The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-09-29
HORRIBLE SLAUGHTER
THE MURDER OF THE MINERS AS
SEEN BY PRINCIPAL GUSCOTT.
Eranhic story Of the Deadly Fusi1lade
Given by an Eyewft-


This concise and particular statement OF
the recent slaughter in Lattimer was given
by an eyewitness. Charles Guscott, princi-
pal of the Lattimer grammar school,
Il had Just dismissed school, and with
nv assistant Miss Grace Coyle was on
the porch. Marie Sharkey, a 12-year-od
pupil. near the porch. remember
that at the first volley she dropped her
school books and ran. l picked them up an
hour or so afterward.
Miss Coyle and were attracted first
by the deputies marching to position
about 800 yards from the schoolhouse, al
most directly in front of it, and few
wards on the far side of the highway,
along which the strikers marched. The
deputies came on an electric car, left 1t
near the road. and marched to an open
place the road POO yards from the car
track. There they were drawn up in the
form Of a crescent. with the horns towards
the road.
TWO LITTLE BOYS SHOT DOWN.
''The strikers made their appearance soon
after. marching down the road toward the
Lattimer breaker. They were in orderly
array, six abreast carrying small Ameri-
can flag. Two small boys, one aged and
the other II, sons of one Of the strikers.
were in the van. walking hand in hand
several feet in advance of the men.
After the shooting found these two lit
tie fellows lying side by side, dead. They
were pierced Dy at least a uOZen Dulet
wounds, and had probably been instantly
killed, they lay side by side on the spot
where they were last seen alive.
LAS the strikers approached the deputies
Sheriff Martin left his men and advanced
toward the Oncomers, who stopped on his
command. l saw the sheriff talking vigor-
Ousy to them, and then he read the riot
act. The strikers crowded around him to
the number Of at least "a hundred. but
don't think he was knocked down. as he
states. Finally saw him pushed aside into
the ditch at the side of the road, and the
strikers, headed by the two little boys I
have mentioned, swept toward Lattimer
and in minute or two were in front of
the deputies
LAS the van confronted the armed men
Samuel Price, of Hazelton, who had vol
unteered his services, stepped out in front
OF his line, whereupon one Of the deputies
cried
Come back or we will shoot you, too.
you.'
SIGNALS FOR A FUSILLADE.
price did not reply in words, but leveled
his rifle at the strikers and fired. Almos'
as If the shot was the signal came tho
crash of the volley from the other men.
''The sight was indescribable. The strik
ers were dazed for a moment and then fec
in every direction, most of them toward
the schoolhouse. where Miss Coyle and
stood. We were petrified with horror l
did not realize our danger. so that involun-
tariy we remained spectators to the last
and saw all the horrible sight
Il thought one volley would suffice tn
disperse the strikers. 1t did, but it was
not sufficient to satisfy the ungovernable
rage for blood which the deputies eX-
hbited. They no longer fired in volley.
but one after another, taking careful arn
and firing to kill and with deadly effective
ness, too. for after dropped as
he ran, screaming with fright. for place
of safety.
"A bullet crashed through our schoolhouse
,;,,l, T1,nn If hn of fhn
strikers with blood streaming from his
arm, toward us to gain the shelter
of the building He had almost reached the
corner when he shot between the
shoulders and fell dead almost at feet.
You can Judge of the care with which that
fatal shot was sent when l tell you that
the fell 300 feet from the foremost Of
the deputies.
Il saw the men who had hidden behind
trees and fences during the first fusillade
leave their places of concealment, only to
be deliberately shot down.
"One poor man. whom | afterward found
was shot through both legs at the knees,
had crawled some distance from the depu-
ties and. sitting upright. was shot through
the back and killed
SAYS WORDS ARE TOO WEAK.
II wish | could describe to you the de-
liberate bloodthirstness of the shooters,
but 1 cannot find words sufficiently strong
to tell the story. 1t was horrible.
1.-The shooting continued for 10 Ii
minutes. l am sure 1t was more than 10,
and when it had ceased Miss Coyle and I
went to the wounded. One man passed us
who had been shot through the stomach
His hands were clasped together about the
bloody Miss COyle, brave girl, did
not recoil at this sickening sight, but asked
the man if he would go into the school
house and lie down until help arrived.
No he replied, me want to my
wife before / die and he staggered on
down the road. He never saw her, for
we found him dead against the fence near
the school soon after.
1--WE got three of the wounded men into
the schoolhouse and attended to their
wants as we'll We could. One poor fel-
low called continuously for water. He was
shot through the stomach, and the water
gave him served to dilute the blood whcf
poured from his horrible wound. He dlet
while being taken to the hospital.
THREAT OF A DEPUTY.
while l was on the road one OF the
deputies. A. E. Hess, an engineer Oh tht
Lehigh Traction Company came upon the
scene and hurrying to him. John Costello
friend of mine, who was aiding one o.
the wounded. said:
done
What business is it of yours?' CRIED
Ress, angriy. Leave the fellow alone
"'We can at least sympathze with him
can we not?' asked Costello
Shut up.' cried Hess with an oath
"'Shut up or l will blow your brains out!
Costello had a warrant sworn out today
for the arrest of Hess on the charge o.
threats to kill. He waived hearing anC
furnished $500 BAIL
In reply to questions MI Guscott said h
saw the whole affair very clearly. and die
not see the strikers make single attemp
at violence
Not one of them remained to face thu
deputies after the first volley,' he said
''and, curious to know If any of the mel
were armed I searched all the dead ant
wounded l could reach some forty in all
and did not find a single weapon, except
small revolver the person of one of tn
dead men,"
Deputy Hess is hidden, owing to the ru
NOR that he was spotted and that he Woul'
be killed on sight by the angry Italians.
One of the deputies was asked why the,
continued firing after the first VOlley ant
when the strikers were running away Al
he would reply was:
well, Sheriff Martin told us that if W.
were called upon to shoot, we should shoe
to kill
Miss Grace Coyle, Mr.. Guscott's assistant
corroborated his story in every respect
Both of them emphasized the fact that tn
firing continued more than ten and posi-
bly, as long as fifteen minutes, and the.