| Show EVENTS BEFORE RIOTS DESCRIBED DESCRIBE Union Defense Witnesses in I Herrin Massacre Case Tells of Abuses MARION Ill III Jan n 4 By 4 By the tho M- M Associated Press Preas Fifteen witnesses i were e called to tho the stand by the tho ho defense Wednesday at tho the trial o ot of the fito men charged with nith murder In connection 1 with the tho Herrin riot riota to bear bar out Ita it contention that the tho killing of 20 nonunion non union workers directly direct resulted fronI from the he Invasion of ot Williamson county count by armed In guards Highway robbery the tho terrorizing of o the I he surrounding count side and the th holding up and searching of o travelers Ii along the public highway ay ay veto ele some of the things charged against th the guards by b who described e ent from the coming of the thi coard i early arly in June up to the start of ot th the theriot riots riot the tho afternoon of June 21 tho the day y three union miners were killed Lucian Tucker who nho ho lal said 2 he had li been a miner for tor 28 years and was a member of the union said that ho I had ha rone one to tho Lester Leter strip mine n-iloe there here the tho trouble started about the tha middle middlet of t to collect a bill He lIe declared that an on armed guard escorted him to toC toC C K McDowell McDonell cDo ell superintendent of the tho thomIne mIne and one ono of the first men killed tho McDowell asked naked me If It I was WILS a Iv And nd I r told him I was wI not he tes- tes testified tes testified titled lie He also asked me that hot the th union men wele sa saying ln about the ro re- re reopening opening of ot the mine and I told him I Idid Idid did not know Then ho ha t said ld he was as going to work the mine union or no union If It ho had to work It In blood an and 1 told me to notify tho the union men nien mento mento to keep away if It they did not want to get shot DESCRIBES VISIT 1511 W IV SI M Burton Durton o a powder salesman and former mine union testified testified fied tied that he be had visited the mine and had been held up by an armed guard cuard who ho cursed him He said sald h he was taken to the mine mino office there hero he ho had a talk with McDowell and W V J r Lester Iester tho ho w then owned the propel property ty Lester said the tho mine mino tas as operating under difficulties and ond I asked d him whether whether he ed the attitude ot of the guards the said Lester said the guards were ero a bunch of ot necks rough rough- roughnecks necks but would get Bet down to earth soon I told hl hin they had better for tor forthe the tho eltI citizenry enry of ot the community would not tolerate them I asked him hint what he was nasi going to todo toI I do donith with nith the guns and he said saM Its best to prepare preparo tor for nar ar In times timeR of peace and I 1 replied that It tt looked as I If he were ln war and that I did not think he could get et away with It tt Then McDowell ell came cam In n and Lester said to me me If It Mac dont don't make me 1500 a day Ill I'll run him o over the dump McDowell said Yes Tes r Ite I e broken strikes before and I 1 can break this one Lester then showed me a gun fun and said It was WILS a machine gun eun and could shoot 1500 shot shota hot a minute I said he could kill everyone In tn the tho county witha withe with e a gun tun like Ilke that Lester also said that ho he had bad been making preparations props rations to operate the mine for tor more than a year yeu OVERHEARD O TALKS TALlie CLAIM CLAUt Otis Oils Alexander testified that nat ho he was ILS wasa a night watchman at a mire near the Lester Leeter property and had overheard two telephone conversation bet between een McDowell and Lester the nights night ot of June 20 and Juno June 21 by listening inon In Inon Inon on a party part line Tho rho first night Lester said sold to Mc- Mc McDo McDowell Pomell Mc-Pomell Do Dowell Doell ell ho he had heard men Here ere coming from West Frankfort and nd from Johnson City to attack the tho thomine mine the witness said All right McDo McDowell ell replied replied Wo We W iare are ready for tor them I don t think they I will get here The The first night of ot the tho shooting atthe at atthe the mine I heard Lester talk to Mc- Mc McDowell Mc McDowell Dowell again ai ln and tell toll him to hoist the tho white flat flag and get ret In touch with the union officials to negotiate an a agree ree agreement meat ment which would give five him time iliac to fortify his men Lester added that ho he would try to get ret troops to the tho mine In testifying Ing regardIng the tho ho actual shooting at the time Tucker testified he be was at Crenshaw crossing a II short distance from the tho pit the afternoon of June 21 and saw a man carrying abl a big gun tun to the top of ot the mine mino dump where It was wa wa hidden behind a bush Ito Ho said that a tow few moments moment later he heard tho the sound of s from the direction of ot the hidden gun cun and saw w Jordy Henderson the first of ot three union miners killed that afternoon tall fall with a bullet through his neck Was there any shooting from Irom the outside of ot the mine up to that time he was waa asked I did see ee an any Vin lT CS IbS PAID WELL Under cross ex examination cross hIi he said I that It was I not until after arter the shooting t started tar t d that ho lie saw any cro ud i out out- outside eu out outside side the mine but that thai within haltan halt haltan an hour thero there were nero from to bUU bUe persons many of them armed You are a union miner and are aro contributing to the defense tuna runa of ot the tho themen thomen thomen men on trial hore bore he was asked a Yes Yea I am contributing one cent out ot of e e ery dollar I make And lou Sou OU are being pail by the tho union tor for coming hero liero to t Ie lea S1 0 tO 60 a d dt do day t Union officials previously pre announce J I that miners miner a as witnesses ses would Le be reimbursed tor for th the limb tint lost from their work Tucker also said that of the tho crowd jot ot 2 several e eral persons persona hear near the mine he h hay only recognized three s persons and that h he did not see any one shooting toward to the tho mine until after arter shots shot had I come from the tho hidden gun Kun on the 1 mine dump lIe He was the first witness for lor the dense defense to admit seeing peeing any anyone any any- anyone anyone I one shoot toward the pit pl I |
