The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-24

probably would order Adjutant
General Black to demObiliZe
the LOCO men being held under
arms at Chicago.
/ Springfield, Ill, June 24.-(By
the Associated Press. )-Adjutant-
General C. E. Black announced at
| 1O:15 O'Clock this morning that he
had not received any telegram from
counsel of the Southern Illinois
Coal company asking that troops
be sent to Herrin, in anticipation
of a further outbreak. The general
said that the military board is now
at Herrin and that he is awaiting
their report.
Herrin, Ill, June 24.-By the
Associated Press. "A state mill
tary investigation of the Lester
mine massacre, which took between
25 and 40 lives, was begun today
by board headed by Major-G General
Milton Foreman of the state militia,
acting under orders from Governor
| Len Small.
| The orders were issued when the
| chief executive became angry over
| failure of local officials to take any
| steps against the miners who cap
tured and killed the majority of
strike breakers working in the strip
mine.
| General Foreman and his com
! mittee reached here about o'clock
/ this morning, motoring from Car
! bondale after reaching there by
| train at 4 a. m. They were met by
Colonel Samuel Hunter, of the
! adjutant generals office, who has
been here since before the massacre.
His orders to return to Springfield
today were cancelled and he imme-
diately became a guide for the mill
! tary board.
General Foreman and the officers
accompanying him proceeded imme-
diately to Marion, the county seat,
where conferences with States At
torney DeLouis Duty, and Sheriff
Melvin Thaxton, were planned.
Tour Fight Area
A tour of the area of the fight
was made and it was expected that
numerous persons believed to know
something of the disorders would be
called before the board.
General Foreman has been in
structed particularly to learn why
the states attorney had not taken
steps toward convening a special
grand jury, why the coroner's in
quest had not been held, and, why
these officials repeatedly refused to
authorize Colonel Hunter to call
for troops, even after an indigna-
ton meeting of miners was held
the day before the fighting started,
and even after the miners had
marched on the mine. He also had
been instructed, it was understood,
to learn why Sheriff ThaXton re-
peatedly told Colonel Hunter that he
could handle the situation, and yet
ignored Colonel Hunters request
that some special preparations for
an emergency be m~e
Investigate False Reports.
Failure of the local officials to
send out an adequate force of depu-
ties the night the fighting began,
and during the following day, when
almost unheard of deeds of cruelty
and brutality were committed, also |
was a point to be investigated.
Another matter too be looked into !
was why numerous requests from !
the governor for information after /
the trouble started, were ignored by /
county authorities and why. when |
he was receiving scores of tele- !
grams from private citizens telling
of the outrages, he was continually !
informed by the authorities that the
situation was well in hand, and {
that the troops were not needed
There was little doubt that Gen
erai Foreman and his board would
not receive a welcome of any par
ticular cordiality from the county