A party of local miners who left here Saturday to attend a wage scale mass meeting in West Frankfort, arrived home Monday considerably bruised, which they report they sustained at the hands of state highway police and plain clothes men near Benton.
      In the party were James Hoppley, Andrew Stankoven, Alba Louder, Joe Fassero, James Gansero, Mike Champion, Eddie Lubrant, Tom Mahaufie, Sam Roestal Jr., Andy Stark, Dominic Stank, Pauo Fukas and Mike Matuska. All reported to Gillespie except Hoppley, who his companions say was missing. Andrew Stankoven was the most severely injured and was treated by a physician.
      The men reported that they were on their way to Buckner from West Frankfort when they were set upon by the policemen near the Benton fairground. The men report that they had created no disturbance and no attempt was made to arrest them. They were ordered out of the county by officials, beaten and then told to keep going.

      The largest procession of miners that ever passed over the roads of Illinois headed for Franklin County on Wednesday of last week.
      Thousands and thousands of automobiles and trucks lined the highways leading from Springfield, Nokomis, Pana, Hillsboro, Mt. Olive, Staunton, Gillespie, Benld, Belleville and other places.
      All of this great cavalcade met at Staunton [Staunton Labor Temple] where the procession was formed before the march was taken up. Every man was warned that under no circumstances would he be allowed to carry arms, not even a pocket knife. This mission was to be one of peace and their intent was to persuade the miners of Franklin and Williamson counties to cease work and join with them in an earnest endeavor to try and secure a reasonable wage for their work.
      Everything necessary for several days stay was taken including commissaries, ambulances, first aid men to look after any one that became sick or injured.
      They had received notice from the sheriff of Franklin County that they would not be allowed to enter that county, but this did not deter them from their peaceful mission. They were confident that if the matter was properly explained to the Franklin adn Williamson county miners that they would join their protesting strike against the recently signed $5 basic wage scale.
      The great procession of miners arrived in Perry County. Intent on stopping for the night, they were directed to proceed along a certain route. It was along this route that they were led into a trap that had been planned by the sheriff of Franklin County and his thousands of special deputies that had been sworn in to try and keep the miners out of Franklin County.
      After the miners had been led into a trap, having been directed over a wrong road, they were met by a barrage of machine gun fire from each side of the road, and the highway became a living hell. Autos were disabled, tires punctured, holes shot through the bodies and radiators of the of the autos, while the men taken by surprise deserted their autos, and ran for the corn fields and other places in order to save their lives. Such a sight was never before witnessed in Illinois and we hope that it will never be again.
      In Gillespie last Wednesday night the Main street was filled with people, women and children crying as the meager news came drifting in, that hundreds had been killed and many more wounded. The first reports brought tears to the eyes of nearly everyone as they thought of a husband or son that was in the big procession, and it was not until the next morning that the real news brought by some of the returning miners that there was no one killed but many were injured by shots, brioken glass and otherwise.
      Pwerhaps the saddest accident was that of John Williams, who resides with his parents in the north part of this city. He was shot through the mouth, his teeth knocked out and his jaw bone shattered. He is now in the Litchfield hospital and is gradually improving although it will be a long time before he recovers. He is a nephew of sheriff Frank Fries of Carlinville.
      The men deserted their autos, and were not allowed to enter the county to get them. Later they were pushed across the county lineout of Franklin County by the sheriff and his deputies and were later recovered by their owners, many of them in a dilapidated condition. Many cars, it is stated, were wrecked beyond repair.
      One of the strangest accounts that we have heard of the terrible affair is given by Joe Pecik, President of Local No. 2219:
the account follows

