Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-06-26
RECORD GATHERING KNIGHTS
TEMPLAR AT WATERV|LLE IN
CELEBRATION ST, JOHNS DAY
CoR0NER'S JURY
GIVES VERDICT IN
HERR|N SLAY|NGS

nCnnIV OLAIIVuN
Herrin. Ills, June 25-(By A. P.)
&C. <. Mcdowell, the one legged
superintendent of the Southern Illi-
nois Coal companys mine half way
between Herrin and Marion, Ills,
was the only man charged. with MUIR
der by the coroners jury. which con-
cluded its Investigations tonight.
The non-union men, the jury de-
cided came to death "by gun shot
wounds at the hands of parties to
this jury unknown" as the result of
activities on the part of officials of
the wrecked Lester mine.
The remaining Nerdicts, 20 in all,
stated that each individual came to
his death by gun shot wounds at the
hands of persons unknown"
No additional information ocn-
corning the identity Of the 16 I'M
known dead was unearthed during
the course of the inquiry which took
the jury to the local hospital and into
the rooms of wounded non-unlon
men.
Allen Findley, wounded time keep
or for the Southern Illinois Coal Co..
now in the Iierrin hospital, gave the
jury the information on which it
based the verdict of murder re-
turned against Mcdowell, the dead
superintendent.
Mcdowell and I were standing on
the edge of the pit when he asked
me. as he pointed to dark object in
the nearby woods is that a man."
quoted Findley.
NO, l replied" he continued, but
he fired and the man threw his
hands in the air and fell. Mcdowell
was good shot"
Col Samuel r. Hunter, infantry.
Illinois National Guard, in a state
ment to two representatives of the
Associated Press, tonight reiterated
his declaration that on Monday last.
in telephone conve rsation with the
adjutant general of Illinois, he stat
ed definitely that he did not believe
that the local authorities were either
able or inclined to handle the situa
ton here and that he recommended
troops be sent to Herrin.
They" said Col. Hunter. without
specifying who they were, they
can't pass the buck to me-"
The verdict of the jury, according
to the coroner, "Bill' McCowen and
the foreman of the coroner's Jury,
Joe Barringer, represents the uni
ted sentiment of Williamson county
on the massacre of Thursday and the
events leading up to it,
The coroner's investigation got m
der way this afternoon and ad-
Journed to permit the jurors to at
tend funeral services for Joe Pich-
ovinh, 22-year-old Hungarian union
miner. slain in the skirmish Wednes-
day which preceded the massacre of
non-union men Thursday morning,
June -. 1t resumed deliberation
late this afternoon.
The jury included three union
miners.
The first witness heard was Will
liam A. Thornton, a Marion, ILL.,, po-
liceman.
"Yon don't know who did the
shooting. Go you?" asked Coroner
William NJ MCGOWAN.
NO, sir" replied the witness. Il
don't know anything about it."
That was the substance of his tes-
timony and of those who followed
him.
Col. Hunter who has been here for
10 days and who has repeatedly
asked the adjutant general of the
state to send troops to protect the
non-union miners, according to his
own statement and that of c. Il. Ed
rington, secretary of the Greater
Marion. H.. association, was the next
witness. Mr.. Burlington was a cap
tain in the army intelligence section
during the war.
Col. Hunter told of being held up
by mine guards and taken to Mine
Supt. Mcdowell of the Strip Mine Of
the Southern Illinois Coal company
last Sunday night. Col. Hunter tes-
tilted that he urged Mcdowell to con-
fine the activities of his guards to
the mine property and that he also
urged that these sentries walk their
posts without arms.
Mcdowell agreed to carry out
these suggestions, Col. Hunter said,
in his testimony.
y member of the jury asked Col.
Hunter:
Is it true, colonel, that they had
machine guns mounted?'
Il searched the mine property
three times and failed to find any,"
Col. Hunter replied. 1t was suggest
ed yesterday to Major General Milton
j. Foreman that the miners had mis-
taken right angle sections Of pipe,
used for pumping, for machine guns.
This suggestion came from Col
Hunter"
What did they have?" Col Hunter
was asked.
Shot guns, rifles and ammunition"
Hunter replied.
He was followed by Claude Holmes
of Herrin, a taXiCab driver who told
of being held up week &C Saturday
by mine guards when he attempted TO
pass along a public road that skirted
the mine.
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