The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-06-28
STRIKERS KILL SCORE
At HERRIN. Ill.
Strip Mine OF Southern Illinois
Company Scene Of Furious
Battle For Hours.

Herrin, ILL.,, June ga check
up at noon today, showed twenty
SIX known dead and Indication that
the total would be more than thirty
In the hostilities between striking
union miners and employees of the
strip mines of the Southern Illi-
nos Coal Company, near here.
Herrin, ILL.,, June 21.-Darkness
tonight compelled cessation OF
hostllities between striking union
miners and employees of the South
ern Illinois Coal, company strip
mine near here, after hours of fight
ing in which thousands of shots
were exchanged. One union miner
is known to have been killed.
Reports were current that twelve
to fifteen employees of the strip mine
were killed, but these could not be
verified because of the confusion
at the camp.
Two union miners were wounded
seriously and about six others were
wounded slightly. Three mine
guards were reported wounded SER
iously. Three thousand persons,
many armed, were rushing to the
camp and the confusion made it
impossible to check up the casual
ties reported suffered by the South
ern Illinois company's employees.
The body of one union miner has
been brought to local hospital and
two other men believed to be SYM
pathizers were brought to hospital
here, where it is said. one of them
it not expected to live.
The report was to the effect that
fourteen or fifteen bodies of the
non-union men were laying in the
pit of the surface mine where they
had barricaded themselves and ex-
changed numerous shots with the
attacking miners who, with SYM
pathizers and curiosity seekers,
were said to total nearly 1900.
Jordon Henderson, about As
years old, a striking union miner,
was shot in the head and killed,
His body was brought here by un-'
identified persons. The wounded
men are Joe Pitchovie, a Lithun-
ian, who is seriously injured; and
James Morris, believed to be union
miners from Johnson City, near
here.
Shooting Begins
Shortly before, the shooting be-
gan here late today three of ten
men, en- route here to work in the
Strip mine, are known to have been
shot Just outside of Carbondale.
One of the ten escaped injury, and
the other six swan a creek and
were fired on, They have not been
accounted for. Charles Boyd, the
man who escaped declared they had
been fred on by at least seventy
five men.
The scene of the rioting reas-
embed q vertitable battle field. The
strip mine, being a surface colliery.
allowing the employees to entrench
themselves behind the piles of coal
ON the ground waiting to be loaded
on to cars.
The striking miners said to num-
ber more than 1000 surrounded the
camp, shooting from all sides and
open warfare was conducted for
The bullets spat with machine
gun regularity.
The trouble followed an indig-
nation meeting held near Herrin
today following publication of a
telegram from John Lewis, presi-
dent Of the United Mine Workers OF
America, that the workmen at the
strip mines, who are members OF
the shovelmens union. were COM
mon strike breakers. Mr.. Lewis
telegram added that the shdSelmens'
union had been outlawed by the
American Federation Of Labor.
After firing had continued for
more than one hour the strip mine
employees raised flag Of truce. and
when a runner" from the union
force was sent across the line he
was shot in the ankle.
Hostilities were then renewed