Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-09-16
20 STRIKERS SHOT DEAD.
Deputy sherifrs at Latimer, Pa. Shoot
Miners Down Like Dogs.


Deputv sherirs at Latimer, Pa, Shoot
Miners Down Like Dogs.
The strike situation reached terri
BILE crisis on the outskirts of Latimer,
Pa, when a band of deputy sheriffs
fred into an Infatuated mob of miners.
The men fell like so many sheep and
the excitement since has been so in
tense that no accurate figures of the
dead and wounded can be obtained.
Reports run from Is to 20 odd killed
and 40 or more wounded.
The strikers left Hazelton at $3.50 p.
IN. announcing their intention To 60 to
Latimer to call out the miners there.
AS soon as this became known, 20
deputies were loaded on trolley car
and went whirling across the noun tain
to the scene, where they formed into
three companies across the road by
which the miners were marching to
Latimer. Sheriff Martin was in entire
command and stood in the front of the
line until the strikers approached.
They were seen coming across the
ridge and Martin went to meet them.
The men drew up sullenly and listened
in silence until he had read the
riot act. This finished, a low NUT
tering arose among the foreigners
and there was slight move
ment forward. Perceiving this, the
sheriff stepped toward them, and in
determined tone forbade their ad.
vancing farther. Someone struck the
sheriff and the next moment he gave
command to the deputies to fire.
The guns of the deputies instantly
belched forth terrible volley. The
report seemed to shake the very noun
tains. The strikers were taken en-
tirely by surprise and rs the men top
pied and fell over each other, those
who renamed unhurt stampeded.
The men went down before the storm
of bullets like tenpins and the groans
of the dying and wounded filed the
the air. The excitement that followed
was simply indescribable. The depu-
ties seemed to be terror-striclSen at the
deadly execution of their guns The
people of Latimer rushed pell-mell to
the scene and as soon as possible cared
for the wounded who had not been
carried off by their friends
Later-A careful count shown that
il strikers were instantly killed by the
deputies, 10 died within short time
from their wounds and five more lin
gered at the point Of death with no
hope for recovery. There are nearly
80 others wounded who will recover,
but some will be manned for life.
There were $50 strikers in the march
ing column, not one of whom was
armed with more than penl1nifc, and
these peaceable. defenseless men 102
deputies, armed to the teeth, shot
down like dogs at very sli Sht provo
cation. In fact examination of the
dead and wounded strikers reveals the
fact that many of them were were shot
in the back, which shows that the dep
uties must have poured volley after
volley into the ranks of the men when
they were fleeing down the road. Yet
even in their death the poor fellows ac-
complished the purpose for which tney
marched from IIaz!eton TO Latimer,
for the $500 miners at Latimer have
laid down their tools and sworn to do
no more work until all the demands of
the men az all the mines in the district
have been conceded.
Martial Law at Hazieton.
Immediately after the awful tragedy
Sheriff Martin called upon Gov. Hast
ings for troops and before - hours
had elapsed ., 800 soldiers of the Penn
sylvania National Guard were a. the
scene under command of Gen. Goblin.
The general ut once issued orders pro-
hibiting marching or ssembling of
large of bodies of men along
the roads and practically placed Halle
ton and vicinity under martial law.
Sheriff Martin had. in the mean time,
fed to Wilkesbarre for safety, but re-
turned after the troops had taken
charge OF affairs and he and his depu-
ties sought refuge within the military
lines to avoid arrest upon charges of
murder, assault and battery, and
threatening to kill. which were pre-
ferred by friends OF the dead strikers
The strikers decided to preserve alb
solute quiet until after the burial of
their friends and they kept their word
A serious conflict is feared now, how
ever. 1t is expected that 1000 miners
will now join the strikers and feeling
against Sheriff Martin and his deput ties
grows every hour