Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-26
JURY BtAMES COAL
. CO. FOR DEATHS Of
|. VICTIMS At HERR|N
Mine Superintendent Who
Was Killed Charged
With Murder.
MEN DIED AT GLANDS
OF PERSONS UNKNOWN"
Bodies Of Sixteen Nonunion
Workers Remain Un-
identified.
NO MACHINE GUNS At MINE
Verdict. Foreman Says, Represents
United Sentiment OF
County.
MEN DIED AT GLANDS
OF PERSONS UNKNOWN"
Verdict. Foreman Says, Represents
United Sentiment OF
County.
GBy Associated Prese. ]

fiEfNNlN, LILA, y unc oo.-AC. H.. Mcy
Dowell. the one-legged superintsnd-
ent OF the Southern Illinois Coal
Company's strip mine halfway be-
tween Herrin and Marion, Ill, was
the only man charged with murder
by the coroner's jury, which con
cluded its Investigations tonight.
The nonunion men, the coroner's
jury decided, came to their deaths
by Sunshot wounds at tho hands
OF parties to this jury unknown" as
the result OF activities on the part
of officials OF the wrecked Lester
Mine.
The remaining verJicts, twenty In
all, stated that each individual came
to his death by gunshot wounds al
the hands of persons unknown"
sixteen Unidentified.
No additional information CON
corning the identity OF the sixteen
unknown men was unearthed during
tho course of tho inquiry, which
took the jury to tho local hospital
and into the rooms OF wounded non
union men.
Allen I'indlcy, wounded timekeep-
er for tho Southern Illinois Coal
Company. now in the Herrin hos
on which It based the verdict of
murder returned against Mcdowell,
the dead superintendent
Mcdowell and I were standing on
the edge OF the pit when no asked
me. as he polluted to n dark object
In the nearby woods. rs that q
mann quoted Findley.
No. 1 replied" he continued. "but
he fired and the man threw his hands
in the air and fell Mcdowell was
good shot"
Verdict Popular Ono In Hcrrin.
Tho verdict OF the jury. accord,
Ing to the coroner, "Bill' AfcCower.
and the foreman OF the coroner's
jury. Joe RarrinGer. represents the
united sentiments OF Williamson
County on tho riot OF Thurs
day. and the events leading up To-
it,"
The coroncr's Investigation r.,
under way carly this afternoon am,
adjourned 10 permit the jurors to
attend funeral services for Jos
fichovich. 22-year-old Lithuanian
union miner slain In the skirmish
wednesday,, which preceded the
massacre OF nonunion men THURSDAY
morning, June 80. 1t resumed de-
hoerations late this afternoon.
Members OF the jury were: Rober,
Glenn, superintendent OF the Herrick
water Works; Louis Gibbons, Car
tersvilis. ILL.,. union miner: John
arms, johnson City. H.. merchant:
Philip Noakes. Cartersville. Ill. union
miner; Joe harrington, Marion. IN
union miner; Tom Thornton, Herrin
ILL.,. electrician.
The first witness heard was Will
nam y. Thornton, a Marion, ILL.,. DO
lceman
You don't know who did tho
shooting. do you?" asked Coroner
William NJ. MCGOWAN.
NO. SIR" replied the witness. "I
don't know anything about IT.
Ihnt was the substance OF mis- ,o.-
unonE and OF those who toIIow.,
him.
Colonel Hunter Tcstaes.
|oionei Samucl Il. Hunter, infsn-
.rS' lilinois National Guard, who has
""en here for ten days, and who has
'tpeat cd!y asked the adjutant.Een
t'"' oil the state to send troops io
protect the nonunion miners ac
,pr"'hs I" his own statement, and
mat OF c. r. Ellington. secretarv ~
y ~
was the next witness Mr.. F.dinc
Ton was captain in the army in.
teitiSencc section during the war
Colonel Hunter told of being h,ld
up by mine guards and taken 70
Mine Superintendent C. X. McDoweN.
OF the strip mine of the Southern
Illinois Coal Company, last Sunday
night Colonel Hunter testified that
ne urged Mcdowell to conhne tho
of
property. and that he also urged
that these sentries walk their most
withor; arms, Mcdowell agreed to
carry out these suggestions. Colonel
Hunter said. in his testimony.
member Of this jury asked Colo
mel Hunter; is IL true. colonel. that
they had machine guns mountedc'
Fall q" Find Machine Guns
Il searched THE mine property
three times and failed to nrd any"
Colonel Hunter replied
1T was suggested Yesterday TO
Major General Milton j. Foreman
that the miners had mistaken right
ANKLE sections of pipe, used for
pumping, for machine guns" This
sugkeseion came from Colonel Hun
ter
"wha, did they havef" cclcne,
Hunter was asked
"Shotguns. rJAes And ammunlt.on."
Hunter replied.
He was followed by Claude Holmes.
OF lIerrin, a taxicab driver. who told
OF being held up week aso Sat
urday by mine guards when he at
tempted 10 pass along public road
that skirte6 the mine.
J. u. Henderson saidhe ~ks .nsids
Continued en Page :. c& Is
d y i i J fs.I