The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-06-29
Injured Man I ellis
ofMine Massacre

~
Herrin, ILL.,, June ,22.-Halt doz-
en- wounded men, some of them lying
on death beds, tonight gave an AS
sociated Press correspondent the hrst
actual eyewitness accounts of the
mine fight last night and this morn
ing. which brought dozens of casu-
aIties when 5000 armed striking
miners attacked the Lester Strip mine
near here, the mine being operated
by imported workers and guards.
The substance of the statements by
the wounded, who were among the
besieged, was that not mine worker
was injured during the fighting, but
that the numerous killed were shot
down in cold blood after they had
surrendered themselves and their
arms. There was nothing from the
union miners to contradict these
claims.
Several of the men imported to
work the mine absolved the strikers
from blame, saying that the ones re-
sponsible were those who sent us
here under false promises that there
would be no trouble and that 1.-The
miners would not object
Some of the wounded interviewed
were in the hospital here. Others
were located in their homes through
secret channels.
Joseph O'Rourke, Chicago, COM
missary clerk at the mine, gave the
most vivid account of the fight. His
story was related as he tossed in pain
from half dozen bullet holes
through his body.
sT was sent down here by the Ber-
trand Commissary company of Chica-
co. he said. 81 had no idea what
was running into. don't much blame
the miners for. attacking us, for we
were unknowingly being used as
dupes to keep them from their jobs.
We were given arms when we arrived
and machine gun was set up at one
corner of the mine. Guards were
with us all the time and most of the
guards were tough fellows sent by
Chicago detective agency. i under
stand the miners sent US warnings to
leave the town or we would be run
out. We never got them, perhaps the
bosses did. When we saw the miners
approach yesterday afternoon we
didn't know what to do. The guards
prepared for fight; most of us work
ers wanted to surrender.
Bullets Rain In.
Through the night the bullets
rained in on us. We sought shelter
as we could. The miners climbed
upon the coal piles and earth en-
bankments and we were unable to
see them. The guards kept firing, but
most of us hid. Then the miners
blew up our pumping station. We
had no water and our food supply
was in freight car in the hands
of the miners. About sunrise we put
I'D the white flag, the miners poured
in and we surrendered our arms.
Up to this time not one of US had
been injured that I know Of, al
though I understand that several or
the miners had been shot. The min
ers spread out quickly and tied us
together in groups of three and six.
The tied men were rushed OF in diff
ferent directions. Some of them tried
to run but they were shot down as
fast as they moved.
"One miner asked who was the
machine gun operator. Some one
pointed him out and he was shot in
= his tracks and his body laid over the
machine gun. They tied five men
with me, took us out on the road and
told us to run. We ran and hun
dreds of bullets followed us. We
staggered on, but finally three OF our
group fell, pulling the others with
us, tied down, several bullet holes
being in me already.
81 laid there while men came up
and fired more shots into us from
three or four feet. Then everything
went black. woke up later and beg
ged for water, but there was not any.
I remember being dragged along the
road, but don't know what by. Then
they brought us to the hospital"
O'Rourke's story was confirmed by
S. P. Williams and Ed Green, of Chi
cago, two of the men tied with him.
who are still alive. The other three
were killed. These were the six found
by the Associated Press correspond
ent this morning and whom he tried
G.