The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-06
SHERIFF MARTINS TRIAL
The State Has It's Case Well
Under Way.
STRIKERS WERE UNARMED
Martin Told Them That They Would
Have to Kill Him Before They
Could GO TO Lattimer-Tried
to Shoot One of Them.

Wilkesbarre, Pa, Feb. 5.-The first
week of the trial of Sheriff Martin and
his deputies ended to-day with the case
we'll under way and the jury having a
lot of evidence to think about Sunday.
There was a large crowd at this morn
ing's session.
The first witness Michael Nicholson.
described the condition of some OF the
wounded on the road near Lattimer.
One man died as he watched him; five
others whom he saw We're badly wound
ed. The witness came upon dying
striker and was joined by man named
Costello. While they We're trying to aid
the man a deputy named Alfred Hess
came up, and Costello got indignant and
said it was a scandalous piece of work
the deputies had done, whereupon Hess
replied: You shut up or | will treat
you the same way"
The defense objected to this reference
to Hess and the evidence was stricken
out. The next witness, one of the most
important of those 10 be heard on be-
half of the commonwealth, was John
tgler. secretary of the HarwoOd union
of the United Mine Workers. He told
how, on the night before the shooting, a
meeting had been held at Harwood and
march over to Lattimer that day to
show themselves to the men at that
place, at the cgttest of these men. The
witness got an American flag and nailed
ii on a long pole. They agreed, he said,
to march unarmed and to behave peace
ably Speaking of the meeting with
the sheriff and deputies at West Haz-
elton, the witness said: They rushed
at us and pointed their guns In our faces
and tod us to stop. ] explained 10 the
sheriff that we were just going to show
ourselves to the Lattimer men ana We're
going to do no harm to anybody. The
sheriff said: If you get to Lattmer you
must kill me-. Burgess Jones of West
HaZelton said he could march through
the streets, and so the sheriff and depu-
ties went away and we marched on to
Lattimer"
The witness said that at Lattimer he
again told the sheriff they We're not
armed and would behave themselves.
The sheriff pulled couple of men out
of the ranks and drew his revolver and
witness saw him trying to shoot one of
the strikers, The revolver did not eX-
piode however. and then a crowd
formed around the sheriff. At this time
there was shot and then three or four
shots, and at last volley. Witness fell
down between two men, but did not
think the men We're shooting ball cart
ridges until he saw one of them bleed
inE. Then he got up and ran with The
rest and the bullets kept whizzing
about his ears. He saw lots of wound
ed men, but did not go near the depu
ties as he was afraid.
On cross-eXamination ligler admitted
that when the sheriff told them to dis
persc, he said: We amt going to; we
are going To Latimer."
Dist 'ict Attorney Martin, addressing
the co art, asked that the defendants lie
required TO furnish bail or be commit
ted to jail. Their bail" he said mas
been forfeited since the last term Of
court In November when their appear
ance here absolved their bondsmen. BY
a mistake their bail was not renewed
and we have discovered that they have
not been under bail since that time.
They are charged With the highes ST
crime on the calendar. and the court
shoulG not discriminate between them
and tie ordinary criminals"
jude Woodward said that the de-
fendards should furnish bail on Mon
day
The court adjourned until Monday
morning.