New Britain herald., 1922-06-26
MINE GO. OFFICER BLAMED FOR MURDER
Coroner's Jury Finds No One Else
 Responsible in Herrin

Herrin. H.. June 2s.-C. K. Me Doweil, the one-legged superintendent Of the Southern Illinois Coal com rany's strip mine. half way between Herrin and Marion Il,, was the only man charged with murder by the cor cner's jury. which concluded its in vestigations last night.
 The non-union men, the coroner's jury decided, came to their death "by gun shot wounds at the hands of par ties to this jury unknown" as the re- suit of activities on the part of off, cials of the wrecked Lester mine.
 The remaining verdicts. 20 in all, stated that each man came. to his death by gun shot wounds at the hands of persons unknown.
 No additional information concern. ing the identity of the 16 unknown dead was unearthed during the course of the inquiry, which took the jury tc the local hospital and into the rooms of wounded non-union men.
 Time-Kecpcr Testiics
 Allen Findey. wounded timekeepei for the Southern Illonois Coal com pany, gave the jury the information on which 1t based the verdict of mur, der returned against McDowell. the dead superintendent.
 Mcdowell and I were standing or the edge of the pit when he asked me. as he pointed to dark object in the nearby woods, Is that a man." quot cd Findley.
 "'No, I replied" he continued "but he fired and the man threw hi hands in the air and fell. McDowel was then shot Colonel Hunter, in statement to two representatives Of The Associated Press, tonight reiterat- ed his declaration that on Monday last in telephone conversation with the adjutant general of Illinois. he stated definitely that he did not be lieye that the local authorities were either able or inclined to handle tho situation here and that he recon mended troops to be sent to Herrin Jurors Attend Funeral
 The verdict of the jury, according 10 the coroner. Bill" McComen, and the foreman of the coroner's jury, Joe Harringer, reports the united senti- Tnent of Williamson county on the massacre of Thursday and the events leading up to it."
 The scoroner's investigation got un- der way early this afternoon and ad- journed to permit the jurors to attend funeral services for Joe Pichovich, 22 year old Hungarian union miner slain in the skirmish Wednesday which preceded the massacre of non union men Thursday morning, June 2o. IL l resumed deliberations late this after noon.
 The first witness heard was William A. Thornton, a Marion policeman. . Testimony Was Brief
 You don't know who did the shooting, do you ?" ,. asked Coroner William M. McCowan.
 No sir.' repliedA<Ae witnesK q don't know anything about it.
 That was the substance of his tes timony and of those who followed
 Col Samuel R. Hunter, Illinois Naa tional guard, was the next witness.
 Colonel Hunter told of being held up By mine guards and taken to Mine | Superintendent Mcdowell of ,the strir |
 
 com pany last Sunday night. Colonel Hunter said that he urged McDowell to ccnfine the. acts of his guards tc l the mine. property and that he also urged that these sentries walk theil posts without arms
 Saw No Machine Guns.
 McDowel agreed to carry out these | suggestions Colonel Hunter said in l his testimony
 A member of thei jury. asked Col Hunter:
 "1s it true, colonel. that they had | machine guns?"
 T searched the mine property three l times and failed to. find any" Colonel 1 Hunter replied. Tt was suggested | yesterday to Major General Milton J. Foreman that the miners had mistak- en right angle sections of pipe, used | for pumping, for machine guns. This | suggestion came from Colonel Hunter. | YYYYNY NYAMYYrn