The herald., 1898-02-05
Still Disabled by Bullets OF
Deputies
SOME STRUCK BY BUCKSH0T
BUT WINCHESTER BALLS DID
MOST DAMAGE
Sheriff Martin Hopes to Show That
There Was Danger to the People
of the Town of Latimer
Associated Press Special Wire


WILKESBARRE, Pa. Feb. 4.-The
trial of Sheriff Martin and his deputies.
Jointly charged with the murder of the
striking miners at Latimer, September
10th last, was continued today. The
court room was crowded, notwithstand-
ing Judge Woodward's order that no one
should be allowed to enter after the seats
had been filled. The deputies seem to
realize the position in which they are
placed and are paying the closest at
tention to the testimony Of the common
wealth's witnesses. The witnesses are
brought into court only as they are re-
Quired to testify.
Many Of them bring reminders of the
Lattimer shooting in the shape OF ghast-
ly wounds in legs arms etc.
One man. with eight buckshot wounds
in the back. who is just recovering suffi-
cisnt strength 10 enable him to move,
was present.
Charles Guseott. the Latimer school
teacher. who told such thrilling story
yesterday afternoon. was recalled this
morning He was chiefly occupied in
pointing out those OF the deputies he re-
remoered having seen at Latimer just
previous to the shooting. After this
Guscott pointed cut by maps and pho
tosraphs the scene OF the shooting, just
where the deputies stood. where the
strikers halted. where the Sheriff mt the
strikers and where the dead and
wounded had fallen.
II was shown by this witness in cross
- r.a tril in
Latti-ler on Tuesday previous to
shooting and that there was some riot
ing.
DR.. W. \. kellar. who viewed the re-
mains OF the strikers and attended many
of the wounded. testified that number
of strikers were shot in the back, thus
bearing out the allegation that the depu-
ties fired when the men were running
away.
DR.. Kellar mentioned in order each Of
the thirty-nine patients taken to Hazel
ton 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 and
some while lying on the ground in the
hope of escaping injury. Forty-siX
wounds on thirty nine men were inflicted
by 44-caliber Winchester bullets, and
only a small majority of them were
caused by buckshot.
| OF the thirty nine patients seven died
in the hospital, two are still there and
recovering slowly and thirty have been
discharged, all of them cured except
one. who is now in a Philadelphia hos
pital
| Rev. S. E. Stafflett, pastor of the
Emanuel Reformed church of Hazelton,
testified that the strikers were orderly
and apparently unarmed.
| Miss Grace Coyle, Principal Scott's
assistant 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 saw the
deputies line up along the roadside
Then the strikers approached quietly
and in order. The sheriff stopped them
and some of them gathered around him
bue she did not see any Of them attack
him. Some of them cried go ahead,
and few strikers pushed past the sher-
iff. At that moment a shot was fired
then came another and in an instant the
volley.
|
Some Of them ran toward the school
house and when they had got halfway
they fell. The shooting continued for
two minutes and after the first volley
it was scattered"
Miss Coyle made a good witness fol
the commonwealth, but in the cross
examination she also made a good wit
ness for the defense. The defense vii
try 10 prove that the people Of Latimel
We're very much afraid Of the strikers
and became much alarmed when they
heard they We're coming. Continuing
Miss Coyle said:
Shortly before o'clock Miss Core
Heinbach came to the school and said
The strikers are coming and I want my
little sister to go home with me- l ex-
cused the little girl and then thought il
| best to dismiss the class, to they coulC
! get home before the strikers came"
This will be strong evidence for The
defense, as it will show that on the
/ Tuesday previous to the shooting mum.
! Der Of strikers were rioting in Latimel
and terrorzed the residents. Will,