Herrin massacre

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Herrin Massacre
Part of Coal Wars The Big Coal Strike
The upper photograph shows the remains of a supply house that was dynamited and burned, while the lower shows the remains of an oil house, near which two of the striking workers were shot and killed.
Date	June 21–22, 1922 (101 years ago)
Location	Herrin, Illinois, U.S.
Parties
Striking coal miners United Mine Workers of America Southern Illinois Coal Company; Strikebreakers
Lead figures
John L. Lewis C.K. McDowell †
Casualties and losses
Deaths: 3 killed Arrests: Deaths: 20

The Herrin massacre took place on June 21–22, 1922 in Herrin, Illinois, in a coal mining area during a nationwide strike by the United Mineworkers of America (UMWA). Although the owner of the mine originally agreed with the union to observe the strike, when the price of coal went up, he hired non-union workers to produce and ship out coal, as he had high debt in start-up costs.

Enraged that the owner had disregarded their agreement, on June 21, union miners shot at strikebreakers going to work, where the mine had armed guards. When striking union members armed themselves and laid siege to the mine, the owner's guards shot and killed three union miners in an exchange of gunfire. The next day, union miners killed superintendent McDowell and 18 of 50 strikebreakers and mine guards, many of them brutally. A twentieth victim from the non-union group was later murdered, bringing the death total to 23.^[1][2]

Ultimately, three miners and 20 non-miners were killed, including the superintendent and 19 strikebreakers.