THE HERRIN MASSACRE

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 26

THE HERRIN MASSACRE

GRAND JURY’S ACCOUNT. MOB'S RELENTLESS BRUTALITY. Twenty-four men were hilled and many were wounded in the Herrin massacre which occurred in Illinois (United States) on June 22 of last year. The Grand Jury, which investigated the affair, indicted 44 men for murder, 58 for conspiracy to murder, 58 for rioting, and 34 for assault with intent to murder. The jury directed that the rioting and murders were the result of a conspiracy, which, it alleged, originated among the mine officials. ARMED GUARDS. “About the middle of June oif this year, after suspension of the coal industry as the result of a strike of the United Mine Workers of America, the Southern Illinois Coal Company decided to operate a strip mine owned by it and located about midway between Marion and Herrin. The miners apparently raised no objection to the miniing of coal by the use of steam shovels, but when the company began to strip there was bitter resentment on the part of the miners. “The coal company aggravated this resentment - by employing armed guards and closing in the public established highways traversing the mine property and treating as trespassers citizens attempting to use the accustomed highway. “The flaunting of arms in a communitydevoted almost exclusively to mining was conducive to strife. It was a challenge certain to be accepted, and for four or five days preceding the tragedy it was known by the authorities that a conflict was inevitable. ATTACK AT DAYBREAK. “In the evening of June 21, 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 co>al oompany were willing 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 M’Donald at the strip mine. “The new commander ordered the captive men to march into the woods adjacent to and around the power-house. Here the 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 the vicinity of the barbed-wire fence, where they were told they would be 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' THE MOB. “The mob pursued those who had escaped, and two were hung to trees, six were tied together with a rope about their necks and marched through the streets of Herrin to an adjacent cemetery, where they were shot by- the mob and the throats of three were cut. One of six survived. “The atrocities and cruelties of the murders are beyond Hie 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. “Nevertheless, at the break of day the following morning firing began in a severe volume, the attacking party having crept up in the cover of the darkness. They were checked sufficiently to permit of a parley, and after a time a spokesman for the strip mine workers asked to speak to the leader, PROMISE OF SAFETY. “A long-range conversation was hell, and it was agreed Lv the spokesman of t'ie 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 earth embankment 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 hundreds 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 M’Donald, being crippled and unable to keep up with the procession, was taken bv members of the mob and shot to 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, end the man who had guaranteed the safety of the men who had surrendered was deposed and another leader installed. 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 his wounls. “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 membere. When asked to present evidence to the Grand Jury which would tend to fix responsibility, counsel for the Miners’ Union announced that they would lend no aid to the Grand Jury. “The Grand Jury has made no attempt 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 universal criticism upon the people of Williamson County.”