The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-04
TRIAL OF SHERIFF MARTIN,
Prosecution Provina that 10 Shoot-
ing the Striking Miners
HE COMMITTED wILLFuL MURDER
Witncsses Testify to the Premcditn-
tion of shooting with which the
Deputies Went 10 Latimcr.


OF testimony In TIE trial Of Sheriff Martil
and his deputies began today in the Lu
] zerne county court.
Attorney McGahren presented the cas-
, for the commonwealth. Mr.. McGahren tol'
how the strikers had started to march from
Hazleton to Latimer, and about the depu
ties boarding the cars and going to inter
cept the men.
I'VE will prove" he said. that at thu
point some of the deputies made threats
that one of them said: III bet III droI
six OF the strikers another said, i hope
we get chance TO take a pop at some
OF them
Mr.. Gahren then described the shoot.
Ing.
Andrew Sever was the first witness CALI
| cd. witness saw the sheriff draw his re-
volver and heard 1t snap and then the
shooting commenced.
The second witness was John Mahatia'
who was. at the time Of the strike, the
president OF the Harwood local union OF
the United Mine Workers of America.
He told OF the meeting where 1t WAS agreed
| to march to Latimer at the invitation OF
| the miners there his counsels OF peace anu
the start the next day, all the men Deihs
unarmed. At West Hazleton they were
stopped by the sheriff, who ordered them
to dispense. Mahatla protested that they
were breaking no law, whereupon one Oh
the deputies grabbed the American nag ne
bore and tore 1t in halves.
'oThe sheriff" he said pointed his re-
yolver and threatened to shoot. The deputies
pushed us around with the muzzles OF their
guns and swore at us, md one struck John
H,,lstls twice with his gun, cutting his head
and breaking his arm in two places.
'Then Burgess Jones of West Haaieton
demonstrated with the sheriff, saying ne
could keep the peace witnout using MS
weapons; that he had confidence Ia us
and would let Us march through the streets
of his borough as much as we liked. yhs
sheriff and his deputies then boarded the
cars and we marched on toward Lalimef.
Witness was in the rear OF the crowd Wnen
the shooting commenced. He saw ten dead
n,en and u number od wounded lying iii the
road.
Charles Guscott. principal OF the Latlmer
school, a building about 500 yards from
the scene OF the shooting. said he wae
teaching school when he heard an unusual
noise, and going TO the window, he found
that "a number of men, some eighty. We're
alghtIng from an electric car. They wore
deputies. He saw the deputies line UP
to the side of the road and form with rifles
ready
The strikers were by this time some 200
or 300 yards away Thoy were marching
five and six abreast and we're quiet and or
derby Witness could not see that they
carried any Weapons AS they o2w near,
the sheriff advanced to meet them. AS he
reached the first man. a dozen or SO formed
"A sort OF n half circle around him He did
not hear the sheriff say anything, nor did
he see him read any paper. A minute af-
ter the line first stopped those behlpd
pushed ahead to see what was going on
and got ahead of the sheriff. At that mo.
ment one OF The deputies stepped OH. OF the
line and advanced, whereupon another
shouted III you don't come back we Will
shoot YOU too
The fellow jumped back into the line,
and almost Immediately after the witness
heard a shot. N came from the loft OF
the line OF deputies. mon,rnt later two
more shots were fired, and then came the
volley. As soon as the volev was fired ,hs
strikers ran In all directions. Between the
road and school house fifteen men fell
struck down by shots fircd after The v6ilov
lie saw one man shot and Killed while run
hing MT mn speed ct distance of 100
wards from the road. The cheating coptin-
ned for some two or three minutes. VII.
ness did not see any of the DEPUTIES leave
the iine and run after ;he strikers TO shoot
item He knew a number of the DEPUTIES
ana saw thorn plainly before the shooting
occurred. Guscott will continue tomorrow
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