      "Just as we entered Perry County, about a quarter mile from Pinckneyville, we were stopped by deputy sheriffs who were armed threatening death if the men proceeded. After considerable persuasion the men were permitted to go on.
      Further in Perry County a short distance from Pinckneyville, we were stopped by another posse of deputy sheriffs made up of boys 15 to 18 years of age. They obviously were very resolute and determined, stating that no one could cross a black line drawn on the highway. They apparently showed considerable nervousness in handling of their guns. One of the boys made mention of the fact that he was not a willing deputy, but that he was forced into service under penalty of a jail sentence and a $200.00 fine.
      Traffic was held up three and a half hours, after which state police came up and in a threatening manner, issued orders that all get off the highway, in the meantime swinging machine guns in a threatening manner.
      The miners wer3e finally granted permission to continue, to their later sorrow. The caravan proceeded through Pinckneyville, through Duquoin without interruption, but with occasional machine gun armed deputies of state police scattered along the route.
      Outside of Duquoin, about 3 miles, at where there is a 'Y' in the highway, one fork of the 'Y' leading into Dowell was blockaded by a deputy with a machine gun and several more deputies armed with pistols. There were about were about six or eight more deputies armed with rifles and pistols standing at the left of the road.
      Instead of permitting us to proceed to Dowell, as originally intended, we were shunted off to the left into Franklin County. As we got half or three-quarters of a mile across the Big Muddy river, which is the county line of Franklin County, and where the road made a slight incline, the caravan was fired upon. Machine guns blazed all around us. The firing continued for about five minutes, causing general chaos. Some cars were fortunate enough to swing around and turn back with wind shields shattered and bullet-ridden, some containing bleeding miners. The wanton mess of the act caused everyone to rush from their cars to save themselves from being riddled. Many cars were completely abandoned. There were some large trucks hurriedly vacated.
      The general stampede of men, running for their lives, caused many of them to leave their cars and trucks. As I left the truck in which I was riding, I heard a rattle of shots, and I was going through the cornfields, I heard the whiz of bullets about my head. I later returned to the highway to assist the lifting of cars around sufficiently to make room for some of the returning cars. Finally I found myself across the line into Perry County. There I grasped the side of of a fellow miner's car and clung to it until we got into Duquoin.
      The miners made a heroic attempt to dash across the Perry County line. On re-entering Perry County the state highway police, plentifully armed with machine guns, pistols and rifles, used every means of intimidation on the miners, telling them to move on and to keep moving and not to stop in Duquoin.
      The cars entering Duquoin, were considerable stampeded by being ordered through through the traffic in various directions. Some of the wounded, fortunate enough to get into Duquoin, were refused treatment at the hospital, until miners' officials of Duquoin had the men taken care of by assuming responsibility for payment of the hospital bill.
      In Duquoin, a general disturbance reigned. Some of the Duquoin people were good enough and had courage enough to give the miners permission to stay overnight in the ball park. There was also a tourist camp thrown open to the miners. But armed deputies went to these palces and ordered the miners to vacate them immediately, despite the consent of owners.
      We could do nothing for those unfortunate miners who had been wounded because of the steady advance of the posse with their machine guns, saw-offed shotguns, and baseball bats. They drove us, regardless of some of our fallen comrades, out of Franklin County."

Photograph Courtesy of : minewar.org
Smash The Terror In Franklin County
NEW UNION LAUNCHED

Gillespie News
Gillespie, Illinois
September 14, 1932

      A mass meeting was held In Benld Monday, Sept. 12th, 1932, to choose men who are to return to Franklin County for Picket Duty.
 
      Local 3464, Gillespie, at their regular meeting held Sept. 12th went on record to join the Progressive Miners of America by a unanimous vote and to repudiate the U.M.W.of A.
-- Miners Publicity Committee

Gillespie News
Gillespie, Illinois
September 28, 1932

      The following report is given on the Springfield Riot of last Sunday by Arthur Hughes of this city who was in Springfield and saw the entire proceedings :

      "I was in Springfield on last Sunday and was an eye witness to the entire affair. I went to the K. of C. building about 2:00 o'clock just after the United Mine Workers had went upstairs to hold their meeting, and I judge that there must have been about 800 pickets on the outside. The meeting upstairs lasted until about 20 minutes toll 6:00 p.m. apparently hoping that the crowd of Progressive miners would disperse however they increased until I judge there must have been 2500 men in the picket lines, then about 20 minutes till six the meeting adjourned and the men started to come out the front door, at which time the pickets started their hooting and booing. The officials of the United Mine Workers of America remained in the building for possibly ten minutes seemingly thinking that the pickets would follow the others off, but they waited for the Officers and when they finally came out, the noise was increased until it was a veritable roar of noise. These officials went through the lines for about half a block and finally became so enraged and angered at their failure to have a successful meeting and the appearance of the pickets, that they pulled guns and fired into the crowd, at which time the pickets fled in disorder and I saw the man who was shot double up and fall to the ground and then the secnd shot was fired and this must have been the shot that injured Dan McGill. After the second shot the gunmen broke ranks and ran for the hotel and the pickets became so enraged at the shooting of their men that they followed in pursuit and I saw several of the gunmen knocked down with mens bare fists. The Press have stated that rocks and clubs were used by the pickets but I can truthfully say that never saw a rock thrown not a club used by the pickets but I did see several men using their fists.
      I was in the crowd that followed the gunmen to the Leland Hotel and when I got there I saw the man reported as Mr. Smith laying on the sidewalk and a Policeman sitting on top of him to protect him from the crowd, and evidently he had been beaten up, then the patrol wagons and ambulances came and took away the injured. At this time the Local Progressive Miners Official, Mr. Roberts, quieted the crowd and announced that he was going into the Hotel to have a conference with the policemen inside and while he did this the crowd remained quiet and I climbed up on a window sill of the hotel so I could see the inside and the outside of the hotel to best advantage; inside the confusion took place at the desk of manager and in about 20 minutes Mr. Roberts came out and announced to the crowd that the officials and gunmen of the United Mine Workers had been arrested and would be taken care of by the Police and that the pickets were advised to return to their busses and at once the crowd broke up and with the assistance of the police the entire block was cleared and the United Mine Workers were loaded into the patrol wagon and taken to jail.
      I can truthfully state that the shooting was entirely unwarranted as the pickets were quiet and orderly until the shooting occurred and then they did no more than the ordinary person would do when fired upon.
      The Progressive Miners demand an investigation by State Officials of this tragedy and the immediate action taken against the ones responsible as the shooting of these men was inhuman and unnecessary."

