Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-22
VIEW IS NOW VARIED
OF the Terrible Tragedy That
Took Place on the Road
a. Near lattimer, Pa.
DEFENCE BEGINS ITS TESTIMONY,

Statement Of the Attorney for the Deputies
and the Evidence Given by Their Wit
nesses Utterly at Variance with That
Given for I,s state--Allcged Attack on
the sherir-State of Terrorism Caused by
the Marching Strikers.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Feb. 22-The state
closed its direct testimony in the Lat
timer shooting case yesterday with q
few witnesses who added nothing new
to the evidence on record. Then Attor-
ney Ferris, for the defense, rose and
made q statement CT what he expected
to prove to the satisfaction Of the jury
and court. He presented in detail the
facts of the case as the defense hopes TO
prove them. 1t will endeavor to show
that there had been rioting throughout
the region; that the sheriff was justified
In calling out the posse, and that he
was also justified in ordering the shoot
ing at Lattimer If he deemed it neces-
sary. He then detailed the movements
of the strikers from the time they left
Harwood until they reached Lattimer.
There" he said, the sheriff advanced
alone to meet them. Instantly there
was tumult of yells. Five or six men
pounced upon the sheriff, seized him,
showed him into a ditch on the left Of
the road and began beating him. Two
Of them flourished revolvers at him and
q third made a savage stab at him with
knife.
How the Firing Was Begun.
THE sheriff in his struggles freed his
right arm and drew his revolver and
snapped II at one Of his assailants. 1t
would not so off. Instantly the man,
Novnatna, struck him a vicious blow
In the face with his fist and knocked
him to his knees. All at once revolver
shot ran out from the rushing mob,
then another. then three close together;
then rattling volley from the guns,
which lasted a few seconds-less than
half minute-and ceased when the
mob gave way. The order of fire was
given. by whom we do not know, but 1t
was none too soon: for the head of the
charging column had rushed within
fifteen feet Of the deputies line before
the attack was repulsed. That. gentle
men, Is the story of Lattimer. as
you will hear IL from the deputies. We
expect verdict Of acquittal''
says the Strikers Were All Armed.
The first witness for the defense was
Mrs. Catherine Weisenborn. She said:
The strikers gathered at Harwood on
thedayof the shooting and one Of them.
Gasperick. who testified for the state,
entered Mike Kinaski's house and tried
TO get him to go out, crying: II you
don' come well kill you Kinaski was
In hiding and escaped, and as the strik-
ers departed they cried: Wen show
the white people what well do when
we some back ] saw the strikers chase
number Of people. They were all
armed with clubs and stones and some
had revolvers."
More Evidence of Terrorism.
Mrs. Eliza Grace. of Harwood. said
her husband ran into the brush when he
heard the strikers were approaching; he
was afraid of them. "They trAmped
through my fruit garden" said Mrs.
Grace. and broke my bean poles in two
TO make clubs. They caught John Ed
mondson and would have taken him
along forcibly had not his wife clung
TO him and begged them to release hin" !"
Mrs. Rose Gillespie, of Harwood. told
how she had sent her four boys into the
brush to hide. fearing the strikers
would hurt them.
Woman Stoned by the Strikers.
Mrs. Catherine Brennan hid her Is
year-old boy and went out to look at
the strikers. They were armed with
clubs, hammers and stones. One man
fired shot in the air. Others fired into
the brush. where many of the men were
hiding. Mrs. Brennan said she saw
Martin Shofronick march into Joe
shultz's house crying that IL he did not
come out he would be killed. Shultz
was In hiding. and could not he found.
! Mrs. Michael Gallagher. of Harwood.
said she was stoned by che strikers, and
Mrs. Charles Miller said her husband
had gone to West Hazeltun when he
heard the strikers were approaching.
This concluded the testimony for the
! day.