Connecticut western news., 1897-09-16


 ward the Lattimer breaker. They were In orderly array. six abreast, carrying small American flag. Two small boys. one 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 little fellows lying side by side, dead. They were pierced by at least a dozen bullet wounds and had probably been instantly killed. as they lay side by side on the spot where they were last seen alive.
 Strikers Crowded Around the Sheriff.
 AS the strikers approached the depu- ties Sheriff Martin left his men and advanced toward the oncomers, who stopped upon his command. I saw the sheriff talking vigorously to them, and then he read the riot act. The strikers crowded around him to the number of at least 100. but I do not think he was knocked down. as he states. Finally l saw him pushed aside into the ditch at the side of the road. and then the strikers, headed by the two little boys l have mentioned, swept toward Latti- mer and in a minute or two were In front of the deputies.
 "As the van confronted the armed men. Samuel Price of Hazleton, who had volunteered his services, stepped out in front of his line. whereupon one of the deputies cried. with an oath. Come back, or we'll shoot you tool"
 Price did not reply in words, but leveled his rife at the strikers and fired. Almost as if Prices shot was the signal came the crash of the volley from the other men.
 r~k- strikers were dazed for a moment and then fled in every direction. most of them toward the schoolhouse, where Miss Coyle and I stood. We were pet riied with horror. did not realize our danger. so that involuntarily we re- mained spectators to the last and saw all the horrible sight.
 "I thought one volley would suffice to disperse the strikers. It did, but 1t was not sufficient to satisfy the ungovern- able rage for blood which the deputies exhibited. They no longer fired in vol leys, but one after another, taking care full aim and firing to kill and with deadly effectiveness, too, for man after man dropped as he ran. screaming with fright, for a place of safety.
 "A bullet crashed through our school house window. Then one of the fleet est of the strikers. with blood streaming from his arm, ran toward us to gain the shelter of the building. He had almost reached the corner when he was shot between the shoulders and fell dead al- most at cur feet. You can judge of the care with which that fatal shot was sent when tell you that the man fell fully 300 feet from the foremost of the deputies.
 Deliberately Shot Down.
 "I saw men who had hidden behind trees and fences during the first fusil- Jade leave their places of concealmeat only to be deliberately shot down. One poor devil, 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.
 'I wish I could describe to you the deliberate bloodthirstiness of the shoot CTS, but cannot find words sufficiently strong to tell the story. It was horri- ble.
 "The shooting continued for 10 or IS minutes. I am sure It was more than 10. and when 1t had ceased Miss Coyle and I went to help the wounded. One man passed us who had been shot through the stomach and held his pro- lHtcSliHcS III lhc uOiAoW VI ms hands. clasped together about the bloody mass. Miss Coyle. brave girl, did not recoil at this sicken.ng sight, but asked the man if he could go into the schoolhouse and lie down until help arrived. No he replied, me want to see my wife before die,' and he stagger- ed on down the road. He never saw her, for we found him dead against the fence near the school soon after.
 We got three of the wounded men into the school and attended to their wants as we'll as we could"
 The feeling against Sheriff Martin continues intensely bitter, particularly on the part of the families and friends of the victims of the shooting at Latti- mer. Warrants have been sworn out against the sheriff and all his deputies who took part in firing upon the strlk- CTS. the charge against them being murder.