The Washington herald., 1922-06-25
While Other Towns De-
mand Action, This One
Gloats Over Massacre.
HATRED is CARRIED
BEYONG THE GRAVE
Arrests by Local Machin-
cry Beyond Question
As Election Nears.


dawnIng horror is striking Egypt
and the citizenry of this ard other
towns are beginning to call for an
investigation of the massacre near
Herrin, for punishment of those re-
sponsible for the mob atrocities. In
Herrin itself the general attitude Is
still one of deep satisfaction over
the wholesale murders.
While some of the labor leaders
appear to be rather stunned by the
ferocity of Thursday mornings out
burst. the miners in general and
many of their lesser leaders stlii
are exultant. Hatred of the strike
breakers is carried beyond death.
The intensity of feeling is gone put
unbelievable as il may sound. the
massacre still Is cause Tor mlrt IN
and laughter. The morgue with lts
sheeted victims is still the side
show. Marion and other cities IN
the region are aghast over the out
break. AS the outside newspapers
come in. giving further details ano
telling how the outside views the
murders, the citizenry is asking
What can be done?
Fear No Punishment.
Nobody will be punished" is the
general talk in Herrin. SO many
participated in the outbreak and the
mob was such representative
cross-section of the population that
the view is it would be extremely
dificuIt to hang responsibility on
any individual
Politics is involved, for the min
ing vote lasts the great bulk OF the
ballots. So far as any real investi-
cation goes il is well recognized
that the local government is a fu-
tility.
In Herrin, the county seat. the
general talk is that any investiga-
tion worth the name would have
to come from outside. A D. Roden-
pers, of Centralia. and W. L. Traut-
mann, of East ST. Louis, are looking
the ground over for Attorney Cen
eraI Rrundage's Office As yet they
have voiced no conclusions.
Delos Duty. states attorney, VINO
got the conviction OF the men who
wers executed for the killings at
West Frankfort last year. declares
he will push the Investigations.
Gut Mr. Duty has no force of IN
vestigators to round up evidence
The county board, which might give
him Q force in an emergency, has
about thirty members, and some
two-thirds of this are miners. Thus
Mr.. Duty's hands are tied.
Laughs Mt Probe Threat.
Sheriff JTnaxIon talks of a thor
ough investigation" Williamson
county laughs over this. for the sher-
III is running for election as county
treasurer. and the miners have the
votes. There is much criticism OF the
sheriff for his insistence, prior 10 the
outburst, that he had the situation
well in hand. For at least week a
demonstration had been looked tor
by the townspeOple. In the TWO Gays
of rioting. the sheriff apparently was
not on the ground at any time Mhlle
The outbursts were in progress. There
are reports that some deputy sherins
witnessed the shootings. but made
no effort to calm the mob. Removal
Of the sheriff by Governor Small has
been rumored as a possibility The ma
tives here say that would serve TO
make him county treasurer by land
slide vote in November.
As to whether the calling out Of
State troops would have averted the
murders, one view here among sub
stantiaI citizens. is that although the
presence Of troops might have de-
lay-d the outbreak, il would have
come eventually after withdrawal OF
the soldiers. If the mine continued to
run.
Decry New of Troops.
They argue that the effect would
have been to stir the miners up still
more by the idea that the State
soldiery was being used to protect
a "sstrike breaking" mine and the
whole region. with its more than
$4,000 miners would have been up
in resentment and turmoil.
IS conservative townspeople and
some mine operators here view it. al
though the stark brutality of the
murders cannot be sufficiently de-
plored. yet the starter Of the trouble
was the Southern Illinois Coal Com
pany. The mines of Illinois are 100
per cent unionized, and to attempt to
run the strip mine at Crenshaw Cros-
sing with non-union labor, protected
br armed guards. was to invite mob
ouroursts. This viewpoint was put
before Superintendent Mcdowell, who
was one Of the victims. several times
by Colonel Sam N. Hunter. but the
mine continued to operate and the
armed guards still kept intercepting
passers by. miners. farmers and all
at the point Of guns on the public