The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-08
THD DEPUTIES TRIAL.
Judge Woodward Takes Occasion
i to Rebuke Sensationalism.
FERMENTATION TESTIFIED TO.

One Witness Swears That Deputy Dod-
son Declared He Would ''shoot strik.
ers at a Cent a Head''-A laundering
Witness.
Vilkesbarre Pa, Feb. S.-When court
opened yesterday in the trial of Sheriff
Martin and his deputies Judge Wood
ward vigorously rebuked the attorneys
who had engaged In wordy warfare on
Saturday, after adjournment, and
threatened them with punishment for
contempt If the offenSe was repeated.
He also severely denounced newspaper
sensationalism, saying that some news
papers were 'endeavoring to prevent
Justice by an eXaggeration of facts"
and declared that "if the astounding
falsehoods and Misrepresentation con.
tinue the representatives of the papers
will find the door OF the court closed to
them"
Silas Jones, justice of the peace at
West Hazleton, was the first witness Of
the day. His evidence. which added
nothing new to the, case. was ruled
out after long argument by opposing
counsel. This is regarded as an i'm
portant gain by the defense.
Before the noon adjournment the
court accepted bail for all the accused
deputies and the sheriff In the amount
of $4,000 In each case. making a total
OF $402. 900 in all. Bail was furnished
by Philadelphia surety company.
George Yeager, a Slavonian who re-
Quired an interpreter. followed Jones
on the witness stand. He tsaw the
shooting at Lattimer. and pointed out
&. as among those whom he had seen rire
at the strikers Deputies John Zeirdt.
Harry Zeirdt, Schuyler Ridgway and
Thomas Hail. He pointed out several
other deputies whom he had seen with
guns In their hands, and when John
Hampton, chief of the coal and iron
police, was called before him he posi-
lively identified Hampton as one of
those he had seen among the deputies.
illustrating how Hampton had held
his rifle. The defense will prove that
Hampton was not on the scene at all,
but was in Hazleton at the time.
Thomas Hall. clerk of the Valley
hotel, in Hazeton, testified to a con-
yersation he had heard on Sunday fol-
lowing the shooting from the lips of
Deputy John Turner, during which
Turner said: Il shot nine Of them, and
killed five" On cross examination
Hall said he did not know whether
Turner was blowing" or making a
statement of fact.
The next witness was Christopher
Brehen, miner Of Cranberry. Brehen
said he was at West Hazleton when
the strikers arrived, and that he talked
with Bornheiser, one of the deputies,
who wanted him to join the deputies.
Bornheiser said Every one of these
- strikers ought to be shot"
"They have as good a right to strike
as anybody" the witness replied. "and
i would not stop them"
You are a coward" Born
heiser said, ''or else you would get
gun and go out with us to shoot them"
''If you want to shoot them all
right the witness said, and then
Bornheiser went away.
A few days before the shooting the
witness had a talk with /. deputy
named Dodson, who said I'VE ought
to get so much a head for shooting
down these strikers. / would do it for
a cent head. and make money at it."
I On cross examination the witness ad-
mitted that he had been in jail once
for week on the charge of burglary,
but that he had been bailed out and
acquitted. His original story was not
altered by the examination.
The last witness was John Costello,
who said he was helping wounded
man when Deputy A. e. Hess ap-
preached him. He was about to detail
the conversation which ensued, and by
which the commonwealth hoped to
prove malice on the part Of the dep
uty. when the defense objected. There
was long argument, and at its con-
clusion the court adjourned decision
being reserved.