      The Progressive Miners of America report the following as the general situation in the Mining Industry:

      "The attempt of the United Mine Workers in the Springfield District to start the men there to work under the $5.00 wage scale was a complete failure and reported in the killing of Porter Williams, a plain clothes detective in the Springfield territory, and the shooting of two members of the Progressive Miners of America.
      The attempt to work in the Taylorville District has ben a failure as the only men working there are Face Bosses from Springfield and several farmers around Taylorville and who do not hold State Mining certificates and have never worked in the mines before, and these men claim that they are being paid $7.00 per day to break the strike.
      The attempt to work in the Belleville district resulted in 7 men appearing for work yesterday in 4 mines in that district.
      The Lincoln Illinois miners discovered that they had been double crossed in their vote by their officials and they are now on strike.
      The Franklin County affair is rapidly approaching culmination and the men are holding protest meetings among themselves and we believe with in the next few days that they too will be with us.
      The Saline County Miners have invited the Progressive Miners to send speakers to them and there was a mass meeting held last Sunday in Carrier Mills, Ill. and the speakers received an enthusiastic welcome and were informed the the men there would take some action in the next week, and we are expecting word from them at any time.
      This morning report from Taylorville states that there are Negroes being imported to work there, and we believe that the men there will not work with them."

Gillespie News
Gillespie, Illinois
October 26, 1932

      The Progressive Miners report that progress is being made in all sections of the state and that it is expected in the near future that definite action will be taken that will culminate the fight that has been staged in the Illinois coal industry.
      The proposed meeting at Zeigler on last Sunday was broken up by United Mine Workers, and the men who were to speak at this meeting were severely beaten and Mr. Randolph, the chairman of the meeting was struck over the head with the barrel of a revolver and seriously injured. The cars of several local men were followed from the city and one car was stopped and the occupants were dragged from the car and were beaten and mauled. One of the men reported that he recognized Sheriff Robinson of Franklin County as one of the assailants.
      The State Militia will remain at Taylorville against the wishes of the citizens and business men of that city and two boys were stabbed by the bayonets of the Militia men for no reason at all but that they were on the streets in violation of the orders of the troopers.
      Invitations to various parts of the state for speakers are being received by the State Office, and many other districts in the state give the assurance that they too wish to be with the new union.
      There are about 145 mines that have signed with the Progressives that employ well over 12,000 men and there are approximately 110 local unions that have affiliated with the new union, that bring 31,000 men under charter to the new Progressive Union.
      There is no ceasing in the fight that is being waged by the miners, in fact, there is more progress being made the past few days than has been for some time, and things in general look better.
-- Arthur Hughes

Source : http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/spain-overview.html - paragraph 4 - Excerpt
      Spanish Revolution of 1936
      "(Though not actually affiliated, the Gillespie, Illinois, branch of the Progressive Miners of America wholeheartedly supported the effort through a sizable monthly assessment of its members.)"

Photograph Courtesy of : Nelson Grman & John Fritsche

Gillepsie News
Gillespie, Illinois
May 20, 1937

      The election held Monday by members of the Progressive Miners of America to decide the question of accepting the invitation of the American Federation of Labor to join with that body is reported as having carried by at least 75 per cent.

