The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-06-23

He died where he was said to have
made this statement.
The mine safe was looted, and one
man with some $500 in bills stood
with a semi-circle of men around him
and dealt out the bills like cards, ac-
cording to wounded men who were
there.
The correspondent saw men,
wounded almost to death, kicked
around in the scorching sun in dusty
roads. He saw men chased through
fields like rabbits by shouting per-
sons who opened fire, one catching
him accidentally between two fires.
Surrounded by armed men he saw. a
knife plunged into the throat of an
injured man whose dying breath gasp
ed a plea: I'm the name of my moth
er; in the name of your mother; in
the name of our God, give me water,
only TO receive laughs and jibes, such
as: where you're going you won't
see water" as a reply.
Mothers carried babies into the
morgues and up to piles of bodies in
the road with such remarks: Take
a look at what your papa did, kid.
He watched a man walk to the bed
side of another dying, and curse him
as he breathed his last. Through it
all, although the fight area was trav-
ersed a dozen times there was not
word of sympathy heard for a vic
| tim. The sentiment seemed to be
thai strike breakers deserved slaugh-
ter and these had got what they de-
served.
Few of the bodies could be identi-
fled. All had been rifled of their pos
sessions. After lying in a heap in
the morgue they were embalmed last
night Scores watched the processes
all through the night, making imprint
able remarks about the bodies.
That today would bring official ac-
| ton of some sort was undoubted.
That this action would bring little in
the way of result was the belief of
every one in touch with the situation.
In order to hold 1000 men of the mi
litia in readiness in Chicago was
greeted in the streets here with sar-
castle comment. A member of the
police force here told the correspond
ent that if ''the militia is sent here
he'd take the night police force and
cclean them out" A query developed
that he was the night police force.
| A query by the governor as to
the situation also brought forth sar-
castle remarks such as that there was
nothing to report officially. Every
one talked of the fight and many free
ly related their own experiences, yet
none knew anything of it-officially.
They were not killed-just dropped
dead-officially. There had been no
ALPHABETICALLY
There have been seventeen other
killings since January 1.
Since yesterday newspaper men
have been informed confidentially that
| plans were on foot to burn mine
buildings where in past years there
had been labor troubles. The CORE
spondents were told to go to a GER
tain mine at l o'clock and they would
see what was termed party. Many
automobiles visited that spot but there
was no fire and no disorder.
All that remains of the Lester
mine is heap of ashes, for it was
set en- fire shortly after the attack
ers captured it. Mr.. Lester, the own
from Chicago, but no one had been
err, was reported to have come here
able to find him this morning.
Sheriff Thaxton told newspaper
men the situation was now well in
hand and that there was no danger.
That wa sthe only official statement
early in the day.