The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-24
THE STRIKERS THREATS
Further Testimony For the Defense
In the Wilkesbarre Trial.
MEN DRIVEN FROM THEIR WORK.

|
Attempts Were Made to Start {
Breaker, Which Attempts Were Yre
vented by the Strikers.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Feb. 24.--The de.
fense in the trial of Sheriff Martin
and his deputies yesterday produced
some strong evidence to show that the
strikers fired upon at Lattimer were
riotous and disorderly. Michael Bren.
nan. the first witness. testified that he
ran for the brush when some strikers
tried to capture him. Two shots were
fired. but he managed to escape.
August Winnock. who worked at
Cranberry. testified that on Sept. 8,
seven days before the fatal shooting.
crowd of strikers told the workmen
that they must quit or they would be
hurt. On the day before the shooting
they tried again to work. but were
stopped on the road and told they
would be killed IL they went to the
| workings.
Ludwig Laube. Of Cranberry, stated
that he refused to go home whey or
dered to do so by the strikers. and in
consequence was struck in the back
with stone thrown by striker. and
badly hurt.
Robert Hlllhouse testified that he had
stones shaken in his face. and was
sworn at when he tried to pass through
the ranks Of the strikers.
Lawrence Ermold. 15-year- boy,
said he was following his father
through crowd of strikers when he
was struck and kicked severely. He
was finally rescued by his father and
two strikers.
Robert Depew. Of Cranberry, saw a
lot of strikers cutting the limbs Of
trees to use as clubs. They pursued
him. but he escaped and went to work.
The next day they caught him on the
way to work and made him go back
home under threat of injury.
John Shavello saw armed strikers at
West Hazleton on Sept. s.
Mrs. Anna Krecht. of West Hazle-
ton, told her husband to run into the
bush when the marching strikers came
In sight. She saw two men armed with
clubs and heard two shots fired.
Corroborative evidence was given by
Emma Rutgen. l5-year-old Herman
Rutger. Mrs. Emma Stage and Will
helmina Hoffman. The latter saw
striker fire two shots at boy.
Jacob Williams, time keeper of the |
Cranberry breaker, gave some inter-
esting testimony relative to the move-
ments of tho strikers from Sept to
Sept 10. "On Sept. 8, a week before
the shooting" he said. "the McAdoo
strikers stoned the breaker office at |
Cranberry. They stopped coal train
and stoned the conductor and engi- |
neer. They were armed with clubs !
and pieces Of iron. They tried to stop !
tho Crystal Ridge strippings on Sept.
T. There were Go or 10 of them. but the
sheriff and four deputies were pres
ent. The sheriff told them they were
doing wrong and violating the law,
and they went back again. On Sept.
10 I saw the strikers marching into
Crystal Ridge and saw several small
parties leave the main body and run to
the houses to bring out the men living
there. The men fed to the bushes but
few were caught and compelled to
Join the strikers.
A. b. Dreemer corroborated WILL
iams' testimony in general and added
that he saw tho Harwood men on Sept.
TO- at Crystal Ridge. draw a man out
of the bushes and club him viciously.
Mrs. A. Reese. of West Hazleton.
said she told the boarders at her house
to hide in the church. where they
would be safe from the strikers.
William Steibe. on Sept. 10. saw the
1a,as'1 Marwood strikers he...-s .:.s Andrew
"o'st'N --, VITO had been hiding from
them at Crystal Ridge. He took the
man homo and sent for Dr. Robertson.
VINO found the man terribly bruised
Mis-. Carrie Haas, Of Cranberry, saw
the strikers drag a man out Of hts
homo by the arms. and saw them fire !
TWO shots at some fleeing men. The
man dragged out Of his house had been
SICK In bed. At meeting at Gram
berry on the day before the shooting
one Of the speakers said: IT the En-
elish speaking people do not do as we
want them to- we will crush the stuff
ing out Of them. II we don't get our
Jobs back then every breaker In the
region will go up In the air." This
evidence was only admitted after q
engthy argument
John Mummy said two shots vera n
lred at him as hs ran into the bushes
Ind Gustav Jack told how he was
ragged out Of a shanty where he had
hidden and forced him to 1oIn their
anks. Joseph ErEnold said when the
tr'kers tried TO stop him on Sept 10
'e drew @ revolver. whereupon thew
1t him pass but threatened him,
John Beach. Of the Harwocd collierv
a nr
Ten we're coming and told all my men
go home. Two of the McAdoo men
anne on wheels. and said: We are 20.
'g to stop the mine and drive the men
Ut. When the strikers came some
them wanted to cut the ropo of No.
plane. A carload OF men we're being
auled up. and If the ropc had been
1t they would have been killed. by
ard talking l managed to persuade
lie strikers not to cut the rope.
on Monday. Sept. 8. crowd OF
arwood men. armed with clubs, came
the breaker and went through it.
ohns for men who were hiding from
em. They found mona, and the lead.
>, JOG Eobotski and John Kubitskl.
ID mo that II any Of them came to
ork they would be killed Between
'pt and 10 We tried several times
start the breaker, but each time the
en- were driven back by tho strikers
d threatened with death" -
W. il Snyder. master mechanic and
sis;ant superintendent OF the Silver ~4'
'ook Coal company. said that a few
ys before tho Lattimer shooting the
HAdoo strikers marched there and
ID them to stop hosting. They did
a'd then the strikers pulled out
. fires. chased out tho fremen and
d II there was any more work every
dy would be killed and the breaker
n down. They then smashed every
ns In the blacksmith shop. A few
Us beIsre. while driving. q striker
1t at Lam. Snyder returned the FIRE,
4 Ihera Mas an axnhanua Of ahnta -