Massacre of Miners.

Hastings Standard, Issue 463, 29 October 1897, Page 4

Massacre of Miners.

STRIKERS FIRED ON. The San Francisco Chronicle of September 11th publishes th:: followi:i,c despatch : llazelton (Pa.), Repi 10. The strike reached a terrible crisis on the outskirts of Latimer this afternoon, when a company of deputy sheriffs fired into a crowd of miners. The men fell like so many sheep, and the excitement has been so intense that no accurate figures of dead and wounded can be obtained. Reports of the dead run from fifteen to twenty, and forty more were wounded. One man who reached the scene to-night counted thirteen corpses. Four other bodies lie in the mountains between Latimer and Harleigh. Those who were not injured carried their dead and wounded friends into the woods. The strikers left Hazelton about 8.30 o'clock this afternoon to go to Latimer. As soon as their intention became known a band of deputies were loaded on a trolly car, and went whirling across the mountain to the little town where the bloody conflict followed. After reaching Latimer they left the car and formed into three companies, under Thomas Hall, A. F. Hess, and Samuel B. Price. They drew up in line at the edge of the village, with a fence and a line of houses in their rear.

Sheriff Martin was in entire command and stood in front of the line until the strikers approached. They were seen coming across the bridge, and Martin went out to meet them. The men drew up suddenly, and listened in silence until he had read the Riot Act. This finished, a low muttering arose among the foreigners, and a slight advance movement followed. Preceiving this, the sheriff stepped forward towards them, and in a determined tone forbade advance. Someone struck the sheriff, and the next moment there was a command to the deputies to fire.

The guns of the deputies instantly belched forth a terrible volley. A cry of dismay went up from the people. The strikers were taken entirely by surprise, and as the men toppled and fell over each other those who remained unhurt stampeded. The men went down before the storm of bullets like ninepins. The excitement that followed was simply indescribable. The deputies seemed to be terror-stricken at the deadly execution of their guns, and seeing the strikers fleeing wildly and others dropping to the earth they went to the aid of the unfortunates whom they had brought down.

THE SHERIFF'S STORY. Sheriff Martin's statement of the shooting is as follows : I beard early this morning that the strikers were going to the breaker at Latimer and compel the men there to quit work. I resolved to intercept them, and if possible prevent them from l-eaching the breaker. One of my deputies told me that the strikers would be probably heavily armed. I got my deputies, seventy in number, all armed, to meet at a certain place. We met the marching column, halted them, and I read the proclamation. They refused to pay any attention, and resumed their march. Then I called to the leader to stop, and he ignored my order. I then attempted to arrest him. The strikers closed in on me, and acted very viciously, kicking me, knocking me down, and trampling upon me. I called upon my deputies to aid me, and they did so, but they were unable to accomplish much. I realised that something had to be done at once, or I would be killed. I ealled to the deputies to discharge their firearms into the air, over the heads of the strikers, as it might probably frighten them. It was done at once, but it had no effect whatever on the infuriated foreigners, who used me so much more roughly, and became fiercer and fiercer —more like wild beasts than human beings. The strikers made a still bolder move, and attempted to surround my entire force of deputies. I realised that the foreigners were desperate and valued life at a very small figure. I saw that parleying with such a gang of infuriated men was entirely out of the question, and that myself and deputies would be killed if we were not rescued or if we did not defend ourselves. I then called upon the deputies to defend themselves and shoot if they must, to protect our lives or to protect the property they had been sent to guard. The next second there was a few scattered shots fired into the foreigners, and a moment later the entire force of deputies discharged a solid volley into the crowd. I hated to give the command to shoot, and was awfully sorry that I was compelled to do so ; but I was there to do my duty, and I did it as I best knew how and as my conscience dictated, as the strikers were violating the laws of the commonwealth, and flatly refused to obey the proclamation that I read to them. They insisted on doing violence and disobeying the law. The sheriff and deputies were subsequently arrested and charged with murder.