Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-10
"SHOOT TO KILL"
Gen. Gobin's Famous Order
Meant Every Word It Said.
Excited State Of LawIessness Existed
During the Coal Strike.
The Coal Companies Will Open Their
Case, Today.

Philadelphia, Pa, Jan. 9.-After oc-
cupying eight days during which time
they presented about $50 witnesses the
non union men who are a party to the
arbitration agreement closed their
case, today, before the coal strike COM
mission. The coal companies will open
their case, tomorrow. The principal
witness before the commission, today,
was the lieutenant governor, j. P. S.
Goblin. senior brigadier general of the
National Guard of Pennsylvania. Gen.
Goblin was in command of the 3rd
Brigade during the time the troops
were on duty in the hard coal fields.
He was on duty from July 80 until
about Nov. ! or 2. From his observa-
lions and from reports made to him
by his officers, it was his opinion ne
said that an excited state of lawless-
ness" existed in the regions, that dis
turbanceS We're numerous, that the
presence of the troops was absolutely
necessary to preserve law and order
and that it was difficult to maintain
the law even after all the troops in the
state had been placed in the disturbed
territory.
The witness said when he first went
into the coal regions with his men as
a result of a riot at Shenandoah he
was unable for q time to get vehicles
to carry his supplies, teamsters re-
fuSing to furnish them. In Shenandoah
and the Panther Creek valley, he said,
there was no civil authority at times
Committees of the union called upon
him and assured him that the striking
miners would give him all the assist
ance they could, but as far as the wit
ness could remember they never gave
him any help nor did he ask them for
any.
After his entire brigade had been
called out the general said the situa-
ton became extremely serious in parts
of the territory and he feared that he
could not cope with the situation if it
grew worse. He so informed the gov
ernor. The now famous shoot to kill'
| order. issued by him after his soldiers
| had been attacked by stones, was
touched upon by Mr.. barrow. The
general said it meant every word it
| said and that the issuance of the or
| der had a most salutatOry effect upon
| the communities which his soldiers
guarded. 1t had such a good effect
| that it was not necessary to fire one
shot. The order he further said did
not include the shooting of women and
children. There was considerable
cross fire between Mr.. barrow and the
general over the right of a sentry to
fire upon a man skulkng around the
camp of soldiers after dark. The wit
ness finally gave it as his judgement
| that sentry had a right to shoot in
guarding the men in camp.
Before leaving the stand, James H.
| Tolrey, counsel for the Delaware &
Hudson Co., asked Gen. Goblin what a
certain letter written to Gov. Stone by
Il committee of miners contained. and
he saiG it was a protest against the
| troops protecting men at work and OBJ
! iecting to the soldiers doing police
duty.
Among the witnesses called We're two
| who testified to certain statements
made by VIM. H. Dettrey, who was,
yesterday, elected president of District
| No. T of the Miners Union, in place of
| Thomas Duffy. One of them said that
| Dcttrey in his presence after the strike,
| remarked that anybody who had work.
| ed during the strike should have his
| throat cut. Others declared that bet,
I
trey in q meeting of a certain local
union made 4 speech in which he said
that all men caught working should be
| given q good humping"
attorney John T. Lenahan. for the
lnon-urion men, presented indictments
and pleas of guilty of certain union
men for acts of lawlessness and also
records showing that members of the
union went on their bail bond. These
were presented he said, to show there
was some connection between the
strikers who broke the laws and the
union.
The testimony of a number of other
witnesses called during the morning
session was along the same line as that
presented during the last eight days of
the commissions sessions.
Chairman Gray and Commissioner
Wright were both absent from the ses-
sions. today. Judge Gray was slightly
| III and Col. Wright had business to at
tend to in Washington. In the chair
Iman's absence, Gen. Wilson presided.