The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-05
Ready to Testify for the Pennsylva-
Martin and His Deputies.
A SCHOOLMA'AM'S EVIDENCE
MISS COYLE'S STORY OF THE SHOOT
ING OF STRIKING MINERS.
That VIII Help the De-
fense-Testimony of DIR. KelIar-Nu-
merOus wounds in the Back.

WILKESBARRE, Pa, Feb. 4.--The trial
of Sheriff Martin and his deputies, who are
Jointly charged with the murder of the
striking miners at Latimer, on Sept. ~,
was continued to-day. The courtroom was
crowded, notwithstanding Judge Wool
wards order that no one should be allowed
to enter after the seats had been filed. The
deputies who are OH trial seem to realize
the position in which they are placed, and
are paying the closest attention to the tes-
timony of the commemorative witnesses
These witnesses are brought into court only
as they are required to testify, the others
being kept in a room upstairs. Many of
them bear reminders of the Latimer shoot
ing in the shape of CHASTITY wounds, miss
Ing legs, arms, etc. One man with eight
buckshot in his back, is just recovering
sufficient strength to enable him to move
around.
Charles Guscott, the Latimer school
teacher, who told such a thrilling story
yesterday afternoon, was recalled this
morning and was on the stand until the
noon recess. He was chiefly occupied in
pointing out those of the deputies he re-
membered having seen at Latimer just pre-
vious to the shooting. After this. Mr.. Gus
colt pointed out by maps and photographs
of the scene of the shooting just where the
deputies stood, where the strikers halted,
where the sheriff met the strikers, and
where the dead and wounded had fallen. 1t
was shown by this witness, on cross-eXam-
ation that the strikers were in Latimer on
| Tuesday previous to the shooting. and that
there was some rioting.
Dr. II. M. Kellar, who viewed the re-
mains of the strikers and attended many
of the wounded, testified that a number Of
the strikers were shot in the back thus
bearing out the allegations of the common
wealth that the deputies fired when the
men were running away. DR.. Kellar men
toned in order each of the thrty-nine pa
tients taken to the Hazelton Hospital, and
described their wounds minutely. 1t was
evident that they had been shot in all po-
sitiens some while fronting the deputies,
some while running away, and some while
| lying on the ground in the hope of escap-
ing injury. Forty-six wounds on thirty
nine men were inflicted by 44-caliber Win
chester bullets.
The defense, in its ross-examination,
conducted by ex-State's Attorney General
Palmer asked the doctor to classify the
wounds as to the positions of the men when
shot The classification was as foows
Shot directly in 'front.' 5; indirectly in 'front.'
8; directly in the side, 10; indirectly in the
| side, 6; directly in the rear, 8; indirectly in
the rear, 8. OF the thirty-nine patients,
seven died in the hospital two are still
there recovering slowly, and thirty have
| been discharged, all of them cured except
one, who is now in a Philadelphia hospital
| The prosecution has all along contended
that a large number of the men were shot
in the back.
Rev. S. f. Staffieet, pastor of the Eman-
uel Reformed Church of Hazelton, testified
| that the strikers were orderly and appa-
rently unarmed.
a SCHOOLMA'AN'S TESTIMONY.
Miss Grace Coyle, Principal Guscotts as
sfstant at the Latimer school, proved to be
the most important witness of the day. She
said she was standing on the porch Of the
| schoolhouse and saw the deputies line up
along the roadside Then the strikers ap-
preached quietly and orderly The sheriff
stopped them, and some of them gathered
around him, but she did not see any of
them attack him. Some of them cried go
ahead" and O. few strikers pushed past the
sheriff. AT that moment a shot was fired,
then came another, and in an instant a
volley L saw men fall" said Miss Coyle
Some of them ran toward the schoolhouse
and when they had got half way they fell
1 OO AON hhOW WuclueI Iuey were SnOC lust
before they fell or if they were wounded
| by the volIey and ran so far before their
strength failed. The shooting continued for
about two minutes, and after the first vol
! ley it was scattered. 1 helped many of the
wounded strikers who fell near the school
| house, and did not see any weapons on any.
of them. While l was helping them dep
uty named Ross laughed at me as he
walked about smoking cigar. / said You
ought to go to Cuba. Another deputy
named Clark laughed, and [ said to him
! Do you think you've done glorious deed
to-day? l called two more of them buns"
Miss Coyle made a good witness for the
commonwealth, but in the cross-examina-
ton she also made a good witness for the
defense. The defense will try to prove that
the people of Latimer were very much
afraid of the strikers and became much
alarmed when they heard they were COM
ing. Mr.. Guscott, the principal of the
school. had denied that his scholars were
frightened, but he could not explain very
clearly why they had bolted out of the
school without being dismissed. Miss CoyIe
said on this point just what the defense de-
sired She said: Shortly before O'clock
Miss Cora Heinbach came to the school and
said: The strikers are coming, and [ want
Il
excused the little girl, and then thought ii
best to dismiss the class so they could get
home before the strikers came
This will be strong evidence for the de-
fense, as it will show that on the Tuesday
previous to the shooting a number of
strikers were rioting in Latimer and terror
lied the residents. While these were not
the same men who marched on the fatal
Friday, the testimony will be valuable to
prove that in view of the rioting of Friday
the sheriff considered the lives and the
property Of the Latimer people in danger.
The commonwealth called Stephen T.
Adams, travelling man. by whom it was
hoped 10 prove that some of the deputies.
while journeying to the scene of the shoot
ing made threats that they would kill some
of the strikers. The witness said he could
not identify any of the deputies on the car
AS he was proceeding to tell his story the
defense objected. The objection was sus-
tanned. and court adjourned until to-mor-
row.
Bryan at Ii Again.
WATERVII.LE Me- Feb An inter