Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-02-28

in the proceedings. So far the defense
has contented itself with proving acts
OF violence and disorder committed b,
McAdoo, Beaver Meadow and othel
South Side strikers. The testimony
given on this point would seem to show
that Sheriff Martin and his deputies
were lax in their duties when they fail
ed to arrest these rioters. So far
nothing has been proven against the
body Of Harwood men, into whose ranks
the deadly volleys were poured.
On Thursday the witnesses numbered
probably fifty. They told of the raids
committed off and on from September
to 10. None, however could prove thai
the Harwood miners were engaged il
these dsorderly proceedings, and the
prosecutions attorneys consider all such
evidence immateral to the case.
The press reports however, do not
clearly show that these rioters were not
the men who were shot down. and in
this confusion OF testimony the defense
hopes to influence public opinion in its
favor by making it appear that it was
raging blood-thirsty mob. instead of o
peaceable procession, that the sheriff
mot at Lattimer.
On Friday Juror A. w. Washburn, of
Freeland, was i'll with dysentery and no
court was held in the morning. In the
afternoon Sheriff Setter, of Carbon
county, was on the stand He told of
| mantinp Strilxar nj RnnNnr Na,Hpy,
September o. He said with the aid OF
Sheriff Martin and the latter's deputies
he dispersed the mob.
The defense attempted to show by
Sheriff Setter what orders had been
given by Sheriff Martin to his deputies,
to show that there was no malice against
the strikers, and that the defendants
had not been instructed as the prosecu-
tion has continually asserted. The pro-
posed evidence was that Sheriff Martin
instructed all of his deputies on being
sworn in that they should be careful
not to shoot: do not shoot or hurt any
one; do not shoot unless it is abSolutel,
necessary, or when my Cthe sheriff s.
or your life is in danger
Sheriff Setter further testified that
when the strikers were being forced
back from the Coke breaker in Beaver
Meadow that one of them attempted to
strike him with a club, but he grabbed
the club and avoided the intended as
sault. The strikers were very deter.
mined lot of men, but were not Har-
wood men.
Elliott Oberrender. of Drfton. was
next, and he told what had been sus-
pected from the start-that the first call
for Sheriff Martin was sent from Drifton
Office. He told of the Summoning OF
Sheritfs Setter and Martin, and asking
that they protect the property of the
Coke estate. Sheriff Martin reached
Drifton on September and swore in
ffty-six men as deputies. The men
were picked from among the Coke en-
ployes. On that same day the deputies
started for the Beaver Meadow breaker.
They went over on special train on
the ID. S. Il 5. Railroad. On nearing
Beaver Meadow some of the breaker en-
ployes came rushing through the brush
and Tagged the train, saying that the
strikers had stopped the breaker and
taken possession of it, On arriving at
Beaver Meadow the deputies found at
least 1000 strikers assembled. They
reached from the breaker to the com
pany's stable, distance of 600 or 700
yards. The witnesses and deputies con
fronted the strikers and asked them to
disperse; that they the deputies) were
there to protect the company property
and were bound to do so.
The strikers were very riotous, yelled
and waved clubs and fired shots iudis-
criminately around the deputies. The
strikers jeered and mocked the deputies.
danced about, opened their coat and
dared the deputies to shoot, saying:
You no shoot; you no soldier" None
of these were Harwood men.
The witness was one of the chief depu-
ties and stated that Sheriff Martin eau
toned all the deputies to keep cool,
handle their guns carefully and hoped
that there would be no shooting, unless
property was destroyed or the lives of
tn" sheriff and deputies were in danger
That Sheriff Martin also instructed the
deputies to come to his aid il he was
attacked at any time, and that he would
do all the pleading with the strikers and
endeavor to get them to disperse.
John Wagner, outside superintendent
at Drifton, told how Sheriff Martin
selected his deputies on September s.
That the sheriff selected only men who
were American citizens. The witness
described the scene at the Beaver
Meadow breaker. When he reached
there he had charge of the deputies,
about thirty of them. They found at
least 1000 strikers, armed with clubs,
iron and revolvers. The strikers had
possession of the entire town and the
Coke breaker and neighborhocd. The
witness formed his deputies around the
breaker and ordered the strikers to
disperse and talked to some of the ring
leaders. The strikers fell back a short