The age-herald., 1898-02-06
JOHN EGLER TELLS
 IF LAT|MER TRIP Says the Miners Agreed to Go
 Unarmed. MET SHERIFF AT HAZLETON If You Go You Must XIII Me, Were
 His Words. HE TRIED TO s,r A STRIKER
  But Ills ReYS Failed to Explode lss Snapped. THE DEF NTs NOT UNDER BOND Their Bail Had Been Forfeited Since Novem- Der Term of Court, When Their Appear ance Absolyed Bondsmen-By Mistake Was Not Renewed.
THE prr asrs NOT UNDER BOND

Wilkesbarre, Pa, Feb. 5.-The first week of the trial of Sheriff Martin and his deputies, ended today with the case we'll under way and the jury having lot of evidence to think about over Sunday There was the usual crowd at this morn- ings session.
 The first witness, Michael Nicholson, de- scrbed the condition of some of the wounded on the road near Latimer One man died as he watched him; five others whom he saw were badly wounded. The witness came upon a dying striker and was joined by man named Costello. While they were trying the man deputy named Alfred Hess came up and Costello, with great indignation, said 1t was a scandalous piece of work the deputies had done, whereupon Hess replied: "You shut up or I will treat you the same way.
 The defense objected to this reference to Hess and the evidence was stricken out.
 Agreed to March Unarmed.
 The next witness was John Egler, the most important one to be heard on behalf of the commonwealth. He Is secretary of the Harwood union of the United Mine Workers. He told how on the night be- fore the shooting the meeting had been held at Harwood and the men gathered there and decided to march over to Lati- mer the next day to show themselves to the men at the request of the men. Wit ness got an American flag and tied it on a long pole he had cut. They agreed to march unarmed and to behave peaceably. Speaking of the meeting with the sheriff and deputies at West Hazleton, witness said: "They rushed at us and pointed their guns in our faces and told us to stop. I explained to the sheriff that we were just going to show ourselves to the Lati- mer men and were going to do no harm to anybody The sheriff said:
 Tr,e rte-.r's vb~eat.
 "If you go to Iatlmer you must kill me" Burgess Jones of West Hazleton said he would march through the streets, and so the sheriff and deputies went away and we marched on to Latimer.''
 The witness said that at Latimer he again told the sheriff that they were not armed and would behave themselves. The sheriff pulled couple of the men out of the ranks and drew his revolver, and witt ness saw him trying to shoot one of the strikers. The revolver did not explode, however and then the crowd formed around the sheriff. At this time there was shot and then three or four shots and at last a volley. Witness fell down. but did not think the men were shooting ball cart ridges until he saw one of the men beed- ing. Then he got up and ran with the rest and the bullets kept whizzing about his ears. He saw lots of wounded men, but did not go near the deputies, because he was afraid.
 On cross-examination, Egler admitted that when the sheriff told him to disperse h. 'Ve ain't going to; we are going to Latimer..
 After the cross-examination of Egler the court adjourned until Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
 Wanted Them Under Bail.
 District Attorney Martin, addressing the court, asked that the defendants be re- quired to furnish bail or be committed to jail.
 'Their ball." he said has been forfeited since the last term of court in November, when their appearance here absolved their bondsmen. By mistake their bail was not then renewed and we have discovered that they have not been under bail since that time. They are charged with the highest crime on the calendar, and tho court should not discriminate between them and the ordinary criminal They should either furnish bail or be sent to jail at once"
 Judge Woodward said the defendants should furnish bail Monday