The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-07-14
LABOR BATTLES.
Thirteen Hour Conflict Between
Strikers and Pinkertons.
Bullets, Dynamite, Cannon and Pire
Employed By Strikers
The Pfnkertons Surrender and Are Placed
In Jail-Unheard Of Crueltiss Follow
the Surrender-Eleven Strikers
and Nine Detectives Killed.

| PITTSBURGH, July 7.--Early Wednes-
day morning 300 Pinkerton detectives
attempted to land at Homestead, from
, small boat They were fred upon by
steel workers who were on watch and
skirmish took place. About 100 shots
were exchanged. Two strikers were
shot The Pinkertons were repulsed.
In all about dozen were wounded
For two hours before the boats ar
rived 5000 or 5000 persons awaited
their coming ON the river banks.
The mills have landing for boats
within the enclosure Of the fence,
and at first it appeared that there
would be no way to prevent the Pinker-
tons entering the millA Shortly be-
fore the boats reached Homestead q
horseman riding at q mad gallop spread
the alarm that the Pinkertons were
coming As the boats steamed toward
the landing it was impossible to longer
restrain the crowdA
With a whoop and yell Of derision an
onslaught was made on the fence Soon
one hundred feet Of the enclosure was
torn away and 1000 men were at the
landing.
A second battle took place shortly af-
ter 8 a m. The captain of the steamer
Little Bill, which carried the Pinker-
tons there, was shot The firing for
some time was almost continuous The
strikers attacked the barges from both
sides OF the river. It Is said that four
Pinkerton men were killed in this
scrimmage, and that their bodies fell
from the barge INTO the river.
At 1880 a M, the boat Little Bill"
which towed the barges to Homestead,
was seen coming down the river, q
large United States Gag flying from the
masthead The appearance Of the
boat was the signal along the river
front for renewed activity both ON and
off the barges.
So warm was the fire from the shore
that the men on the boat were driven to
cover. Several men on the boat were
seen to fall, and it is certain that they
were wounded. No one on shore was
injured by the firing from the boats.
The Little Bill made an attempt to tie
up with the barges, but this was impos-
sible. The attempt to set fire to the
barges did not prove successful by the
raft process, and another attempt was
made.
From the converting department Of
the mill to the edge Of the river where
the barges are moored runs switch.
On this was run car filed with barrels
OF oil, lumber and waste To this
lighted torch was applied and the car
cut loose The flames sprang up q dis
tance of a hundred feet, while great
volumes Of smoke rolled heavenward
l Il A. -
ing the scenes sent up lusty shout as
word reached them Of the intended
burning Of the barges and all on board.
The car Of fire rushed down the steep
incline in the direction OF the barges,
and the men on the barges watched It's
approach with blanched faces
just then the steamer Little Bill
pulled in between the barges and the
shore. but on reaching the water the
car Of fire came to q stop. The heat,
however, was intense and the little
steamer was soon smoking hot All
this time continuous fire was kept up,
and it is estimated that 1000 shots were
exchanged during this brief engage
ment For some reason those in charge
Of the cannon on the opposite shore did
not fire a shot during the battle.
At 2:1O p. m. flag Of truce was dis
played by the Pinkerton men and was
shot down. It was hoisted the second
time with the same result The third
time the flag was Yiddled with bullets
and hardly enough of 1t left to hoist
again
PITTsBURaH, July 7.-At O'Clock
Thursday morning q complete list of
killed and wounded was not obtainable,
but as far as could be ascertained eleven
workmen and nine detectives were
killed; eighteen workmen and twenty
one detectives injured in the battle.
In addition to this at least one hundred
detectives were seriously injured by the
strikers while on their way 10 the jail
Wednesday evening. One Of these
victims has since died OF his injuries,
and another is dying.
During the all-dsy battle the boat
was bombarded for several hours with
brass ten-pounder cannon.
The stout oaken timbers forming the
sides Of the boat were splintered, but
the heavy steel plates on the inside pre-
vented the balls from penetrating the
interior Many of the strikers, how
ever, we're expert marissmen, and they
sent shot after shot into the port holes
In the boats, and inflicted terrible in
jury to the imprisoned men.
When 1t was found that little impress
sion could be made by the cannon on
the boats, an effort was made to fire
the barges, and thus compel the detec-
tives to leave the vessel or suffer the
horrible fate of being burned alive.
Hose were procured and oil sprayed
on the decks and sides Of the barges.
While this was being done, barrel after
barrel Of oil was emptied into the river
above the mooring place, the object be-
ing to allow it to foat agaanst tho
beats and then ignite it. This terrible
deed was attempted several tisnes, but