Arizona republican., 1922-06-24
Pump Operators
Quit - Protection
Pron1ised-Refurn
Continued from Page y

it and the men and marched them
down the road with the result that
20 to 25 were killed.
Previous to the disorder, the
armed guards at this mine acted in
high handed manner. They stopped
the people on the public highway
and searched them. They refused to
let any one come near the place. They
insulted women
Exonerates Lewis
Mr.. Willis insisted that John L.
Lewis telegram that the imported
men should be treater as common
strike breakers" did not incite the
trouble.
James Richie, another union of
ficial. said that the attack on the
mine was made mostly by citizens Of
the community who were not miners
and who were incensed over the ac-
tions of the guards.
Colonel Hunters statement to the
reporters said:
"On June IL we noticed newspaper
stories that trouble was expected
here. We called States Attorney d.
L. Duty here and he said the situation
did not look favorable. In informed
him | would come to Marion with
Major Davis and asked him to ar
range a conference of mine owners,
miners and local officials.
when | got to Marion Sheriff
Thaxton told me the mine was under
armed guards and that there would
be trouble unless the operators were
persuaded to close it. He said he did
not want troops and that he had
made no special arrangements to
handle trouble, but that he was sure
his office could take care of any
emergency.
II drove to the mine later and was
halted by four guards, two armed,
but not until / was off the highway
and on the mine property. I told
Mine Superintendent G. X. Mcdowell
that feeling was high and that he
should close the mine. He said his
company planned to operate. Later
saw Mr.. Lester and urged him to
close, but he said he would run the
mine
Colonel Hunter then told of nu-
merous other conferences with local
officials in each of which they in
sisted that troops were not needed
and that they could handle the situa-
ton.
ION this Tuesday before the fight"
he continued, Il was informed that
600 miners had gathered near Herrin
in an Indignation meeting. again
| asked the local authorities II they
wanted troops and again they insist
ed they could handle the situation.
Then we formed a citizens committee
in Marion to try to effect truce.
Get Munitions in Raid
"The next day was told that many
miners were gathering near Herrin
and that they had raided three hard
ware stores there for arms and 5000
rounds of ammunition. I asked his
deputy il he knew Of any special
preparations for such situation as
the one confronting us and he said
10, but that the sheriff's office would
handle the affair.
"At 3:15 p. m. Mcdowell telephoned
from the mine that crowd of miners
had marched to the mine and about
500 shots had been exchanged. told
the sheriff's office and asked that a
force of men be sent to disperse the
crowd. A deputy said he would send
them. At $3.50 p. m. Mcdowell tele-
phoned again and said that he must
Shoemaker, called and asked for
troops. / explained I could not call
troops until requested to do so by
local officials and that there were no
troops in this county
81 tried to get the sheriff's office to
find out If the deputies had left, but
could not get an answer. so I pre-
sumed they went to the scene of the
fighting.
"At 4:15 p. m. Mcdowell again tele-
phoned and / told him to run up the
white flag and that would try to get
the miners to do the same and thus
bring about truce. He promised
he would do this. Then l got Fox
Hughes, district vice president of the
miners, and he agreed to have the
miners put up the flag and respect
the truce. Later Mcdowell put up
his flag, he telephoned me, adding
that the firing virtually had ceased.
Il called Hughes and was told he
had gone to the mine. I couldn't get
McDowll again for the telephone
wires were cut. / thought the truce
was being observed. Thursday morn
ing learned that the miners at s: 30
a. m. rushed the mine, captured 1t
and the men there.
Then came the finding of the
bodies which you all know
about