Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-17


dav we should march to Lattimer to call
out the other men, as requested, and in
the manner indicated. We started from
here over two hundred strong, but later
were joined by others.
at was decided at the meeting that
under no circumstances should anybody
carry weapons of any kind; that we
should be orderly; that there was to be
no fight, and that we should show the
people of Hazleton that we were good,
law abiding citizens. When we started
out that morning not one of MS was
armed. We had no knives, not even
canes. We went Just as you see us now.
"After marching about two miles we
reached West IIazeton. There we were
met bv Sheriff Martin and his deputies.
The deputies all carried rifles or shot
guns. The sheriff had long, black
revolver in his right hand. He haulted
us and told us we could 90 no further.
He said that we would have to go back
home again.
IL stepped to the front and had con-
versatlon with the sheriff. | told HIM
we were not armed that we intended to
do no harm to either person or property,
and that we had been asked by the min
ers of Lattimer to come over to them,
and that they would then Join our ranks
of strikers Sheriff Martin would not
listen to us. The the deputies ran
through the middle of our lines and our
order was broken up.
"The the sheriff TOOK a paper out of
his pocket, put his hands on it, and
said This is my proclamation' and
you can't 60 any further. Its against
the law. Then he put the paper back
in his pocket. He never read procla-
1. "a Il,
zone of our men was carrying an
American flag attached to a pole. We
had decided at the meeting held Thurs
day night that we would take the flag
along to show that we were good Amer
/ lean citizens. One of the deputies tore
! the flag out of Joseph Mihatos hand,
broke the pole and tore the flag. Even
then we kept the peace.
"Chief of Police Jones of West Halle
ton, who was present at the time, told
US that we might travel through the
outskirts and thus make our way to
/ Lattimer. lie told US that the sheriff
would not shoot Us in that case.
IL then asked the sheriff how many he
would permit to go to Lattimer. He
said he would allow two men TO pass.
Then | said to the crowd, Bows, fall in
two by two and we will continue the
march. The sheriff said he would not
permit that to be done, and we left him
on the highway, while we took the out
skirts of the town.
"When we got within short distance
of the Lattimer breaker we walked
along the old turnpike road. As we
turned the corner alongside of the troll
lev car track we saw the deputies lined
up against the fence. Then Sheriff Mar
tin stepped to the front again and said :
We'll, now YOU must halt again. ou
can go no further
1.-The sheriff was hourshing his re-
volver in front of him. | stepped up to
him and tried to argue with him.
Some one behind me shouted 60 ahead '.
With that the sheriff grabbed one man
bv the arm. and. pointing the revolver
at him. said, Did you tell them to 90
ahead:'
The man said he had not spoken, and
then the sheriff grabbed another man
and began to shove him about. y ou
will say go ahead eh:' said the
sheriff. and at the same time he aimed
his revolver squarely at the man heart
The man, naturally. was frightened
and pushed the sheriti's hand holding
the revolver to one side.
"A moment later one of the deputie;
pushed forward. | heard some one say
Give them some shots Whether OF
not the order was given by Sherli
Martin | cannot say.
Then the firing began. y stamped
. followed. Many of US who were in the
/ front ranks could not believe that ;ht
deputies were using ball and shot. We
thought that as men they might us'
blank cartridges to frighten u, bu
: when saw men drop and blood flow
, also turned around and ran towarC
the woods. followed bv the deputies
It was a regular slaughter. ! shall
never forget the suffering of the poo
people"
, heard today from priests who admin
, istered to them the last rites of th'
Roman Catholic church the statements
made by Sheriff Martins victims in thu
/ shadow of death. The Rev. y. FOrve
pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity
! which is attended by Germans, was th'
2 first clergyman to reach the state hos
pital after the wounded were brought in
There were nineteen of them ther,
when | went in, said Father Forve. "Al
. of them were terribly wounded"
e did you notice the location of tn
wounds:' asked.
5 Every man of the ninteen was wound
' ed in the back part of his body" was tn
. reply. Every one. There was not
e single exception"
e did any of the men talk to you abou
: the shooting;'
! "Nes all those who were able did.
i ''The story Of all was the same. The
b told me of their march from Harvard. al
T. of which the public already knows. The
e told me of the meeting with the sheri
a and how he ordered them to halt. The.
said they gathered around him to argu
e their right to pass peaceably through
o public way, He ordered them back, an
y they crowded around him.
; Then. according to the stories of a
of them, the sheriff drew a revolver, firet
d and killed his man. Then came tn
= slaughtering fusillade."
o "Was this told you before or after cor
n fessiOn:' | asked.
e "Both before and After was the n
n ply. "Those men were on the borde
,r land of death, and surely they would nc
a tell lie almost in the presence of the