The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-02
MARTIN On The STAND
Tells How the Strikers Hap
pened TO Be Killed.
HE PLEADS SELF-DEFENSE
Did Not Shoot Until He Had
Been Badly Beaten.

| wilkesbarre, Pa, March lit was an
| nounced this morning that Sheriff Martin
/ would be placed on the witness stand this
| afternoon by the defense TO tell his story
of the shooting of the strikers az Latti-
| mer on September 10. 2
| Thomas A. Harris. paymaster for the
| Calvin Pardee company at Lattimer. tes-
/ ti1ed that he was sworn in as a deputy
/ and armed with a Winchester rifle with
| fifteen ball cartridges. On September :,
/ together with William Kulp, he was
/ guarding the railroad approach 10 the
/ breaker ar Lattiner. When the strikers
/ approached Kulp fired his gun in the air
and the strikers broke and ran. At the
! same time a striker fired a revolver and
| shouted, you've got US today, but wen
| come back tomorrow several thousand
| strong"
| Sherin Martin was called and as he en-
tered the witness stand there was a rustic
/ of excitement. He was rather nervous.
cougher frequently, and could not keep
! his hands still.
! His commission and proclamation were
read and placed in evidence. He then
went on to tell his story and spoke for an
/ hour without interruption. He told OF the
/ trouble with the strikers, and describing
/ his movements on Friday, when the shoot
/ ing occurred, said:
The mob swOre at US when we ap-
/ preached. cursed us, and would not bulge
when 1 told them to do so. 1 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.
II told a crowd OF spectators to go
home, as the strikers were desperate and
there might be trouble. Finally the strik-
| ers left the road and started off over some
lots. Soon 1 heard they were going on
| to Lattimer, and | hurried of with my
| deputies to intercept them. I told them
/ again 10 keep cool and not 10 shoot unless
| their lives or mine were in danger. After
lining them up alongside the road. told
! them l would go out to meet the strikers
and try once more to dispense them. A
deputy asked If he should not go with me.
! No said, III go alone 1 thought one
man was enough 10 die at once. l felt
!
somehow there was going TO be trouble.
I met the strikers about fifty yards from
! the deputies, and asked them where they
were going.
ITO stop the Lattimer breaker lot
of them cried.
Il told them they must not go. and
tried to read my proclamation to them,
but they crowded around me. swearing
/ IN one
man tried to grab me, and 1 then at
tempted TO get hold of him, but the crowd
jumped on me and pounded me about the
body. 1 dropped my paper and pulled my
revolver. One Of the men tried 10 snatch
the revolver from me but failed. Then he
struck me an awful blow in the face and
knocked me to my knees. ! tried to shoot
him. but my revolver would not explode
Then the shooting commenced. 1t lasted
about half a minute.
"In the crowd I saw three men armed
with revolyers. and one with knife. The
latter made a stab at me, but missed. Two
men were shot just behind me 70 the left.
I was in the direct line Of fire"
Cross-exa mination OF the witness took
two hours. and will be resumed tomorrow.
TWO POLITICAL MURDERS.
Washington, March IA matter which
engaged the attention OF the cabinet today
was the murder recently OF the cOlored
postmaster and his infant child at Lake
CITY, S. c., by a mob OF n hundred or so
white men. II was remarked by MEM
Der Of the cabinet after the close OF the
meeting that this heinous crime had been
passed almost unnoticed by the public
in the excitement caused by the wreck
Of the Maine and that thoughtful men
might prontably give a share Of their at
tention to this great wrong committed by
our won people
The two outrages on Republican post
masters in the south discussed occurred
at Lake City, s c. and Ada. Go. Free
man. the postmaster at the latter place.
was assassinated before he entered on the
discharge Of his duties as postmaster. The
president IL is said. is very much dis
turbed By these acts though he views
with satisfaction the fact that the whole
southern press has expressed its inGigna-
ton. The FIRST impulse OF the officials IN
cases like those cited. IL Is said, Is 10
abolih the office where the outrage occurs.
although 81 IS realized that such step
would deprive % their postal facilities
large numbers Of citizens who have Moth
Ing to do with the killing. The president
therefore. finds st difficult 10 Lay down
any rigid rule that could he applied IN
all cases. The Office at Lake City has
been abolished. but 50 far nothing has
been done regarding the case AZ Ada
BEARS HIS BROTHERS SINS.
Chicago. March Frank Hiu VII 70
n prison 70 save his brother. His friends
have informed the states attorney that
the Young man intends 70 plead guilty 20
robbery and voluntarily accept punish
ruent in order 10 protect his brother. Rot-
ert J. Hill. from the penitsntiaray. The
latter fs now under sentence. having been
convicted 81 robhing a saloon At the trial
several witnesses testified positively that
Robert J. Hiu wss one Of The robberz.
while Two witnesses said Frank Hiu vas
Geo z Barse. Pres : 4 Waite. sec-Treas-
BARSE co Live Stock c.