The New York herald., 1922-07-10
Crowds Gather Daily,
but Men Discuss Most
Every Topic Save
Murder.
WE ARE NOT ANGELS
Prosecutor Deplores Riots,
but Believes Convictions
Are Difficult.
STATE IS DETERMINED
Acknowledgement to Person
ally Conduct Case When
He Gets Evidence.
BY rHoREAu CRoNYN.

ny InOhGAO " OktOIN
speoiol Dispatch to The NEW YORK HpzALp.
MARION, Ill. July 9.-Outside the
old brick court house in the middle
of the square miners in blue shirts
and overalls sit all day. waiting for
the strike to end. They whittle and
smoke and chew, and move only to
keep out Of the sun. Any one looking
from a window of a business building
on the square could guess the time
of day by the position of the miners.
They do not talk much. Habit and
circumstance forbid. When conver-
sation is necessary the topic is some
thing Of passing interest. One thing
none of the human components OF
this sundial mentions is the massacre
Of June % near Herrin. when forty
eight non-union miners and guards
of the Southern Illinois Coal Com
pany's strip mine surrendered after
killing two union besiegers. marched
out with uplifted hands under flag
of truce made Of cooks apron and
then were shot like so many rabbits In
a drive--shot in the back, clubbed
and In three instances knitted, until
nineteen were killed and more than
twenty wounded, the wounded escap-
ing with their lives only because the
butchers thought they too were dead.
In Williamson county 1t Is not re-
garded as polite to discuss this affair
in public. The majority feeling Is:
"The less said the better; leave 1t
alone and it will blow over and be
forgotten" There also is a minority
feeling, which is wholesome, and Will
be indicated later.
Nothing to Come Of II.
On wednesday morning the blue lines
in the shadow of the courthouse VIII
stir a. little. Judge A. T. Hartwell OF
the Circuit Court of Illinois will walk
across from the office in the State Bank
Building to hold court. He will address
the special Grand Jury, called together
to investigate the strip mine assassna-
tions.
Williamson county says nothing will
came from the Coroner's jury. On Juno
25 that solemn body Of union miners
and sympathizers found that the deaths
of the nineteen non-union men were due
TO the acts. direct and indirect. of the
officials of the Southern Illinois Coal
Company" The only person charged
with murder was C. K Mcdowell su-
perintendent Of the mine. who was ac-
cused Of firing the bullet that killed
Jordan Henderson. a union man. Nc
Dowell was the one legged man who.
unable to keep up with the rest of the
captives, was beaten to death with a
pistol, peppered with bullets too. and
left beside the road.
Nothing will come of it, they re-
peat, because no member OF the mob
will ever confess. and no other person
will dare to accuse him, and even II there
was prosecution there could be no con-
viction. the sentiment of the county
being what It is.'
Anyway, Judge Hartwell will address
the Grand Jury and what he says will
surprise it and perhaps cause the rest
OF the nation to wag its head and say
II told you So" but the Judgment OF
this correspondent Is that any criticism
of Judge Hartwell will be premature.
There are some State officers of Illinois
who know what they're driving at, and
a good guess is that Judge Hartwell Is
one OF them. tN
He will tell the jury that he has been
requested not to charge them with the
task of investigating the mine massacre.
He will say that he cannot disclose the
source Of this request. but that it is good
enough for him and he will take full
responsibility II the jury steers clear Of
the strip mine killings and confines It's
effort to the ordinary criminal cases Of
the county.
Justice II Dems nded.
The jury will assent and the Judge
will march back to his Office. and the
impression of the loungers In the sun
that the day Of Judgment is indefinitely
postponed will be confirmed. Maybe
they are right. but the public should not
be too sure. There are facts indicating
that forces are at work which event.
tice. Some of them may be stated now.
others merely can be suggested.
The nation is asking whether justice
fs going by default In this part Of
Illinois. What have the county or state
authorities done in the way OF in
vestigation and what do they intend to
do? The correspondent of THE NEW
York HERALD has talked with officials
from Coroner up to Governor Small.
This is the situation
In the irst place. the Sheriff Of
IL Do