The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-11

we were going along the road to
aatimer and the deputies were lined
tried to go through them and did not at
tempt to hit or molest them, when they
fire upon us. We ran but they kept on
shooting while weran. 1t is all their
| fault.
Citizens meetings were held in various
parts of the city tonight. Opinion was
divided about the responsibility for the
shooting.
| 1t is estimated that when the strikers
began marching on the Hazel mincs they
numbered about two hundred Along
the road they seemed jubilant over their
success at the Hazel mines.
SHERIFF MARTIN WAS HASTY,
Claims to Have Been Assaulted But Not y
Scratch Was on His Person.
Wilkesbarre. Pa, September 1O-Sheriff
Martin arrived home ON the O'Clock
train from Hazleton. He was cool and
collected. He was met at the depot by
his legal adviser. The two got into a
cab and drove to the court house where
| they were closeted together for some
time At first the sheriff refused to say
@SNJ oAAA4tS1 OoV Addlly COAo 0llIOu. u6
sheriff was at first reluctant to say wheth-
er he had given the command to fire. but
afterwards admitted that he had The
sheriff's detailed statement is as follows:
heard early this morning that the
strikers were going to march to the
breaker at Latimer and compel the men
there to quit work. I resolved to inter-
cept them and if possible prevent thtm
| from reaching the breaker. One of my
| fold vr,n hot thn ctv \
probably be heavily armed. got my
deputies, 70 in number to meet at Ger.
tain place. They were all armed I told
them to keep cool under all oircumstan- :
ces The trouble began at 8 o. clock. I
met the marching column. l halted them
. and read the proclamation. They refused
to pay any attention and started to re-
leader to stop. He ignored my order.
then attempted to arrest him. The strik-
ers closed in on me. They acted very
viciously, kicking me, knocking me down
and trampling upon me. I called upon
my deputies to aid me and they did SO,
but they were unable to accomplish
much. I realized that something had to
be done at once or l would be killed l
called to the deputies to discharge their
| fire arms into the air, but it had no
effect whatever on the infuriated for
eigners, who used me more like wild beasts
than human beings. The strikers then
made still bolder move and endeavored
to surround my entire force of deputies
I fully realized that the foreigners We're
desperate lot and valued life at very
small figure.
II then called upon the deputies to de.
4 fend themselves and shoot if they must
| to protect their lives or to protect the
property they had been sent to guard
from being demolished. The next sec
| Il t1av,n four uCcff ffnro h04-c A,,DI
into the infuriated foreingers and a
moment later the entire force of deputies
discharged volley into the crowd.
hated to give the command to shoot and
was awful sorry that was compelled to
do so, but was there to do my duty and
I did it as best 1 knew how. The strik-
ers were violating the laws Of the COM
monwealth and fatty refused to obey the
proclamation that had read to them.
"The scene after the shooting was
| simply terrible and the entire crowd of
| foreigner as soon as the volley had been
| fired by my deputies turned and started
| to retreat. They rushed off in all direc-
tions as fast as they could run, taking as
many of their dead and wounded with
them as they were able to carry during
their hurried retreat. The excitement at
the time was simply terrible and 1 would
not care to ever go through another or
deal of the same kind for fortune"
In another interview Sheriff Martin
said he first met the marching miners at
West Hazleton. According to Martin S
story when the strikers reached the line
of deputies he ordered them to halt and
disperse. One of the Huns said in brok-
en- English: $50 to hell, you - -'
Martin then attempted to arrest the
man who made the remark and, as he
claims, was fiercely assaulted by the
man friends. Then the firing began.
Mr.. Martin was asked during the inter-
view:
when you met the men were they on
company property or on the public road?''
He replied: ''No, they We're on the pub
lie road. -
Had they up to that time committed
any over act or acted otherwise than
peaseables" .ses1
why then did you order the deputies
to fire?''
some one else did that. [ gave no or.
der.
''Were any of your men hurt?"
Zone of the deputies was shot through
the arm.''
Sheriff Martin, when he reached Wilkes
barre, was badly scared. Though he
claims to have been brutally assaulted
WneL SEEN, n6 ulu uOU utS6 Iudfk OF mis-
person to show that he had been rough
i ly handled. All classes Of citizens in
this city and county unite in condemninq
| Sheriff Martins hasty action.
| Governor Calls Out Troops.
Harrisburg, September 10.-Governor
| Hastings tonight received word from the
| sheriff of Luzerne county that he had ex-
| hausted all his power in trying to sup
press the mob near Hazleton and now
asks for military assistance.
! The governor has summoned Adjutant
General Stewart and General Goblin, COM
mander of the Third brigade and arrived
here late tonight. After consultation
Gov. Hastings issued call for the Third