Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-25
BY c. 6.
Special Dispatch to The Tribune.

Marion, ILL.,, Dec. 24.-The state has
completed its case against the first
five men accused of murder in the
Herrln massacre.
Every man of the five has beer iden-
titled. The prosecution claims it has
shown that each of the defendants had
a hand in the slaughter of one or more
OF the fwenty-three victims who met
their death. some begging yainly for
mercy, on that bloody June day.
Yet the feeling is general that there
will be no construction that the jury,
made up mostly 1T farmers and miners,
will allow itself to be persuaded to ac-
cept the defense point of view that
"Wil]iamson county arose to the de-
Tense of its homes and by this act of
sef-dcfense served notice on American
gunner and those who would employ
American gunner that this was not a
safe place in which to send hired muir
derers."
When the trial is resumed next week,
after the Christmas recess. the de-
tense will have the opportunity to in
troduee testimony in suppoNd %justifi-
acts of brutality, eliminating in the
ruthless murder of three union
miners. The defense has announced
it viii call between 300 and 400 wit
nesses. 1t can hardly hope to estab-
lish an alibi as it intended, but ever for
Pete Hitler, about whom the prosecu-
ton had some doubt. since William
Cairns. one of the survivors, picked
him out in the court room as the 'big
husky. mean-looking guy" who shot
down one of the victims at close range
as he stood helpless against a tree.
Pictured as bad Man"
Hitler was pictured by States Attor-
ney Duly as one of the most fiendish
members Of a murderous crew, a throat
cutter, a killer of the worst order.
States witnesses showed astonishing
memory for details Of the massacre,
gulped once or twice, and then did not
seem to recall having seen Hitler IN
the woods. Hitler was married In jail
Monday to pretty ~1S-year-old Anna
Campbell Of Marion. but after enter
tanning the bride and groom at a wed
ding supper, Sheriff Jim Galligan an
nounced that the honeymoon would have
to wait until Hitler got out.
Many thrilling stories have been told
about that last march of death toward
the Herrin cemetery. Four who sur
vived the ordeal have related all they
could remember, but those of them
who were not too terribly wounded to
recall the worst of it were too busily
engaged in saving their own lives to
observe what was happening to the
other. ID. Ewing. a Chicago newspa-
per man, reached the scene just in
time to see it. Leaving his car, Ewing
made his way to the center of the mob
and found six victims lying dead. They
were hatless. barefoot and some had
their shirts and trousers partly torn
off. so their tormentors could tell
whether they were really dead. Three
were dead. One was breathing his last
breath. Two were conscious but in
great pain. crying feebly for water.
Plead in Vain for Water
According to the testimony, Burt
Grace, one of the defendants. stood
over them. gun in hand. and kicked one
to silence his pleading for water. This
poor fellow. Howard Hoffman, for the
murder of whom the five are on trial
specifically. was wounded in the alb
domen and his throat had been cut.
The other man. Joseph O'Rourke, was
wounded likewise, but lived to show the
scar on his neck to the jury. Ewing
told how he hurried to a farmhouse
and brought back a lard bucket full of
water for the two wounded men.
Clear out of here. damn YOU Grace
swore at Ewing, the latter testified.
won cant give them any water"
O'Rourke could identify none of his as
s~ailants because his hair was matted
with blood and his glasses had been
torn away.
II opened my eyes once" said
O'Rourke, land | saw a man bending
over me with a knife. Then 1 felt my
throat. I realized that / was terribly
thirsty and remember saying, If there
is a Christian in the crowd, give me a
drink Of water ] do not remember
whether ] got it or not
How Hoffman Died
How Hoffman died was related
dramatically by DR.. 0. 0. Shipman of
Herrin.
"The prisoners were marched up the
road between two files of armed men,
he said. ''They were bloody. ragged, |
b%areheaded, and some in stocking feet.
One man was holding his hand to keep |
the blood in a wound at his wrist.
"A man came running down the
street and directed the prisoners
toward the county road. They stopped !
at a corner near a woods. Someone
asked one of the wounded men-it was
Howard Hoffman-if he wanted to talk.
"If you wan to talk, you had better
do it quick; you have not long"
They were marched a little further
and came to two parked automobiles.
One man got a rope from an auto and
put it around Hoffman's neck. He
began to loop it around the others but
it was toe short and someone called
for a piece of chain or barbed wire to
piece it together.
While this was being done. a fellow
in the crowd yelled to the prisoners,
If you have never prayed before in
your life. you better pray now A boy
in an auto hoIlered Nearer My God
to Thee The rope was tied and the
marched down the road again.
afterwards the shooting began
and the prisoners fell in a heap. There
were 20 fellows shooting and | relaxed
after 0 men had been shot. The
first W are now on trial.
"A man whom | had never seen who
was doing most of the shooting shot
Hoffman. He borrowed guns from
those around him. A small boy gave
him cartridges. He lifted Hoffman's
head up slowly and shot him again.
The bullet split his scalp. Hoffman
ysid, 'Oh men. what are you doing|
One of the little band owes his life to
lis agility. He escaped without ever
icing wounded. He is Robert Officer,
at the Lester mine" !
Lined Up Facing Guns
I'VE were marched a ways and lined
n hpforA n hnIhed wipe fence will, the (,