Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-05
At THE WlLKESBARRE TRIAL
Damaging Evidence Against Sheriff Martin and
Deputies,
Testimony Showing that the Omcer
Opened Fire Almost Wholly With
ont Provocation.

Wilkesbarre, Pa. Feb. 5.-The first
week of the trial of Sheriff Martin and
his deputies ended today with the case
well under way and the jury having n
lot of evidence to think about Sunday.
There was 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; Ave
others whom he saw We're badly
wounded. The witness came upon a
dying striker and was Joined by man
named Costello. While they were try
ing to aid the man a deputy named AL
fred Hess came up. and Costello with
great indignation said 1t was u scan
dalous piece of work, the deputies had
done, whereupon Hess replied, You
shut up, or 1 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 to be heard on be-
half of the commonwealth, was John
Egler, secretary of the HARDWOOD union
of the United Mine Workers. He told
how, on the night before the shooting,
a meeting had been held at Harwood,
and the men gathered there decided to
march over the Lattimer that day to
show themselves to the men at that
place. at the request of these men. Wit
ness got an American flag and nailed
1t on long pole he had cut. They
agreed, he said, to march unarmed and
to behave peaceably.
Speaking of the meeting with the
sheriff and deputies at West Hazleton,
witness said: They rushed at us and
pointed their guns in our faces and told
us to stop. / explained to the sheriff
that we were lust going to show our
selyes to the Lattimer men and We're
going to do no harm to anybody. The
sheriff said: If you go to Lattimer
you must kill me- Burgess Jones, of
West Hazleton, said he could march
through the streets, and so the sheriff
and deputies 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 a 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
explode, however, and then 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 were shooting ball cart
ridges until he saw one of them bleed
ing. Then he got up and ran with the
rest and the bullets Kent whizzing
about his ears. He saw lots OF wounded
men. but did not go near the deputies,
as he was afraid.
on CROSS examination Egier admitted
that when the sheriff told them to dis
perse, he said: 1--WE amt going to; we
are going to I.attimer."
After the cross examination of Egler
the court adjourned until Monday
mC,ning at 10 o'clock
District Attorney Martin, addressing
the court, asked that the defendants be
required to furnish bail or be COM
mitted to jail.
"rheir bail" he said. " has been for
feited since the last term of court In
November when their appearance here
absolved their bondsmen. BY mistake
their bail was not then renewed and we
have discovered that they have not been
under bail since that time. They are
charged with the highest crime on
the calendar and the court should not
discriminate between them and the or
binary criminals. They should either
furnish bail at once or be sent to jail
Judge Woodward said that the de-
PENDANTS should furnish bail on Mon
day,