The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-02-24
THE STRIKERS THREATS
Further Testimony For the Defense
in the Wilkesbarre Trial.
MEN DRIVEN FROM THEIR WORK.


w~ilkesbarre, Pa, Feb. 24.-The de-
Tense in the trial of Sheriff Martin
and his deputies yesterday produced
some strong evidence to show hat the
strikers fired upon at Lattimer were
riotous and disorderly. Michael Bren-
lar the first witness, testified that he
ran for the brush when some strikers
tried to capture him. Two shots were
fired, but he managed to escape.
August Winnock, who worked at
Cranberry, testified that on Sept. 8,
seven days before the fatal shooting,
a crowd of strikers told the workmen
that they must quit or they would be
hurt. on the day before the shooting
they tried again to work, but We're
stopped on the road and told they
would be killed If they went to the
workings.
Ludwig Laube, of Cranberry, stated
hat he refused to go home when or
dered to do 50 by the strikers, and in
consequence was struck in the back
with a stone thrown by a striker, and
badly hurt.
Robert Hillhouse testified thai he had
stones shaken in his face, and was
sworn at when he tried to pass through
the ranks of the strikers.
Lawrence Ermold, a 15-year-old boy,
said he was following his father
through a crowd of strikers when he
was struck and kicked severely. He
was finally rescued by his father and
two strikers.
Robert Depew, of Cranberry, saw a
lot of strikers cutting the limbs of
trees to use as clubs. They pursued
him, but he escaped and went to work.
The neXt day they caught him on the
way to work and made him go back
home under threat of injury.
John Shavello saw armed strikers at
West Hazleton on Sept. s.
Mrs. Anna Krecht, of West Halle
ton, told her husband to run into the
bush when the marching strikers came
in sight. She saw two men armed with
clubs and heard two shots fired.
C~orroborative evidence was given by
Emma Rutgen, ~15-year-old Herman
Rutger. Mrs. Emma Stage and Will
helmina Hoffman. The latter saw q
striker fire two shots at a boy.
Jacob Williams, time keeper of the
Cranberry breaker, gave some inter-
esting testimony relative to the move
ments of the strikers from Sept. 3 to
Sept. 10. "On Sept. 3, a week before
the shooting" he said, the McAdoo
strikers stoned the breaker office at
Cranberry. They stopped a coal train
and stoned the conductor and engi-
neer. They were armed with clubs
and pieces of iron. They tried to stop
the Crystal Ridge %strippings on Sept
7. There were 60 or 10 of them, but the
sheriff and four deputies were pres
ent. The sheriff toll them they were
doing wrong and violating the law,
and they went pack again. On Sept
10 1 saw the strikers marching into
Crystal Ridge and say several small,
parties leave the main body and run tc
the houses to bring out the men living
there. The men fled to the bushes, but
a few were caught and compelled tc
join the strikers.
A., b. Dreemer corroborated Will.
Jams testimony in general, and added
that he saw the Harwood men on Sept
10, at Crystal Ridge, draw a man out
of the bushes and club him v~iciously.
Mrs. A. Reese, of West Hazleton
said she told the boarders al her house
to hide in the church., where they
would be safe from the strikers.
William Steibe, on Sept. 10, saw the
HARDWOOD strikers beating Andrew
Worshak, who had been hiding from
them at Crystal Ridge. He took the
man home and sent for DR.. Robertson
who found the man terribly bruised
Mrs. Carrie Haas, of Cranberry, saw
h strikers drag a man out Of his
home by the arms, n saw them fire
two shots at some fleeing msn. Thu
man dragged out of his house had beer
sick in bed. At a meeting at Gran.
berry on the day before the shooting
one of the speakers said: IF the En-.
glish speaking people do not do as w
want them to we will crush the stuff.
ing out Of them. If we don't get oul
jobs back then every breaker IN thu
region will go up in the air." Thi.
evidence was only admitted after G
lengthy argument.
John Mummy said two shots werC
fired at him as he ran into the bushes
and Gustav Jack told how he wa!
dragged out of a shanty where he haC
hidden and forced him to join theil
ranks. Joseph Ermold said when thu
strikers tried to stop him on Sept. Il
he drew a revolver, whereupon the!
let him pass, but threatened him.
JOIN Beach, of the HARDWOOD ~colliery
said: "On Sept. 3 1 heard the Meade,
men were coming and told all my mel
to go home. Two of the McAdoo mel
came IN wheels, and said: We are go
ing to stop the mine and drive the mel
out When the strikers came som,
of them wanted to cut the rope of Nc
2 plane. A carload of men were beinj
hauled up, and If the rope a beef
cut they would have been killed. B,
hard talking l managed to persuade
the strikers not to cut the rope.
"On Monday, Sept. 6, a crowd o
HARDWOOD men, armed with clubs, cam
to the breaker and went through il
looking for men who were hiding from
them. They found none, and the lead
ers, Joe Eobotski and John Kubitski
told me hat if any of them came t
work they would be killed. Between
Sept. 6 and 10 we tried several time
to start the breaker, but each time II
/ men were driven back by the striker
, and threatened with DEATH"
! w. II. Snyder, master mechanic an
assistant superintendent of the Silve
! Brook Goa company, said that a fey
/ days before the Lattimer shooting tn
. McAdoo strikers marched there an
told them to stop hosting. They di
! so, and then the strikers pulled ou
the fires, chased out the fremen an
! said If there was any more work every
I body would be killed and the breake
: torn down. They then smashed every
, thing in the blacksmith shop. A fey
= days before, while driving, a strike
shot at him. Snyder returned the fir,