The times., 1898-02-26
MARTINS long TRIAL
Illness of "A Juryman Delays Pro
ceedtnSs in Court.

ceedtngs in Court.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Feb. g5-Juror A. w.
Washburn was taken suddenly sick and
was unable 10 appear this morning.
Court adjourned till o'clock this after
noon waiting developments. Juror
Weaver is also ailing. The physician who
il attending Washburne says he Will he
able to serve this afternoon. Matt Long.
of the prosecuting committee. says the
defense is weak. He says: Thus far
they have utterly failed 10 prove riot
which s-tneir, defense and have shown no
justihc.iion for taking life
The attorneys have admitted that not
even an attempt was made TO arrest a
single rioter When the case shall be
ended the world viii be convinced of the
guilt of the defendants. Conviction in the
l.uzerne county court is quite another
thing.
''rhe conviction of the sheriff and his
deputies would he the conviction of the
Lehish Valley Coal Company, A. Pardee
X Co. the Cross Creek Coal Company,
Calvin L. Pardee & Co, and Pardee
Brothers * Co. The deputies were their
employees.
When court reconvened at > O'Clock the
juror had recovered and the trial went
on.
The testimony submitted by the defense
this afternoon was to show the steps ken
10 secure the sheriff's presence and the
preliminary measures taken by him.
Before submitting evidence upon this
phase of the case. "A few more witnesses
Were called to tell of acts of violence com
mitted by the strikers
Enoch Howells Otto Rackling and Rev
c. II. Herbert. pastor of St. Paul's Re
formed church. in West Hazeton, affirm
ed that the strikers were armed with
clubs
John J. Fidler and NJ ]. Oswald saw a
man with a gun. The others had clubs.
Edward Meyer, constable of West
HaZleton. on September 10th, saw the
strikers chase people out of houses in
Cranberry. He saw strikers take revolv-
ers out of their pockets and shoot after
people running away. The witness also
saw the meeting between the deputies and
the strikers at West Hazleton, and heard
Sheriff Martin tell the strikers that they
had better go home quietly and await the
answer Of Frank Pardee. the operator of
the colliery, to the demand for an in
crease of wages.
Milton Setter. the sheriff of Carbon
county. was then called to the stand He
said that on September 4 he had been
Informed that his services We're needed in
Banks township. where riotous demon
strations had taken place. He had sew
eral hundred copies of a proclamation
printed and had them posted all over
Mauch Chunk and swore in posse of
thirty men. He met Sheriff Martin. of
Iuzerne county. and his posse at Beaver
Meadow. The two sheriffs. with their
men, numbering 142. surrounded the
breaker and soon after the strikers ap-
peared. They We're armed with clubs
Sledge hammers and miners needles. The
combined forces of the two sherifrs sue
ceeded in driving the strikers away. but
on their retreat a shot was fired out of
their ranks at the deputies
When asked what Sheriff Martins in
structions were to his little army. the
witness said that Sheriff Martin had is
sued these. instructions: BE careful not
to shoot unless ii is absolutely necessary
Don I interfere / will do all the parley-
ing. | don't want to shoot anybody or
hurt anybody. Only shoot when it is alb
solUteiy necessary to save your lives or
mine
Elliott Oberrender. secretary of the
Cross Creek Coal Company at Drifton
said that on September it had been as
certained that on the following
day attack would be made
by The strikers on the company's works
Il was ordered" said Mr.. Oberrender.
ito at once notify Sheriff Martin to come
as quickly as possible and protect our
property. We went back TO Beaver Mead
ow, and when we got there we found the
works in the possession of about 1000
strikers. We begged them TO disperse.
The strikers yelled their defiance, raised
their clubs and shot off revolvers fndis-
criminately.
What Sheriff Martins instructions to
the deputies had been, Mr. Oberrender
said. had been taken down by a stenog-
rapher II" the best of his recollection.
witness said. they had been that the dep
utieS should he very careful how they
used their firearms
john Wagner. outside foreman at
Stockton. said a striker shot at a deputy.
Charles Mulharn said he had ridden on
his wheel to Lattimer on the afternoon
or September 10. He met the marching
strikers. Nearly all had clubs Frederick
Zerbey, division superintendent of the I,e-
high Valley Coal Company, said that on
September and he had seen the sheriff
stop the mobs at Hazleton No. 1 and
Hazle mines. He heard him read the proc
lamaiion and beg them TO keep the peace
ON Septembei~i0 at West Hazleton he saw
the mob come on, and when the strikers
saw the armed deputies they paused but
some one seemed to be urging them on
and they surged forward The sheriff
pulled out his proclamation and read IT
to them. bat they laughed at him The |
strikers We're armed with clubs, sieiges |
and needles.
Mary Faust saw the strikers come to I!
Lattimer on September and heard one |
of them say: ''They had their day today |
morrow"