The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-24
STATE MILITARY
PROBE OF HERR|N|
DISORDER BEGINS
Suits Against Mine Union and
County Will Aggregate
ST 1000.
/ INQUIRY OPPOSED
Twenty-Five Bodies Already
Recovered With Search in
Progress Still.
/ N Q UIRY OPPOSED

HERRIN, ILL.,, June 24--(By The
Associated Press.)-A state mill
tary investigation OF the Lester
mine massacre, which took between
twenty-five and thirty lives was
begun today headed by Gen. Milton
Foreman of the state militia, acting
under orders from Governor Len
Small, which were issued when the
chief executive became aroused
over failure OF local officials to
take any steps against the miners
who captured and killed the major
ity Of strike breakers working IN
the strip mine.
Gen eral Foreman and his commit
tee reached here this morning.
They were met by Col. Samuel Hun
ter. who has been here since before
the massacre His orders to return
to Springfield today were can
celled and he became a guide Tor
the military board. General Fore
man and his officers went to Ma
rion. the county seat, where confer
ences with State Attorney Duty and
Sheriff Thaxton were planned. a
Il our Of the aISa or the right WIS.
made and 1T was expect ed that $nu- l'
1nerous persons supposed to Know
something Of the disorders would De
called before the board
General Foreman mad been IN
structed to learn why the state S
attorney had not taken steps to-
ward convening a special grand
Jury; why the coroner's Inquest
had not been held and why these
officials repeatedly refuse to au-
thorize Colonel Hunter to call for
troops, even after an indignation
meeting of miners was held the
day before the fighting started and
even after the miners had marched
on the strip mine. Failure OF the
authorities to send out an adequate
force of deputies the night the
fighting began and during the fol-
lowing day when almost unheard
of deeds of cruelty and brutality
were committed also was point
to be investigated.
Another matter to be looked into
was why requests from the gov
ernor for information were ignored
and why, when he was receiving
scores of kilograms from private citi-
zens telling of the outrages he was
continuously informed by the au-
thorities that the situation was
well in hand" and the troops were
not needed.
Inquiry Opposed.
There was little doubt that Cen
eral Foreman and his board would
not receive welcome from the coun-
ty as whole Ninety per cent
miners in population and 100 per
cent unionized, Williamson County
has shown decided diSinclination
+ to welcome any outside interfer-
ence in the massacre which is look
ed on as a personal affair which
should be ignored by the rest of the
! world. Persons on the street have
been heard repeatedly to remark
that if the troops had been sent
there guns would have been taken
away from them.
Comment expressed resentment
over the sending of the military
board, although officials said they
would gladly cooperate with the
board.
Sheriff Tha1ton and Mr. Duty
promised cooperation. The situa-
ton was made more tense last
night when caretakers guarding the
mines through agreement between
owners and unions quit work under
threats from groups of miners.
Shortly afterwards, Hugh Willis,
district board member of the union,
persuaded them to return after mine
guards had been stationed to pro
tect them. Had they remained
away, millions of dollars worth o.:
mines would have been ruined
through flooding within a few days.
These caretakers are not mine
union men.
\ Search for bodies continued to-
day at some points in the county,
although the searching parties were
few Twenty-Five bodies had been
recovered and it was considered
Continued on Page Four)