Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1897-09-17
MINERS SHOT LIKE SHEEP.
Twenty-one Killed and Forty Wounded by
Deputy sheriffs,

Deputy sherins,
Hazleton, Pa, Sept 1.-THE strike
situation reached terrible crisis or
the outskirts of Latimer when a band
of deputy sheriff's fred into body OF
miners. The men fell like SO many
sheep and the excitement was SO very
intense that nothing like accurate fig
ures as to the number of killed and
wounded could be obtained.
The strikers left Hazleton about $3.50
o'clock and it was their intention to
go TO Latimer. AS soon as this be came
known band of deputies were loaded
onto trolley car and went whirling
across the mountain to the scene where
the bloody conflict followed. After
reaching Latimer they left this car and
formed into three companies, under
! Thomas Hall, E. A. Hess and Samuel
b. Price. They drew up in line at the
edge of the village with a fence and
line of houses in their rear.
Sheriff Martin was in entire COM
mand and stood in front of the line
until the miners approached.
They were seen coming across the
ridge and Martin went out to meet
them. The men drew up suddenly and
listened in silence while he once more
read the riot act. This finished,
low muttering arose among the for
eigners, and their was a slight move
movement forward. Perceiving this,
the sheriff stepped forward toward
them, and in a determined tone for
babe advance. Some one struck the
sheriff and the next moment there
was a command to the deputies to fire
The guns of the deputies instantly
belched forth terrible volley. The
report Sc ,med to shake the very noun.
tains, and a cry of dismay went up
from the people The strikers were
taken entirely by surprise, and as the
men toppled and fell over each other, |
those who remained unhurt STAN.
peded.
The men went down like ten pins
and the groans of the dead and wound.
ed filed the air. The excitement that
followed was simply indescribable.
The deputies seemed to be terror
stricken at the deadly execution OF
their guns, and seeing the living min.
ers fleeing like wild, they went to the
aid of the unfortunates whom they
had brought down.
The sheriff is almost universally
censured and condemned. A meeting
held by bankers and coal operators
petitioned the governor for state
troops, while another meeting attend.
ed by thousands of citizens requested
that troops be not sent.
In an interview Sheriff Martin was
asked:
''When you met the men, were they
On the companys or the public road?" !
"They were on the public road" he
replied. ]
"Were they marching toward Lati- {
nerP" i
eyes" 7
"Had they up TO that time commit
ed any overt act, or acted any way t
nut peacably?" T
mo" 4;
"Why, then, did you order the depu- S
les to free" d
81 did not order the deputies to fire; h
omeone else did that First came a n
ingle shot and then volley. gave n
% order
"IlOw many were killed."
"There were IL dead when left ard
bout 40 wounded" Il
"Were any of your men hurt?" G.
zone of my deputies was shot c
trough the arm" Il
Sheriff Martin, whom he reached a,
'ilkesbarre. was badly scared. T
hougb he claims to have been bru- fl
lily assaulted, when seen he did not Il
ave a mark on his person and no fiji
low that he had been roughly han la
ed. All classes of citizens in this nc
ty and county unite in condemning w
leriH Martins hasty action. ar