The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-11
a STATEMENT FROM THE SHERIFF.
Claims to Have Ordered the Fire to
Save His Force From the Mob.

Claims to Have Ordered the Fire to
Save His Force From the Mob.
Wikesbarre, Pa, Sept. 1O-Sheriff Mar
tin arrived at home on the o'clock train
from Hazleton. He was cool and compos-
ed. He was met at the depot by his legal
advisor. The two got into a cab and drove
to the court house, where they were clos
| eted together for some time.
At first the sheriff refused to say any
thing but finally consented to talk. The
| sheriff was at first reluctant to say wheth-
er he had given the command to fire, but
| after few words admitted that he had.
Il heard early this morning." said he,
that the strikers were going to march to
the breaker at Latimer and compel the
men there to quit work. I resolved to in
| tercept them and if possible prevent them
| from reaching the breaker. One of my dep
| uties told me that the strikers would prob
ably be heavily armed. got my deputies,
70 in number, to meet me at a certain
place They were all armed. told them to
keep cool under all circumstances.
''The trouble began at o'clock. I met
| the marching column. halted them and
read the proclamation. They refused to
pay any attention and started to resume
their march. Then called to the leader
| to stop. He ignored my order. then
| attempted to arrest him. The strikers
| closed in on me. They acted very vi
ciously, kicking me, knocking me down
| and trampling upon me. 1 called upon
my deputies to aid me, and they did so,
| but they were unable to accomplish much.
Il realized that something had to be
done at once or would be killed. 1
called to the deputies to discharge their
| firearms into the air over the heads OF
the strikers as it might probably frighten
| them. 1t was done at once, but it had no
effect whatever on the infuriated foreign
ers, who used me so much the rougher
and became iercer, more wild beasts than
human beings. The strikers then made
a still bolder move and endeavored to
surround my entire force.
II fully realized that the foreigners
were a desperate lot, and valued life at
very small figure. I also saw that pariey-
ing with such a gang was entirely out of
| the question, as they were too excited to
listen to reason, and that myself and dep
uties would be killed if we were not res
cued or if we did not defend ourselves 1
then called upon the deputies to defend
themselves, and shoot if they must, to
protect their lives or TO protect the prop
erty that they had been sent to guard.
The next seconds there were few scat
tered shots fired into the infuriated for
egners, and a moment later the entire
| force discharged solid voliey into the
crowd.
'I hated to give the command to shoot,
! but l was there to do my duty, and 1 did
it as best I knew how and as my con-
science dictated The strikers were vio-
lating the laws of the commonwealth and
fatty refused to obey the proclamation
that I read to them. They insisted on do
ing violence and disobeying the laws.
1.-THE scene after the shooting was sim
ply terrible, and I would not willingly
have had it occur but as a pubic official,
I was sworn to see that the law was obey
ed and lived up to and 1 did my duty.
"some of the foreigners fell dead and
others badly wounded; some were rushing
about seeking a place where they would
be shielded from any more shots; others
were aiding their wounded companions to
places of safety, while here and there
could be seen men turning away some
one who was badly injured or else dead.
The entire crowd of foreigners, as soon
as the volley had been fired, started to re-
treat They rushed off in all directions,
taking as many of their dead and wounded
with them as they were able to carry"
In another interview Sheriff Martin said
he first met the marching miners at West
IIazleton. He asked them where they were
going and the replied, 1--WE are going to
Latimer to get the men out there"
Then the sheriff and 20 deputies armed
with Winchesters and revolvers boarded
trolley car for Latimer and marching
down the public road headed off the
marching column of Poles and Huns.
According to Martins story. when the
strikers reached the line of deputies he or
dered them to halt and disperse. One of
the men said in broken English: Go to
hell, you a - -"
Martin made an attempt to arrest the
man who made the remark, and, as he
claims was fercely assaulted by the mans
friends Then the firing began