The Forrest City times., 1897-09-17
GATHERING EVIDENCE.
Preparing for tho Coroner's Inquest
 at Hazleton, Pa.
MEN ON BOTH SIDES INTERVIEWED.
A Prominent Deputy Says the Sheriff Didn't Order Them to Fire-'Twas Only Question of Time When
 the Clash Should Come.

of collecting evidence tor the inquest Is already being prosecuted by the strikers representatives and others including the coroner. Dr. Thodoro- vich, secretary of the Austro- Hungarian consulate. Philadelphia. visited the hos pital and took the statements of the injured. He asked one of the wounded Hungarians If the mob ran when the deputies commenced to fire.
 Ran like the mischief" was the reply.
 Dr. Thodorovlch was asked whether he had read Sheriff Martins statement that two of the strikers had revolvers and threatened the sheriff's life.
 "Notspeaking in my official capacity" said Dr. Thodorovich, "I will say that, from the conversations I,have had with the men who saw the sheriffs deputies shoot the miners, am of the opinion that the sheriff is mistaken. 1 know that when the striking miners were about to start from Harwood some of them carried canes The lead CTS told those men that they must throw these canes away, and this order was strictly complied with"
 When Dr. Thodorovich visited the wounded victims in the city hospital to find out their nationality two claimed to be Germans. They are Mar tin Sofrauek and Joseph Pavlacsek.
 Among others who will testify at the coroners inquest will be Miss Coyle, the assistant school teacher at the Latti- mer schoolhouse, who saw deputy shoot one of the mob on Friday, and as he fell saw him shoot again.
 A rather peculiar incident of the affray has come to light in the state ments of Charles Kennedy and Marco McCarron, who say that the conduc- tors of trolley cars passing the scene refused to take any of the dead and wounded to Hazleton unless fare was paid.
 Magistrate German, before whom the warrants for the arrest of the deputies were sworn out, states that while no attempt will be made to serve them while the militia are here, evidence is being secured from every available source.
 Ut is just as well that we can not make the arrests just now" he added, ''for it gives us more time to get at the facts. Technically, the warrants have never been issued, although they have been filled out and signed They are all Tn my posses sion, and have not been placed in the hands of any constable for service
 Edward Turnback, one of the shoot ing deputles, who is spending few days with relatives at Mount Carmel,
 ,S ,r, an interview as follows:
 Tt was only question of time when the clash had to come. It might have taken five, ten or twenty minutes, but blood was sure to have been spilled. The strikers outnumbered us, and we did not know whether the rioters were armed or not. Sheriff Martin told us to keep cool as the strikers advanced. Finally the rioters grew so abusive that it was necessary to fire. During the day they barred their breasts daring us to shoot. During the last stand the strikers felt sure we would not shoot.
 Had the sheriff been subjected to abuse much longer the strikers would have taken courage and tried to steal our rifles. That accomplished, there
 
 struction to property would have re- suited. While we hated to fire, it was necessary for our lives as well as for law and order"
 Mir. Turnba is dealer in dyna- mite here. and many of the deputies are substantial business men. He says Sheriff Martin did not give the com mand to fire. Every deputy seemed to act on the spur of the moment. At the close of the interview, the ex-deputy said that he would return to Hazleton, as he was not afraid. He only per formed his duty and would not allow any man to insult him.
 Mine Operator Markle, who succeed ed in preventing the marching strikers from closing his mine Friday, says he accomplished this by using common sense arguments with the men.
 If they have auy grievances, said, they can submit them to us, and the complaint will receive prompt at tention. It is not very good plan to hit man over the head with club and then ask for an increase of wages afterwards l have as yet received no list of grievances from our em. ployes> They are about the best paid miners in this field. Some of them will draw SloO for months work on pay day, Saturday next. They are not compelled to deal at the company's stores.
 If you believe that the miners get so little money that they are hardly able to exist ask some of the Hazleton savings banks how much money is on deposit in them and who deposited it. They will tell you that the amount saved up by the miners of the surround. ing country aggregates two or three million dollars"
 The mlners insist that the company store evil" is the main cause of their trouble. They say they are compelled 10 pay s. 25 here for a sack of flour that they can get in Hazleton for s2. 50; that 25 pounds of sugar costs sl.95 at