The New York herald., 1922-07-12
HERRIN DIVIDED ON
MESSAGE OF LEWIS
Undecided Whether His
Outlaw Stigma Inflamed
the Mob.
TWO SIDES TO STORY
One Says Telegram Was
Read at Meeting in Gene
terry, Other Denies.
HUNTERS TALE OF RIOT
Witnesses Recall Versions of
the Surrender and Terms
Made on Both Sides.
ny THoREAU CRoNYN.

|
Special Dispatch to THE New YORK HEnALD.
HERRIN, ILL.,, July Ito what ex-
tent, If at all. can John l.. Lewis. presi-
dent of the United Mine Workers of
America. be blamed for the assault
on the Lester strip mine and the
ensuing massacre Of the defenders?.
This is question which cannot yet
be answered decisively 1t will arise
in the law suits for more than $1,000
900 damages which the operators of
the mine, the Southern Illinois Coal
Company. is preparing to start against
the United Mine Workers, their local
officers and the county Of Williamson.
1t also may arise in criminal pro-
ceedings. The findings Of courts and
juries cannot be anticipated, but 1t Is
possible to state what facts are known
and to report local belief and argu-
ment.
Testimony from the best source-lead-
ers and members OF the mob-is un-
fortunately unavailable. as no one In
Williamson county will admit that he
was one OF those who shot up the mine
or shot down the miners or that he was
even an innocent bystander. packing at
the show from an attic window or a
distant hilltop.
Officers of the union deny that
Lewis's telegram had any provocative
effect whatever or that 1t was intended
to have. Lewis has denied IT.. his whole
organization has denied it. And men
who are as free from prejudioe as can
be found In the county tell the writer
that however the telegram may have
been construed by those who read 1t
the mine would have been attacked any
way--that the attack was being planned
several days before Lewis sent his mes
sage 1t is also pointed out here that
as president of the United Mine Work
'ars Lewis consistently preached against
violence and that he has not been re-
garded as one who secretly believed1n
settling difficulties by resort to arms.
The Lewis Message.
| It will be recalled that on June IS w.
| j. Sneed, Senator of Illinois and presi-
| dent Of the U. NJ w. sub-district in
Guiding Williamson county. wired to
| Lewis, who was In Cincinnati asking II
the stripping and loading of coal by thu
| Steam Shovelmen's Union was sane
Labor. Members of this union at that
time were loading coal at the Lester
strip mine and the striking union
miners were fuming.
Lewis telegraphed his answer to Sneed
on June 10. The Steam Shovelers Union,
he said, had been suspended by the
A. f. of L. some years ago and It's sus-
pension ordered by the mining depart
ment of the A. F. OF l.. The last sem
tences of the telegram are quoted In
full. as they will be many times before
the whole truth about the massacre is
known:
1T is not true that any form of
agreement exists by and between this
organization and the mining department
or any other branch Of the A. F. Of l..
permitting them to work under such cir
cumstances. We have through repre-
sentatives officially taken this question
UP with the officers Of the Steam SHOW
elers Union and have failed to secure
any satisfaction.
Representatives of our organization
are justified In treating this crowd as
an outlaw organization and in viewing
it's members in the same light they do
any other common strikebreakers.'
veteran Of Williamson county to
whom the correspondent showed a copy