The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-09-17
SHERIFF MARTINS STORY.
Says He Ordered the Deputies to Fire
on tho Badly Scared.

WuLKEsBARRE, Pa, Sept. 13.-Sheriff
Martin arrived here on the O'clock
train from HaZelton. He was cool and
collected. He was met at the depot
by his legal adviser. The two got In
to cab and drove to the court house,
where they were closeted together for
some time The sheriff was at first re-
luctant to saw whether he had given
the command to fire, but atteward ad-
Initted that he had. The sheriff's de.
tailed statement is as follows:
Il heard early this morning that
the strik crs were going to march to
the breakers at Latimer and compel
the men there to quit work. l re-
solved to intercept them, and, If pos.
sible, prevent them from reaching the
breaker. One of my deputies told rne
that the strikers would probab be
heavily armed. l got my deputies,
seventy in number, to meet at a GER
tain place. They were all armed.
told them to keep cool under all cir
cumstances. The trouble began at 3
o'clock. I met the marching column,
halted them and read the procla ma
tion. They refused to pay any atten-
ton and started to resume their
march.
''Then l called on the leader to
stop. He ignored my order. 1 then
attempted to arrest him. The strikers
closed in on me. They acted very
viciously, kicking me, knocking me
down and trampling upon me.
called upon my deputies to aid me,
aud they did SO, but they were unable
to accomplish much. realized that
something had to be done at once, or
L would be killed. called to the dep
uties 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 eff
feet whatever on the infuriated for
eigners, who used me SO much the
rougher and became fiercer and fiercer,
more like wild beasts than human
beings.
The strikers then made a still
bolder move and endeavored to sur
round my entire force of deputies l
fully realized that the foreigners were
a desperate lot and valued life at
very small figure. 1 saw that parley-
ing with such a gang of infuriated
men was entirely out of the question,
as they were too excited to listen to
reason and that myself and deputies
would be killed if we were not res
cued, or if we did not defend ourselves.
| then called upon the deputies to de-
fend themselves and shoot, if they
must, to protect their lives or to pro-
tect the property that they had 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 solid
volley into the crowd. l hated to give
the command to shoot, and was awful
sorry that was compelled to do SO;
but L was there to do my duty, and
did it as best knew how and as my
conscience dictated. The strikers
were violating the laws of the com
monwealth and fatty refused to obey
the proclamation that l read to them
They :,sisteed on doing violence and
ulsobeylng the laws.
THE scene after the shooting wa5
simply terrible. and l would have
willingly not had it occur, but, as
public official, | was there to see that
the law was obcyed and lived up to,
and | merely did my duty
In another interview Sheriff Martin
said he first met the marching miners
at West HaZelton. He asked them
where they were going and they re-
piled: 1--WE are going to Latimer ana
get the men out there"
Then the sheriff and seventy dep
uties. armed with Winchesters and re-
volvers, boarded q trolly car for Lat
inner and, marching down the public
road, headed the column of Poles and
Uungarians.
According to Martins story, when
the strikers reached the line of dep
uties he ordered the m to halt anil dis
perse. One of the Hungarians said
in broken English: ''Go to hell, you
Martin then attempted to arrest the
man who made the remark, and, as he
claims. was fiercely assaulted by the
mans friends.
Then the firing began.
Mr. Martin was asked: "Whcn you
met the men, were they on company
property or on the public road?'
He replied: NO, they were on the
public road
Were they marching toward Lati-
meros
YES"
Had they, up to that time, com
mitted any overt act or acted other.
wise than peaceably?"
No"
why, then, did you order the depu-
ties to fire?'
81 did not order the deputies to fire;
some one else did that. First came a
single shot and then volley. l gave
no order"
How many were killed."
tsT'hare 1yera twelve dead when |