The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1922-12-13
AHbii for
Herriin
Miners

the llerrin mine killings had "a
part n the rioting. bat wor'
elsewhere az the time Of th,
killings. was promised by 4. "
Kerr, chief coansel Of the Illinois
mine workers. in his opening
statement 10 the jury in the firsI
Of the mine riot trials here 90
day. The five men are charged
with the death Of Howard lloff
man, one Of the twenty non
union men killed in the outbreak
Mr.. Kerr declared the killing
Of the non-union men was the
result Of an invasion" Of Viii
hanson county by armed
guards, " aud the many acts Of
brutality eliminating in the
RUTHLESS murder OF three union
coal miners.
lie asserted Williamson county
rose 10 the defense az its
homes adding that by this act
Of self defense il served notice
on the American gunmen and
upon those who would employ
the American ganmen that this
was not a safe community IN
which to send hired murdcrers
The miners fought also TO pro.
tect their union, he said
Declaring the state had been
"wickedly careless in selecting
the defendants, Mr.. Kerr empha.
sized that I'VE will show you in
this ease that Otis Clark, Bert
Grace. Joseph Carnaghi, Leva
Mannand Peter liiller (the de-
fendamts not only had nothing
whatever with the killing oi
Howard Hoffman or any of ms
associates, but that they were in
positions and places at a time
when it would have been physi.
cally impossible for them to have
ha danything 10 do with il We
will produce here a great number
Of men Of repute in their COM
munity. who were standing along
the line of march. which led 70
the place Of the killing They
will tell you that not a single
one Of these defendants was IN
the march y
The prosecuting authorities OF
Illinois. he asserted, were being
influenced by "a private organi-
zation composed Of men Of great
wealth. the Illinois Chamber OF
Commerce.
"Actuated by a desire for
vengeance he continued,
"eager to do anything that will
help 10 destroy organized labor
the chamber Of commerce is the
organization that prosecItcs IN
this ease. You. and you alone
stand between these defendants
and this cry for vengeance. Let
the law be your guide, let the
facts be your support and LEI
justice be your product. we
want nothing more. y
Mr.. Kerr described operations
at the Lester strip mine. owned
bv the Southern Illinois Coal
company, and stated the union
had agreed to permit the com
pany TO strip coal but not e
mine it. He declared the com
pany broke the agreement and
imported guards armed with
machine guns, with high powered
rifles. with automatic police pis
tolls. with all the most destructive
firearms known TO modern
science. lie then gave an out
line OF % labor disputes in which
he declared hired gunner
were used. beginning with tho
Homestead strike in 1892. anc
continuing through Cripple Creek
Colorado. Ludlow, Mingo, ih'
Michigan copper strikes and NJ
to the present lie declared more
than 300 workers had been kille
in these disputes by gunner
who went unpunished for iheii
acts.
1.-THE killing of Howard lloTt
man was homicide and not mur
der" he continued Some day
and in some court room a lur'
will sav that the time has com
10 stop the importation mt
peaceful communities Of this typ
Of men. believe that day Wi
A