Evening star., 1932-08-04
TROOPS LIFT SIEGE
OF INDIANA MINE
AirpIanes and Infantry Rout
Pickets Who Imprisoned
Non-Union Men.
~ The Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
TERRE HAUTE Ind, August A.
The siege of the Dixie Bee Coal mine
was raised by the armed forces of the
State today and IS besieged miners
were freed
A union picket line, whose Sniping
held the 65 non-union men prisoners
for two days, faded into the night as
$40 National Guardsmen, heavily
armed, marched to the mine.
Four wounded miners, without medi-
cal attention since Tuesday afternoon,
when they fought rifle battle in which
one picket was killed and four injured,
were brought to Terre Haute hospital.
Haggard from their vigil against pos
sible attacks by the rif1emen encamped
about the mine shaft, the non-unlon
workmen said they believed arrival of
six National Guard planes late yester-
day saved their lives Pickets appeared
to be preparing to rush the mine, they
said, when the first plane swOoped over
the battle line.
Dy
The planes were the advance guard
of the infantry companies ordered here
by Gov. Harry G. Leslie after repeated
urgent requests from Sheriff Joe Dreher,
whose force of deputies was helpless to
combat the well manned picket lime.
An order to bomb the picket positions
with tear gas was countermanded soon
after it was issued last night, but the
pilots maintained a constant patrol over
the area. This surveillance, the be-
sieged miners, believed, cOwed the p1ckets
and ended the bloodiest fight in recent
Indiana mine labor disputes.
Not a picket was to be found when
the guardsmen arrived at the mine this
morning They searched surrounding
thickets for any lurking sniperS, then
took positions protecting the mine
property.
The wounded. who were brought to
Terre Haute, were Gerald Cradle, 26,
Sullivan, shot twice in the right leg
and twice in the right hand: John
Pullman, 81, Terre Haute, bullet wound
in right side; Elmer Bedwell, 26, Sulli-
van, shot in the left arm, and Glenn
Brossman, 81, Terre Haute, who was
struck in the right leg.
Military Rule Declared.
Acting on behalf of Gov. Leslie. Adjt
Gen. Paul E Tombaugh proclaimed the
Dixie Bee Mine and adjacent territory
under military control, effective at $50
last night.
Late last night the Governor, at In
Clanapolis announced the negotiation
of virtual truce of hostilitieS at the
embattled mine. He said after opera
tors of the mine agreed to discontinue
union labor pending a general wage
settlement in the Indiana field, union
representatives telephoned orders to
disband the pickets-
Immediate denial came from officials
who said no officer of the mine had
conferred with the Governor John
Hoke Beasley. attorney for the mine,
issued a statement saying the pickets
had failed to withdraw after tenta-
tive agreement entered into by Ralph
Butler, mine superintendent, under
which the mine would suspend opera
tions for an indefinite period.
Mine officials said today they plan
ned to resume hoisting of coal as soon
as their employees recovered from eff
fects of the long siege.
The appearance of National Guards
men was their second sortie into the
Indiana mine field in two weeks, Gov
Leslie sent four companies to Dugger,
Ind, recently to lift a siege at the CO.
operatively operated Hoosier coal mine.