Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-11

bankers, coal operators anu prominent
men, resolutions were adopted calling
on Gov. Hastings to send the militin
here Immediately At another mass
meeting attended by thousands OF peo-
pie, the sentiment was against bring
ing the troops.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Sept l0.-sheriff
Martin arrived home on the Z o'clock
train from Hazelton. He was cool
and collected. He was met at the de-
pot by his legal adviser The two got
into cab and drove to the court
house, where they We're closeted to-
gether for some time. The sheriff was
reluctant to say whether he had given
the command to fire, but afterward
admitted that he had. The sherlff's
detailed statement is as follows;
81 heard early this morning that the
strikers were going to the breaker at
Latimer and compel the men there to
quit work / resolved to Intercept
and If possible prevent them from
reaching the breaker one of my
deputies told me that the strikers
would probably be heavily armed.
got my deputies, seventy in number,
to meet at certain place They We're
all armed. | told them TO keep cool
under all circumstances The trouble
began at 3 o'clock. | met the march
the proclamation. They refused to
pay any attention and started to re-
sumo their march. Then I called to
the leader to stop, He ignored my o.
der. l then attempted to arrest him.
The strikers closed in on me. They
acted very viciously, kicking me,
knocking me down and trampllng W
on me. l called upon my deputies to
aid me, and they did so. but they Were
unable to accomplish much. l real
lied that something had to be done at
once or / would be killed / called to
tho Inf,tftlgg to
arms into the air over the heads of
the strikers, as 1t might probably
brighten them. 1t was done at once,
but II had no effect whatever on the
Infatuated foreigners, who used me so
much the rougher and became icrcer
and fiercer, more like wild beasts
than human beings.
The strikers then made still bold
or move and attempted to surround my
entire force of deputies. ! realized that
the ftrikera were a desperate lot and
valued life at very small figure. /
saw that parelyng with such a gang
of Infatuated men was entirely out of
the question. as they We're too excited
to listen to reason, and that myself
and deputies would be killed il we
were not rescued or If we did not de-
fend ourselves. l then called upon the
deputies to defend themselves and
shoot II they must,to protect our lives
VI " ilbNfNl lllt property lutN nan
been sent to guard.
The next second there were few
scattered shots fired into the foreign
ers, and moment later the entire
force Of deputies discharged a solid
volley into the crowd.
81 hated to give the command to
shoot, and was awful sorry that / was
compelled TO do so,but | was there to
do my duty as | best knew how, and
as my conscience dictated,as the stri-
kers We're violating the laws of the
commonwealth and fatty refused to
obey the proclamation that ] read to
them They insisted on doing violence
and disobeying the laws.
The scene after the shooting was
simply terrible, and | would willingly
not have had It occur but as public
officer ! was there to see that the law
was obeyed and lived up to, and 1
merely did my duty.
"The entire crowd of foreigners. as
soon as the volley had been fired by
my deputies, turned and started to re
treat They rushed OH in all directions
as fast as they could taking as many
of their dead and wounded with them
as they were able to carry. The eN-
element at the time was simply terri
bic, ana / would not go through an
other ordeal of that kind Tor a
fortune.
In another interview Sheriff Martin
was asked
when you met the men. were they
on the company or the public road?"
mo, they were on the public road"
he replied.
We're they marching toward Lat.
imer?"
Eyes"
Had they, up to that time, commit
ted any overt act or acted otherwise
than peaceably?"
NO"
"Why, then. did you order the depu-
ties to fire."
81 did not order the deputies to fire:
some on ei5e III that. First came
single shot ana then volley. l gave
no order"
"How many were killed."
There We're twelve dead when l left
and about forty wounded"
Were any of your men hurt?'
"One of my deputies was shot
through the arm"
Sheriff Martin when he reached
Wilkesbarre, was badly scared Though
he claims to have been hrutally as
a mark on mis- person and nothing to
show that he had been roughly han
died. All classes of citizens in this city
and county unite in condemning Sheriff
Martins hasty action.
Harrisburg, Pa, Sept. 10.-Gov.
brigade, of which Gen. Golsin is COM
mander, and instructed Gen. Schall to
hold the First brigade in readiness
The troops win mobilize Mt Hazelton
and are expected to be on the scene
before daybreak. Capt, a. II. Paxton
u. s. A., attached to the National
Guard. started for Ha2eltun tonigt by
direction of tht governor Superln-
tendcnt Creighton of the middle dlvi-
sion OF the Pennsylvania railway
was called into conference Mt the eN-
ecutive mansion and has arranged for
the speedy transportation of the sol
diers.
The governor received n copy of
resolutions adopted at mass meeting
tonight, urging the sheriff of Luzerne
county to ask the governor for protec-
tlun of life and property. The resolu-
tons are signed by Alvin Markle and
other prominent citizens Of Hazelton
Irving w. Stearns OF WillScsbarre sent
a telegram to the governor that II was
absolutely necessary for the troops to
be sent Mt once TO the strike region to
quell the lawlessness.
New Castle, Col. Sept. 10.-Fred g,
Rockwell, stock agent OF the BurlinG-
ton. who was on the Inflated train,
was seen by a reporter. He said: Il
had Just left the sleeper, in company
with n gentleman, and passed through
the day coach into the next car. We
had barely seated ourselves nj the
smoking compartment when we were
hurled violently from our seats by the
shock of the collision. We got out
safely. A moment later n terrific eN-
plosion of Eas rent the mir. and after
II came II burst of flames. After get
ting my bearings was horrlfled to dis
- III l.. 4 .aN la