HERRIN MURDERS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11423, 20 January 1923, Page 6

HERRIN MURDERS

THE JUDGE SUMS UP LAW PERMITS NON-UNIONISTS TO WORK IN MINES. “MURDER OR NOTHING/’ By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright, and N.Z. Cuble_ Association (Received January 19, 1 .35 p.mj NEW YORK., January IS. At the Herrin tr.ai, in the presence of 000 spectator. .lun-« Hart ell, •umminAdlw*<aM,4V*r. . ... .* • murtier .or jiothmg. _»t 33 not tho law of Illinois for a man to mine coal without belong, mg to'the tinted Mine Workors it America, und if that man is assaulted and killed tor so working, ami tor fftT other reason, the killing is unlawful. Ycu are. to fix a penalty of life imprisonment, or a minimum term of 14 years if you find any or all of the defendants guilty. If onp of the accused men committed tike crime, and the other delomlants stood by and aided or encouraged the crime, it is your duty to find jwl the defendants guilty.” The-oury has retired.

STORY OFJHE RIOT “ifiELENTLESS BRUTALITY.” GRAND JURY’S REPORT. Twenty-four men were killed, and many were wounded in the Leri 1 n massacre which occurred on June of last year. The Grand Jury, which investigated the affair, indicted 44 men foj murder, 58 for conspiracy to murder, 58 for and 34 for assault, with intent to murder. the jury .declared that the rioting and murders were the result of a conspiracy, which it alleged, originated among the mine officials. 1 ...ARMED GUARDS. “About the middle of June of this year, after suspension of the coal industry as the result of a strike of the United Mine Workers of America, the Southern lUinols-CSSBr Compand decided to operate a strip mine owned by it and located about midway between Marion and Herrin. The miners apparently raided no objection to the mining of coal, by the use of steam ■hovels, but when the company began ' to strip there was bitter resentment on thff'Tiart of the miners. , The-coal company aggravated this resentment by employing armed guards and closing m the public established highways traversing the mine property and treating as trespassers citi- ' zftns attempting to. use the accustomed highwajssr The -flaunting of arms in a community devoted almost exclusively to mining was .conducive to "strife. It was a challenge certain to be accepted; find for four -or five days preceding the tragedy it was known by the authoritias that a conflict was inevitable. ATtACK AT DAYBREAK. In the evening of June 21st, upon the return to Marion of Sheriff Thaxton, a conference was held between the sheriff, - Colonel Hunter,- -and officers of the miners’ union, at which it was stated that the officials of the coal company were willihg to discontinue the operation of the strip mine and the union officials were willing that the workmen employed _ there should be persuaded to depart in safety. The substance of this agreement was transmitted to Superintendent McDonald at the strip mine. Nevertheless at the break of day the folloiwing morning, firing began in a severe volume, the attacxing party having crept up in the cover of the darkness. Thej_ were checked sufficiently to permit ot a parley, and after a time a spokesman foT the strip mine workers asked to speak to the leader. PROMISE OF SAFETY. *“A long range conversation was held, and it was agreed by the spokesman of the attacking, party that safe conduct would be accorded the men if they laid down their arms and marched out with hands up. “This was done, and from behind the . icarth embankments created by the shovel operators came a great number of unarmed men and _ more from ..the surrounding hills until the 47 surrendering men were surrounded by the many of men, mostly armed. The captive men were marched down the road toward Herrin in double file. SHOT TO DEATH.

“After they had marched about one mile, Superintendent McDonald, being crippled and unable to keep up with the procession, was taken by members erf the mob and shot jt° death. The remainder of the captives were marched on the public road and were stopped at the power house of the interurban railroad, about three miles from Herrin. Here a change in the leadership took place and the man who had guaranteed the safety of the men who nad surrendered was deposed and another leader installed. “The new commander ordered the captive men to march into tho woods adjacent to and around the power house'.' Here tha new leader directed that only those in the crowd who had guns should follow into the woods, and those.. who were unarmed should remain without. “The surrendered men were then marched some 200 yards back of the power house to tho vicinity of the barbed wire fence, where they were told they would he given a chance to run for their lives under fire. “The firing began immediately, and 13 of the 47 non-union men were killed and"’ most of the others severely wounded.

PURSUED BY MOB. } “The mob pursued those who had escaped and two were hung to tree*, six were tied together with a rope about their necks and marched through the streets of Herrin to an ' adjacent cemetery, where they wore shot by the mob and the throats of three were cut. One of six survived. “The atrocities and cruelties of tho murders are beyond the power of words to describe. A mob is always cowardly, but the savagery of this mob in its relentless brutality is almost unbelievable. The indignities heaped upon the dead, did not end until the bodies were interred in unknown graves. UNIONISTS KILLED. “On the first day of attack upon the mine two union miners were killed by the men in the strip mine, and another so seriously injured as to die subsequently from hit wounds. “It has been difficult for this Grand Jury to determine who fired the shots from the strip mine which caused the deaths of the union members. When asked to present evidence to the Grand Jurv which would tend to fix respon. sibility, counsel for the miners’ union announced that they would lend no aid to the Grand Jury. “The Grand Jurv has made no aL

tempt to determine the equities between the operators and the miners in the strike controversy. It has had but the sole thought of bringing to the bar.of justice the persons who committed the crimes which have brought such universal criticism upon the peonla ef WillhuzMOA Counts-”