Gillepsie News
Gillespie, Illinois
June 3, 1937

      The Progressive Miners of America, which is now chartered as an affiliated industrial union of the American Federation of Labor, should, and no doubt will, soon take its proper place as the major coal miners union of the North American Continent.
      By affiliation with the American Federation of Labor, the Progressive Miners of America has joined hands with approximately four million other trade unionists in this country who recognize and are determined to fight dangerous enemies of free government at work in their midst.

Gillespie News
Gillespie, Illinois
May 27, 1937

      Our neighboring city of Wilsonville made the first page of every metropolitan newspaper in the United States in the past week, from the reason of the "sit-down" strike of about 500 miners in the No. 4 mine of the Superior Coal Company. This being the first "sit-down" coal miners strike ever pulled off in this country.
      The cause of the strike is over the immediate division of work at the mines, caused by the installation of "hog" machines in the No. 1 mine at Eagarville.
      The "sit-down" strike took place on last Thursday afternoon at quitting time at No. 4 mine and has been in progress ever since.

Gillespie News
Gillespie, Illinois
June 3, 1937

      The "sit-down" strike miners came out of the mine at ten minutes to 10:00 o'clock on last Friday night and the sit-down strike ended.

 
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis, Missouri


Newspaper clipping : Courtesy of George Vincent Caption :
Miners involved in Wilsonville's "sit-down" strike while away the hours with a game of cards

 


Newspaper clipping : Courtesy of George Vincent Caption :
Striking miners in Wilsonville's Mine No. 4 pose for a St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer.

Chicago Tribune
Chicago, Illinois
May 25, 1937 Artist's concept of No. 4 mine at Wislonville

Newspaper clipping : Courtesy of minewar.org

      On May 28, 1937, the Progressive became affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, and changed its name to International Union, Progressive Mine Workers of America. Two years thereafter, the union, now safely established and rapidly becoming a potent factor in the coal fields, moved its headquarters to Springfield, where the international and District No. 1(Illinois) offices were established.
      The PMWA withdrew from the A. F. of L. in March, 1946, after charging a majority of the Federation Executive Council members with violation of the PMWA's constitutional rights.
      Union activities were gradually extended into Kentucky and North Dakota and elsewhere, and during the same period a large amount of legislative work was accomplished to pave the way for a safer code for miners in Illinois and elsewhere.
      The PMWA today numbers more than 30,000 coal diggers and others, and and has a permanent place in the history of American organized labor.
      The PMWA conducts two conventions every two years, one to make any necessary constitutional changes, and the other to work out details of the wage agreements with coal operators.
      The constitutional conventions have strengthened the PMWA and have served also to maintain the complete freedom of democratic action in the union.
      Officers are prohibited from succeeding themselves and are required after two consecutive terms in in two offices, to return to active coal mining for two years before becoming eligible to seek office again.
      As a result of this plan, every member in the PMWA ranks has the opportunity to seek office and no man has ever been elected to any office without complying with the constitutional provisions.
      Present officers are the writer, of Christopher and Springfield, who is president and whose term of office expires in February 1947: George Baima, of Benld, vice president and Earl Evans, of Eldorado, secretary-treasurer.
      These three resident officers, and the six members of the executive board, who are elected every two years and may not succeed themselves, operate the broad PMWA policy, but major matters are placed before the rank and file by referendum.
      Board members at the present are: James Selkirk, Peoria; Don McGill, Springfield; Frank Lanzerotti, Gillespie; Felix Goodnick, Belleville; and Ernest Johnson, Harrisburg.
      Present international and Illinois district headquarters are maintained at 392-394-594 South Sixth Street, Springfield

Edwardsville Intelligencer
Edwardsville, Illinois
Friday, February 17, 1950
Newspaper clippings : Courtesy of Marsha L. Ensminger

Page 1
'Real Progress' Is Reported In UMW Negotiations
Illinois Faces Shutdown of 79% Of Coal Mines
 
