The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-23

OF our uCIb III LLllb OF any ObheL ohAAS'
Tho coming murder trials ought to
bring out the truth. Our actions will
then be shown to have been legal.
Tho statement further holds that q
great principal is involved-larger than
tho dispute between the Carnegie peo'
pie and their men. Tho Pinkertons
had no quarrel with organized labor
save as il attempted life and defed law.
II owners might not employ watchmen
then capital is at the mercy oil secret
organizations, "whose tyranny and des-
potism," says the statement, "oxceed
anything ever known in the history OF
tho world. These societies .intimidate
communities by threats OF murder, and
are determined upon ruin and and de-
struction OF property if their demands,
no matter how unreasonable or imprac-
ticAble, are not complied with"
The Mollle McGu:res, the Chicago
Stove Com pany's strike. the Chicago.
Burlington & Quincy strike, and others
are referred 10 in detail as basis for the
statement made in the paper, that
every large strike has shown that these
labor organizations will murder and de-
stroy property out Of sheer wantonness
and revenge"
at was. morally certain" concludes
the statement ''from the threats OF the
men themselves. that tho strikers at
Homestead would resort to similar yio-
lence and to attempt to destroy the
property Of the Carnegie company, II
any attempts werc made to supply their
places by nou.union men,"
The employment all over the country
BY Banks and private people OF watch
men is referred to, and then the sub
scribers to the statement affirm that
their counsel assure them that they
have violated no law, federal or state;
that they "had the right to employ and
send men to Homestead to act as watch
mcn;" that II they were attacked they
had tho rightto kill, If absolutely neces-
sary for self defense; that they had the
right to bear arms on the premises OF
the Carnegie Company in order TO pro-
tect life and private property. whether
or not they were deputized by the
sheriff Of Allegheny county; that we
had the right to ship arms from Chi
cago to the Carnegie yards at Home
stead for the purpose OF arming our
men, II and after they were deputized
by the sheriff; that, in view of tho at
tack on tho barges, our mon had the
right to bear arms and to defend them-
selves, and that all their acts in firing
in self defense from the barges after tho
attack on them were legally justitiable
under tho laws OF the United States
and of the state OF Pennsylvania
The paper is signed by William A.
Pinkerton and Robert A. Pinkerton.
INSTRUMENTATION.
After. recess Robert A. Pinkerton
was called to tho stand and required to
answer the questions which had been
prepared by the representatives Of the
K. OIL. The replies were in substance
us follows:
Tho Pinkerton agency owned about
25O rifles, about 400 pistols, and an
equal number OF clubs, and they were
deposited at Chicago. In all it's various
branches the firm never had at any one
time moro than 500 persons in their
employ. The employed were advised
exactly what they were expected to do
and understood that they were at per-
feet liberty to refuse any em-
ployment to which they objected,
The men sent to Homestead were
obtained in New York, Chicago
and Philadelphia. All OF them knew
the exact nature of their employment.
The barges werc not constructed for the
purposes OF protection and were not
lined with iron or steel, and could not
resist small arms. The men would
never have been allowed to start on the
expedition if 1t had been known that
they were to be attacked before landing.
The barges were employed because 1t
was believed that the men would be
enabled to land without breach Of the
peace, and tho landing was made at
night for the reason that the shcriff's
iorco had been resisted in the dayume,
and 1t was expected that the strikers
would be in bed, The sole desire was
TO avoid, by all means, breach OF the
peace. Otherwise tho mon would not
have been permitted to 90 unless
authorized by tho governor or depu-
tiEed by the sheriff.
The only purpose was to put the men
upon private property and then protect
1t from attack. The men would not
haYe fired except as n matter Of self de-
tense. 1t was understood that the Car
negIe Company had applied to the pro.
per legal authorities, and that the mon
wore going to Homestead with the ap-
proval OF tho sheriff.
Mr.. Oates then asked this question,
"Havc you ever furnished men as
guards to travel on trains transporting
tho mails or interstate commcrCc2
Answcr-Ycs, sir. In the case Of the
Burlington strike and inthe strike work
for railroads at times We have furnished
mon to rido on tho trains. They pro.
badly were armed. but it would depend
oil circumstances. They went armed
on the Now York Central strike to pro-
tcct themselves from assault.
Mr.. Oates asked what lie had 70 say
OF tho statement that fifty good soldiers
could have scattered the Homestead
mob and that cowardico was shown by
the Pinkcrtons.
Witness replied that he had talked
with. his men. They said they could
have taken possession Of the works
almost at any time before 10 o'clock;
that seycnty-iivc men could have taken
possession of the works, hut they would
have had TO kill number OF people,
men, women and children, and they
concluded not to do anythingot the
kind. The FIRST firing, his men told
him, was oyor tho strikers heads. His
men were armed with Winchesters. At
the start not over twenty Of them woro
given arms and afterwards arms were
given to about forty in all.
In answer to a question asked by Mr..
Boatner, Mr.. Pinknrton mado an nm
swer that hit squarely at tho Knights
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