The Washington herald., 1922-06-22
5000 STORM PITS
Fight Near Herrin, ILL.,
Occurs After Truck
Is Ambushed.
VICTIMS MOSTLY
PRIVATE GUARDS
Idle Coal Employees Raid
Three Stores for
Weapons.

HERRIN. Ill. June 2I.-Fourteen
men were killed.. two others are
dying and more than a score were
wounded this afternoon when an
army of men estimated to number
more than 5000 stormed the stock
ade of the Southern Illinois Coal
Company's mine six miles from this
city, according to reports reaching
here tonight
The majority Of the dead are mine
guards. IL Is said. The battle lasted
more than four hours. At o'clock
this evening a white flag was hois-
ted from inside the stockade, with
request for a conference.
Miners officials demanded sur
render OF the mine and cessation Of
operations. IL is declared to which
the operators are said to have ac-
ceded.
Truck Is Ambushed-
A peace conference was under wsy
here tonight. Troops, 70 was an
nounced. will not be called unless
further need arises. The strike
breakers will be given safe con-
duct beyond the strike zone.
The mine since the declaration OF
the strike some weeks ago has been
operating with non-union labor the
workers were guarded by operatives
from private detective agencies.
among them being the Hargreavcs
Secret Service Of Chicago
Shortly before O'Clock a large
truck with ten of the Hargreaves
operatives. was travelling along a
road nine miles north Of Carbondaie.
Strikers ambushed In a clunp n.
trees. opened fae on the truck
fled to Carbondale. where the
wounded were placed in the hospi-
tai.
As word Of ire attack reached
Herrin. West Frankfort. and other
mining communities. knots Of men
quickly gathered on the streets. I'm
promptu speakers Jumped on waG-
ons and porches and addressed the
growing crowds
Three stores Robbed.
These soon gradually dispersed 20
their homes, to return a few mo-
ments later with rifles and revol-
vers. At Herrin. a crowd number
ing 200 invaded the hardware
stores Of the Bray North Company.
the Herrin Supply Company and
the Turner Hardware Company and
demanded arms and ammunition.
Those were refused. The miners
then held up the proprietors and
clerks. bound and gagged them.
and rifled the stores OF everything
in the nature of weapons and eX-
plosives. II is estimated that more
than $1,000 worth Of supplies were
taken.
Motor truck loads of strikers
rushed over the muddy roads 10
Marion. West Frankfort and other
towns to purchase more annual
tion and arms: they then returned
to their various communities where
the weapons were distributed.
Guard. Open Fire.
At s o'clock the crowds. as u
from a concerted signal. moved
toward the Southern Illinois Coal
Company's mine
There a stockade had been
erected by the mine guards. Men
armed with rifles were posted at
every convenient point The mine
Is what is known as a surface
mine or strip" mine. the workers
being in plain view from the sur
rounding hillsides.
The first strikers to arrive az
the scene posted themselves on the
top of the hills or climbed trees 20
enable them to look over the stock
ade. Mine guards promptly opened
FIRE
Strikers Immediately returned "a.
The FIRST desultory shots grew into
a roar as reinforcements came 20
the aid of both sides.
Barrte.ded I'm Pit.
At Herrin and johnson City. 6
miles away the noise OF the battle
could be DISTINGUISHED. More than
a hundred non-union workers bar
ricaded themselves in the mine pit
There they were hred upon cease
lessly by groups of strikers posted
on the hills above. II was here
that the greater part OF the casual
ties occurred. IL is said. the massed
bodies Of the non-union men and
mine guards making perfect
target for the snipers above them.
A Missouri Pacific train crew
which escaped from the scene OF
battle said that fourteen or fifteen
bodies were lying in this pit alone
As the number OF strikers in
creased the mine guards and work
ers apparently realized the hope
lessness OF continued resistance.
The strikers began TO mobilize
for a direct attack on the stockade.
with the evident purpose of forcing
their way through the lines of de-
tenders.
sheriff Begins Probe.
Rather than cause the unneces-
sary casualties which such a course
would ensue. the mine ofiicials ran
up q white flag. As IL was noticed
by the strikers. firing died down
and finally ceased.
Oficials of the mine and the
strikers met half way between the
stockade and the miners lines.
There the demand for surrender and
Immediate cessation of operations
was made, Il is said. A conference
was agreed upon
II Ia said that the mine will not
reopen tomorrow morning.
Sheriff Melville Thaxton. Of Ma
contisHed on Pooe Tsoo.