The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-11
THE STRIKERS UNARMED
An Important Point Admitted in
the Wilkesbarre Trial.
DEPUTIES THIRST FOR BLOOD.

They shouted at the Strikers; "If You
Do Not Get Out of the Road We Will
Shoot You Down Like Dogs"-How
tho Murderous Threat Was FULFILLED.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Feb. lin the
Lattimer shooting case yesterday Nor
ris Engleman, of West Hazleton. was
the first witness. His testimony ad-
ded nothing new. On cross examina-
ton he said the deputies seemed to be
doing all they could to disperse the
strikers without violence. He insisted
that the strikers were orderly and ap-
parcntly unarmed, but admitted that
some of them might have been armed.
Daniel Ferry, Hazleton grocer. tes-
titled that the strikers were quiet and
orderly before the shooting. He heard
first a single shot and saw a striker
fall. Then there was volley and
number of separate shots. He saw
one wounded man shot down again
while trying to walk away. He saw
Deputy William Raught run after the
fleeing strikers and shoot at one.
Counsel for the defense asked the
witness II Sheriff Martin was not In as.
much danger Of being shot as were the
strikers when the shots were fired by
the deputies. mo. SIR" replied the
witness, "he was quite out of danger.
He was out of line of the fire."
Joe Zappa, one of the wounded men
at Lattimer, was the next witness. He
said that when the strikers reached
Lattmer the sheriff stopped them. The
sheriff told the leaders that they could
not go on to the mine but the leaders
said they were going and the sheriff
again told them they+,could not go.
"Then about 20 men rushed past the
sheriff, and the shooting commenced.
railroad track before l was hit. The
ball struck me in the back"
Daniel Murphy was then called. He
said he saw Deputy A. e. Hess give
water to a wounded striker, and, to-
gether with Alonzo Dodson and A. M.
Eby. carry some Of the wounded men
to the cars.
August Catsl6i testified that the dep
uties pushed and prodded the strikers
at West Hazleton, and forced them
out Of the road; that he and Martin
Locka, although some distance from
the other strikers, were followed by
two deputies, who struck them with
their guns. The witness said he was
standing near the car on which the
deputies embarked to go to Lattimer,
and he heard one of the deputies, whom
he does not know, say: Let them go
until we get to Lattimer. and then
We'll shoot them" Catski said he was
not at Lattimer. but his brother and
several of his friends were wounded
there. The strikers had been especially
warned at their Harwood meeting not
to carry arms.
John Pentrick. who reached Latti-
mer after the shooting. said he helped
several wounded men, but could not
tell where their wounds were.
Upon the calling of John Ulrich the
defense agreed to admit the following
facts in order to hurry the trial along
by avoiding a continued repetition of
the same questions: First, the meeting
of the strikers at Harwood; second, the
presence of the deputies and strikers at
West Hazleton: third, the fact that the
deputies were armed; fourth, the fact
that apparently the strikers were not
armed.
Ulrich pointed out Thomas H. Hall
as the deputy who struck striker at
West Hazleton, cutting his head and
breaking his arm.g He denied that he
had struck Deputy T. Miner Morris on
the arm at West Hazleton or that he i
threw stones at any of the deputies.
George Yamschack said he Joined the
strikers along the road, and they made
him throw away a small stick he car
rled. AT Lattimer" he said. "the
sheriff grabbed George Novathy and
pushed his revolver in his face. Then
l got hold of George and pulled him
loose The sheriff then grabbed another
man, and Novatny pulled him loose.
Then the shooting commenced"
Joseph Mekki, Of Humboldt, said the
deputies called out at West Hazleton
to some of the strikers: "If you do
not get out of the road, we will shoot
you down like dogs" Mekki was shot
the arm while running away,
and showed the scars of the wound.
Andrew Hannes and Adam Lapinski,
two of the wounded strikers, showed
their scars. Both were wounded in
the back while running away.