Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-03-05
THR SnRRIFFS STORY.
Accused Official Tells of the Fatal
Shooting at Lattimsr.
wAsATTAOKEDB THE STRIKERS

by the Mob. He Says. aud One OF
Thorn Had Knocked Him 60 HIS
Knees when the Firing Commenced. (
wilkesbarre. Pa. March 1.-The de-
Tense In the case against Sheriff Mar
tin and his deputies. on trial for the
shooting OF strikers az Lattimer last
September. is producing strong evil
dence to show that the rioters had
been riotous and threatening for some
time previous to the fatal encounter.
Many witnesses testified that they had
been forced by threats 10 join the
strikers ranks, while others who re-
fused were brutality beaten. A score or
more witnesses have testified that
some OF the strikers were armed with
revolvers. and several swore that the
first sbots-at Lattimer were fred from
the strikers ranks.
On Wednesday OF last week Jacob
Williams. timekeeper of the Cranberry
breaker. told OF the attack by the strik-
ers on that breaker on Sept. 3. when
they also stopped a coal train and
stoned the crew. On Friday Sheriff Sell
ser, OF Carbon county. told how he had
called on Sheriff Martin and his depu-
ties for aid in defending Coxe's break
er at Beaver Meadow. Martin in
structed his deputies to do no firing
except In defense of their own lives.
1 The witnesses on Saturday and Mon
day were mainly women. who told Of
the terror the strikers had created
Mrs Katharine Craig and her children
| walked frem Lattimer to MsInesville
at o'clock In the morning. fearing the
| strikers would blow up the town.
stephen Guttenmiller testified that =
man stood behind the deputies urging
| the strikers on
There were several important wit
nesses on Tuesday last. who told Of
the reign Of terror the strikers had
created. The most important witness
OF the day. however. was Sheriff Mar
tin himself. The sheriff told Of the
riotous days previous to the conflict
at Lattimer. admitted that his depu-
ties had been selected by mine of1cials
explained how he had repeatedly warn
ed the strikers against riotous march
ing. and then came down to the day
OF the Lattimer shooting. He said:
Friday morning, Sept. 10. reached
Drifton and found all my deputies
there. At i o'clock in the Afternoon
got q message that the strikers wers
marching through Cranberry, bound
for Lattimer. 1 hurried or with the
: Hazieton deputies to intercept the mel
at West Hazleton- While going tber'
1 repeated my instructions to the depu
ties about keeping cool and avoiding
trouble II possible
1.-THE mob swore at us when we ap
preached. cursed me, and would no
: bulge when 1 told them to do So
through them, asking them to go home
One young man swore at me violently
and said they would go to Lattimer 81
spite CT me. 1 arrested him One MAJ
2 picked up a stone, but dropped it whel
: pointed a revolver at him.
II told a crowd of spectators to G
D home, as the strikers were desperate
] and there might be trouble. Finally tn
2 strikers left the road and started OF
over some lots. Soon heard they wer
Z going to Lattimer, and 1 hurried OF
s with my deputies to intercept then
: told them again TO keep cool and nc
= to sheet unless their lives or min
e were in danger. After lining them u
E alongside the road / told them 1 woul
u go out and meet the strikers and tr
, once more to dispense them. A deput
y asked II he should not so with m,
i No. said. TN so alone I though
one man was enough to die at one
Il I felt somehow there was going to /
} trouble. L met the strikers about |
: yards from the deputies and aske
C them where they were going. To ste
Il the Lattimer breaker lot of thel
j cried.
Il II told them they must not go. an
tried to read my proclamation to then
{ but they crowded around me, sweal
II ing at me and hustling me to one sid
} One man tried to grab me. and the
l. attempted to get hold OF him, but II
70 crowd then jumped on me and pounds
y me about the body. i dropped my p'
y per and pulled my revolver One OF Il
% men tried to snatch the revolver fro
Z. me. but failed. Then he struck me 9
II awful blow in the face and knockc
RS me to my knees / tried to shoot hiT
e. but my revolver would not explod
n Then the shooting commenced
lie lasted about a half minute.
is In the crowd 1 saw three me
b. armed with revolvers and one Wi
s. a knife. The latter made stab
= me. but missed. Two men were sh
Il just behind me to the left. was
IN the direct line OF fire"