Original Document

Michael Malady, born in Magyaroska [probably Magyarsas), County Zemplen [Zemplin), a Hungarian subject appears and being questioned, makes the following statement:

"I walked on the tenth of September in the front row of the procession with John Eagler, John Pustag, who is now in the Hazleton hospital wounded, with Mike Cheslak and Steve Jurek [Jurich), who were killed on the spot near Lattimer, also with Andro Novotny and Georg Jensco [Jancso). As we came near Lattimer we met the sheriff with seventy armed deputies. Sheriff Martin came to meet the procession and told the men that they must go no farther. Someone behind me called out 'go ahead' [English) and the sheriff thinking that these words came from me, seized me by the coat and asked me what I had to say, to which I answered that the order to march onward did not come from me. After this answer had been confirmed by my companion Andro Novotny, standing near me, the sheriff seized the latter. About three minutes after, the firing began. I threw myself on the ground and crawled back. The firing may have lasted two minutes. Each deputy fired several times, and I think that each one shot off all the cartridges in the magazine of the guns they were carrying. I saw that all the workmen immediately took flight, like me, at the first fire, while the deputies continued to fire on the fugitives."

Read in the Slovak language, and then the witness asks on account of fear that his testimony may do him harm, to be excused from signing.


Andro Novotny, born in Krusco [Vysny Krucov], County Saris, a naturalized American citizen, appears, and, being questioned, gives the following testimony:

"I was at the head of the procession and was not far from Malady whom the sheriff seized by the coat. When the sheriff let him go he caught me by the coat with one hand and with the other pointed his revolver, which he then drew, at my breast. The sheriff asked me, 'Where are you going?' and I answered, 'Let me alone' [English], at the same time throwing off his arm with which he was holding the revolver against my breast. At this movement of mine the sheriff gave the command 'Fire,' and the shooting began. George Jancso, who was near me, helped me out of the hands of the sheriff, and once free from the same I ran until I found proper shelter."

Read in the Slovak language, and the party asks to be excused from signing, lest he may suffer harm from the deposition.


George Jancso, a Hungarian subject, from Visnyo [Visnov], County Zemplen [Zemplin], appears, and being questioned, gives the following testimony:

"I was near Novotny when the sheriff threatened him with the revolver, and 1 tried to free him from the sheriff's hands, in which 1 succeeded. The sheriff then caught my coat with one hand and with the other pointed his revolver at my forehead. He did not shoot at me, and I think his pistol was not loaded, for it seemed to me that he snapped it. When he caught me the firing had already begun. 1 attribute my escape, although 1 was in the front row, to the fact that my body was protected by that of the sheriff. 1 think 1 heard the sheriff call to the deputies, 'Give two or three shots' [English]. At first 1 thought that the deputies were firing blank cartridges, but when 1 saw my companions fall wounded to the ground I realized the seriousness of the situation, tore myself from the hands of the sheriff, and ran to a ditch not far away, in which I lay down flat."

Read in the Slovak language, and the party asks to be excused from signing, lest he may suffer harm through the deposition.


John Andryonski, born in Saso [Sasova], County Saros [Saris], appears, and being questioned, makes the following statement:

"I was marching at the head of the procession as we came near to West Hazleton. About three hundred yards from the last-named place, Sheriff J. Martin came to meet us. He had about forty (it might have been more) armed deputies with him. The sheriff leaving the deputies behind him and holding a revolver in his hand, came to meet us and told us to stop. To my remark that we, as well as everybody, had a right to go where we chose, he answered me and those standing by me that we must not go through West Hazleton, but that we were at liberty to go in the public road. I had never seen the sheriff until that moment, nor did he announce himself as such. 1 must also add that the sheriff did not say a word about forbidding us to go to Lattimer. The word Lattimer was not mentioned during the occurrence I have described. On the prohibition of the sheriff we avoided West Hazleton, and continued our way to Lattimer. The sheriff came to meet us from the latter place, leaving the deputies standing fifteen or twenty yards behind him. 1 do not know whether the sheriff said anything to those standing in the first row or not, but I can testify that 1 heard nothing, although 1 was standing only four yards from the sheriff. The sheriff had only his revolver in the hand, and read nothing aloud. 1 only saw him tussling with some of those standing in the front row. About two minutes after the sheriff had reached the first row of the procession the firing began. Five men fell dead around me. I flung myself fiat on the ground and stayed there about ten minutes. I cannot say how long the firing lasted, as I was very much excited at the time, but I think it was over two minutes. As I lay on the ground I lifted my head and could see that the deputies were firing at my fleeing companions, already about three hundred yards away. The deputies while they were firing at the fugitives called after them, 'Come back, you son ––," I lay until things around me were comparatively quiet. When I arose I saw the deputies still standing in the same place, while my companions, with the exception of those who had immediately thrown themselves on the ground, had run far away. I can testify that not one of us had a weapon in his hand. When we left Harwood in the procession we decided to take nothing, not even a stick, in order not to create the impression that we had the intention of committing acts of violence. 1 am ready to swear to the above statement. 1 am a Hungarian subject, and not naturalized."

Read and signed.


Andrej Sivar, born in Jaso-Ujfeln [Novacany], County Abanj [Abov], twenty-seven years of age, fifteen years in America, not naturalized, appears, and being questioned, gives the following testimony:

"I marched in the procession from Harwood to Lattimer on the tenth of the month. 1 was about three hundred yards from the front, and could hear nothing of what was said between the sheriff and those marching in the first rows. So it was near West Hazleton, and so near Lattimer. When the firing began near Lattimer 1 saw everybody run away; I myself bent over so as to partly protect myself, but I could nevertheless see everything. As I stood so bent over one of my fellow-workmen came running to me. I do not know his name, but it seems to me it might have been a Lithuanian. He came running to me, wounded in the right arm, and begged me to help him. 1 told him I would gladly do so if I did not have to save myself. The firing lasted two or three minutes. I only stayed a short time bent and then ran myself. While we were running the deputies shot at us when we were already about three hundred yards from them."

Read and signed.


Credit: Michael Novak, The Guns of Lattimer. New York: Basic Books, 1978.