The Saint Paul globe., 1898-02-08
SHERIFF MARTIN SCORES
TWO STRONG POINTS FOR THE DE-
FENSE IN THE LATTIMER CASE
Evidence as to What Spectators
SGid After the Shooting Was
Ruled Out by the Court-One Of
the States Witnesses Confused in
His IdentificntiOns.


WILKESBARRE, Pa, Feb. THE
| trial of Sheriff Martin and his deputi- s
for the killing of the strikers at Latti-
mer resulted today in the defense
scoring a ctuple of strong points. The
court ruled out evidence relating to
what spectators said after the affair,
and one of the states witnesses posi-
lively Identified man, who, according
to the defense, was. not on the scene,
as one of the men who did the shooting.
The morning session was taken up
largely with the consideration of the
quarrel between attorneys in the case,
who clashed on Saturday after the
court had adjourned, and with the
matter of bail for the defendants.
The judge warned the attorneys that
any repetition of the offense would be
severely punished, and took occasion
| to cr1ticiSe the SenSationalism of Ger
| tain papers reporting the trial.
The court accepted bail for all the
accused deputies and the sheriff in the
amount of $4,000 in each case, making
| $4,000 in ALL Bail was furnished by
| the Philadelphia Surety company.
| The first witness today was Silas
Jones, justice of the peace Of West
| HaZleton. He was, asked what the
| spectators said after the shooting.
| The defense objected
After listening to ali the arguments
| the court sustained the objection, thus
| shutting out the evidence. This is re-
| garded as an important point gained
| for the defense.
When court met again in the after
| noon, George Yeager, who testified
| that he joined the strikers and march
| ed with them to Lattimer, was on the
| stand. He described the meeting with
the sheriff, and said the sheriff drew
| his revolver and pointed it at the
q TO h hhn1 nr,n Of ttny, -11
pulled him out from the others, all the
| time holding the pistol at his breast.
| Then some one shouted to shoot, and
| the deputies fired
After the first few Shots" said the
| witness, there was volley, and then
number Of separate shots, and clever,
| men were killed in five minutes, and
| lots wounded"
Point for Defense.
He said, during the course of his
| ss-examination, that he could point
out any deputy who was present at the
| shooting, and the defense Immediately
| scored q point by calling up in front
OF the witness stand John Hampton,
chief of the Coal and Iron police
Yeager was asked if he had seen
Hampton with the deputies.
"Yes, he exclaimed; "he was in the
! line and was holding his rife this
way" and he Illustrated the position.
The defense will prove that Hamp-
! ton was not on the scene at all, but
was in Hazleton at, the time
Thomas Hall, clerk of the Valley ho-
tel, in Hazleton, testified to a CONVEX
sation he had heard on the Sunday
following the shooting from the lips of
Deputy John Turner. Turner was in
the hotel and he said, speaking of the
| shooting:
I'VE all marched out to Lattimer
and as the strikers came up I heard a
| shot. 1t seemed to come from the
| ranks Of the strikers, and then we
opened up. I shot nine Of them and
| killed f1ve''
On cross-examination, Hall said he
| did not know whether Turner was
blowing or making statement of fact.
The next witness was Christopher
Brehn, q miner Of Cranberry. Brehn