The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27

~ all Of them insisted that 1t had been
unauthorized by the labor union and
was, In fact, against the unions order.
They all admitted that there had been
a meeting of strikers on the evening OF
Sept. o, and that the visit to Latti-
mer had been arranged at that meet
ing. 1t was also admitted by some
that on q previous visit to Lattimer
there had been some violence. They all
admitted that the Sheriff inc his deputies
had met them at West Hazleton an hour or
more before, the shooting at Lattimer, and
that he had read the riot act to them and
commanded them, in the name OF the law,
to disperse and return to their homes.
There was scarcely any conflict or testi-
mony regarding this first meeting and
what was said and done by the Sheriff in
the way of trying to induce them to disperse.
He went 80 far as to warn them that they
might be shot IL they went to Lattimer.
The Chief of Police of West HaZleton was
also there, and he warned them that they
must not enter the town of West Hazleton,
and IL they insisted in going to Lattimer
they must go around, and not through the
town to get there. In spite of the Sheriff's
commands, they proceeded. They obeyed
the Chief Of Police and did not go through
the town of West Hazleton. This testi-
mony, brought out on the cross-examina-
tion, was not disputed by any one.
The defence on its part has already pro-
duced more than forty witnesses. These
witnesses have all sworn to a condition
bordering on anarchy existing in the
county previous to the shooting. Among
the forty there were miners who told of all
manner of violence that had been done for
ten days prior to the shooting. They
swore that they had been compelled
against their wishes to quit work.
They had been driven from their houses
and compelled to take refuge in the woods.
Their wives had been insulted and their
children beaten. They had been beaten
themselves, and had been compelled on
pain Of death to join in riotous demonstra-
lions. No less than one hundred specific
instances of violence on the part of strikers
have been testified to. They range from
the destruction of q mine su~perintendent's
house to deadly assault on workmen who
were peaceful and who did not want to join
them. There has also been testimony to
show that many Of the men who composed
the mob which was fired pom were armed,
and that some of them said that If the
Sheriff dared to shoot they would shoot.
too. The effect Of the testimony for the
defence has been to show overwhelmingly
that q state of riot had existed in the coun-
ty; that the people were terrorized, and
that, admitting that the strikers had re-
solved to use peaceful means to induce the
men at Lattimer to join them, their pre-
yious lawless acts warranted the belief that
they really intended violence and destruc-
tion of property, IL not destruction of lives;
that they received sufficient warning from
the peace officer of the county to disperse,
and that in defiance of this warning and
the law they proceeded; hence that the
shooting by the deputies was justified.
These facts have not been printed by the
yellow journals, nor have they printed any
thing of the testimony of the witnesses for
the prosecution that tended to show the
shooting was justiiable. So remarkable
has been their conduct that Judge WooD-
WARD during the trial felt himself called
upon to rebuke them in this manner:
1--WE have been astounded at the misreprosenta.
ton and falsehood INDUCED in. 1t Is apparent that
illustrate this case, but rather to produce sensational
effects and to prejudice the public Judgment
The Judge then warned the reporters Of
these papers that If the misrepresentation
and lying were continued he should regard
it as his duty to exclude them from the
courtroom.