New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-02
cuERIFF MARTINS STORY.
ru,sTIFIEs THAT HIS LIFE WAS IN
DANGER AT LATT1MER
,,.r.ps REAT AND TRIED 70 STAR HIM
,.,.rpv1r1No POSSIBLE DONE TO AVOID
FIRING ON THE MOB

-,.,,pv1,,So POSSIBLE DONE TO AVOID
FIRING on THE MOB.
.ho,re Penn. March 1-Sherir Martin was
..ess for the defence In the Lattlmer shooting
-, This afternoon. AS he entered the witness
VI" ,norc was a rustic Of excitement. He was
o o. nervous coushed frequently. and could not
f" his hands still He was asked the usual
S''s .,ns about his place. and said that he was
quess IN 1896 and took office the first Monday in
CIV 1895 His commission and proclamation
ad and placed In evidence. He then went
"e' .su his story. and spoke for hour without
interruption at,
- received n telegram from Deputy Sheriff
.sying was needed az home. | came home
h"ce and met Fred Chase. General Superin-
am, " A. Lathrop Of the Lehigh Valley Coal
'snsnv and my attorney. George s. Ferris
- aid bv Mr.. Lathrop that Hazleton strikers
"a damaged the company's property and inter
"a with the workmen. and he would hold me
nons,ble for any further trouble. |. suggested
w., General Superintendent laval OF the Lehigh
"a wYkesbarre Coal Company be called IN. and
W., he came ] suggested that he arbitrate the
.rsrences between the men and thus settle the
.rte He agreed Mr. Ferris lawyer. then
gestes getting out a proclamation and this
80 done lust before ! went TO Hazleton on
the Eth $50
.n Hazeiton l met Superintendent Zeroy OF the
,shieh Valley Coal Company. Mr PatI ara
rsoras Hall They told me there had been much
,ot,ng and that IT ought 10 be stopped asked II
49,, could get me UP a posse. did not Know
~ men there They agreed 10 do 20. alter
I'D met SheriNs Seller and Scott or cannon ana
s,huvlkill counties and We had proclarnatons
,b,shed IN all the papers of Hazleton anc posted
along the roads
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DEPUTIES.
..r,st night met lot OF men collected 10 serve
.ba, rorn ~
Gore they would posse comitatus They
,sas and swore them in. told them that ~
o,.s our duty TO maintain the law. and II founo
a,vsssv Violating the law should arrest them
ss,d We did not want TO hurt or shoot ANYBODY
80 that we should not shoot unless our lives or
,t.rs were IN danger.
~ heard a lot Of McAdoo strikers were going to
-srob on the next day. ! ordered my men 10
,rrn ont al o'clock the next morning and come
armed I said ! aid not oare whore they got the
arm. as long as they got them. understood there
rare lot o, rifles in some storeroom IN Hazeton.
The next morning heard a crowd was at
r-vsfsl Ridge so ! went over there with five depu-
.es The non we're just about throwing stones
down on s sTow n 'o NJ he TO dspers ard
tbev did So although one Or two spoke back 10 me-.
T j,a " rom Beaver Meadow from Superintendent
Pnniit which said he feared the strikers were
coming We waited, but they did not come. linen
We ven back TO Hazleton
"So~ Thursday went to Cranberry and dispersed
.,ns s,rikers Who were trying TO prevent men
going TO work. Next l got word OF mob "a. at
Beaver Meadow aaS weH over exn~cfed shern
Seize OF Carbon County was there alone. He
,ss b1e nix said Would Soon the mob came
an ugly. desperate lot Of men, determned 10 run
nav men had TO push them away by holding their
guns like rails before them. and then It Vas hard
fred a pistol al us some deputies pursuing him.
but ne escaped
THE DAY OF THE SHOOTING.
Friday morning reached Dritton and found ali
nv deputies there We went 70 Lumber Yard.
central point Al O'Clock In the afternoon got
message that the strikers marching through
Cranberry bound for Lattimer. | hurried of with
the Hazeion deputies 10 intercept the men at West
Ao VINE b sGR h about keepns coo and
avoiding trouble II possible
cursed m Dop and would no, bulge when iold them
10 DO so read my procamastin ana na w yo,,eq
man swore at me Violently and said they would 90
man 5AR Rs up spite to but dropped when
pointed my revolver at him. 49,,
s1sers were s desperate and there might be trouble
Finally the strkeTs left me ioaa ana gong Oh ~
Iattner and hurried of with my deputies 70
Intercept them. told them again TO keep cool and
danger. After lining them up alongside tbe road !
, try once more to disperse them deputy asked il
he should not go with me No said II go
once felt somehow there going to be trouble
me. the strikers about fifty yards from the depr-
- = - aoled them whore they were going ITO
stop the Lattimer breaker a lot Of them cried.
Il told them they must not go and tried 10 read
my rroclauafior them. but they crowded around
ne swearing at me and hustline me 10 one side.
One man tried 10 grab me. and then attempted 10
gel hold 70 him. but the crowd Jumped me sui
founded me about the body. ! dropped my paper
and pulled my revolver. One OF the men tried 70
snatch the revolver from me hut failed. Then he
struck me- an awful blow IN the face and knocked
me to my knees. tried to shoot him but my re-
yolver would not explode Then the shooting be-
g1n II lasted about half minute.
In the crowd I three armed with
volvers and one with knife The latter made
stab al me- but missed. Two were shot Just
behind me TO the left was in the direct line OF
FIRE"
The cross-examination conducted by Mr.. Scarlet
las;ed FOR two hours and will be resumed While
many minor details brought out. nothing
aiigced 70 affect the main story.