The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-08
SHERIFF MARTINS TRIAL
The Judge Threatens ATTORNEYS
With Contempt of Court.
NEWSPAPERS ARE WARNED
He Denounced Certain Sensational Arti-
cles as Astounding FaIsehoods-The
Defense Wins Point-Eleven
Men Killed in Five Minutes.

i Wilkesbarre, Pa, Feb Hundreds
of persons, anxious to hear what ac-
ton Judge Woodward would take in
| reference to the sensational outbreak k
on Saturday between Attorneys Har-
man and Lenahan. opposing counsel in
/ the Lattimer shooting case, thronged
| the court room to-day. Judge Wood
ward spoke of the incident of Satur-
day, saying that after he had left the
| bench and before court adjourned an
/ alteration had arisen between two of
/ the lawyers engaged in the trial which
| the court did not fully hear nor realize
/ until 1t was seen in the newspapers
Had we heard said the Judge
| what was said we should have dealt
| with the lawyers in a summary man
nef as the affair so deserved. and if
there is repetition of il we shall pun
ish the guilty parties for contempt of
court"
Then came a severe denunciation of
the sensational issue of certain news
papers in endeavoring. as the court
said, to prevent justice by an exagger-
alton of the facts of the trial
He would" he said mot mention
any names at present, but if the
astounding falsehoods and misrepre-
sentations continue the representatives
OF the paper will find the door of the
court locked
The first witness to-day was Silas
Jones. justice of the peace of West
Hazleton. He stated that he had seen
the meeting OF the deputies and strikers
at West Hazleton and followed them
to Lattimer He saw Sheriff Martin
advance toward them with paper in
his hand. Some of them surrounded
him and an alteration occurred. But
the witness could not see exactly how
the altercation commenced or how 1T
% Trn1 tad L..
shots and then volley and saw sev-
eral men fall. Two who fell near him
We're dead. He was asked what the
spectators said after the shooting. The
defense objected. After listening to all
the arguments. the court sustained the
objection thus shutting out the evil
dence- This is regarded as an inport
ant point gained for the defense.
Counsel for the defense asked the
witness II he was not frightened when
he saw the sheriff surrounded by the
strikers. and he replied he was and
owing to this fact he could not tell
clearly just what happened at the mo-
ment.
John Yeager. a Slay. who required nm
interpreter, said he had seen the depu
ties on their way TO Lattimer on the
DAY or the shooting. All We're armed
with rifles but he could not see wheth
er the sheriff had any weapons
Just before the noon adjournment tho
court accepted bail for all the accused
deputies and the sheriff in the amount
OF So,Ooe In each case. making $420 900 in
all. Bail was furnished by the Phila-
delphia Trust company
When court met again in the after
noon George feager resumed his tes-
timony. He Joined the strikers and
marched with them to Lattimer. He
described the meeting with the sheriff
and said the sheriff drew his revolver
and pointed 1t at the strikers. He
grabbed one of them and pulled him
out from among 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 a volIey, and then
a number of single shots, and IL men
We're Killed IN fve minutes and lots
wounded.
Upon cross examination the Witness
stated that he could point out any dep-
uty who was present at the shooting. /
and the defendants attorney immedi
ately called before the witness John |
Hampton, chief of the coal and oil po- |
lice. Yeager was asked if he had seen |
Hampton with the deputies
Yes" he exclaimed ..he was in the |
line and was holding his rifle this way"
and he illustrated the position. The |
defense will attempt To prove that |
hampton was not on the scene at all /
but was in HaZleton at the time.
Thomas Hail. clerk of the Valley ba
tel in HaZleton at TIL. time. testified I
TO conversation he had heard on the
Sunday following the shooting from the
lips of Deputy John Turner Turner
was in the hotel and said. speaking of
The shooting; we all marched out to
Lattimer, and as the strikers came up
heard a shot. 1t seemed to come
from the ranks of tho strikers. and
then we opened up. | shot nine of
hem and killed five"
The next witness was Christonhar
Bechen. a miner of Cranaberry. Be
ehen said he was at West Hazleton
when the strikers arrived and that he
alked with Bernheiser. one of the
deputies, who wanted him to Join the /
deputies. Bernheiser said: Every
me of these ID strikers ought IN
'e shot" A few days before the shoot
ng the witness had a talk with a dep
tty named Dodson. who said: We
,ught 10 get so much head for shoot
ne down such strikers, | would do il
or cent a head and make money
1t it,"