The New York herald., 1922-06-23
Witnesses Say Fifteen
Were Thrown Into
Pond With Rocks
About Necks.
SEVERAL ARE BURNED
All but Three Victims Were
Men Imported to Work
in Plant.
MINE WILL STAY CLOSED
Company to Make No Effort
to Reopen Until Strike
Is Settled.
MINE WILL STAY CLOSED

HERRIs, Ill, June % (Associated
Press) The death toll in the dis
aster last night and to-day. when
5000 striking union miners attacked
the Lester strip mine, being operated
under guard of imported workers,
may run past the forty mark. it was
said tonight by those In touch with
the situation, although thus far only
twenty-seyen positively are known to
be dead.
In the Herrin Hospital are eight
wounded men, only one n miner, and
Elk of them are believed to be fatally
injured. There were nine, but one
died.
A miner told the Associated Press
correspondent that he had seen fif-
teen bodies thrown into a pond with
rocks around their necks to-day
About twenty imported workers are
missing.
DimcuIt to Check List.
Checking the death list has proved
almost impossible. The victims, all
but three of them imported workers
SO far as Is known, were found scat
tered over an area within several
miles OF the mine Some were
Iynched, some were burned when the
mine was fred, others were beaten to
death and the majority fell before
the scores of bullets poured into
them.
A check UP at midnight OF known
casualties in the miners riot showed
the following:
In Herrin morgue-17.
In Marion morgue-1.
In private homes here-3.
Six other bodies seen by the Asso-
ciated Press representatives are be-
lieved to be still in the woods.
Bloody" Williamson county, so
called because of several riots, to-
night was outwardly calm, but there
was a noticeable undercurrent which
kept everybody on edge and wonder
ing If further trouble might be ex-
pected.
The correspondent talked with scores
Of miners to-day and about half OF
them were certain that there would
be no further disorder IL there was no
attempt TO reopen the mines, while the
other half said they were afraid some
OF the men might not be held back
Officially. the situation was reported
tonight by county officials to be quiet.
= The scenes Of death were gruesomc,
as in n real war. Bodies with limbs
shot away lay along the roadside. or
were strung from trees, men wounded
and dying were stretched out on roads
and in fields with none OF the hun
dreds of passersoy able to lend a help
ing hand Attempts to assist tho
wounded in the early part of the day
brought rebuffs from the spectators.
backed in some cases by drawn guns
Later the feeling quieted down and
some of the wounded were taken to
hospitals
1t ia understood that there will be no
attempt to reopen any of the mines
until the strike Is settled
When the attackers went over the
top into the besieged mine this morning
there were some fifty or sixty workers
and guards there. What has become of
those not in the known dead and
wounded list cannot be told. Some OF
them were seen to-day in fields running,
with miner sympathizers pursuing them
with guns How any escaped could noe
be told.
C. X McDowelI .unerintsndent of tina
imported workers at the mine, was
among the dead. II was said that he
was the first selected to be shot after
the mine was captured and that ne was
given no opportunity to escape.
Urged On by womea.
Young matrons and girls encouraged
their men in the Staying OF captive riinc
employees
Lets make soap Of them" one of the
women suggested az six men. banded
together with a rope. were shot down
with one volley.
An examination showed that one OF
the six still breathed an executioner.
with a ready knife. completed what the
bullets had left unfinished
one Of four men found under a tree
In Harrison Woods. where the BODY cf
a nth was suspended from brspls
offered a gold watch and s25 70 his z
mentors when he saw all was over
him. :
you're a good scout" taunted
Of his tornentors make a run fc
The fellow was shot down by n
who jeered at him.
pictures. The cameras were -.
- h