The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-05
FIRED UPON AS THEY FLED.
MANY OF THE STRIKERS SHOT ATE
LATIAIER HIT IN THE BACK.

Thrilling Description of the Meet
ing of the Strikers and the Depu-
ties and the Firing-A CIergymam
Testiaes That the strikers Were
Orderly and Unarmed-A Physicians
Describes the Nature of the
wounds.
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. 10,
was continued this morning.
The court room was crowded, notwith-
standing Judge Woodward's order that no
one should be allowed to enter after the
seats had been filled.
The deputies who are on trial seem to
realize the position in which they are
placed and are paying the closest atten-
tion to the testimony Of the common
wealth's witnesses.
These witnesses are brought into court
only as they are required to testify, the
others being kept in a room up stairs.
Many of them bear reminders of the Lati-
mer shooting in the shape of CHASTITY
wounds. missing legs arms, etc. One man
with eight buekshot In his back is just re-
covering sufficient strength to enable him
20 move around.
Charles Guscott the Latimer school
teacher. who told such thrilling story
yesterday afternoon. was recalled this
morning and was on the stand until the
noon recess was taken. He was chiefly
occupied i'm pointing out those of the depu-
ties he remembered having seen at Lati-
mer just previous TO the shooting.
After fbta f1t1gr1ft nOfpfpd nv mo
and photographs OF the scene of the
shooting. just where the deputies stood,
where the strikers halted where the sher-
iff met the strikers and where the dead
and wounded had fallen.
1t was shown by this witness on cross
examination that the strikers were in
Latimer on the Tuesday previous to the
shooting, and that there was some riot
Ing
DR.. Fl. 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.. keliar mentioned In order each OF
the thirty-nlne patients taken to the Ha-
zelton Hospital and described their wounds
minutely 1t was evident that they had
been shot in all positions, some while
fronting the deputies, some while running
AWAY anu some WHlle lying on the GROUND
in the hope OF escaping injury. Forty
six wounds on thirty-uine men were in
ficted by 44-calbre Winchester bullets,
and only a small number of them were
caused by buekshot. The prosecution has
all along contended that a large number
OF the men where shot In the back
Rev. G. 4. Staffeleet of the Emanuel Re-
formed Church of Hazelton, testified that
the strikers were orderly and apparently
unarmed.
sistant at the Latimer school, proved to be
the most important witness of the day. She
said she was standing on the porch Of the
school house and sew the deputies line up
along the road side. 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. One of them cried ago
ahead" and few strikers pushed past the
sheriff. At that moment shot wasShred
then came another and an instant later a
voley
II saw men fall" said Miss Coyle. "some
of them ran toward the school house, ana
when they had got half way they fell [
do not know whether they were shot lust
before they fell or If they were wounded
by the voley and so before their
strength failed. The shooting continued for
about two minutes, and after the first vol
ley IL was scattered.
II helped many OF the wounded strikers
who fell near the school house and did
not see any weapons on any of them
While was helping them deputy nam
ed Ross laughed at me, as he walked
about smoking cigar. / said: You ought
10 go 10 Cuba Another deputy Clark
laughed and said to him: DO you think
you've done a glorious deed to-day?' I
called two more of them buns"
Miss Coyle made good witness for the
commonwealth but In the cross-examina-
tlon she also made a good witness for the
defense. The defense viii try to prove
that the people of Latimer were very
much afraid OF the strikers, and became
much alarmed when they heard they were
coming. Guscott, the principal of tn,
school, had denied that his scholars wer-
frightened. but he could not explain verv
clearly why they had bolted out of the
school without being dismissed. Miss
just what the defense desired
to get at: She said Shortly before
o'clock Miss Cora Hernbach came to the
school and said: The strikers are cor1np,
and want my little sister to come home
with me- I excused the little girl and
then thought 1t best to dismiss the class
so they could go home before the strik-
ers came'
This will be strong evidence for the de-
fense. as II will show that on the Tuesday
previous to the shooting a number Of the
strikers were rioting in Latimer and ter
rorized the residents. While these were
not the same men who marched on the
fatal Friday, the testimony will be valua-
bic to prove that in view of the riots OF
Tuesday the sheriff considered the lives
and property of the Latimer people In
danger.