The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-02
SHERIFF'S STORY
OF LATIMER RIOT.
Martin Says HeCautioned
Goodness.
ATTACKED BY MOB
And Knocked to His Knees By One
Of the Crowd.
IN THE DIRECT LINE OF FIRE,
when Sheriff Martin Tried TO Read
His Proclamation the Men Crowd
ed Around, Hustled Him zone
Side and Jumped On and
Beat Him-CrOss EXami-
nation Not Completed.

WTLKESBARRE. PA. March i.-sher-
IN Martin testified In his own defence al
this afternoons session OF court. HG
told Of his actions from September ith.
When / was called from Atlantic city
up to the day Of the shooting. He de
scribcd the dispensing Of numerous bodies
Of strikers during the period. Getting
down 20 the time Of the shooting. he said:
sHERIFFs TESTIMONY.
Friday morning l reached Drfton and
found an my deputies there. We went
to Lumberyard. a central point st one
in the afternoon got a message thaG
the strikers were marching through
Cranberry. bound for Lattimer. hurried
off with the Hazelion dcplties 10 in'er-
cant the men at @Fcst hazelton. White
going there I repeated my instructions TO
the deputies about keeping cool ana
avoiding trouble if possible.
"The mObs were at US when we "p-
peared cursed me and would not bulge
when | told them 10 do so. | real nv
proclamation and walked through them
asking them 10 80 home. one young man
swore al me violently and said they
arrested him. one man picked up a
stone, but dropped It when / pointed my
revolver at him.
81 tod a crowd Of spectators 10 50
home. as the strikers were desperate and
there might be trouble. Finally the strik-
ers left the road and started of over
some lots. Soon | heard they were gong
TO Lattimer and ! hurried of with my
deputies 10 intercept them. | told them
again 10 keep cool and not 10 shoot un-
less their lives or mine we're in danger
After lining them up alongside the road
/ told them / would go out TO meet the
strikers and try once more TO disperse
them. A deputy asked If he should not
20 with me.
"'No.' | said. III go alone thought
one man was enough 10 die at once. /
felt somehow there was going 20 be
trouble. met the strikers about nifty
yards from the deputies and asked them
where they were going.
JUMPED on AND BEATEN.
"'To stop the La,umer breakers a lot
OF them cried told them ihat they must
not go and tried 10 read my proclama-
ton. but they crowded around me. swear
ing at me and hustling me to one side.
One man tried to grab me and then /
dlltNVAfI ~ tfA llNlA VI Nllii hNA hAAf
crowd jumped on me and pounded me
about the body. ] dropped my paper and
pulled my revolver. One OF the men tr e.
10 snatch the revolver from ne but IA
ed. Then he struck me an awful blow in
the face and Knocked me 10 my kreas.
] tried 10 shoot him. but my revolver
would not eynlode Then the shooting
commenced. 1t lasted about a half min.
ute.
I'm the crowd saw three men armed
with revolvers and one with a knife. The
latter made q stab a. me but missed
Two men were shor Just behind me. &C.
the left | was IN the direct li~o Of fire."
The cross-evari0afion. con' Icfed by
Mr. Scarlet. lasted for TWO hours ami
will he resumed tomorrow.
While many minor 6ctails were hrourht
ont nothing was adduced to affect the
main story.
A rur-her n witnesses examined tefore
Sheriff Martin foid Of the disorderly ac-
tiOns by tire strikers.