New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-04
OF SHERIFF MARTIN
STORY OF THE LATTIMER TRAGEDY RE.
TOLD
TESTIMONY FROM WITNESSES OF THE sHoe,r,yo-
ATTEMPTS TO PROVE THAT STRIKERS WE'RE
SHOT AS THEY FLED.

ATTEMPTS TO PROVE THAT STRIKERS WERE
SHOT AS THEY FLED
Wilkesbarre. Penn. Feb. 3-Taking Of .est.rr,nv
In the trial Of Sheriff Martin and his deputiss M.
gan this morning in the Luzerne County Court
Mr.. McGahren presented the case for the Com
nonwealth. You Will have" he said TO decide
upon the rights OF the men who were killed "a
march peaceaby upon the public highway and ina,
the duties Of the Sheriff"
Andrew Silver was The FIRST witness called ".
proved the death OF Nike Cezak. saving IRA, \.
saw him dead IN the road az Iattrner with .
bullet in his head He told IN detail o, N. march
from Harwood TO Lattimer. He saw n. sbs,,,
draw his revolver and heard IT snap and then ~.
shooting began He dropped 70 the ground 70 syo,,
being shot. '
The defence attempted TO show that III. w,,r...
had been engaged In terrorizlng men who d,d M,
want TO strike 10 such extent that they u.r.
forced 10 join the strikers through fear ~ ,.r-,
but the Court would not allow II. saying (, vss "a,
cross-examination. Later the defence asked ~.
witness II he had not been engaged in cases o, W.
lence with the strikers as the aggressors on N.
day Of the strike. This he denied
The second witness was John Mahals who wa.
president Of the Harwood local union OF the United
Mine Workers OF America. He told % the mse.,n,
where II agreed 70 march 20 Tattir1e- =, ~.
Invitation OF the miners there. his counsel, -
peace. and the start the next day, all the men
being unarmed At West Hazleton they vera
stopped by the Sheriff. who ordered them 70 t,.
perse. Mahala protested that they were breaking
no law, whereupon one OF the deputies gra bbed the
American flag from him and tore It IN halves
The Sheriff pointed his revolver and Threatened
10 shoot. The deputies pushed US around with the
muzzles OF their guns and swore at U.s. and %.
struck John Eustis twice with his gun. cutting his
head and breaking his arm In two places. Then
.urgess Jones. OF West Hazeton. demonstrated
he Sheriff yip tha, ha
peace without using any weapons: that he had
confidence in US, and would let US march through
the streets OF his borough much as We liked
The Sheriff and his deputies then boarded the can
and marched toward Lattmer" He Nv
ten dead men and number OF wounded lying n
the road.
Father Richard Aust. pastor Of 81, stanlsauSs
Polish Catholic Church al Hazetou, chairman Of
the prosecuting committee was called 70 provo
that many OF the strikers were shot in the back
He said he had examined number % the dead
but could tell in detail what their wounds were
The Rev. Carl Hauser pastor Of the Lutheran
Church at Freeland said ne had examined several
bodies. and found all OF them were shot in the
side or the back.
Charles Guscott principal OF the Lattrner school,
about six hundred yards from the scene Of the
shooting said he was teaching school when 20
heard an unusual noise. and going 70 the window
he found that 4 number OF men were a.gasy
from electric car They were deputies. He
saw the deputies line up across the road. and
then, not satisfied with the position. they moved
10 the side Of the road and formed there VITA
rifles ready The strikers were by this time coming
over the brow OF the hill some TWO or three nun,
dred wards away They were marching i've ani
six abreast and were quiet and orderly. He could
not see that they carried any weapons. Tney a..
preached slowly. and they drew near the saefIN
advanced 70 meet them. As he reached The nrst
man dozen formed a sort OF half-crce
around him. He did not hear the Sheriff say any
thing did ne him read any paper.
minute after the line first stopped those behlno
pushed ahead 10 see what gong on, dh1 sos
ahead CT the Sheriff At that moment ore o, us
deputies stepped out OF the line and adydncsc yen
or twelve PAGES. whereupon one shouted; II xoo
do not come back. we will shoot YOU. too les
man jumped ba * into the line and almost in.Ns-
d.ately after the witness heard a shot II cams
from The left OF the line OF deputies. moneh.
later two more shots were fired ard then came wv
yolley, sounding like pack Of big frecracAe *
plodinS. As soon the volley iired the strln'
ers ran in all directions. and great many OF thea
ran toward the : hOolhouse. Between the rosa
and the schoolhousc fifteen men fell. struck down
by shots fired after the volley. He saw one man
shot and killed while running al full speed ohs
hundred yards from the road. -
The Shooting continued for two or three minutes
The witness did not any OF the deputies eavs
the line and run after the strikers 10 shoot them
His attention wholly taken up with the wound
ed men, some Of whom he carried into the schoo..
house and attended there He knew number Oh
the deputies. ana saw them plainly just before the
shooting occurred.
Guscott will continue his testimony tomorrow