Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-02-26
THE STRIKERS ARMED,
According to Sworn Testimony in
Sheriff Martins Defense.
HAD THE PEOPLE TERRoR1zED.

witnesses Declare That = Number oF
Mon Were Forced Into the Ranks of
the Marehsrs Against Their WIN.
An ootogsnarian Stoned.
Wilkesbarre. Pa, Feb. Ss.-when tb.
fourth week OF the trial Of Sheriff Mar
TN and his Deputies began Monday last
the prosecution had only two more witt
nesses to hear before sleSing. They
were James Hennahan. Of Lattinner
Ano Mike Damschal. Their testimony
aooeo nothing new, though Henuahan
identified number OF the deputies.
Mr. George s. Ferris made the open-
ms address for the defense. spealrinr
1or over an hour. He presented in de-
tail the facts OF the ease as the defens.
hopes 70 prove them. In the first place
II VIII enceavor to show that thar bs6
been riotinE throughout the rn-,on.
that the sheriff was Justified in oaI1in1
out the Posse. that he was brutalIv as
sauited ~ the strikers before the fatal
smoothing At Lattimer, and that the
strikers were armed and fred the first
shstn.
Mrs- Catherine Weisenborn. the nrsk
witness, testified that ono of the ~tr3t-
ers. Gaspsrick. en- the day OF the shoot
ing entered Mike KinasIxi's house sn,;
threatened to kill him wnless be toined
the strikers. but Kinash escaped. The
strikers were armed with clubs and
stones. and some had revolvers. Mrs.
1n@a Grace, Mrs Rose Gillespie. Mrs.
Charles Miller and Mrs. Brennan ali
declared that the strikers were armed
ana that the inhabitants ned to the
brush In terror. Mrs. Michael Gala
Sncr swore she was stoned by the strfk-
ers.
Inc nrst witness yesterday was Mrs.
James Eomondson, who lives at Har-
wood She said that On the Sla.v of th.
shooting she heard = nefrhbor shout
Skin out: the strikers are coming
continuing. witness said, IT saw the
men They all had clubs. NY man ana
my ooarders hid behind the shanty. ana
went to protect my sick boy in the
mouse. They found my husband, and
trleo 20 get him away. 1 grabbed him
ana after lot Of words they let him
so. This testimony was corroborated
by the witness husband.
retard Wolfe, q driver at the FTor-
"eoo colliery, said: when the Me-
Aooo men came to Harwood on Tues
eay, sept. Z, enc Of them said: sTsox
would you like to be made 20 TO Nc
Adoor I said. Let me nut the mules
away nrst.' He waited but did not
80. On the Friday the strikers gather
I'd to march to Lattimer I went down
te the company store and we locked
ourselves In. AftsrwRrd. when we
.nousnt the strikers had gone. we went
out One man chased ma with a hi~
stub fer q long distance. saw los
Muhall that day with a club about four
feet leng. He was enc ef the leaders
Of the strikern.'
Mrs Annie Catherine Draper. aged
", testified that on Sept. 10 the strtIx-
ers came though Cranberry. They
Acted like wild men. One man was
armed with club and another with
revolver. Another man picked up a
stone and threw it at her. The stone
weighed nearly a pound, ana was pro-
auced In court Attorney Lenahan.
noloing 1t up before the Jurors, said:
This In one ef the stones the strikers
picked up to strike matches with"
Thomas McNellis gave Important fes-
timony. He had charge of ak men
working on the public read when the
strikers came along. They wanted the I
men on the road to stop work. Nc i
Neilis expostulated with them. The I
strikers. however. were threatening. I
Lnd the men at work on the road. see
ne they were outnumbered, agreed to v
20 along with the strikers. 3
MIS- ElzaDeth Mumie, the next wit {
less, said the strikers ran after the I
people at Cranberry. and several shots h
we're fred. 4,
William Gerlach. breaker boss at '
Cranberry, testified that the strikers a
we're riotous and drove the men from 4
york at Hazleton No. l mine at Gran d
Jerry and at No. 1 breaker. The men \
raveled In bands OF from 100 to 200. ,
The strikers went into the houses at
1arwooa and drove the inmates ont.
hey armed themselves with clubs ana
crap iron at the breaker.
Mrs. John Bonner and Margaret T3o-i
iouse testified that the strikers were
rmed and the people terrified. ILu
Michael Dogostino, an italian. de- II
lares he was dragged from a building d,
the strikers but on pleading illness eli
Tas released. M
Corroborative evidence was given bv OF
lrs- Starcy, Mrs. Caramonza, Jacob M
erger and August Starcy. ii