The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-11

them N was done at once, but han no
effect whatever on the infrriated foreign
crs. who used me so much IcuEner anu
became Gcrccr more IKE wiz Ded7'9
than human beings
Tho strikers then made a still holder
move and cndeaY0rcd 10 frrrnNnc inH
entire force. ] fUlly realized tnat me to'-
cignors wcrc a. desperate lot, ana N1iifl
life at "a very small figure. ] also saw
that uarieyiuC with such caug was
entirely ont of thc question. as fhev we've
zoo excited 20 leicn % reason ana lhat
myself and deputies would De Nllcd DIT
we were not rescued. or n we did not
defo1d ourselves. I then called upon the
deputies 90 defend themselves and shoot
~ they must 90 protect their lives or %
protect the property That they had been
sent 10 guard fho ncXt second there
were "a few scattered shots fired into the
infuriatcd forcicucrs and moment lator
the entire force discharged solid v0lloy
into the crowd.
"MY DUTY"
OF hatc1 20 give the command 20 shoot
but 7 was there 90 do my duty. and ] did
&c as best ] knew how and as my cou-
science dictated. THE strikers were vi1-
lafiur the laws of the Commonwealth.
abd fatty refused 90 obey tho pr0cl1ma-
ti0n that + read 20 them. They instead
insisted on doing violence and disobey.ng
tho law
"Tho scono after the shooting was eim-
ply terrible. and : would have willingly
not have had 80 occur but as q public
official I was sworn tO see that the law
was obcycd. and lived mp %. and 7 did
my duty. Some OF the foreigners fen dead
and others badly wounded Some were
rushing about seeking % place where fhov
would Doe shielded from any more shots.
others were aiding their wounded come
pani0ns to places n safety. while here
and there could De seen men turning
away some one who was badly Injured or
else dead. The entire crowd of f0rti"n-
crs as soon as thc vOllov had been fred
started to retreat They rushed or in 900
directions taking as many of their dead
and wounded with thcm as they were able
10 carry
In another interview Sheriff Martin
snld DE first met the strikers at West
liazelton. IIe asked them where they
were going and they replied:
We are going TO Latimor TO ret them
Then The sheriff and dcnutios. armed
with WinChcstcrs and rcvolvers took
trolley for Latimcr and marching down
the public road headed of the column OF
Poles and I1unearans
According TO another story. when the
strikers reached the lines Of The deputies
the sheriff ordered them to halt and dis
pcrsc One of the men replied in broken
English:
"GO 10 h. you -- -- --- ---- --.'
Nfartain again demanded that they dis
pcrec and was icrcciv assaulted. Martin
was asked during the interview:
"Wnon you mot the men were they ON
company property or ON tho public road
IIr replied they were on the public
road"
"Were thcy marching toward Iati-
mcr?'
"Yce."
"IIad they up 70 that time committed
any overt act or acted otherwise than
poaccahly2'
"N0"
"Whv. then did you order tho deputies
TO fro7'
WHO GAVE THE ORDER?
'T did not order the deputies to IRE.
some ono else did that First came n
signal shot and then a v0l'cy. ! gave no
orders
"How many men were killed
"'rhcrc were twelve dead when ] leit
and about thirty wounded
"Ncro any Of your mon hurtf
zone of my deputies was snot through
tho ARM .,.
Sheriff Martin when hc reached Wilkos-
l,arra yras badly scared. Though Dc claims
fo have been brutallv assaulted. Wneh
soon h. dfd not have mark ON his per-
eon 20 show That hc had hccn roughly
handled. An classes of citizens in m ls
cff, and county unite ln condemnlns
sheriff Martins hasty action.