The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-14

that the strikers were going to march
to the breaker at Latimer n compel
the men there TO quit work. / resolved
to intercept them and IL possible pre-
vent them from reaching the breaker.
One of my deputies told me that the
strikers would probably be heavily
armed. ! got my deputies. seventy in
number. 10 meet me at a certain place.
| They were all armed / told them to
! keep cool under all circumstances. The
trouble began at 8 o'clock / met the
! marching column. / halted them n
lead the proclamation. They refused
/, to pay any attention and started TO
| resume their march. Then / called TO
the leader to stop. He ignored my or
der. ! then attempted to arrest him.
The strikers closed in on me. Thev
acted very ~viciously. kicking me.
knocking me down AND trampling upon
me. / called upon my deputies to aid
me and they did so. but they were un-
able 10 accomplish much / realized
that something had to be done at once
or I wou be killed. i called TO the
deputies to discharge their fire arms
into the air over the heads Of the
strikers, as it might probably brighten
them. 1t was done at once. but Ii had
no effect whatever on the Infatuated
clSl II II uSS0 liz 81 IIAlH lAC
rougher and became ~iercer. more like
wild beasts than human beings. The
strikers then made a still holder move
and e~ndeavored to surround my entire
force. / fully realized that the foreign
ers were a desperate lot and valued
life at a very small figure. / also saw
that parleying with such a gang was
entirely out of the question as they
were too excited to listen to reason
i --l L~A ,~,~~1 ~-l r-@-1l 10
| killed if we were not rescued, or IL we
did not defend ourselves. 1 then call
ed upon the deputies to defend them
| selves and shoot if they must 10 pro-
| tect their lives or to protect the prop
| erty that they had been sent TO guard.
| The next second there were a few scat
tered shots fired into the Infatuated for
eigners and a moment later the entire
force discharged a solid volley into the
crowd. i hated to give the command
| to shoot, but / was there to do my duty
! and l did it as best I knew how and
as my conscience dictated. The strik-
ers were violating the laws of the
commonwealth and fatty refused to
obey the proclamation that l read to
them. They insisted on doing violence
and disobeying the laws.
THE scene after the shooting was
simply terrible and 1 would have will
| 1iESIy HUI nave HdO IL OCCuT, Dut DIS d
public official, l was sworn to see the
law was obeyed 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 aid
ing their wounded companions to
places of safety. while here and there
could be seen men turning away from
| some one who was badly injured or else
dead. The entire crowd of foreigners
as soon as the volley had been fired,
started to retreat. They rushed off in
all directions, taking as many Of their
dead and wounded as they were able
to carry"
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: w are going to Latimer to
get the men out there" Then the
sheriff and seventy deputies, armed
with Winchesters and revolvers board
ed a trolley car for Latimer and march
ing 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
ordered them to halt and dispense. One
of the men said in broken English:
l NO ~ ACA, yOu - LII l1ICu
attempted to arrest the man who made
the remark and, az he claims. was
f1ercely assaulted by the mans friends.
Then the firing began.
Martin was asked during the inter-
view: When you met the men were
they on company property or on the
public road?"
He replied they were on the public
| road.
Il Mo- &ho,, ~oo-ol;-- 100000 -E
mer's?"
Yes"
Had they up to thai time committed
any overt act or acted otherwise than
~peaceably?"
NO"
why then did you order the depu-
ties to fire."
Il did not order the deputies to fire;
some one else did that. First came a
single shot and then a volley. 1 gave
no order"
How many men were killed?'
There were twelve dead when 1 left
and about forty wounded"
Were n Of your men hurt?"
"One of my deputies was shot
through the arm"
Sheriff Martin, when he reached
Wilkesbarre, was badly scared. Though
he claims to have been brutality as
saulted, when seen he did not have a
mark on his person to show that he had
been roughly handled.
All classes of citizens in this city and
county unite in condemning Sheriff
Martins hasty action.
Sheriff Martin sent a telegram to
Governor Hastings tonight stating hat
mob law prevailed in the lower end of
the county and asking for assistance.
Governor Hastings ordered Colonel
Dougherty, Ninth regiment, to start for
Hazelton at once. The regiment will
leave Wilkesbarre for Hazelton at 5