Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-06-24
AUTHENTIC
REVIEWS GIVEN
Of TROUBLE IN
ILLINOIS FIELD
Blame Lays on the Goa!
Operators Who Imported
Strike Breakers, Miners
Union Official Says,
WAS NOT STARTED BY
STRIKERS, ASSERTS
Col, Hunter Of the State
Adjutant Generals Office,
Also Reports After an
Investigation,
(By The Associated Press.J

(By The Associated Press.)
Herrin, ILL.,, June 23,-Attempts
to sift through the maze of rumors,
reports, contradictions and facts of
the mine war to obtain an uncolor-
ed account of the events leading up
to it tonight. after everything was
quiet, brought two authentic re-
views of the affair. one from a
union official, and another from a
state military official.
Z Hugh Willis, district board mem
ber of the miners union, In the
first statement from union officials
concerning the massacre. toiu
newspaper reporters the blame lay
squarely on the coal operators VINO
imported strike breakers. He de-
clared that the first shots were
fired bv the strike breakers ana
that these shots were without prov
ocation and that one of the chlef
causes of the trouble was the hlgh-
handed manner in which the I'M
ported workers held up private
citizens and refused to let them
traverse the public highway by the
mine" He made no attempt TO
deny that the affair really was a
massacre, but insisted it was NOT
started by miners.
Colonel Hunters Report.
Col. Samuel Hunter of the state
adiutant generals office, reviewed
his official investigation OF the DIS
aster. the following being the
salient points of his report
That Colonel Hunter on halt a
dozen occasions asked Sher1tf
Thaxton and other local county Of
ficials IL they wanted troops sent
here but was told each time-even
after the fighting started--that the
local authorities could handle the
matter.
THAT he urged the mine officials
to close 1t to avert disaster Du'
the request was refused.
That an indignation meeting o.
500 miners was held just OUTSIDE
Herrin the day before the fightins
began.
Truce Was Broken.
That he persuaded the besfeged
workers to run up a white flag ana
obtain consent from miner officials
for a truce, but that this truce was
broken; by whom, he did not know;
Both reports termed the armed
guards at the mine "gun men, MI.
Willis version follows, in part:
"The Southern Illinois Coal COM
pany has been running this mine
about a year. When work was sus--
pended, on April /, it was agreed
nv the mine union board members
and the operators that stripping OF
dirt should be allowed but that no
coal was to be loaded for Industrial
purposes.
After six weeks of stripping the
company informed me by letter
that tney no longer would recognize
the agreement and that they want
cd to load and ship coal for indus
trial purposes.
4told them ! could not give per-
mission for this.
"Ten days later Mr.. Lester, own
err OF the mine. asked me to set
aside the agreement. ] told him ]
could not repudiate it. He said that
unless l repudiated 1t he would
open the mine, even IL he had to
repudiate his agreement.
''FinanciaI Cleanup"
Lester said his company was In
bad financial straits and that he
could not overlook chance like
this to make a financial cleanup.
He said he didn't regard his con-
tract with us as meaning anything,
when he could make a lot of money
by breaking it. This statement was
made to me when he knew the gov
ernment had officially said there
should be no profiteering in coal
because of the strike.
''On June Is / was informed that
Lester had discharged all union
workers in the mine-dirt strip
pers, that is-and had imported
workers, including armed guards
from Chicago. to work the mine.
visited the mine and was met by
men with guns. They said Lester
was not there when I asked for him
and told me that the sooner l left
the better satisfied they would be.
Naturally / left.
Were Told TO Leave.
Later other officials OF the
miners called at the mine in the
hopes of reaching an amicable ad-
justment, but were told to leave.
on June 81 the mine actually be-
gan production of coal, with non
union strikebreakers. A group of
miners went to the mine for a con-
ference and to urge the strike
breakers to leave, but the miners
we're greeted with machine gun
fire. Two miners were killed. Dur
ing the night and the next morn
ing, miners. incensed over the two
dead comrades. rushed the mine,
(Continued on Page Two.)