The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-03-02

STORY.
Accused Official Tells of the Fatal
Shooting at Lattimer.
WAS ATTACKED BY THE STRIKERS.
He Was Jumped Upon and Pounded by the
Mob, He Says, and One of Them Had
Knocked Him to His Knees
When the Firing Com
menced.
WAS ATTACKED BY The STRIKERS.

Wikesbarre, Pa, March I'm the
trial of Sheriff Martin and his deputies
for the Lattimer shooting the first wit
ness yesterday was Lewis Nielsen,
blacksmith at the Harwood breaker,
who testified that there was no work
at the breaker from Sept 3, when the
Harwood men were driven out, to
Sept. 10, the day Of the Lattimer shoot
ing. Alfred Kulp corroborated this tes-
timony.
Thomas A. Harris, paymaster for the
Calvin Pardee company at Lattimer
said that he was sworn in as a deputy
and armed with a Winchester rifle,
loaded with fifteen ball cartridges. On
Sept. he, together with William Kulp,
was guarding the railroad approach to
the breaker at Lattimer. When the
strikers approached Kulp fired his gun
in the air, and the strikers broke and
ran. At the same time a striker fired
a revolver and shouted you've got
us today, but Wen come back tomor-
row several thousand strong" He add
ed: Some nine or ten of us followed
the fleeing strikers (and further, on
cross examination shooting and yell
ing, and making more noise than did
to the road, and then they went home"
He admitted that he secured his rifle
at Pardee's office.
Then a witness for the commonwealth,
Daniel Ferry, and one for the defense,
Otto Leibensberger, occupied half an
hour in contradicting each other about
an alleged statement relative to the
road the strikers took in marching to
Lattimer.
Thomas Hall and William Shoe
maker, employees of the Pardee COM
pany at Lattimer, said they did not
know of any dissatisfaction among the
men there or any demand for an in
crease of wages. Each said he had
been driven from work by the strikers,
but on cross examination admitted
they had left work when they heard
the strikers were coming.
Then Sheriff Martin was called, and
as he entered the witness stand there
was a rustic of excitement. His COM
mission and proclamation were read
and placed in evidence. He then went
on to tell his story, and spoke for an
hour without interruption.
IT was at Atlantic City on Sept. A."
he said when l received a telegram
was needed at home. l came home
at once and met Mr. Fred Chase, Cen
eral Superintendent w. A Lathrop,
of the Lehigh Valley Coal company,
and my attorney, Mr. George S. Fer
ris. / was told by Mr., Lathrop that
the Hazleton strikers had damaged
| the companys property and interfered
with the workmen and he would hold
| fpr bat, 5,1
1 suggested that General Superintend-
ent laval, of the Lehigh and Wilkes
barre Coal company, be called in, and
when he came l suggested that he ar
bitrate the differences between the men
and thus settle the strike. He
agreed. Mr. Ferris, my lawyer, ther
suggested getting out proclamation
and this was done just before 1 went
| to Hazleton, on the 9Th.
AT Hazleton l met Superintendent
Zerbey, of the Lehigh Valley Coal COM
pany, Mr. Platt and Thomas Hall
They told me there had been rioting
and that it ought to be stopped.
asked if they could get me up a posse
as l did not know many men there
They agreed to do so, and that night
met the men and swore them in.
maintain the law, and if 1 found any.
body violating the law we should ar
rest them. / said we did not want tC
hurt or shoot anybody, and that we
should not shoot unless our lives ol
| theirs were in danger.
The sheriff then told of dispensing {
crowd of strikers at Crystal Ridge th'
next day, and of swearing in addition
al deputies, and had to argue with tn,
strikers some time before they agreed
to march around the city. Later h,
dispersed the same crowd at Crysta
Ridge, but was threatened by then
as they dispersed.
The following day he dispersed
crowd at Cranberry who were trying
to prevent men going to work. Late
he and his deputies aided Sheriff Sci
SER of Carbon county, in protecting th'
breaker at Beaver Meadow. The sher
iff then told the story of the fata
shooting at Lattimer, as follows:
Friday morning, Sept. 10, 1 reached
Drifton and found all my deputies
there. At / o'clock in the Afternoon
! got a message that the strikers wer
marching through Cranberry, bounC
for Lattimer. / hurried off with tht
Hazleton deputies to intercept the mel
at West Hazleton. While going ther
/ repeated my instructions to the depu
ties about keeping cool and avoiding
trouble if possible.
1.-THE mob sWore at us when we ap
preached, cursed me, and would no
bulge when l told them to do so.
read my proclamation and walked
through them, asking them to go home
One young man swore at me violently
and said they would go to Lattimer II
spite of me. / arrested him. One maj
Z picked up a stone, but dropped II whei
! l pointed a revolver at him.
Q 'I told a crowd of spectators to g
c home, as the strikers were desperate
and there might be trouble, Finally tn
strikers left the road and started of
over some lots. Soon l heard they wer
.. going to Lattimer, and l hurried OF
with my deputies to intercept then
= ] told them again TO keep cool and no
TO shoot unless their lives or min
were in danger. After lining them u
alongside the road told them l woul
. go out and meet the strikers and tr
once more to disperse them. A deput
r asked If he should not go with mt
Q No. said, IN go alone l though
+ one man was enough to die at oncI
S ! felt somehow there was going to