The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-15
TESTIMONY OF STRIKERS.
Men Who Participated i'm the March
That Led to the Lattimer Tragedy.

WILKESBARRE, Pa, Feb. 1.-THE four
teenth day of the trial of Sheriff Martin
and his deputies, charged with the killing of
the strikers at Lattimer, opened with John
Pusti on the witness stand. He testified
as follows: 81 was with the strikers when
the shooting occurred at Lattimer. When
we approached the sheriff he walked to the
middle of the road and told us to stop.
Some few of the men went forward and
then heard two volleys from the deputies.
/ was shot in the right arm, and /
started to run 1 was shot in the right leg.
/ saw six or seven of the deputies leave
the line and shoot as they walked away.
Andrew Stult testified: II carried the flag
in the march of the strikers. We were
stopped at West Hazelton by the sheriff,
who had a revolver in his hand. A similar
scene occurred at Lattimer. where the
sheriff seized one of our men and we pulled
the man away from him. 1 saw the sheriff
pull the trigger of his revolver three or
four times"
Marcy Guncavage testified that he was
marching with the strikers at West Hazel
ton when the sheriff seized him. He begged
to be let go, whereupon the sheriH said:
You seem a good fellow; you had better
get away from this as there is going to be
big trouble here to-day
Michael Malody, the next witness. said
Sheriff Martin stopped the men and held in
his hand revolver. The strikers pushed
ahead of the sheriff and the firing then
began.
George Rescter, in a long story of the
shooting. brought out a fact not given be-
fore that at the firing of the first shot the
fiagbearer at the head of the column of the
strikers fell dead. The witness did not know
the mans name.
Andrew Sivar No. /, as he is called. to
distinguish him from his nephew No. 2,
told how, after the Voley fired by the depu-
ties At Lattimer. Il large number of them
ran after the strikers and kept firing as they
ran. Under severe crosS-examination he
finally stated that he was at an artesian
well at HARDWOOD when the firing took place.
This we'll is quite out OF sight OF any part
of the scene.
Thomas Racazic. speaking about the meet
ing at HARDWOOD the night before the shoot
ing said a delegate. Joseph Caltick. came
over from Lattimer and asked them to
march over there the next day and invite
men employed there to join the strike. The
giving Of this delegates name is new evil
deEce. Other witnesses examined to-day
gave no testimony of Importance
As tomorrow is election day Judge Wood
ward decided TO hold no court in the MORN
ing. in order to allow some of the jurors To
vote. Court will convene at 2 O'Clock in the
afternoon.
The prosecution committee of the Latti-
mer strikers gave out Il report tonight that
two of the eN-strikers who went on the
stand to testify last week have lost their
employment. 1t is alleged that when the
men went back TO work the foreman of the
mine told them there was no more work for
them. The names OF the discharged men
are: Joseph Mikka and John SorroTitch
TheS foreman who Il Is claimed, ordered
the discharge of the men. could not be seen
tonight. but il is said he denies that the
discharges had anything to dc with the
Martin trial.