Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-27
Tuesday, June 27, 1922.

they fully understand the exact object
of their employment, which Is TO take
the other follows Job until the other
fellow is willing to give in and come
back to work on such terms as may be
allowed him, and some times he Is lea
TO believe that he had been recruited
purely on account of scarcity of labor,
and that there will not be the slightest
opposition to his coming.
In this case the strike breaking ag-
gregation came and established them-
selves in the mine. 1t was maze UP OF
the usual components, including
large number of steam shovelmen VINO
claimed TO believe .hat they were not
taking anybody's places, and that they
were not running into trouble. But
however it may have appeared TO some
of the men, the premises were pelng
patrolled by numerous guards. some OF
them armed with machine guns, and
many of the newc omers had pistols
strapped about them and rifles in easy
reach.
Members Of the Mine Workers union
held a meeting Wednesday at point
some distance from the mine In dis
pute, and sent word to the strike
breakers that they must Vacate. The
two union messengers who carried the
word were killed by mine guards. The
strike breakers claim that they never
got any such word There is a ques-
ton as to whether those leaders in
charge of the strike breakers may
have suppressed the warning. Next
day the United Mine Workers assem-
bled TO the number Of 5000 and march
ed on the mine. The approach of this
force was the first intimation that the
innocents among the strike-breakers
had of approaching trouble. They
wanted to raise a flag of truce to talk
the matter over. The Pinkertens in
charge would have none of this and
the determined miners came on.
Presently shots were fired. There is
dispute as to who fired the first shot,
whether the PinkertonS and their hired
gunner or the oncoming mine work
ers. But at any rate, the firing soon
became fierce and general. The 5000
mine workers rushed the miners like
an avalanche, killing and capturing. A
few of the union men were killed; but
many of the others were killed. In
the frenzy of haze and passion the
union men forgot all sentiments of
pity. The strike breakers were shot
down, dubbed &c death, tied and
thrown into polds, and otherwise
treated like maddogs.
Newspaper correspondents who came
Son the scene about the tine the battle
started and who RENAME! through ii
all, tried to relieve the sufferings of
some of the mortllly wounded who
We're begging for water. But this was
not allowed. Even women who were
present leading a child with one hand
and holding n revolver with tbs other,
threatened to kill any man who sought
to help their victims. The hatred vas
something terrific.
During the terrific onslaught some OF
the bodies were burned. Others were
trOd on and mangled. On a small scale
ii was like some o" the terrible clashes
of the World war.
Later, after the first frenzy had sub
sided somewhat and different ones of
the victims had been taken to the hos
pitals, some of them who were in a
more or less hopeless condition, blamed
the mine operators and Pinkertons IN
stead Of the union miners. They said
they had been deceived into coming,
and after they had learned of the stu
ton, they had been prevented. from
making their position known.
The Southern Illinois Coal company
has instituted proceedings in the Unit
ed States district court against the
Union miners, asking for a million dol
lars on account of damages to the min
ers on account of the families of the
victims. The" action is said to have
been brought under the recent Corona :
do coal decision Of the United States
supreme court in which it was held
that union labor organizations can be
sued.
1t is estimated Ghat ninety per cent
Of the people of Williamson county
are miners. The sheriff and other civ
il officers, as we'll as the people gener-
ally have all along been in full sympa-
thy with the United Mine Workers
union. A military commission sent by
the governor of Illinois, has been in
vestigating the whole affair. The peo-
pie are making no special objection to
the investigation, but they are letting
it be known that those mines are not
going to be worked by anybody other
than the United Mine Workers of
America.