Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-06-30
NINE BATTLE IN ILLINOIS.

u,lf a dozen wounded men, some
Il them lying on death beds gave
- associated Press correspondent
h. first actual eye witness accounts
4 the mine fight which occurred
oar Hcrrin, Illinois on the night of
he 2lst, which brought dozens OF
Casualties when 5000 armed strik-
|na miners attacked the Lester strip
ninc near that place which was be-
ms operated by imported workers
md guards.
The substance of the statements
H. the wounded, vino were among
|he bcsciscd was that not a mine
Yorker was injured during the fight
IN, that numerous killed were shot
3own in cold blood after they had
burcndcrcd themselves and their
rms. There was nothing from the
nion mines to contradict these
Several Of the men imported
B work the mine absolved t1le strik-
RS from blame, saying that the ones
esponsiblc were those "who sent
here under false promises that
Ire would be no trouble" and that
3the mine workers would not OBJ
Bet.
Joseph ORourke, Chicago, COM
bissary clerk at the mine, gave the
lost vivid account Of te fight. His
tory as related as he tossed in pain
fom dozen bullet holes throuub
Dis body.
Il was sent down there by the.
ertrand Commissary company, of
hicaso. l had no idea what / was
Inning into. don't blame the
liners much for attacking us, for
Ie were unknowingly being used
J dupes TO keep them from their
TBS. We were given arms when we
frivcd and a machine gun was set
at one corner of the mine.
llardS were with us all the time
hd most of the guards were tough
llows sent by a Chicago detective
Bency. | understand the miners
Hnt us warnings to leave town or
E would be run out. We never got
ee word, perhaps the bosses did.
fhen We saw the miners approach
We did not know what to do.
be guards prepared for fight, most
us workers wanted to surrender.
Through the night the bullets
pned in on us. We sougt shelter
We could, the miners climed I'D
the coal piles and earth embank-
fntS and we were unable to see
em. The guards kept firing but
psf of us hid. Then the miners
ew up our pumping station, we
ID no water and our food supplies
ERE in a freight car in the hands
the miners. About sunrise we
up a white flag. The miners
Purcd in and we surrendered our
fmS
up to this time not one of us had
Zen injured that l know of although
understand that several of the
iherS had been shot. The miners
rchh around quickly and tied us
fse'her in groups Of three and six.
c Hed men were rushed off in
lrrent directions. Some of them
Pea to run but they were shot
last as they moved.
Ohe miner asked who was the
rcnlne gun operator. Someone
n''ca nj i'm out and he was shot
MS tracks and his BODY laid over
81 machine gun. The tied five men
,'' me- took us out on the road
~ !o'd us to run. We ran and
t"urcds of bullets followed us.
staggered on, but finally three
i,b E"r group fell. pulling the others
I L' US ned down, Several bullets
ar rS peln8 i'll me already. I laid
rn " while men came up and fired
' Snots into us from three or
~ 'ect. Then everything went
'n. l woke up latter and begged
wafer but there was not any. T
r,''nber an being daggcd along The
@r 0.p nut | don't know what by.
"Uurke's story was confirmed
D. T. Williams and Ed Green, of
m "''so' ' two of the men tied with
Brro VINO are still alive. The other
ro were killed. These were the
brro, ro.nd by the Associated Press
,aL ,Lnpohdent and whom he tried
rmi' Gs water to, only to be refused
0mS'on 0",,SS'on to help them.
Badn reports Of like nature were
Sd aro ~ ulas been other trouble in
Dir thc"a thUuna Clarksburg but the af-
"'eTc is small IN ,,,bot ~, 81.