Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-02
MARTINS STORY.
The Sheriff Testifies in the Lat
timer Shooting Case.
Describes How He Met the Mob and
Tried in Vain to Dlsperse the
Men.

Wilkesbarre, Pa, March 1.-Sheriff
Martin was called to the stand today to
testify as to the shooting of striking
miners. He was rather nervous, coughed
frequently, and could not keep his hands
still.
After answering some preliminary
questions, he went ON to tell his story,
and spoke for an hour without Interrupt
ton
II was at Atlantic City" he said.
when l received telegram from Dep
uty Sheriff Hale, saying l was needed
at home, l came home at once and met
Fred Chase, General Superintendent w.
A. Lathrop of the Lehigh Valley Coal
Co., and my attorney, G. S. Ferris.
l was told by Mr.. Lathrop that Hazel
ton strikers had damaged the company's
property. and interfered with the work
men, and he would hold me responsible
for any further trouble.
General Superintendent laval of the
Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company
was called in, and 1 suggested that he
arbitrate the differences, and settle the
strike. He agreed.
Mr.. Ferris suggested getting out a
proclamation, and this was done. I went
to Hazelton and met Superintendent
Zerby, of the Lehigh Valley Coal Com
pany, Mr. Platt and Thomas Hall.
They told me there had been much riot
Ing, and that it ought to be stopped.
They agreed to get up a posse. / after
ward met Sheriffs Zelzer and Scott, of
Carbon and Schuykill counties, and we
had proclamations published in all the
papers of HaZelton and posted along the
roads
That night I met a lot of men collect
ed to serve as deputies, and swore them
in.
Il told them that it was our duty TO
maintain the law, and if we found any
body violating the law we should arrest
them. l said we did not desire to hurt
or shoot anybody, and that we should
not shoot unless our lives were in dan
ger
"on Wednesday. after dinner. heard
the mob was marching to Stockton. L
had to argue with them before they
agreed to march around the city. l
went with them until they marched to
Crystal Ridge. | had already sent for
the deputies; we waited around the
breaker until the strikers came, and
told them they would have to disperse.
Tney were sullen and stood still At the
end of ten or fifteen minutes ] called for
deputies and again told them to march.
Then they started but as they did one
fellow cried: They are too strong for
us today, but tomorrow we will come
| back and stop the work then
ION Thursday l went to Cranberry
| and dispersed strikers who were trying
to prevent men going to work. Next I
| got word of a mob at Beaver Meadow
| and went over there.
Friday morning 1 reached Drifton
| and found all my deputies there. At 1
! o'clock D. m. l got a message that the
| strikers were marching through Gran
! berry bound for Lattimer. / hurried off
| with the Hazelton deputies to intercept
the men at West Hazelton. While going
| there ! repeated my instructions to the
deputies about keeping cool and avoid
ing trouble if possible.
1.-THE mob swore at us when we ap-
| preached, cursed me, and would not
bulge when I told them to do so, |
read my proclamation and walked
through them, asking them to go home.
| One young man sWore at me violently.
and said they would go to Lattimer in
spite of me. I arrested him. One man
picked up a stone, but dropped it when
1 pointed my revolver at him.
81 told a crowd of spectators to go
|
| there might be trouble. Finally, the
strikers left the road and started off
over some lots. Soon I heard they were
going to Lattimer, and hurried off with
my deputies to intercept them. told
them again to keep cool and not to shoot
unless our lives were in danger. After
| lining them up alongside the road, told
| them that I would go to meet the strik-
ers and try once more to disperse them.
A deputy asked if he should not go with
me. NO I said IN go alone.' 1 met
the strikers about so yards from the
deputies and asked them where they
were going.
"'To stop the Lattimer breaker a lot
Of them cried.
81 told them they must not go, and
tried to read my proclamation to them;
but they crowded around me, swearing
at me and hustling me to one side. One
man tried to grab me, and l then at
tempted to get hold of him, but the
crowd jumped on me and pounded me
about the body. / dropped my paper
and pulled my revolver. One of the
men tried to snatch the revolver from
me, but failed. Then he struck me an
awful blow in the face and knocked me
to my knees l tried to shoot him, but
my revolver would not explode. Then
the shooting commenced. Tt lasted
about half a minute.
''In the crowd l saw three men armed
with revolvers and one with a knife.
The latter made a stab at me, but
hind me to the left, l was in the direct
line of fire"
The cross-eXamination, conducted by
Mr. Scarlet, lasted for two hours and
will be resumed. While many minor de-
tails were brought out, nothing was ad