The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-22
'LATTIMER RIOTS.
The Prosecution Closes its Case and
The Defense Opens.
THE PLEA FOR JUSTIFICATION
WIN DO tho strong Card OF tho Presents. :
tion OF the shsrif,s side of the Unfortu.
\ nate Afrair-Riotsrs Had Terrorixed the
Region aud It was Necessary to Use ths
aiost Heroic neasures to Rsprsis Fur
thsr violence on Their rPart-Tsstimony
Of tho First witnesses for Tho Deputies.

w1LKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. s1.-The
commonwealth in the case OF Sheriff
Martin and the deputies on trial for
shooting striking miners OF Latumer
closed Its case to-day and Hon. George
s. Ferris opened for the defense. When
court opened there were only two witt
nesses for tho prosecution waiting to bo
heard. The first, James Hannehan, OF
Lattimer. said he reached the scene OF
the shooting shortly inter the nring
began. Witness pointed out number
OF deputies whom he saw there. Hs
spoke TO Deputy Price, saylns' This is
q bad business, Sam" Price replied:
Yes, and am glad I did not shoot"
Mike Damrack, the last witness OF
the commonwealth gave unimportant
testimony.
Mr.. Ferris presented In detail the facts
of the case as the defense hopes to prove
them. It will endeavor to show that
there has been rloting throughout tho
region; that the sheriff was justified in
calling out the posse and that he was
also justified in ordering the shooting
at Lattimer if he deemed It necessary.
He then detailed the movements OF the
strikers from tn time they left Harwood
until they reached Lattimer.
There" = he eaid '.the sheriff advanced
alone to meet them. Instantly there
was tumult of yells. Five or six men
pounced upon the sheriff, seized him.
showed him into ditch on the left OF the
road and began beating him. Two OF
them flourished revolvers at him and n
third made savage stab at him with
knife. The sheriff In his struggles freed
his right arm and drew q revolver and
snapped It at one OF his assailants. It
would not go off. Instantly the man
Novnata, struck his a vicious blow in
the face with his fist and knocked him
to his knees. All at once revolver shot
rang out from the rushing mob-then
another-then three close together-then
a rafting yolley from the guns which
lasted q few seconds. less than halt
minute, and ceased when the mob gave
wny. The order to fire was given by
whom We do not know. but It was none
too soon; for the head Of the charging
column had rushed within fifty feet OF
the deputies line before the attack was
repulsed. That gentlemen, IS the story
of Lattimer, as you will hear it from the
deputies. We expect @ verdict Of ac-
quital."
The first witness for the defense was
Mrs. Catherine Weisenborn. She said:
1.-THE strikers gathered at Harwood, on
the day of the shooting and one Of them.
Gasperlck, who testified for the state.
entered Mike ktnaski's house and tried
to get him to so out, crying II YOU don't
come, we'll kill you"
Kinaski was in hiding and escaped,
and as the strikers departed they cried:
wen show the white people what we'll
do when we come back
F II saw the strikers chase 4 number OF
people. They were all armed with clubs
and stones, and some had revolvers."
Mrs. Eliza Grace, Of Harwood, said
her husband ran into the brush when he
heard the strikers were approaching.
Hewas afraid Of them.
"They tramped through my fruit gar
den,"- said Mrs. Grace, land broke my
bean poles in two to make clubs. They
caught John Edmondson and would
have taken him along forcibly had not
his wife chung to him and begged them
to release him."
Mrs. Rose Gillespie, Of Hnrwood, told
how. she sent her four boys into the
brush to hide, fearing the strikers would
hurt them.
Mrs. Catherine Brennan hid her If
teen year old boy and went out to look
at the strikers. They were armed with
clubs, hammers and stones. One man
fired shot in the air. Others fired into
the brush where many Of the men were
hidden. Mrs. Brennan said she saw
sMartiu Shofronisck march into Joe
Shultz's house, crying that II he did not
come out he would be killed. Schultz
was in hiding and could not be found.
Mrs. Michael Gallagher, Of Harwood,
said she was stoned by the strikers and
Mrs Charles Miller said her husband
had gone to West Hazleton when he
heard the strikers were approaching.
This concluded the testimony for the
day. i,