Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-02
Sheriff Martins Chief Deputy Tells
Of Hazleton Tragedy.
STRIKER SHOT At him FROM REAR
He Did Not Engage in the SUBJ
sequent Shooting.
SHERIFF MARTIN TESTIFIES

WILKESBARRE. Pa, March 2.-When
court opened this morning for the continu-
alton of the trial of Sheriff Martin and his
deputies for the shooting of the strikers at
Lattimer on September 10 Sheriff Martin
again took the stand and his cross-exami-
nation was resumed by counsel for the
prosecution. This occupied nearly an hour
The main point established was that the
witness denied making the remark after
the shooting that he had merely taken a
hand lin the matter as plain James Mar
tin, and not as the sheriff of Luzerne
county,
The defense then endeavored to have the
sheriff testify that he was unable to sup
press the riot and disorder that existed in
the Hazleton region, and that the civil au-
thorities were unable to cope with 1t, and
had then telegraphed to the governor of
Pennsylvania for aid to suppress the riot,
and that consequently the governor order
ed out the state militia on the night of
September 10. The commonwealth object
ed to this line of testimony, and Judge
Woodward sustained the objection.
Deputy Price Testines.
Samuel Price, a contractor and COM
mission merchant of Hazleton, testified
that he was Sheriff Martins chief deputy
during The week and had been selected by
Mr.. Hall of Hazleton and was sworn in on
the night of September 6, four days be-
fore the Lattimer shooting. He told about
the sheriff giving all the deputies explicit
orders to keep cool and not get excited;
to protect property and maintain the peace
He also told them they were not to shoot
unless for self-protection, when the lives
of the sheriff or deputies should be in dam
ger. The whistle of the coffin factory he
SAID, was to be blown in case the strikers
should march on Hazleton.
The witness corroborated Sheriff Mar
tins testimony from the time the deou-
ties went on duty at ) o'clock September
. until the deputies formed in line at Lat
timer. He heard several Hungarians teer
the deputies and remark: You shootee
me, killee me: me no citizen: my wife and
children get plenty money"
The witness also discovered by going
among the strikers and feeling about their
clothing, that they We're armed with re-
voivers and stones. The sheriff declined to
nave any OF the deputies accompany him
when he walked down the road at Latti-
mer to meet the mob and endeavor to halt
the strikers.
Account of the Shooting.
The witness then gave straightforward
account OF the scene of the shooting He
SAID he was standing in an alley to the
left of the line of deputies, and saw the
sherln halt the strikers. Then a moment
later the strikers surged around the sheriff
and began to jostle and shove him to the
side of the road, when the witness lost
sight of the sheriff by the balance of the
strikers surging past him and rushing mad
ly upon the deputies. Just at that point n
pistol shot rang out back of the witness
and he heard the bullet whistle past. He
turned around to see where it came from,
when he saw a striker, back of the depu-
tles, pointing pistol at him. The witness
threw himself on the ground and he heard
the shot whistle over his head He heard
the strikers yell, and the next instant he
neard the volley fired from about the CEN
ter OF the line of deputies. The volley
sounded like the roll of drum and was ali
over in less than half minute There was
no shooting after the volley. By the time
tne witness could get on his feet all was
over and the strikers were rushing aWay
The mob formed in lie again about GEO
yards away in the woods and the wit
ess thorght that they were going to make
atother rush upon the deputies, but the
mob was then dispersed.
Caring for the Wounded.
The witness then told how he assisted in
caring for the injured by getting water
aid bandagas, and said he assisted in re-
moving the dead and wounded from the
scene.
The witness was put through a rigid
cross-examination, but the commonwealth
counsel failed to make him contradict him
SELF. He said that he was still in possess
SION of his Springfield rifle, which he car
rled when he was serving as a deputy, and
Kept II Ter his own protection at his home
He said that some of the strikers hal
io1tered around the woods at Lattimer the
balance of the afternoon watching the
deputies care for the dead and wounded
but offered 10 assistance. They also watch
ed the men at work in the breaker until :
O'Clock, when the breaker shut Gown for
the day The witness said he had his hack
turned when the deputies fired the volley.
f.rrt
ANIMATION, that he did OF know who gave
the der uties the order to fire. He also said
that he himself did not fire a shot and
that he did not hide in the alley to escape
being shot by his own men,
Fleeing Negro Shot