Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-22
LATTIMER DEFENSE BEGUN.
Attorney George H. Ferris Says 1,
Will Be Proven That the Shoot
Ing Was Justified.

Wilkesbarre, Pa. Feb. 2l.-When the
fourth week Of the trial of Sheriff Martin
and his deputies began to-day. the prosecu-
ton had only two more witnesses to hear
before closing. James Hanahan. of Latti-
mer. testified that he said to Deputy Price:
This is a sad business. SAM"
Yes" replied Price. land I am glad I
did not shoot"
On cross-examination the witness denied
that Price had said to him. ITS a bad
business, this shooting, but it could not be
prevented"
The testimony Of Mike Damschke. the
last witness for the commonwealth, was
unimportant.
George H. Ferris made the Introductory
speech for the defense. Mr.. Ferris present.
ed in detail the facts of the case as the
defense hopes to prove them. 1t will en-
deavor to show that there had been riot
ing throughout the region; that the sher-
if was justified in calling out the posse.
and that he was also justified in ordering
the shooting at Lattimer. il he deemed it
necessary.
He then detailed the movements Of the
strikers from the time ;eey left HARDWOOD
until they reached Lattimer.
There" he said. 'the sheriff advanced
alone to meet them. Instantly there was a
tumult of yells. Five or six men bounced
upon the sheriff, seized him, showed hin
into a ditch o. the left Of the road and
began beating him. Two of them -four
ished revolvers at him and a third made
a savage stab at him with a knife. h
sheriff in his struggles freed his right arm
and drew his revolver and snapped it at
one of his assailants. It would not go
hin a ans VICIOUS blow In the face with his
fist and knocked him to his knees. All
at once a revolver shot rang out from the
rsshsng, mS6I ! lati anofhe Tol1eS fg ei9ae the The
guns which lasted a few seconds. less than
half a minute, and ceased when the mob
The order to fire was given; by whom.
we do not know, but 1t was none too
soon. for the head of the charging col
1nn1,, had flushed Tna bst Mi,hi 1bn fft at1ac men ws oI 1 qee
pulsed. That. gentlemen. is the story Of
Lattimer, as you will hear 1t from the
deputies. We expect a verdict Of acquit-
The first witness for the defense was
Mrs. Catherine Weisenborn. She said;
The strikers had gathered at HARDWOOD
them. Gasperick. who testified for the
state. entered Mike Kinaski's house and
tried to get him to go out, crying: If
"Kinaski was in hiding and escaped: and
as the strikers departed they cried: Wen
show the white people what we'll do when
we OIll UdCh.
II saw the strikers chase a number Of
people. They were all armed with clubs
and stones and som had ~revolyers-"
Mrs. Eliza Grace. of HARDWOOD. said her
husband ran into the brush when he heard
the strikers were approaching. He was
'They tramped through my fruit gar
den." said Mrs. Grace. and broke my bean
poles in two to make clubs. They caught
John .Edmondson and would have taken
him along forcibly had not his wife chung
to him and begged them to release him."
Mrs. Rosa Gillespie. of HARDWOOD. told
how she had sent her four boys into the
brush to hide. fearing the strikers would
hurt them.
Mrs. Catherine Brennan hid her 15-year-
old boy and went out to look at the strik-
ers. They were armed with clubs. hammers
and stones. One man fired a shot in the
air. Others fired into the brush, where
many of the men were hiding. Mrs. Bren-
nan said she saw Martin Shofronick march
into Joe Shultz' saloon. crying that if he
did not come out he would be killed. Shultz
was in hiding and could not be found.
Mrs. Michael Gallagher. of Harwood. said
she wa- stoned by the strikers. and Mrs.
Charles Miller said her husband had gone
to West Hazleton when he heard the strik-
ers were approaching. This concluded the
testimony for the day.