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the men were in the hospital at Carbondale; the others were said to have escaped.
    Hunter went to the sheriff’s office immediately. There he learned why Thaxton had not attended the meeting at the Greater Marion Association. As soon as the attack on the truck had been reported to him, he had left for the scene of the shooting. Since he was uncertain whether it had taken place in his own county or in the one to the west, he had persuaded State’s Attorney Duty to accompany him. The office deputy had no idea when he would return or how he could be reached by telephone. Hunter went back to the conference.
    Within a few minutes even more ominous news reached the committee: miners, several hundred strong, were holding an indignation meeting in the Herrin cemetery. The telegram from Lewis to Sneed had just been read, and feeling was running high. ‡ Almost at once other calls came from Herrin: mobs were looting the hardware stores and helping themselves to guns and ammunition.
    The men in the office of the Greater Marion Association worked feverishly. Hunter called Black in Springfield to report on developments, and warned McDowell at the mine that a mob was forming and arming itself. Paisley urged the Marion hardware dealers to hide their guns and ammunition. One store had already been looted. He remembered several rifles that the American Legion used on ceremonial occasions and saw to it that they were concealed in the police station. Every few minutes someone called the sheriff’s office, only to be told that the county’s chief law-enforcement officer could not be located.
    About 3.30 came the call that all feared—McDowell announcing that the mine was surrounded and that so far five hundred shots had been exchanged. None of his men had been hit, although several bullets had ripped through the makeshift office where he was telephoning. He thought two and perhaps three of the attackers had been wounded. Where was Thaxton? He hadn’t been able to locate him. He must have troops!
    As soon as McDowell hung up, Hunter called the sheriff’s office deputy and urged him to take all available deputies to the mine, stop the fighting, and disperse the mob. He also urged the deputy to telephone the Adjutant General for troops. Once again he received the stock reply: Thaxton could handle the situation. For the remainder of the afternoon the sheriff’s door was locked and no one answered the telephone.
    Calls continued to come in from the mine: the mob was increasingin number, the firing becoming heavier. Hunter called Black again to report that the mine was now under attack, that the sheriff could not be located, that his office deputy would take no responsibility, and that McDowell wanted troops. He himself thought they would be needed.
    By this time the men at the Greater Marion Association knew there would be no reprieve: if heavy bloodshed were to be avoided, a settlement had to be worked out that very afternoon. Lester had left the mine a day or two previously. If he could be found, perhaps he could now be persuaded to stop operations. Charles F. Hamilton, who had known him a long time, was the man to approach him. McLaren found Hamilton on the street and brought him into the conference. Hamilton succeeded in reaching Lester at the Great Northern Hotel in Chicago. The mine owner, who had already learned of the attack through a call from McDowell, had lost his nerve. He agreed to shut down for the duration of the strike. Hamilton immediately relayed word to the superintendent.
    From that time—about 4.30—until 6.00 the little group of men worked on the terms of a truce.
    First of all, the shooting must be stopped. That would follow if each side would raise a white flag. Then, in return for Lester’s promise to quit, the strikebreakers should be given safe conduct from the county. If attackers and attacked could be brought to parley, the safe conduct could be arranged.
    Hunter called McDowell, who agreed to put up a white