The Washington herald., 1922-06-24
UNIONLEADERS
FEARFURTHER
HERRIN RIOTS
Cancel Trip to Scene Of
Massacre Pending
Developments. -,
GOV. SMALL URGED
TO HOLD TROOPS
Four Survivors Reaching
Chicago Tell Story.
Of Brutality. -

HERRIN. NJ. June 1s-Herrfn r.
a sleek black cat s1eepins in the
sun. Its claws are hidden and its
fangs are covered
II ts q pretty. proeperous ftus
town. allied with nice shops. nns
churches, neat bunealows and we'll
dressed people. No one would ever
suspect it was . mining town.
scene Of one of the worst mine
riots In American history.
Two additional bodies were re-
covered late today. They were
found IN q field two miles from
Herrin and four miles from the
scene Of the massacre. This brings
the death roll 70 twenty-five.
The miners live In well-kept cot
tages. Ninety per cent own their
homes or are building them through
building and loan associations. An
astonishing proportion OF the
miners ride In automobiles
Few miners are 20 be found on
the streets Most Of them are nsh-
ing or hoeing gardens. or busying
themselves outside the mines
MerEse on sfds street.
With this setting it "a a shock
to visit frame building on a side
street and zee there seventeen
oullet-riddleo bodies stretched in
two rows beneath white sheets.
II k equally horrifying to 10 to
the beautiful little Uncovered
Herrin hospital and zee there six-
teen men writhing in beds
Herrin has no apologies to make.
II is again sleepy and somnolent.
but lazy eye 10 ever slightly
raised and false move may en-
| ergize IL again.
There was a semiofncisI report to-
night that mine union ofscials
would not come TO Herrin as they
had planned. because more trouble
was possible.
The most amazing apathy con-
cerning the outbreak exists here.
No one speaks Of u except with q
half laugh Serious men sauntered
into the morgus today. dressed in
overalls, and calmly looked over the
dead. Going out they stood on the
curb and whispered Almost with
out fan their whispers were accom-
panied by gruesome half smiles.
Miners own Hemea.
1t is admitted here that the min
ing element OF Herrin feels no re-
morse-they are building homes in
Herrin and raising families. ana
strike breakers have no right 10
their jobs. Now. after scenes Of
bloodshed these intrduers have been
driven out.
Herrin's attitude explains vrhv
after forty men were imported 10
open a new coal strip guarded bv
nearly as many imported armed
guards. Senator W. J. Sneed. dis
trict president OF Nine workers
Local No. 10, appealed 20 President
John l. Lewis. OF the United Mine
Workers, for a statement as 70 the
status Of these men IN the eve, of
the national body.
The men imported claimed they
belonged to the Steam shoveIers'
Union Lewis replied that this union
was an outlaw, and the men COM
mon strike breakers. The same re-
ply came from President Frank
harrington. OF the Illinois miners
These replies In hand, a Young
miner rode through Williamson
county, calling on the strikers 20
gather for a meeting in the woods
east Of town. They came BY hun
dreds.
! Appealed to Mcdowell.
! In the meantime District Altar
ney Duty and his aides appealed 20
Superintendent c. D. McDoweu. 81
the reopened mine, TO stop work ana
avoid trouble.
When Mcdowell refused thev
took two machine guns away from
him 10 avoid immediate hghtIng.
Then Hugh Willis. union board
member, and Senator Sneed an
pealed to Mcdowell 20 stop work.
! mcdowell put a gun 20 my stou-
ach and ordered me on the prom
| erty." said Willis.
Thus the meeting found hundreds
OF miners infiamed as Il drew 20 a
close. A truck loaded with sup-
plies for the nonunion workers
passed Someone fred. and the
guards fired back. Two strikers
were killed.
'on to the miner" became the
miners battlecry. Hundreds os
miners came into Herrin and tried
TO buy guns and ammunition. When
refused. they took them.
Worker Uufversfty Man.
Most OF the strikebreakers were
Chicago West Side laborers, with
no status. There was a man named
Robert Shoemaker. in charge OF
the mining operations He was
90, married, and the father OF three
children. holding three university
degrees In civil and mining en-
| gineering. His father. the mayor
Of Charleston Ill. and a man 70
years old Identified his body late
today, and he said as he looSed NJ
the face. shattered by bullets:
This probably will kill hts
mother"
Some outsiders have been heard
! 70 say that troops should be ordered
/ in here. Gov. Small decided TO do
this early today. but authorities
here are deluging him with tsle-
} grams TO DO nothing OF the Kind.
Robert NJ. Medill. State director
OF mines and minerals. wired Gov.
Small from here 20 cancel his mo-
bilizatiou orders. stating that II
would do more harm than good
Col Sam B. Hunter said "the sit
uation Is well in hand. and there f.
no need for. troops" SheriT Thax-
ton and District Attorney Delos
noxf<nxxed a., paos ~.