The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-12-13
'HERRIN RIOT
CASE STARTS
Five Men Were Under Ac-
cusation in Pro-
ceedings
FOR MURDER
JUNE IL AND IL
Specific Charge Is the Kill
ing Of Howard
Hoffman

Marion, ILL.,, Dec. 10, (By the Asso-
ciated Press) THE trial of five men,
charged, with murder in connection
with the Herrin mine riots last June
ii and IL, which resulted in the deaths
of 23 persons, was set to open in Will
hanson county circuit court to-day.
The men, Otis Clark, Bert Grace,
Joseph Carnaghi, Levi Mann and Peter
Hitler, are charged with the death of
Howard Hoffman of Huntington, Ind,
one of the twenty non union workers
killed in the outbreak at the Lester
strip mine. Three union miners also
were killed in the disorders.
Judge D. T.. Hartwell presiding an
nounced that he would not coHntenanee
any demonstrations favorable to
either side.
Testimony to show five charged with
murder in connection with the Herrin
mine killings had no part in the riot
ing but were elsewhere at the time,
was promised by A. w. Kerr, chief
counsel Of the Illinois mine workers, in
his opening statement to the jury.
Mr.. Kerr declared the killing of the
non union men was the result OF an in
vasion Of Williamson county by armed
guards and "many acts Of brutality
culminatingsin the ruthless murder Of
three union coal miners"
He asserted Williamson county "rose
to the defense of its homes." adding
that "by the act of self-defense it
served notice on the American gun
men and upon those who would employ
the American gunner that this was
not safe community in which to send
hired murderers.v
The miners fought also to protect
their union, he said
Declaring the state had been wick
adly careless" in selecting the defend
ants, Mr.. Kerr emphasized that Eve |
will show you in this case that Otis
lark, Bert Grace, Joseph Carnaghi, |
Levi Mann and Peter Hitler 1.-THE de- |
'endantsl, not only had nothing what
,ver to do with the killing Of Howard
Hoffman or any of his associates, but
hat they were in positions and places \
It time when it would have been
impossible for them to have
lad anything to do with it. We will \
roduce here men Of repute in the com
nunity who were standing along the
inc march which led to the place Of
he killing. They will tell you that not
single one of the defendants was in
he line of march.
The authorities of Illinois. he as
erted, were being Influenced "by a
riyate organizations composed of men
I great wealth, the Illinois chamber of ,
"Actuated by desire for ven
eance," he continued, @eager to do |
nything that win help to destroy or I
snized labor the chamber of COM
ierce is the organization that prose- I
utes in this case. You and you alone I
tand between these defendants and a
his cry of vengeance" /
Mr.. Kerr described operations at the /
ester strip mine, owned by the South !
m Illinois Coal company, and stated {
ne union had agreed TO permit the
,mpany to strip coal but not to mine G
/. He declared the company broke I
ie agreement and imported guards e
-med with machine guns, with high
Dwered rifles, with automatic police n
stols, with ,all the most destructive :
rearms known TO modern Science" r
He then gave an outline Of % labor
sputes in which he declared hired
inmen were used beginning with the G
strike in 1892 and continu- s
& through Cripple Creek, Col, Lud- b
W, Mingo, the Michigan copper q
rikes and up to the present. He de-
ared more than 300 workers had been
He'd in these disputes "by gunmen.
no went unpunished for their acts 6