Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-02-07
STORY OF THE MURDER.
WITNESSES FOR THE PROSECUTION
GIVING TESTIMONY.
Details of the Lattiasr Massacre ELL
Columns of Newspapers. But Have No
Effect Upon the Inhuman Gang Who
Slaughtered Innocent Men.

|
On Thursday morning the first witness
In the greatest trial the world has ever
| known took the stand at Wilkesbarre.
| Previous to this Attorney McGahren
delivered the opening address on behalf
of the murdered and wounded miners.
and an able and eloquent presentation
of the case ii was. The attorney ro.
| cited the facts and promised to show b>
was disgrace to civilization; that the
marchsrs were attacked by the deputie.
In West Hazleton, whore one strikers
arm was broken by blow from a thugs
gun; that the deputies lined up on Latti
mer road in form calculated to do the
most deadly execution; that before the
ssrikers reached Lattimer the deputies
| showed their eagerness to kill; that the
sheriff was In no danger whsn the firing
began; that the first man to fall was he
who carried the American flag; thai
after the slaughter the murdsrers boast
ed of how many they killed and disputed
as to who sent the most men to the
ground; that five minutes after the first
volley strikers who were running from
the terrible scene were deliberately
picked off hundred yards away, and
that malice aud hatred actuated the
murders. After promising to prove
these things, Attorney McGahren ex.
planned to the jury men their duty. He
said: There are two indictments. mur-
dor and fslonions woundng. You NAV
slaughter, or you may find some guilty
of murder first degree, others guilty Of
murder second degree or msnslsughter,
and you may acquit Others il you find
nothing against them
Andrew Civar, of Harwood was the
first witness. He told IA straightforward
story OF the affair He was with the
msrchsrs before they started and was
with them TO their graves. His testi-
mony showed that the Lattimer men
came to the mostns OF the United Mine
workers at Harwood on Thursday night
aud asked the Harwood miners to come
over next day, and when the latter
neared the colliery the Lnttimer men
would strike. He told how this plan
was agreed upon and how every man
was warned at the meeting to carry no
weapon or club, to disturb no person
and to nolest no property. He descrb-
ed the details OF the murder and told
how he escaped death by dropping after
bein. shot in the side. He swore the
sheriff snapped his revolver at one Of
the front men two or three times. His
testimony consumed three hours and
was given in an earnest and convincing
manner, and on cross-examination his
evidence could not be shaken by Attor-
ney Lenshan, who is engaged to defend
the deputies.
Joseph hulhala was the next witness
and his story corroborated that told by
Civar. He is president of the Harwood
branch of the Mine Workers and told OF
the orders he had issued to the men to
carry no weapons and harm no property.
Harry Dryfoos, Jr., of Hazleton, show
cd photographs taken at the bloody
scene after the shooting. He was fol-
lowed by Rev. Father Aust, a Catholic
priest OF Hazleton, who saw the dead
and injured and assisted to relieve the
latter.
The next witness was Rev. Carl
Houser, OF Freeland, pastor OF st. Peter
and Pauls Lutheran Slavish church
He told how he had viewed the bodies of
AlAvAp trik lat
stable which was used as temporary
morgue. Michael Ceslik was trustee
OF his church. and three OF the dead had
been in his flock. He had seen three
bullet holes in the side of Ceslik's head
and another through his body.
When court adjourned for the day one
OF the most important witnesses of the
trial was on the stand. He was Charles
Guscott, school teacher at Lattimer,
who from his position at window of
his school saw the preparations made bv
the deputies to give the marchers a re-
ception of leaden hail His version of
the shooting corresponded in every par
ticular with that sworn to by the men in
the ranks.
Mr.. Guscott took the stand again on
Friday morning. Upon request he den-
tiiied about dozen of the prisoners who
had guns in their hands after the mas
sacre. He assisted in caring for the in
jured.
Miss Grace Coyle, also school teach
er at Lattimer, followed. Her testi-
mony was practically the same as Mr..
Guscott's. She swore to having seen
men running from the scene aud drop
ping when quite a distance away She
also assisted in relieving the wounded
and upbraided several OF the deputies
for their inhuman work. She told them
'to go to Cuba, where butchers were in
demand" She is the only woman who
saw the murder of the strikers and all
the talent, trickery and threatening Of
tho urnat T,anahap mas hIo