Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-23
Is WITH ROCKS
ABOUT NECKS
PUT IN POND
Known Dead Number.
u and Belief Is That
Total Will Exceed 40.
| Horrors of War Contain
Nothing Not Viewed in
Herrin Coal Field.

Herrin, Ill, June 22.-(By The As
soicated Press) The death toll in the
disaster Wednesday night and Thursday,
when 5000 striking union miners at
tackled the Lester Strip mine, being
operated under guard by imported
workers, may run past the 40 mark.
it was said Thursday night by those
in touch with the situation, although
thus far only q positively are known
to be dead.
In the Herrin hospital are eight
six of them are believed to be fatally
injured. There were nine. but one died.
A miner told the Associated Press
correspondent that he had seen Is
bodies thrown into a pond with rocks
around their necks Thursday. About
20 imported workers are missing.
Dead Found Everywhere
Checking the death list has proved
almost impossible The victims. all but
three of them imported workers, SO
far as is known, were found scattered
over an area within seven miles of the
mine. Some were hanged, some were
burned when the mine was fired, others
were beaten to death, and the majority
fell before the scores of bullets poured
into them.
Bloody Williamson" county, so.
called because of several riots, Thurs
day night was outwardly calm but
there was a noticeable undercurrene
which kept everybody on edge and won-
dering if further trouble might be az.
pected.
The correspondent talked with scores
of miners Thursday and about half Of
them were certain there would be no
further disorder if there were no at
tempt to reopen mines, while the other
half said they were afraid some of the
men might not be held back. Officially,
the situation was reported by county
officials to be quiet
Resembles Battle Field
The scenes of death were as grue-
some as any in real war. Bodies with
many parts shot away lay along road
ways or were strung from trees, men
wounded and dying were stretched out
on roads and in fields with none Of
the hundreds of passers-by able to lend
helping hand. Attempts to assist the
wounded in the early part of the day
brought rebuffs from the spectators,
backed in some cases by drawn pistols
Later the feeling quieted down and
at least some of the wounded were
taken to hospitals
At is understood there Will be no at
tempt to reopen any of the mines until
the strike is settled.
Superintendent Killed
When the attackers Went over the
top into the besieged mine Thursday
morning there were some 50 or @ work
ers and guards there. What had be.
come of those not in the known dead
and wounded list. cannot be said. Some
were seen Thursday in fields. running
as fast as they could with miner SYM
pcthizers pursuing them with guns.
c. X. Mcdowell superintendent Of the
imported workers at the mine, was
among the dead. 1t was said he was
the first selected to be shot after the
mine was captured and that he was
given no chance to escape.
Hundreds Of men, women and little
children. some as young as four years,
surged to the morgue Thursday to view
the bodies. which lay side by side on
the floor with no attempt to straighten
them out. Most of them bore no iden-
tification marks. All were mangled.
Officials of Williamson county ex-
pressed deep regret over the affair, as
did many miners. but several of the
latter said that while it was regrettablo
no other course could have been
taken
The feeling could be no higher if
half dozen race riots broke out, and
on every hand a determination is ex-
pressed to back the miners in their
strike. The county is 100 per cent
union.