New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-08
JUDGE REBUKES LAWYERS
AN EXCITING INCIDENT of THE LAT
TIMER SHOOTING TRIAL.
THREAT TO IMPRIsoN COUNSEL FOR CONTEMPT
IF THEY no NOT BEHAVE PROPERLY
SENSATIONAL NEWSPAPERS ALSO De
NOuNCED-sOME STRONG POINTS
MADE BY THE DEFENCE.

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MADE BY THE DEFENCE.
Wikesbarre. Penn Feb 7-Hundreds Of persons.
anxious TO hear what action Judge Woodward would
take IN reference to the sensational outbreak on
saturday between Messrs. Ciarman and Lenahan.
| opposing counsel in the Iattimer shooting case.
thronged the courtroom to-day. So great the
crush that the court officers had difficulty in check
ing the stream OF people and closing the doors.
Judge woodward as soon all the attorneys had
assembled spoke Of the incident OF Saturday. say
Ing that after he had left the bench and before tho
court adjourned alteration had arisen between
TWO or the lawyers engaged in the Martin trial.
which the Court did not fully hear nor realize the
words uttered until they were seen In the news
papers. Had heard" said the Judge what
was said We should have dealt with the lawyers in
summary manner. as tho AFFAIR deserved. and
II there is repetition Of It We shall punish the
guilty parties for contempt Of court
Judge Woodward went on to say that the sttor-
neys were officers OF the court and that their aid
was necessary In preserving the dignity OF the
court, as the nature Of the case demanded Then
came severe denunciation of ihe sensationalism
OF certain newspapers. in. as he Court said. en-
deavoring 10 prevent justice by an exaggeration
OF the facts and the incidents OF the trial in print
ana pictorialiy He would not. he said. mention
any names at present. but "if the astounding false
hoods and Misrepresentation continue. the repre-
sentatives OF the papers will find the door Of the
court closed TO them. This is a OF Justice"
continued the Judge. engaged in the trial OF a
case dealing with the life or death OF a number OF
men. and Is not concert a political conven-
ton. The dignity Of the court must and will be
preserved"
The first witness be called to-day was Silas
Jones, justice OF the peace OF West Hazleton.
He said that he had the meeting OF the depu-
ties and strikers at West Hazleton. and had then
followed the deputies 10 Lattimer. He saw the
strikers approached. Sheriff Martin advance tow
ard them with paper in his hand. Some OF them
ad and ol, fiono I,tt,
the witness could not see exactly who the Sheriff
was engaged with how the alteration began.
how II terminated. He heard a couple Of shots
and then a voey. and several men fall Two
who fell him were dead. He asked what
the spectators said after the shooting The de-
fence objected 10 this the ground that the evil
dence relevant. The argument this
point lasted about an hour. After listening 10 all
the arguments. the Court sustained the objection,
thus shutting out the evidence This is regarded As
importan; point gained for the defence
John Yeager. a Slovenian. who required an in
terpreter said he had the deputies on their
way Lattimer the day Of the shooting. All
armed with rifles. but ne could not see whether
the Sheriff had any weapons He pointed out a
number OF the deputies in the courtroom whom ne
did know by name.
Just before the noon adjournment the Court ac-
cepted bail for all the accused deputies and the
Sheriff in the amount OF s60J In each case, making
10000 in all. Bail furnished by the Philadel-
When court met again in the afternoon. George
Yeager resumed his testimony. detailing MS move
ments the day OF the shooting and corrooo-
r. s ns ruende 1i WIS, }iaz"ton The wit
then pointed ont the deputies whom ne saw
shooting They John Ieirdt, Harry Zelrdt'
Schuyler Ridgway and Thomas Hall The witness
could not remember any more. but he Tent zone
George ". Fritzinger Frank Clark and X +
Plat being present with guns In their nands
although he was not sure that they shot.
Mr. Lena conducted the cross-exarnlnatloh
but did not change the witnesses story materially
He said during the course Of the examination that
he could point out any deputy who was present al
the shooting. and the defence immediateiy mace a
strong point by calling up In front OF the witness
stand Joan Hampton Chief OF the Coal and Iron
Police Yeager asked y he had seen Hampton
with the deputies.
Yes" he exclaimed; ne was IN the line. ana is
was holding mis- rife this way and ne illustrated
The defence when its turn comes. will prove that
Hampt IN was not nj the scene AT all, but was In
Hazleton at the time.
he wa. al West Hazleton when the strikers arrived
and that he talked with Bornheiser. one OF the
deputies who wanted him 70 Join them Bern
heiser said Every one Of these d strikers ought
They have as good A right 10 strike any
body" the witness replied. land would not stop
you're a d. coward" Bornheser said. or else
you would get a gun ara 20 OUT Win us 10 shool
them -, $1,000, 49,, -,
ness said. and then Bornheiser went away. .
The last witness John Costello. VINO said
he was helping a wounded man. when Deputy \.
T. Hess approached him. He was about 10 detail
the conversation which ensued and by when the
Commonwealth hoped 70 prove malice on the part
Of the deputy but the defence objected. There was
a long argument and at its-eonclusion the Court
Adjourned and the decision will be rendered in the
morning