Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-24
Attack on Herrin
MOurnerS Feared
Csntlnued from Page One

begun today by n board beaded by Ma
ior General Milton Foreman. "f th'
State militia, acting under executive or
ders from Governor Small. which wer,
issued when the chief executive hccnm,
aruIsed over failure Of local officials I,
take any steps against the miners whr
captured aud Killed the majority o
strikebrcakcrs working in the striI
mine.
General Foreman and his committee
reached here this morning motoring
from Carbonate after reaching there
by train. They We're mot by Colonel
Samuel Hunter. of the Adjutant Gen
erals office. who has been here since
before the massacre. His orders 10 re =
turn to Springfield today were ran-
celed and he Immediately became n
guide for the military board. General
Foreman and the officers accompanying
him proceeded 10 Marion, the county
seat, where conferences with State
Attorney Delous l.. Duty and Sheriff
Melvin Thaxtnn wor" held.
A tour Of tho area of the fight was
made and Il was expected that nu-
merous persons believed 70 know some
thing Of the disorders would be called
before the board.
General Foreman had been instrY IT ed
particularly to learn why the state =
attorney had not taken steps toward
convrning special Grand Jury. why
the Coroner's inquest had not been held
and why these officials repeatedly re-
fused to authorize co'onc. Hunter TO
call for troops. even after an ndlgna-
tion meeting Of miners was held the
day before tho fighting started and even
after the miners had marched on the
mine. lie also had been instructed. it
was understood. 10 learn why Sheriff
Thaxton repeatedly told Colonel Hunter
that he could handle the situation and
yet ignored Colonel Hunters request
that some special preparations for an
emergency be made.
Failure of the local officials TO send
out an adequate force of deputies the
night the fighting began and during the
following day when almost uhheard of
deeds OF cruelty and brutality were
committed also was a point to be in
yestigntcd
Another matter TO be looked into was
why numerous requests from the Gov
ernor for information after the trouble
started were ignored by county author
tiles and why. when he was receiving
scores of kilograms from private citizens
telling of the OutrageS, he was "Ontn.
ually informed by the authorities that
the situation was well in hand aud
that the troops were not needed.
The commission Of inquiry went to
the wrecked Lester mine and then was
Guided down the road Of death where
forty eight hours ago the mob which
stOrmcd the mine dragged its prisoners
for two miles and half before shoot
ing them. They saw the woods where
most of the prisoners were slain. The
commission returned 70 lierrin and
questioned mine union officials and
peace officers of Williamson County re-
Earding events leading up to the out
break.
There was little doubt that General
Foreman and his board would not ie-
ceive II welcome of any particular cor
diality from the county as whole.
Ninety per cent miners in population
and 100 per cent uniOnized. William
son County has shown decided dis
inclination 10 welcome any outside in
terference in the massacre, which is
looked ON as personal affair which
should be ignored by the rest of the
world. Persons on the street have been
heard repeatedly to remark that II the
troops had been sent their guns would
have been taken away from them.
Comment on the streets expressed re-
sentment over the sending of the mill
tary board, although officials said they
would gladly cooperate with Il.
s The situation in the county was made
considerably more tense for n short
Sime last night when scores of care
mixers guarding the mines during the
8rike through agreement between
csshers and unions, quit work under
eercats from groups Of miners. shortly
tsterwnrd Hugh Willis, district board
tnenber Of the union, and other officials |
essssssd tAeiA 20 return after miner !