The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-03-03
MARTINS OWN STORY
THE LUzERNE COUNTY sHERlFFs
VERSION OF THE SHOOTING.

Declares That the Marching Miners We're
Armed and RIotous and That the shoot
ing Was Necessary to Protect the Lives
of His Deputies and Himself.
Milkesbarre, Pa, March 2.--Chief in
terest in the proceedings in the trial OF
Sheriff Martin and his deputies center
ed in the appearance of the sheriff
himself as a witness for the defense.
When he was called and as he entered
the witness stand there was rustic
Of excitement. He was rather nervous,
coughed frequently and could not keep
his hands still. se was asked the
usual questions about his position and
said he was elected in 1895 and took
office the first Monday in January
1896 He then told his story and spoke
for an hour without interruption.
In beginning, he told how he had
been called home from Atlantic City on
account of the strike and stated how
proclamations had been published and
posted to quiet the disturbances On
the 9Th of September, he said, he had
met the men collected to serve as depu-
ties. Continuing. he said:
Il told them that it was our duty to
maintain the law, and il ! found any
body violating the law we should ar
rest them. / said we did not want to
hurt or shoot anybody and that we
should not shoot unless our lives We're
in danger"
The next morning he went to Crystal
Ridge with FIVE deputies and dispersed
three crowds of men who, he stated,
were about to throw stones at men at
work in the strippings The next day
he went to Driffon and swore in a num-
Der of additional deputies. After re-
turning to Hazleton he heard mob
was marching to Stockton and took a
car thither with some deputies. He
met the strikers and read his proclama-
ton, eventually persuading them not to
enter the city limits They turned to
Crystal Ridge, but he headed them off
and with difficulty dispersed them.
Continuing his story, he told how, on
the following day (Thursday), he dis
persed some strikers at Cranberry.
Then he got word of a mob at Beaver
Meadow and went there. The mob
to push them away with their guns
held like rails The sheriff then added
that one man fired upon the deputies as
the crowd dispersed and made good his
escape.
The shooting at Lattiner.
Friday afternoon he got q message
that the strikers were marching through
Cranberry, bound for Lattimer He hur-
ried to West Hazleton and met the
strikers there. After great deal OF
difficulty he persuaded them to scatter,
the mob cursing him all the time. They
left the road, he said, and went over
some lots. Soon he heard they were 60.
ing to Lattimer.
II hurried off with my deputies, he
continued, ito intercept them. T told
them again to keep cool and not to
shoot unless their lives or mine was in
danger. After lining them up along
side the road told them would go out
to meet the strikers and try once more
to disperse them. A deputy asked If he
should not go with me. No, l said, I'll
go alone l thought one man was
enough to die at once. / felt somehow
there was going to be trouble. I met
the strikers about so yards from the
deputies and asked them where they
were going. To 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
at me and hustling me to one side. One
man tried to grab me, and / then at
tempted to get hold of him, but the
crowd jumped on me and pounded me
about the body. l dropped my paper
and pulled my revolver. One of the
men tried to snatch the revolver from
me, but failed. Then he struck me an
awful blow in the face and knocked me
to my knees. I tried to shoot him, but
my revolver would not explode. Then
the shooting commenced 1t lasted
about half minute In the crowd I
saw three men armed with revolvers
and one with a knife The latter made
stab at me, but missed. Two men
were shot just behind me to the left.
was in the direct line of fire.
More Trouble Is Anticipated.
While the story of violence is being
told in court there is danger of another
strike that will involve the entire Ha-
zleton region. The present trouble is
at the Coleraine colliery of A. S. Van
Wickle & Son, in Carbon county, just
over the Luzerne county line. This is
one of the biggest collieries in the re-
gion, employing about 800 men and
boys.
At the time of the settlement of the
September strike the Coleraine en-
ployees were granted 10 per cent in
crease. but a week ago this was with
drawn. The men protested, and the
company asked time to consider On
Saturday one of the leaders of the men
was discharged, apparently without
cause. and today the employees gave
notice that if he was not reinstated
and 10 per cent added to their wages
they would strike at once. As the min
ers throughout the region are now thor
oughly organized such a strike would
mean much. for the Coleraine men
would expect the support of the other
collieries.
Joseph Schwartz has received check
for $500 from the Polish National Alli-
ance of Chicago to be added to the pros
ecution fund.
La Champagne Safely In Port.
Halifax, Feb. 28.-The shapely French
liner Champagne helpless but rejoicing.
with flags flying was towed into this