Coxey's Army on Trial: Seattle Laborers Testify About the Yakima Gunfire

The trial of the Commonweal prisoners in the United States court continued yesterday. The defendants went on the stand in their own behalf. All admitted being on the train, but denied any overt act. Their evidence was that the brakes were set and the train backed toward the river for the purpose of dumping them; that the brakes were in the hands of the deputies; and that the road was in the hands of a receiver. All claimed to be ignorant of any order of the court.

The testimony of the men, even the recital of the deputies, made it appear that the trouble was unavoidable, and that the officers had either started the men or kept them on the train. The following witnesses testified:

John Walsh joined the 'army' in Seattle; Irish-American; out of employment four months; was on the car when the shooting commenced; got off with others; was struck by nobody and was not struck; Deputy Durett shot two or three shots; no one was threatening him; saw no one on the ground threatening the officers; never knew of any court order or heard of it. On trains between Puyallup and Yakima officers told him to get on and off. He took the regular train to Seattle on the allegation of going to pass the Coxey bill. To Judge Hanford he said he never had heard whether Coxey got to Washington City or for what purpose he was there; had a confused notion of what the movement was for; all information received was from rumors.

William Edwards, a member of the Tacoma army, born in Canada, naturalized, a carpenter by trade, arrived at Yakima the night of the trouble on a raft. He was on the third car when the shooting commenced. Citizens told him to get on the train to go East. He had no club, gun or bundle. He had trouble with Marshal Lovell before the trouble commenced. He heard cries, 'Watch out, boys, they are going to dump you in the river.' He started for a brake when Lovell threatened to shoot him, but saw none of the shooting.

T. U. Cochran joined the 'army' in Seattle; born in Tennessee, a gardener by profession; eight years in Seattle; at the time of the shooting was on the car; had no gun or club; got off the car at once; saw none of the shooting; did not understand about the road being in the hands of the court.

J. Hubanks joined the 'army' in Seattle; born in Indiana, a butcher by trade; four years in Seattle, but worked as a laborer only; three weeks' work for the city in the last year and odd jobs; was not on the train at the time of the shooting, but on the ground; got off when they began setting brakes; had no arms or club; saw two deputies shooting down to the ground, one was Lovell, the other was Palmer; heard Lovell tell Grosier to get on board the train, to run on ahead and get on; knew the road was in the hands of a receiver, but knew nothing of any order of court.

A. Grosier joined the army at Puyallup; born in Texas; a laborer; came to Washington twelve years ago; idle six months preceding joining the army; was on the train at the time of the trouble; got off when it commenced, and was on the ground when the shooting commenced; heard cries to put on brakes and threats of officers to dump the men into the river; saw the deputies shoving the men off, clubbing, shooting, kicking them; saw Deputy Palmer kicking Savage; Deputy Durett told him to get on the train and that it would be all right; knew nothing about any order of court.

M. Graham joined the 'army' in Seattle; born in Tennessee; a pressman by profession; out of a job and came over from Tacoma to join; was at Yakima the day of the trouble; didn't know the road was in the hands of a receiver.

William Kearney joined the army in Seattle; born in Pennsylvania; a caterer, hotel and restaurant keeper; out of work half the time; reached Yakima the evening of the 9th with deputy marshals on a special train; saw nothing there; had no guns, arms or sticks; was not struck and did not strike anyone; got off the train after firing of the first shot; knew nothing of any order from the court.

August Brower joined the army in Seattle; born in Germany; an American citizen; a miller by trade; five months in Seattle before joining the army; could get no work; was off the train at the time of the shooting, having left it when the train was backing toward the river; ignorant of the court's order.

Theodore Wise joined the army in Seattle; German; laborer; saw a marshal strike a man, and struck him with a stick; was struck several times and knocked down; Deputy Chase struck him; was kicked off the car by another deputy.

Frank Hopkins, follows public works; born in Pennsylvania; was in the town of Yakima at the time of the fight.

Julius Kallin, born in Germany; laborer; identified by seven deputies; was not armed; saw two marshals with guns but took no part in the affray.

The court continued until 1 p.m. next Monday.