The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-02
FOG OF SILENCE
CLOAKS MINE RIOT
Conspiracy to Save Guilty
Fror Punishment Ex-
lists in H,ine Town
TALKING IS DANGEROUS
Death Threats Silence Those
Who Know Men Who Killed
"Scab" Mine Employees

TERRIN, H., July IA conspir-
scv Of sitencc. unparalleled IN Amer
lean crlmlua. history. exiIs today
In "bloody williamson" county. 1t
4, conspiracy 10 shield from pun-
ishment every guilty party In the
rnossacfe OF uino days ago when az
trnsf , score of desplsed ftrlkc
breakers were slaughtered. SON"
local authorities "consorvai i'Nc'y
ostlrata tho number slain AZ
about forty. .s.
So far hut one puny effort to ap-
prehcnd the guilty w IN ptoti.I,ss,
This Is grand jury lnves.gai,loh ,',i
which is TO be started at Marion
the county scat, after the July term
of circuit court Opening on the lOth
Of this month. II IL purely county
Investigation.
.rne state of Illinois has taken no
atoms 10 definitely fix the respOnhl-
buitv for the massacre. Neither has
tho national government.
Although Il Is certain that hum
drods OF men IN tho county Know
who did the actual slayiug, no ono
will talk. In bloody WILLIAMSON
the recent slaughter OF lives is re-
garded as "lesson not to be soon
forrotten by the enemies OF union
coal minerR." Moreover, II is gem
orally referred TO as a CLOSED incl
don't"
Black secrets in the hearts OF
many men in the county VIII never
he revealed, II In predicted, unless
some unexpected and astounding de-
yclopment shall occur.
The community ls mum" No
one, even the innocent who may
know the guilty. dare talk.
Minister Fears 10 Talk.
Even the ministry IL silent.
we aro afraid TO talk under pom.
atty OF DEATH" prominent minis.
ter who took part In the burial cere-
monies OF tho victims admitted wher
asked for an interview.
please don't mention my nam,
In your dispatches" no pleaded.
Another minister. no said. was 81
crushed over tho tragic happening
that he planned TO leave town bu
was persuaded TO remain on the plef
that he had real work to do In th'
blood-stalned community.
For % years lawlessness has beer
rampant In "bloody Williamson.
First Il was feuds--tho Kentuckiani
had come across the border and set
tied In southern Illinois and, Incl
dentally, settled In their own uniqu,
way with their troubles.
Coal Started Trouble.
Then came the great coal boom
when towns like Herrln. Cartervllle
West Frankfort, Zigler and johnson
City sprang up like tho frontier boon
towns OF the old wild and wool
wcaf 4" \VilIlo m sou cntintv today 4
not unlike the old, wild west
All those coal towns have tn
same common characteristics. The
are highly organized by miners
Every working man--and woman
for that matter--is union. Each tow
has its large element of foreigner,
The towns are young. Thoy all hav
their Illicit booze. Herrin Is said I
have 27 saloons. Booze Is as easil
obtained as groceries.
Booze Price Cuts Forced.
Competition among bootleggers
the county Is so keen that price cut
have been forced.
Crime has been rampant
bloody Williamson" for years par
ticularlY In Zigler and West Frank
fort.
Men value their lives in thla rus
ged atmosphere, as well az else
where. Those who know som,
thing concerning the massacre rea
iZe that reckless conversation o
their part Will surely mean slo
music and flowers. The local al
thorities know the same thing. Th
most any official in this part OF Ill
nois has said dorogatory to tho maj
sacre participants was that 1t WI
"depiorablo" thing.