The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-04
SHOT IN BACK AND SIDE.
Damaging Evidence Against Sheriff
Martin and Deputies.

| Wilkesbarra, Pa, February 3.-Taking
of testimony in the trial of Sheriff Mar
tin and his deputies began this morning
in the Luzerne county court.
Attorney MeGahren presented the case
for the commonwealth.
We will prove to you, said he, that 10
men were killed and SO wounded. When
we have proved these facts to you we
shall say. and we shall expect his honor
to say, that these men had right 10 Or
ganize, right to march and right to
use the public highways. We will then
expect you to do your duty and to vindi-
cate these men and find these defendants
guilty.
Mr.. McGahran completed his opening
address at IL. 10 O'Clock.
Andrew Silver was the first witness
called and was still on the stand when
court took recess.
The defense attempted to show that the
witnesses had been terrorizing men
who did not want to strike, to such an
extent that they were forced to join the
strikeIY, but the court would not allow
it. The witness denied that he had been
engaged in or had known of cases of vio-
lence with the strikers as the aggressors
on the day the strikers were shot.
The second witness was John Mahala,
who was president OF the HARDWOOD local
union Of the united mine workers. He
told of the meeting where it was agreed
to march to Latiiuer, his counsels of
peace and the start the next DAY. all the
men being unarmed. At West Hazleton
the sheriff ordered them to disperse.
Mahala protested that they were breaking
no law, whereupon one of the deputies
grabbed the American flag from him and
tore it in halves.
The sheriff. he said, ''pointed his
revolver and threatened to shoot. The
deputies pushed us around with the muz-
zleS of their guns and swore at us. and
one struck John Eustis twice with his
gun, cutting his head and breaking his
demonstrated with the sheriff, saying
that he could keep the peace without
using any weapons. The sheriff and his
deputies then boarded the cars and we
marched on toward Latimer.
Witness was in the rear of the crowd
when the shooting commenced. When
he reached the front the shooting had
ended. He saw 10 dead men and num-
Der of wounded lying in the road.
Rev. Father Aust, pastor of the st.
Anislaus Polish Catholic church at HaZ-
Teton, chairman of the prosecution, was
called to prove that many of the strikers
were shot in the back.
ran church at Freeland, said he had
examined several of the victims and
found all of them were shot in the side
or the back.
Chas. Guscott, principal of the Latimer
school, about 600 yards from the scene
Of the shooting and in full view of all
that took place, testified that he saw the
deputies line up across the road and then
move over to the side of the road and
form with rifles ready. The strikers were
coming over the prov OF a hill TWO or
three hundred yards away. They were
quiet and orderly. Witness 90 uld not see
that they carried any weapons. AS they
drew near the sheriff advanced to meet
them and dozen or SO formed sort Of
half circle around him. He did not hear
the sheriff say anything or see him read
any paper A minute after the line
stopped those behind pushed ahead to
see what was going on, and got ahead OF
the sheriff. One deputy stepped out OF
the line and advanced 10 or II PAGES
whereupon another shouted: IF you do
not come back we win shoot you, too.
The fellow jumped back into the line and
almost Immediately the witness heard
shot from the left of the line OF depu-
ties. A moment later two more shots
were fired and then came the yoiley.
The strikers ran in all directions. Be-
tween the road and the school house Is
men fell struck down by shots tired
after the first volley. He saw one man
shot and killed while running at fall
speed 100 yards from the road. The
shooting continued two or three min
utes.
Guscott will continue tomorrow.