The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-22
.26 ARE KILLED
IN WARFARE AT
ILLINOIS Mine
Bodies Spread Over Area IS
Miles Square, Some Riddled
by Bullets, Others Beaten
to Death.
BRUTALITY is REPORTED
tBy Associated Press>


HERRIN, ILL.,, June ga check ar
noon today made by the Associated
Press show IS known dead and indi-
Gated that the total would be more
than 80 and in the hostilities between
striking miners and non-union en-
ployers in the Strip mines of the
Southern Illinois coal company near
here.
Bodies were spread over n area of
Is miles square, some riddled with
bullets and others beaten to death
and three hanging by ropes from
trees.
An Associated Press correspondent
after 10 Intellectual attempts today
finally persuaded a taxi cab driver to
take him through the scene.
The Strip mine had been fired and
freight train on siding also was
| burning while miners looted several
cars of food supplies.
| Out on the road near the mine six
men, tied together and all wounded
by bullets and blows, lay in the
scorching sun while hundreds Of men
and women laughed at their pleas for
water.
One of the men. his face bloody
and a shoulder shot away apparently
was within a few minutes of death
please boys give me a drink" he
moaned. A laugh from the hundreds
of spectators was the only reply.
| Refused Water.
| The correspondent rushed to the
| house for water and when he returned
he was faced by a sword and quickly
drawn pistols and told to keep away
When the man begged again for wa
ter young woman with a baby in
her arms placed her foot on the
mangled form and said, "I'n see you
IN hell before you get any water"
The men apparently had been drag
ged on a rock road behind an automo-
bile. Their clothes were torn and
pieces of gravel were imbedded in
their mangled flesh.
Deny Sayings
The union miners deny they killed
any strike-breakers. The correspond
ent accosted one of the striking miners
and this conversation followed.
How many were killed." the cor
respondent asked. Nobody" the
striker replied
mo one killed at all?" the CORES
pondent countered. 1--WE didn't kill
them. They must have dropped dead
from fright" the striker said
The striker then asked whether the
militia was coming here, adding. IF
the militia comes down here that will
mean only that many more guns for
: US"
The fighting had ceased and the
only signs of the strip mine violence
are occasional spent bullets.
In attacking the strip mines this
; morning the strikers went over top of
high embankments surrounding sur
face collieries and took mine employees
prisoners. The prisoners were then
divided among groups of strikers and
taken in different directions.
, , HERRIN, H. June 22.-Nineteen
men are known to have been killed
in the open warfare of union men and
non-union employees of the Slit mine
: near here, of the Southern Illinois
Coal company
, An incomplete check-up showed Is
non-union men and three union men
, dead One of the non-union men was
found hanging to tree with his body
riddled with bullets.
, The bodies of the 16 non-union men
! were found in wood near the Slit
mine, six miles east of here A man
named Mcdowell, foreman at the
: mine, was beaten to death and the
other IA, exclusive of the man hanged
= were shot to death.
1t was stated the men were massa-
! cred when they attempted to escape
after being taken prisoners by the
union forces.
. Joe Pitchoyie, union miner of Her
i rim, died in a local hospital early to-
I day, after being seriously wounded
d in the fight. Jordan Henderson an
s other union miner. also of Herrin, was
0 killed in the action. His body has
S beer brought to an undertaking es-
e tablishment here.
|. Thousands of striking miners. manv
of whom were armed, last night and
this morning made their way along
roads congested with every sort oil
conveyance leading to the mining camp
r where the union miners and sympa-
thizers. estimated to number approx
| .nately 1000 surrounded the mine,
under a truce with the non-union
d forces who claim they are members
a of the steam shovel mems union.
No Aid Requested
/ Williamson county officials includ-
It ing Sheriff Melvin Thaxton and States
Y Attorney Duty have not requested any
p outside aid in restoring order in the
1t district and Col. Sam n. Hunter, at
p tache of the Illinois adjutant gener-
s ais office this morning expressed the
belief that the worst is over. Col.
y Hunter is at Marion, closely watching
IS the situation at the mining camp
y which is five miles distant.
Ie He declared that the fighting stop
ID ped after both sides agreed to a truce
following which arrangements were
Ie made for holding peace confer
,r ence, today at which. it said he be.
is lieved officials of the union miners
is would ask the coal company to close
s. the mine and send away the men said
10 have been imported from Chicago
ID The Southern Illinois coal mine was
,s the first in Illinois to resume opera
tions since the strike became effec
tive April !, and this fact causes
tense situation among the striking
union miners. The district is solidly
h unionized
h. The fighting started after receipt o
- telegram from John L. Lewis, presi
=, dent of the United Mine Workers @
i9 ,aa,,