The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will add the name of mine war martyr, Joseph Sigler on May 13. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund commemorates the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers.

Sigler served a unique role within the tiny community of Bulpitt, IL. While he was a miner and member of the Progressive Miners of America, he also worked for the village as a special police officer. I’ll write more on this later, but suffice to say that it wasn’t unusual for miners to be enlisted as law enforcement officers in these small communities. And at times, the law enforcement officers of a village could be at odds with the county sheriff or even the state militia.

Harry Jones and Joe Sigler are among those memorialized on the Mother Jones Monument in Mt. Olive, IL

On September 15, 1934, the Taylorville Breeze Courier editorialized, “The death of Joe Sigler, Bulpitt Special Policeman, yesterday adds another death to the uncalled for shooting out there early Monday morning and removes from that community another of its splendid citizens.

Harry Jones and Joe Sigler paid the price of their lives while trying to insure the safety of one of their local citizens…Sigler was a Progressive but he respected the rights of others who might differ in opinion with him.”

Of course the conflict was rooted in far more than a difference of opinion, but Sigler’s actions demonstrated that he valued life above all. And for me at least, his actions demonstrated that he adhered to the PMA’s initial code of non-violence.

However, it’s not clear that Sigler’s sacrifice will be acknowledged by the Illinois Law Enforcement Memorial. While an event is scheduled for May 7 in Springfield, IL, Sigler’s name has as yet to be added. Hopefully Illinois will accord the same honor to Sigler that the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial saw fit to bestow.

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