PMW Head Has Decided to Meet With Owners Once More
 
Springfield (IP) -- With the Independent Progressive Mine Workers geared for a strike Tuesday, Illinois was faced Friday with a shutdown of 97 per cent of its coal-mining operations.
      The PMW strike, rumored for several days, was announced Thursday by union president John B. Marchiando. He said the union's scale committee had broken off negotiations with the Coal Producers Association of Illinois and had served notice it was terminating a contract extension, under a five-day cancellation clause. The strike was set for midnight Tuesday night.
      Later Marchiando announced that the scale committee would meet once more with the association, at the coal operators' request. But he said he didn't see "any hope" of avoiding a strike.
      Walter Gill, president of the producers' association, would not say whether he thought the strike could be averted.
      "Tuesday night is a long way off." he said.
      At noon, negotiations were recessed until 2 o'clock.
      If the PMW strike comes off as scheduled, an estimated 28,500 miners will be Idle after midnight Tuesday in Illinois,
      The only coal diggers active will be some 5,500 United Mine Workers employed by companies which have come to contract terms with the union. But these furnish only about 2,100,000 tons of coal a year -- about three per cent of the state's annual output.
      Marchiando said there are 10,000 digging Progressive miners, producing 1,500,000 tons of coal monthly. With 18,500 UMW members on strike in Illinois, this PMW coal output has been a "life-saver" for many communities.
      Marchiando said the operators refused union demands:
1. A six-hour day, Instead of a seven-hour day, for the same pay -- $14.06.
2. Payments for the union welfare fund doubled from 20 to 40 cents a ton.
(Continued on Page 2)
3. A guarantee of 208 days work a year.
      In announcing the strike, the 15-member scale committee issued statements attack (sic) the Taft-Hartley law as " completely ineffective -- counter to the principles of American collective bargaining - " and called for its "immediate" repeal.
      The committee also asked Congress to pass "immediate emergency legislation" so that the government can seize and operate all the nation's coal mines.
      Though a strike of all 10,000 PMW miners wasn't authorized until Thursday, many of them have been idled by sporadic "wildcat" strikes during the last two weeks. Some 2,000 Progressive miners, or about one out of four, were on strike Thursday most of them in Saline and St. Clair counties.
      Four-hundred more PMW miners refused to work at the Superior Coal Co. Mine No. 1 at Eagarville, in Macoupin county.
 
Page 1
Optimistic Claim Is Given After 3-Hour Parley
Lewis Has Narrowed His Issues With Regard to Pay Hikes
Washington (IP) -- A government peacemaker reported "real progress" in the deadlocked soft coal negotiations Friday at the close of a three-hour bargaining meeting between John L. Lewis and the coal operators.
      That optimistic report came from Chairman David L. Cole of President Truman's fact-finding board. He and Federal Mediation Director Cyrus S. Ching had been standing by throughout the union-management meeting to take a hand if needed.
      Cole said some of the proposals Lewis made Thursday for a new contract were "soft-pedaled" today. He said the United Mine Workers chief has narrowed the issues on which he wants to bargain, particularly with regard to pay raises.
      Cole said the operators, who previously had offered the miners nothing better than their old contract, have "improved their money offer." However, Cole would not say specifically what contract terms were being discussed.
      The conference broke up for lunch with both sides scheduled to resume negotiations later in the day. Ching left with the mine operators. He would not comment.
      Lewis and his aides remained for a time in the conference room with Cole. But they weren't talking either.
      Cole hinted to newsmen that if the negotiations should break down unexpectedly, President Truman might ask Congress for power to seize the strike-bound coal mines.
      The White House announced earlier in the day that Cole and Ching would report there at 9 a.m. CST Saturday.
      Cole said Lewis continued to refer to the proposals he made Thursday. But he said Lewis was careful not to refer to them as "demands."
      Cole said Lewis was "more specific" in Friday's session and was "quite specific concerning some of the money things."
      Cole told reporters before the session began that he was "hope-
(Continued on Page 2)
ful" of a break in the coal crisis.
      The unwieldy 20-man negotiating teams which each side had been using up to now were pared down to four each for the session. Both sides were reported ready to talk terms and drive for a speedy settlement.
      Federal Mediation Director Cyrus S. Ching and David L. Cole, chairman of Mr. Truman's coal fact-finding board, showed up at the start of the negotiations but did not go into the conference room immediately. They indicated they would take a hand if developments warranted.
      The operators' negotiating subcommittee consisted of George H. Love, spokesman for Northern and Western operators; Harry Moses of U. S. Steel Corp., spokesman for "captive" mine operators; Harry Cartwright, commissioner of the Indiana Coal Operators' association, and Joseph E. Moody, president of the Southern Coal Producers' association.
      Lewis' negotiating committee included UMW Vice President Thomas Kennedy, UMW Secretary-Treasurer John Owens, and George J. Titler, president of UMW district 29 in West Virginia.
 
