Connecticut western news., 1898-02-24
SIIERIFF'S DEFENSE.
TESTIMONY OFFERED IN BEHALF OF
 MARTIN AND HIS AIDS.

Several Women lntroduced as Witnesses
 and Declare They Were Frightened by
 the striking Miners-The Line of D~-
 ren.e Outlined by Attorney Ferris.
 wilkesbsrre. Pa. Feb. 2S.-George g. Ferris made the opening address for the defense in the trial of Sheriff Mar tin aud his deputies. He said the de- fense would endeavor to show that there had been riotins throughout the region; that the sherif Was justified in calling out the posse. and that he was also justified In ordering the shooting at 1-attiIner if he deemed it necessary. He then detailed the movements of the strikers from the time they left liar wood until they reached Lattimer and said:
 There the sheriff advanced alone to meet them. Instantly there was tumult of yells. Five or six men pounc- ed upon the sheriff. seized him. showed him into d ditch on the left of the road and began beating him. Two of them nourisheu revolNers at him, and third made savage stab at him with knife. The sheriff in his struggles freed his right arm and drew his revolver and snapped it at one of his assailants. It would not go of. Instantly the man. Novnatna. struck him a vicious blow In the face with his fist and knocked him to his knees. All at once re- volVer shot rang out from the rushing mob. then another then three close to- gethsr. Then a rattling volley from the guns which lasted a few seconds less than half minute and ceased when the mob gave way. The order to fire was l.xs hNt A.A af htlf was none too soon. for the head of the charging column had rushed within li feet of the deputies line before the st- tack was repulsed.'
 Women Say They Were Frightened.
 The first witness for the defense was Mrs. Catherine weisenborn. She said: 'The strikers gathered at Earwood on the day of the shooting. and one of them. Gasperick. who testified for the commonwealth. entered Mike hinasbi'1 house and tried to get hitn to so out. crying. If you don't come. we'll kill yos. Kinas.Ni was in hiding and es- capped. and as the strikers departed they cried. Wen show the white peo- pie what we'll do when we come backn l saw the strikers chase a number Of people. They were all armed with clubs and stones. and some had revolvers."
 Mrs. Eliza Grace of Harwood said her husband ran into the brush when he heard the strikers were approaching. He was afraid of them. They tramped through my fruit garden and broke my can poles in two to make clubs. They ,aught John Edmondson and would have taken him along forcibly had not his wife chung to him and begged them to release him.
 Ia tnll how she had sent her four boys into the brush to hide. fearing the strikers would hurt them.
 Mrs. Cathe.ine Brennan said she hid her 15-year-old boy and went out to lock at the strikers. They were armed with claAs. hammers and stones. One man fired a shot in the air. Others fired into the brush where many of the men were hiding. Mrs. Brennan said she saw Martin Chofronick march into Joe Schultz's house. crying that If h. did not come out he would be killed. Schultz gas in hiding and could not Dc found.
 Mrs. Michael Gallagher of iIarwood testified that she was stoned by the strikers. and Mrs. Charles Miller said Ter husband had gone to West Haz.e- ton when hc heard the strikers were approaching.
 one of the principal witnesses thus fa~ for the defense was Mrs. Annie Catherine Draper aged S2 years. She vGs Very feeble and made her way slowly tn the stand. She testified that on Sept. ID the strikers came through Cranberry. t're man was armed with club and another with q revolver. Another man picked up stone and threw il at her. The stone weighed nearly pound and was produced in court. Attorney Lenahan then took the rock from the old lady's hand and. holding il un before the jurors, said. This is one Of the stones the strikers picked up to strike matches with"