HERRIN MASSACRE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 234, 29 June 1922, Page 7

HERRIN MASSACRE

REMARKABLE FINDING OF CORONER’S JURY FURTHER VIOLENCE IS THREATENED AR MED MINERS ON THE MARCH BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. —dorr bight (Rec. Juno 29, 0.5 a.m.) New York, June 27* The Coroner’s jury at Herrin, who are believed to be under the union miners’ influence, found that the officials of the mine owned by the Southern Illinois Coal Company were guilty of the death of two striking union miners who were killed during the recent massacre, while the death of some sixteen other non-union strike-breakers was declared to be duo to unknown causes. The local union is not disinclined to disclaim its acts., Although no official utterance has been made, individual members of the union are inclined to boast of the acts, pointing out what will happen to non-union strike-breakers if they again attempt to break up the strike.

Mr. Farrington, president of the Illinois Federation of Miners, of which thp Herrin Union is a unit, has issued a statement which generally condemns violence, on the ground that it will discredit the union movement, and possibly destroy the United Mine Workers of America, of which the federation is a State unit.

It appears that tho greater number of dead and wounded were either mine guards, strike-breakers or thpir relatives. It is said that the strike-break-ers themselves belonged to tho Steam Shovellers’ Union, which is not recognised by the American Federation of Labour. This renders the situation uncomfortable. The mine officials have asked the authorities for protection in removing injured non-union workers who are in hospitals to Chicago in order to safeguard them. Thfiy will be used as witnesses at tho coming investigation of the tragedy. Mine officials declare that they received threats from union miners that any attempt to remove the woundfid will mean further violence. Pittsburg reports that two hundred armed striking union miners marched through the rfine district near that city threatening to kill non-union miners. They succeeded in shutting down four mines by terrorising strike-breakers.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.