The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-02
SHERIFF TELLS HIS STORY.
STRIKERS ASSAULTED HIM WHEN
HE TOLD THEM TO STOP.


One OF Them Had Knocked Him I'd
His Knees When the Shooting
COmmcnced-Sherin Tried to shoot
in Self Defense But His RevoIver
Failed 20 ExpIode-Had Warned
His Deputies 10 shoot Only in SELF
Defense.
Wilkesbarre Pa, March 1.--Sheriff Mare
tin testified in his own defense at this af-
ternoons session of court He told of his
actions on Sept. 4, when he was called
from Atlantic city" up to the day of tha
shooting. He described the dispensing %
numerous bodies of strikers during thaa
period. Getting down 10 the time of the
shooting, he said: Friday morning q
reached Drlfton, and found all my depu-
ties there. We went to Lumberyard, q
central point. AT 1 o'clock in the after.
noon I got a message that the strikers
were marching through Cranberry. bound
for Lattimer. 1 hurried off with the Ha-
zelton deputies 10 intercept the men al
West Hazeton. While going there / re-
peated my instructions to the deputies
about keeping cool and avoiding troublc
IL possible.
'"rhe mob swore at us when we aps
preached, cursed me and would not budga
when ! told them 10 do So / read my
proclamation and walked through them.
asking them to go home. One young man
swore al me violently and said they would
go to Lattimer in spite of me. / arrested
him. one man picked up a stone, bus
dropped Il when l pointed my revolver al
him.
II told the crowd of spectators to ga
home as the strikers were desperate ana
there might be trouble. Finally the strlk.
ers left the road and started off over
some lots Soon / heard they We're going
to Lattimer, and | hurried Off with mY
deputies to intercept them.
Il told them again TO keep cool, ana
not TO shoot unless their lives or mIna
were in danger. After lining them uu
alongside the road, / told them l would
so out to meet the strikers and try once
more to disperse them. deputy asked
II he could not go with me. No. I said.
IN go alone / thought one man was
enough to die at once. / felt somehow
there was going to be trouble. ] met the
strikers about fifty yards from the depu-
ties and asked them where they were
going
" TO stop the Lattimer breaker" ios
of them cried.
Il told them they must not go and tried
to read my proclamation to them, but
they crowded around me, swearing at ms
and .hustling me TO one side. One man
tried to grab me and then attended to
get hold of him. but the crowd jumped ON
me ana pounded me about the body Z
dropped my paper and pulled my revolver.
One Of the men tried to snatch the revolv-
er from me, but failed. Then he struck
me an awful blow In the face and knock
ed me to my knees. / tried to shoot him.
but my revolver would not explode. Then
the shooting commenced. 1t lasted about a
half minute.
In the crowd ] saw three men armed
with revolvers and one with a knife The
latter made stab at me, but missed Two
men were shot Just behind me to the left.
was IN the direct line of fire."
The cross-examin4tion conducted by Mr..
Scarlet lasted for two hours and win ba
resumed tomorrow. While many minor de.
tails were brought out, nothing was ads
duced to affect the main story.
A number of witnesses examined before
| Sheriff Martin told Of disorderly actions ba
the strikers.