Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-27
STRIP MINE MASSACRE
VICTIMS LAID TO REST
State and Federal Authori-
ties Join Forces to Fix
Blame for Wholesale SIay-
ing at Herrin, III,

HERRIN, ILL.,, June 26.-lBy the
Associated Press)-Williamson coun-
tv buried the dead in her latest mine
war yesterday, conducted an inquest
to determine the cause Of their
death, and today faced the respon-
sibility of bringing the guilty to
justice.
With not single arrest made
since the massacre of last Thursday,
when at least nineteen men were
killed after strike sympathizers
stormed the Lester mine. and with
county officials making no visible
effort to place the blame, the in
vestigation is being done by state
and federal agents.
Representatives Of the department
of justice, department of labor. the
state attorney generals office, and
the adjutant general are quietly
delving into the cloak of secrecy
which SO far has surrounded the
identity of the 5000 men who
marched from Herrin in broad day.
light, took more than fifty unarmed
men prisoners, marched them back
down the road into a wood and there
killed nineteen and wounded, nearly
a.; many more.
NcEulCG EetIuEHcu
Yesterday six men Of Williamson
county-three miners, a merchant,
an electrician and the superintend-
ent of the Herrin waterworks-were
solemnly empanelled, listened to the
evidence of witnesses called by Cor
oner William McCowen and return
ed their verdict.
They found, and so recorded, that
G. K Mcdowell, slain superintend-
ent of the Lester mine, killed a
union miner on Wednesday, the
day before the massacre. OF the
other dead, nineteen in all, includ-
ing two other strikers, the jury
found they came to their death by
gunshot wounds inflicted by un-
known persons.
Yesterday morning sixteen I'M
known cad, all non-union workers
and guards at the Lester mine, were
buried by the county in potter's field.
On bleach hillside, beneath broi-l
ing sun, union miners, led by State
Senator William J. Sneed. dug six
teen shallow graves-four rows of
four each.
Services Brief
The bodies of lie massacre vic
til in plain black caskets, were
placed side by side on the parched
grass. Four Protestant ministers of
Herrin, a Methodist, a Baptist. a
Presbyterian and a Christian, con-
Quoted the brief burial service, while
a hundred overall-clad miners and
dozen newspaper corresponds IT'S
looked on. On a d.atant side, three
women in starched summer dresses
fu 1iShed the only touch of color.
The ministerial quartet sang
Nearer. My God to Thee" read a
Psalm, delivered prayer and in an
al orcviated form of burial service.
committed the bodies to the EARTH.
No mention of the dead nor CT the
manner of their death was made
at the graveside.
The brief service over, the minis
rs hurried away to their waiting
flocks. The overall-clad miners
shoveled the red clay over the rough
pine boxes. No f. wers graced the
caves, but at the head Of each the
undertaken stuck a little metal sign
18th a glass covered card. On each
card was a number and the date,
June %, 1922" For each num-
bered card the undertaken preserved
a description of the men buried be-
meath, If relatives should appear to
claim him.
Timekeeper Questioned
In the afternoon Joe Picavish, a
union miner. killed in the attack on
the mine, was buried. Five thou
sand miners marched behind a band
in his funeral cortege. and 115 auto
mobiles brought up the rear.
The state and federal investigators