The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-02
SHERIFF MARTIN TESTIFIES
TELLS STORY OF THE KILLING OF
LATTIMER STRIKERS,

How the Firing Commenced-A Striker
Struck the Sheriff IN Awful Blow-The
Sheriff Tried to Shoot the Man but Re-
vOlver Failed to Explode-It Was Then
That the Shooting Took Place.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, March 1.-The ted
iousness of the trial of Sheriff Martin
for the murder of the Lattimer strikers
was broken this afternoon by the call
ing to the stand of Sheriff Martin to
testify in his own defense. AS he en-
tered the witness stand there was a
rustic of excitement. He was rather
nervous, coughed frequently and could
not keep his hands still. After answer
ing some preliminary questions he went
on to tell his story and spoke for an
hour without interruption. Il was at
Atlantic City on September A. he said,
when I received a telegram from
Deputy Sheriff Hale saying was need
ed at home. l came home at once and
met Fred Chase, General Superintend-
ent w. A. Lathrop of the Lehigh VAL
G. S. Ferris. was told by Mr.. Lath-
rop that Hazleton strikers had dam
aged the company's property and in
terfered with the workmen, and he held
me responsible for any further trouble.
General Superintendent laval of the
Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal company
was called in and / suggested that he
arbitrate the differences and settle the
strike. He agreed. Mr.. Ferris Sug-
gested getting out a proclamation and
this was done. They told me there had
been much rioting and it ought to be
stopped. They agreed to get me UP a
posse. / afterward met Sheriffs Seller
and Scott of Carbon and Schuylkill
counties and we had proclamations
published in all the papers of Hazleton
and posted along the roads That night
/ met a lot of men collected to serve
as deputies, and swore them in. / told
them that it was our duty to maintain
the law and if we found anybody vio-
lating the law we should arrest them.
I said we did not want to hurt or shoot
anybody and that we should not shoot
unless our lives were in danger"
Ordered His Men o Arm.
II heard a lot of McAdoo strikers
were going to march on the next day,
so 1 ordered my men to turn out at 5
o'clock the next morning and come
armed. The next morning I heard a
crowd was at Crystal Ridge so I went
over there with five deputies. The men
were just about throwing stones down
on the men in the strippings. l order
ed three separate crowds of them to
disperse and they did SO. Then we
went back to Hazleton. On Wednes-
day, after dinner, heard the mob was
marching to Stockton so with some
deputies I took a car. At the Lehigh
Valley shops in the city limits, there
was great excitement. People were run
ming for their lives. They said the
strikers were coming. With Rhone
Trescott I walked out to meet them
and stopped them on the city line. l
read my proclamation, but I had to
argue with them before they agreed to
march around the city. / went with
them until they marched to Crystal
Ridge. l had already sent for the dep
uties We waited around the breaker
until the strikers came and I'told them
they would have to disperse They
We're sullen and stood still. At the end
of ten or fifteen minutes / called for
deputies and then told them to march
and they started, but one fellow came
back and the rest followed
Deputies Fired on mt Cranberry.
"On Thursday / went to Cranberry
and dispersed strikers who were trying
to prevent men going to work. Next
got word of mob at Beaver Mead
ows and went over there. Sheriff Sell
ger was there alone. He asked men if
] would go with my men and protect
the breaker. I said I would. Soon the
mob became an ugly, desperate lot of
men, determined to run through the
breaker They charged on us and my
men had to push them away by holding
their guns like rails before them and
then it was hard work. AS they dis
persed one man fired a pistol at us.
Some deputies pursued him but her es-
| capped"
Marching for Lattimer.
Friday morning I reached Driftor
and found all my deputies there. We
went to the lumber yard. At l O'Clock
/ got message that the strikers were
| marching through Cranberry, bound
for Lattimer. hurried off the Halle
I ton deputies to intercept the men al
West Hazleton. While going there
repeated my instructions to the depu-
ties about keeping cool and aveidine
trouble, if possible. The mob swore al
| us when we approached, cursed me
and would not bulge when told them
/ to do so. l read my proclamation anG
walked through them, asking them tC
go home. One young man swore at me
violently and said that they would &c
! to Lattimer in spite of me. I arrested
him. One man picked up stone, but
dropped it when 1 pointed my revolver
at him. I told a crowd of spectators
to go home, as the strikers were des.
perate and there might be trouble. FL
nally the strikers left the road anC
started off over some lots. Soon
! Heard that they were going to Lattimel
and I hurried off with my deputies tc
| intercept them.
Deputies Told to Keep Coo.
'I told them again to keep cool ant