The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-01-18
JOHN BRIGGS STORY.


7
were to lay the track and for that purpose l
volunteered TO go home and get my gun.
Wrenu Brown had a rife the same as mine
a Springfield. He lives about 200 yards from
me, but on different streets We went after
our guns together and think he waited on
Second street until / came from my house.
At this point witness identified the gun
marked F'' snd "3O' as his.
The gun is q state piece served me by Co.
+, Sth Regiment Of GiI2rdville If which |
have been member since June, 1890 ] am
now serving my serond enlistm MT, which
began ON June %, 1888. After larher and
me returned TO the restaurant ! went TO Mr
Parker, our QuaItermaster Sergeant, but he
was not home, and his wife gave me three
boxes Of cartridges, each containing about
twenty. gave Brown one box and kept the
other two. The first l knew there were 9TH
or arms on the dinkey was when we were
somewhere between Girardvile and Mahanoy
Plane ] loaded my owu gun ON the way TO
Gilbertou. ] suppose Brown loaded his own
gun, If it was loaded. On the way Amour
gave orders that no person was to shoot un-
! less he gave orders. The Springfo rifles
don't hold more than one cartridge When !
went 20 the front platform after the dinkey
| got to Gilberton ] saw some parties on it, but
! / can't say who they were. MT. Amour was
ON the north end, but / can't say whether
| Mr. Benny was there. ! believe there was
| somebody on the southern end Of the plat
| form did not sce Amour after the shoot
| ing unsil ! saw him in the car, going home.
| / had been sitting in the car about ten min.
utes be ore heard the crowd outside h0oting
and jeering.
| q. What did you go out there at all for2
| A. ] went out thinking that WI en- the
crowd would see us with the guns they would
| decide not to make araid on us.
| q. You went out to intimidate the people,
a.. al Il IL
| the carr
A. Yes, sir
O. To brighten the people of Gilberton.
A. No, sir not to frighten them
O. Well. then if you didn't 60 out to
irighten them, what effect would you expect
your gun would have2
A. / thought they would change their
minds and not attack rs.
@. How would it be brought about?
| A. They would see us stand our ground.
Q. DO you mean TO say that would not be
the result of tght2
A. l could not say it would
| Az this point Mr. Wadliuger raiae7 Briggs
gun and allowing the barrel to fail upon the
railing of the wituess box with q deliberate
voice and with Stern glance at the prisoner
triggs why did you put a ca fridge in that
gun that night?
A. Because l saw other guns getting
loaded.
Q. Is that the only reason you can giyei
A. That is all, SIT
q. Will you state whether or not it re-
qulred a loaded gun to make the people Of
GIlberton stand back that night?
A. i suppose an empty gun would have
the same effect as a loaded one for the pur'
pose / wanted it.
q. Why, then, did you go to your Quar-.
termaster Sergeant's that night and get &C
cartridges to take to Gilberton2
A. l can't say. / can give no eXplana
tion.
O. Didn't you know before you started
for Gilberton that night that under the
military laws of this state and your oath as
.Dldier, that you had no right to take either
that gun or the state ammunition to Gilber
! ton?
D A. No, sir; didn't. I never gave it &
thought.
' Briggs then described how he made hi
q escape after the shooting. ] ran TO the Othe
end Of the car. got of at the nOrthwes
corner and ran down the north side Of th
street until / came to a piece of opening, on
| the south side, vacant lOt and then
crossed the street and ran down this lot T.
the railroad and then went straight dow
| the railroad ! had gun with me Tha
gun | took off the seat in the car just befor
l jumped of the platform | saw SOM
II parties on the railroad, but did not stop I
v talk 70 any until ! met Mr. Weavill. Their
Z, was an engine coming down the track and a
u / thought that some who might be after IN
d might see me by the headlight of the eugn
y got of the railroad and against fence
n Just as the engine passed Weayill hOllere
to me aud came up. though
he got of the engine because ! didn't see hlr
P before. We walked down TO Mahanoy Plan
together. When we got near the Rcsdiu
depot there Brown came down behind ui
think he had his gun. We saw the diuke
e coming and / asked Brown to 90 and stop
7s 80 l could ride home. He did and the dinke
waited for Weavill and me near the Wes
Bear Ridge collery stsbles and then VIC wen
home / went home and got there about
a. III. l washed the blood off my head an
I neck and the doctor told me to keep col
1t water on my leg. At about or 4 o'cloc
4 that morning a constable called at my hOus
when / was in bed with q warrant for IN
'' arrest That was the first that | knew tina
nybOdy except Amour and myself had bee
It shot | told the constable he had better Sc
the doctor as to whether l could 60 TO ja
then. They went over and l sent to Fran
Bensinger, a coal and iron policeman, and
told him / would manage to 60 down Z
~ Oltsville with him if they would get
buggy to take me TO the depot. They did a..
they took me TO the station. / walked frOI
the depot in POttsville to the jail, but my le
le was very painful. Mr.. POrtner, the captai
gun I took from the dinkey when | ran ava
u i saw put on the passenger car when we ga
TO GiUrdville and ! told the conductor
Robert Klsesi TO put IL in the power house.
A constable was sent over to the Jail 10 q
,d the pants Briggs wore at the riot aud whe
AL they were produced Briggs identified ther
~ and pointed out the bullet hole in the leg
Special low prices to all in watches, jewelI
aud silverware at Holdemsn's, corner Mai
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The proprtetOrs of Pan-Tlna have spel
/ thousands OF dollars % make it known thi
20 cures coughs, Colds and La Griupe. Iri
BOTTLES of Pan-llua free at T.. p. d. Kirhn
I irue Store,
Fried oysren speciality at MoEihenny'
9-l2 u
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