Page 1
Coal Emergency Steps Ordered
Pittsburgh, Pa., (IP) -- Local authorities throughout the nation ordered emergency steps Friday to conserve the country's rapidly vanishing eight-day supply of coal.
      Coal rationing became effective in New York state. And a dismount order banning electric display advertising in New York's Times Square and throughout the state was ordered starting Sunday.
      In Pittsburgh, more than 40,000 commercial and industrial customers of the Duquesne Light company were asked to begin an immediate voluntary cut of 20 per cent during daylight hours. Company spokesmen said the power slash was not expected to curtail employment of production immediately.
      Despite reports of progress in contract talks between John L. Lewis and coal operators in Washington, more violence was feared in the soft coal fields. United Mine Workers pickets engaged in pitched battles Thursday with nonunion operators in West Virginia and burned equipment at a mine near Scottdale, Pa.
      Four pickets and the son of a coal operator suffered minor wounds in the shotgun and rifle skirmish at Junior, W. Va. However, the mine owners said they intended to resume produc- (sic) Monday.
      In other parts of the nation more than 55,000 workers were idle as a direct result of the coal shortage. Railroads were hit most heavily, with 44,585 men furloughed.
      Frank G. Reed, president of the Chicago Coal Merchants association, said the PMW strike would "dry up the whole midwestern supply of coal."
      Officers at the Great Lakes Naval Training center, near Chicago, ordered building temperatures lowered from 72 to 68 degrees and cut off hot water to most buildings to conserve the center's coal stocks.
      In New York Fuel Administrator Bertram D. Tallamy ordered strict rationing of all coal stocks effective at Thursday midnight. He issued the order under emergency powers granted earlier this week by the state legislature.
      The 90-day state law was passed after Gov. Thomas E. Dewey said the coal shortage threatened a "catastrophe" in New York.
      More than a dozen steel mills and other heavy industries already have slashed production schedules because of dwindling coal stockpiles.

Progressive Mine Workers of America By George Baima President, International Progressive Mine Workers of America
George Baima	Faith of Its Founders exactly twenty years ago is continuing to bear fruit for the International Union, Progressive Mine Workers of America in the continued expansion of the organization and in the continued democratic functioning of the organization throughout its area of operation.       In celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, the Progressive Mine Workers of America cites its founding in Gillespie, Illinois back in Gillespie, Illinois in 1932.       The maintenance of its democratic principles whereby no official may serve in any office for more than two terms, and in the belief that the secret ballot box is the answer to the needs of workers for a final voice in their unionism, have proved that a free and democratic union can not only exist but show good and steady growth.
Photograph and Article Courtesy of : John Fritsche

"Mother" Jones Monument
Union Miners Cemetery

The monument erected at Mt. Olive by the Progressive Miners of America and friends in memory of Mary "Mother" Jones and the martyrs of the cause for clean unionism in America will be ready for the didication that will be held Sunday.

Virden Riot Monument
Union Miners Cemetery
 
 
 
 
Battle of Virden
1898
Coal Miners Riot
Monument located in Virden, Illinois
See all monument photos :
Virden Monuments

      Thousands of miners from the coal fields of Illinois, and many from other states, gathered in Mt. Olive Monday morning to pay a final tribute to "Mother" Jones, the friend of labor, and to hear Rev. J. W. R. Maguire eulogize "Mother" Jones, "the fearless woman with the great and indomitable spirit, flaming tongue and burning love of a mother."
      All of the mines of the Superior and Gillespie Coal Company were closed for the day in order that the miners might attend the funeral, which was the largest ever held in this county. Beautiful floral offerings from the different unions banked the hall in which the body has been in state over Sunday.
      The funeral was held from the Church of the Ascension in Mt. Olive at 10:00 o'clock Monday morning and the remains laid to rest in the Miners' Cemetery by the side of the men who lost their lives in the Virden Riot.
      Special cars were run on the Interurban to take care of those attending from this section.
      The remains of "Mother" Jones arrived in Mt. Olive Thursday night in a special car under the escort of committees from the different miner's locals, and were taken to the Odd Fellows Hall, where they laid in state until the funeral.
      The remains were laid to rest beside the bodies of four miners who lost their lives in the Virden Riot : Ernest Long, Joseph Gitterie, Ernest Kamerer and Ernest Smith.
      "Mother" Jones is no more, but her memory will live in the minds of the men whom she befriended furing the long years of their struggle.
      - - - rest of article omitted - - -