On This Day, 75 Years Ago...

On Februrary 25, 1933 the New York Times reported multiple injuries at the Capitol mine in Springfield, IL. Several miles away, State Senator W.E.C Clifford of Champaign, IL convened a State Senate hearing on site to "investigate the conditions at the Peerless mine of the Peabody Coal Company."

The Progressives had been picketing the Peerless mine, but relocated to the Capitol mine and Woodside mine where approximately 1000 Progressives confronted members of the UMWA. Deputies rushed to each mine. At least one picket was shot and four others injured. The paper reported that two sheriff's deputies were also "beaten down, but whether by picket or working miners was not learned."

While it's true that many incidents occurred in less populated areas downstate, this New York Times piece shows that it wasn't unusual for mine war violence to occur within a stone's throw of the state capitol.