Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-09-15
MINERS SHOT LIKE SHEEP.
fwenty-one Killed and Forty wounded by
Deputy Sherirs,

Deputy SherIrs,
Hazleton, Pa, Sept. 1.-THE strike
situation reached a terrible crisis on
The outskirts of Latimer when a band
Of deputy sheriff's fired into a body of
miners. The men fell like so many
sheep and the excitement was so very
intense that nothing like accurate fig
nres as to the number of killed and
wounded could be obtained
The strikers left Hazleton about $3.50
o'clock and it was their intention to
go to Latimer As soon as this be came
known band of deputies were loaded
ohto trolley ear and went whirling
across the mountain to the scene where
The bloody conflict followed After
reaching Latimer they left the car and
| formed into three companies, under
Thomas Hall, +. A. Hess and Samuel
g. Price. They drew up in line at the
edge of the village with fence and a
line of houses in their rear
Sheriff Martin was in entire com
nand and stood in front of the line
lntil the miners approached.
They were seen coming across the
'idge and Martin went out to meet
them. The men drew up suddenly and
listened in silence while he once more
'ead the riot act. This finished, a
.ow muttering arose among the for
eigners, and their was slight move
movement forward. Perceiving this.
he sheriff stepped forward toward
them, and in a determined tone for
)ade advance. Some one struck the
jheriff and the next moment there
was command to the deputies to fire
The guns of the deputies instantly
belched forth terrible volley. The
report seemed to shake the very noun
tains, and cry of dismay went up
from the people. The strikers were
taken entirely by surprise, and as the
men toppled and fell over each other,
those who remained unhurt STAN
peded
The men went down like ten pins
and the groans of the dead and wound
ed filled the air. The excitement that
followed was simply indescribable.
The deputies seemed to be terror
stricken at the deadly execution of
their guns, and seeing the living min
ers fleeing like wild, they went to the
aid of the unfortunates whom they
had brought down.
The sheriff is almost universally
,ensured and condemned. A meeting
aeld by bankers and coal operators
oetitioned the governor for state
troops, while another meeting attend
ed by thousands of citizens requested
that troops be not sent
In an interview Sheriff Martin was
asked:
when you met the men, were they
on the company's or the public road?''
They were on the public road he
replied.
Were they marching toward Lati-
mer?n
Yes
Had they mp to that time commit
ted any overt act, or acted any way
but peacably?a
No"
"Why, then, did you order the depu
ties to fre?n
81 did not order the deputies to fire;
someone else did that First came a
single Shot and then a volley. / gave
no order"
"IIow many were killed."
"There were IL dead when left ard
about 40 wounded"
Were any of your men hurt?n
Zone of my deputies was shot
through the arm.
Sheriff Martin, when he reached
Wilkesbarre, was badly scared
Though he claims to have been bru-
tally assaulted, when seen he did not
have a mark on his person and no
show that he had been roughly han
died. All classes of citizens in this
city and county unite in condemning
Sheriff Martins hasty action.