The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-13


1t is as good as a certainty that |
Thomas Luddon will not hang. The |
commonwealth, it is understood will |
agree to accept a plea of guilty ami
have court fix the crime at second de-
gree. All the evidence was in at ad-
journing time yesterday afternoon, and
both sides rested.
Luddon's own story was the feature
of yesterdays proceedings He was
called to the stand at o'clock and was
under examination by Mr.. Murphy for
the defense, and Mr.. Thomas, for the
prosecution, for nearly an hour. Self
defense is the excuse he gives for the
shooting. In answer to Mr. Murphy's
questions, he told that his home is in
Minooka; that he is thirty-one years
of age. married, and the father of three
children.
During the strike, he was a deputy
at Jermyn, No. /, and was assailed 1t
every turn with imprecations and
threats. On the Sunday of the killing,
while Luddon was reporting incidents
Of the dav to Foreman Powell when
the latter said: "Oh, you're drunk
and when Luddons back was turned.
Powell pounced on him, grabbed the
revolver from his pocket but lost hold
of it, and ran away. LuddOn denied
that he threatened Powell, or that
Powell discharged him, explaining that
Ed. Jermyn, and not Powell was hi,
boss.
In making his rounds as watchman.
about o'clock, Luddon met Matt Bar
ber ir., and put him off the grounds
for trespassing.
WENT TO SUPPER.
Shortly after this, Luddon met "Cud"
Rippen, fellow -employe. and the lat
ter agreed to stay in his place for
awhile. Luddon went to DOminiCli
Scabo's hotel to get something to eat.
While there Luddon met Joe Rogers,
the Italian policeman. Rogers raunt-
ed him about his "sCab" star and some
warm words were exchanged Rogers
| became highly incensed and threatened
to shoot Luddon. The latter left the
place and went on to the breaker ar
riVing there between { and g o'clock.
He stopped for a time at another hotel
| and partook of more drink
Arriving at the breaker, some work.
! men were met with who told him not
to go near the shaft. as there was an
! Italian up there who was going to
shoot him. Yes" said one of them,
| 'he sent after revolver" This had
reference to Matt Barber. jr., who had
sent Tony Commingan. his brother-in-
law, to fetch his gun from the house.
Luddon was not deferred by this, but
went on to the shaft and encountered
Commingan. He had revolver and
| Luddon disarmed him. Taking with
him Fireman Murraine, who is also a
special tAhcer Luddon marched Com
| minigan to the engine house, and bade
Murraine keep an eye on him while he
hunted up "Cud" Rippen. IAN right"
| said Murraine, "I'll look after him"
Assuring Murraine that he would have
the fires attended to, Luddon started
out, after hanging up his overcoat and
| lighting the lantern, which, as several
times previously described, blazed up
in sort of explosion and set fire to
the floor. Matt Barber then approached
and Luddon made him a prisoner also,
and placed him with Comminigan in
the engine house in Murraine's charge.
THEY MADE THREATS.
Returning to search for "Cud" Rip
pen, his substitute, Luddon found on
opening the door that crowd was
assembling, which greeted him with
Kill the scab," and like salles. He
put the catch on the door and blew
the whistle to call the fireman, and
took a station at the window to watch
for his approach. When at the end of
fifteen minutes the foreman did not
come, he blew three blasts. which was
the hurry-up call for any and all the
bosses The crowd outside had grown
to large proportions and now were at
the side door. shouting Throw out the
- scab." xiii the scab!" and the
| like.
Murraine. Luddon explained, was
with him till the crowd began to grow
apparently dangerous. and then he be-
gan to hedge, fearing he would get
the same treatment they intended to
give Luddon. Murraine started to talk
to the crowd through the partly open
window and Luddon ordered him away.
From that time on, Luddon was not
counting on Murraine. AS Luddon put
it himself, He was with me till we
got into IA pinch and then he turned
on me-" Murraine advised Luddon to
let Comminigan go, but Luddon re-
pied, mo, I'd die first"
Lud1on's story of the shooting was
brief. Just as he blew the last of the
three blasts, the side door few open,
and the crowd rushed in. He supposed
at least it was the crowd and that
they knowing the three whistles would
bring some of the bosses, had deter
mined to wreak their vengeance on
him. while they might.
nnTrNrTsr,n
lie turned to face them, and as
he did he was pOunCed upon from
the front, while Murraine grabbed
him from the back. He discharged
his revolver twice in rapid sue
cession and was then felled to the
ground with a club. While lying pros
trate some one placed the revolver to
his head and tried to shoot him. The
; bullet carried away a part of his eye
, brow. Another blow from a club rem
! dered him unconscious, and he knew
nothing more till he woke up in the
county jail several days later. Muir
raine he said, was the most vicious oi
his asSailants.
Luddon positively denies that he
heard Rafferty, or McKenna call out
their names or that ha told them tc
come on. He knew both of them wei
and was very friendly with them. The
engine room was so dark he could not
recognize them.
He was subjected to searching
cross-examnation by Mr. Thomas. but
} kept well to his story, He denied pos,
| itively that he had made any threats
that day against anybody.
The defense rested i'm the morning