Arizona republican., 1922-06-23
GOVERNOR HEARS
MINE WAR DETAILS
AND CALLS GUARDS
Is Staggered AS Reports
Come In Confirming
First Rumors of Blood
thirsty Nature Of Con-
flict
TRepubllcan A. p. Leased Wirel


WAUKEGAN, HIS, June %. -
Twenty -four men are known to have
been slain today in rioting between
striking coal miners and non-union
men at Herrin. Ills, Carlos Black.
adjutant general of Illinois, reported
to Governor Len Small at s o'clock
tonight. This is the first report the
governor received on the trouble from
General Black.
General Black reported to the gov
ernor that Colonel Hunter, his rep
resentative. who has been at Herrin
for several days, reported tonisht
that disorganized, irresponsible mob
of strike sympathizers waylaid and
massacred the non union men this
morning in violation of truce en-
tered into last night.
Under the truce the non union
workers were to quit work this NOR
ming and leave the mine field. snort
ly after daybreak, Colonel Hunter re-
ported a mob. inflamed by home
made liquor, attacked the strike
breakers camp and shot down the
men as they tried to flee.
The governor has received no re-
quest for troops from the officials
of Williamson county, and said that,
in fact, the officials did not want
troops sent to the scene.
State Guard in Readiness
Three companies of state guards
have been held in readiness to go to
Herrin for two days, the governor
disclosed, but he added that there
apparently was no necessity OF send
ing soldiers unless rioting broke out
again.
While the governor was talking to
General Black over long distance tel
ephone he received a telegram from
Sheriff Melvin Thraxton, of VIII
hanson county. in which the sheriff
reported he had 20 to 80 deputies at
work and that everything possible
was being done to restore and main-
tain order. Everything was quiet az
the time the message was filed. the
sheriff said.
Although the telegram was timed
at $3.50 p. M, at Marion, the county
seat, and the massacre of the nom
union men is reported to have taken
place between daybreak and untll
o'clock this morning, the sheriff made
no reference to it, or to any one
having been killed.
Despite the fact that Colonel
Hunter, Major Black Robert Medlli.
director of mines and minerals and
other state officials had been sent to
Marion and Herrin to watch the sit
uation and assist in the peace negou-
ations the only report the governor
received all day of the massacre, was
furnished him by The Associated
Press over the telegraph wire to the
court room here where he is on trial.
Governor Can't Believe
When shown the first dispatch
telling Of the shooting and how wom-
en- and children jeered at dying men
as they begged for water, Governor
Small was inclined to believe they
were exaggerated because his own
observers had reported nothing.
AS the circumstantial story of the
massacre continued to come in, tele-
grams were dispatched to officials of
Williamson county and to Colonel
Hunter asking for verification, but
for hours they went unanswered. At
O'Clock, General Black reported
from Springfield that he had no word.
The governor had planned attend
ing a circus here tonight with a
family party, but at o'clock when
The Associated Press bulletin was
received quoting the editor of
newspaper as saying the death toll
might reach rs, the party was held
up and more kilograms and long dis
lance telephone messages dispatched.
The governor said he was unable
to understand why the official news
source should be so many hours be-
hind the press service.
If it is necessary to send troops
into the Herrin district, the force un-
do,,I,te edly will have to be large and
well equipped the governor said.
Not only the entire native population
hut the county officials also are op-
posed to intervention by the militia,
he pointed out, and the troops could
exnect no active local support They
would have to carry all their equip
ment and food supplies, and operate
over a rough and broken territory.
The character of the country, the
governor pointed out, is admirably
adapted to sniping by guerilla fight
ers. 1t would be almost suicidal, he
said. for a small body of guardsmen
tn try and clean up the more than
900 square miles Of territory covered
bv today's disorders.
Members of the governors staff in
timated today that he is considering
going to Marion next week, if the
trouble continues. for personal inves-
tigation.