent us here under false promises that there would be no trouble and that "the minecs would not object"
 Some of the wounded interviewed were in the hospital here. Others were located in their homes through secret channels.
 Joseph O'Rourke, Chicago. commissary clerk at the mine. gave the most vivid account of the fight His story was re-
 
 dozen bullet holes through his body.
 "I was sent down. here by the Bertrand Commisssry company of Chicago. ht said. "I had no idea what I was cunning into 1 don't much blanA the miners for attacking us. for we were unknowingly being used as dupes 10 keep them from their jobs We were given arms when we arrived and machine gun was sci up at one corner of the mine. Guards were with us all of the time and most of the guards were tough fellows sent by a the miners sent us warnings to.leave the town or we would be run out. We never got them-perhaps the bosses did.
 When we saw the miners approaching yesterday afternoon. we did not know what to do. The guards prepared for fight most of us workers wanted to sur render
 Through the night the bullets rained in on us. We sought shelter as we could the miners climbed upon the coal piles and earth entertainments. and we were un- able to sec them. The guards kept firing but most of us hid. Then the miners blew up our pumping station. We had nc water and our food supplies were in a freight car in the hands of the miners About sunrise we put uD-the white flag 1 The miners poured in and We surrendered our arms.
 Up to this time not one of us had been injured that know of. although I under stand that several of the miners had beer shot The miners spread out quickly and | tied us together in groups of three and i six. The tied men were then rushed of | in different directions. Some of then I tried to run, but they were shot down al fast as they moved.
 One miner asked who was the machine l gun operator. Someone pointed him out | and he was shot in his tracks and hi: body laid over the machine gun. They tied five men with me, took us out or the road and told us to run. We raT and hundreds of bullets followed us. Wt staggered on but finally three of oul group fell, pulling the others with them q laid there while men came up ana | fired more shots into us from three ol four feet Then everything went black I woke up later and begged for water bu there was not any. I remember beins dragged along the road. but I don't know what by. Then they brought us to th' | hospital
 O'Rourke's story was confirmed by S P Williams and Ed Green of Chicago two of the men tied with him who ar, still alive The other three were killed
 
 ciated Press correspondent this morning and whom he tried to take water to. oni! l to be refused permission to help them. I James E. Morris of Johnston City, IL young miner in the attacking forces | told the correspondent the attack hat l been spontaneous and that when the mel went to the mine they did not really stol | to think of the bloodshed that might fol l low.
 He was wounded early in the fight l" was on my way to Herrin," he said ''when I met a gang of fellows. The, | said they were on their way to run ou l those scabs at the mine. I joined then and others kept joining us until ther must have been 5000. Most of us wer | armed. and those who were not soon go 1 their guns. When we got to the mine W | spread out around it. We had no req | leaders, everyone was working for him l self It was just one big mob out to ge | the men who were running the mine. am not sure who fired the first shot, bu after that it was real war The fire kep up for hours I guess, and several of ou men were hit.
 Late in the evening I was shot in tn 1 arm. The wound was not serious and walked back to where a group of ou men were standing and they sent me her in car I was not there but I under stand most of the killing was done afte the mine surrendered. I'm sure some c those scabs really were innocent mel It's just the old story os mob gettin | started"
 Other miners confirmed Morris state ments.
 O'Rourke is one of nine men in the hos pital. Morris is the only miner and seve
 of the imported miners are expected {