Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-14

Up to this time no attempt at violence
had been made. The crowd celebrated
the triumph Of their men by cheering;
but not until the head OF the procession
Of victors and vanquished started for
the village did the crowd of oddly
assorted spectators turn its attention to
the disconsolate Pinkertons.
As the procession was forming the
people fell slowly back and for q lonely
instant it looked as though there would
be little or no trouble. But when the
advance guard Of 100 dust-stained
Homestead men shouldered their guns
and the prisoners picked up their bat
tered luggage and mechanically fell into
line, the long threatening storm burst.
tSp1GNATIoN NEW NO BOUNDS.
Over the railroad tracks the procession
moved with measured steps. 1t made
its way between the towering red walls
OF the deserted mills, surrounded on
every side by bowling, cheering mob
Of frantic humanity.
The Plnkertons marched in single file,
and on either side of each man was
an armed guard.
AT first the mob devoted its energy
to jeering and hooting the captiyes; but
long before the outer rampartS of Fort
t'rick were reached the air was thick
with stones, hurled by the maddened
populace.
II their eagerness TO do physical dam
age to the prisoners, the rabble lost sight
of the fact that hundreds of their own
men were exposed. Several OF the
guardsmen were struck by the flying
missiles, but the general aim of the fast
growing crowd was unpleasantly ac-
curate.
In the beginning the dazed Pinker-
tons made no attempt to defend them
selves. They did their best to dodge the
stones; but, even before they reached
tho outer gate, their bodies were liter
ally covered with bruises and wounds.
When this awful pageant arrived at
the gate directly opposite the railway
station at Munhall it paused in its
journey to allow freigh; train to pass.
This interruption lasted but few min
utes, but it must have seemed an hour
to the prisoners. At last the final car
passed and the journey was resumed
Over the Plttsburg, Virginia and
Charleston tracks they stumbled, and
then down the sloping side Of the road
bed into the little gully at the side Of
the station.
PouNCED DOWN LIKE WOLVES.
At this juncture one of the prisoners
dropped a big yellow valise from sheer
nervousness. The mob pounced upon
it like pack of hungry wolves. They
severed the tlimsy lock, and in less time
than it takes to describe it the valise
was opened, and its contents were
scattered in the dust.
A big red faced man picked up IL
| freshly -laundered shirt and waved it
| over his head. Thousands of infiamed
eyes caught a glimpse Of the shirt, and
then, as if by arrangement, u dozen
! grips and bundles were wrested from
the now thoroughly frightened pris-
oners. Soon the air was filled with all
sorts and conditions OF underwear and
clothing.
This unique episode tickled the people,
and for time diverted their attention
from the prisoners
WOMEN ATTACKED THEM.
During their brief breathing spell the
| guards moved closer to their captives,
and the gaps in the long column were
closed up. Just beyond Munhall Sta.
| ton the road takes q sudden bend
! When the leaders turned the bend they
were confronted by yeritable wall OF
noisy, excited humanity. In the front
| ranks of this new and unexpected
obstacle were group of women, armed
with brooms and clubs. Ii looked then
as though no human power could pre-
vent collision; but, thanks to the quick
wit of one of the leaders, the danger
was averted, and what bade fair to be d
bloody tragedy was transferred into Q
comedy.
1t happened this way: One woman
who appeared TO be the queen OF the
battle, raised her broom and in shril
voice said:
"Where are the dirty black sheep
Lets have them, boys p *.'
At this iuncture the leader shouted in
voice so loud that it could be heard by
all, despite the din and confusion:
why, my good woman, we want oul
shirts laundried, and we are going tc
make those tramps do the job at GU
rates"
/ This rough joke was cheered to thu
echo and by good luck changed thu
tickle humor Of the mob. "Nlake way
for us" commanded the joker, and
strange to relate, those in the way
obeyed.
Slowly and reluctantly people crowded
up against the high whitewashed fence
OF the company, and by its narrow Liant
the column advanced. Thus,with boWet
heads and laggard steps the Pinkerton
marched on. they did not dare to ever
} glance at the stern white faces an(
) cleaning eyes of their yictors, ant
although the rond was rough and theil
burdens heavy, they made no sign.
MET BY A SEA or FACES. ..-
At the intersection of ucisel stree
and Eighth avenue there is Il hill. A
the foot of the hill and fronting on tht
avenue is the big brick hall, in the tol
story of which Is located the headquar
ters of the strikers. This afternoon the
headquarters were closed, but from ont
Of the open windows sprung lon!
pole, from which hung large Amer
: lean flag.
When the column reached the top o
the hill those in the front ranks lookei
down into veritable sea Of faces. Nor
than 900 determined looking men ant
!, pale-faccd, talkative women were packet
, on either side OF the avenue. This hu
man gauntlet was at least n quarter Of
mile long, and extended from the broy
Of the hill to Mcclure street, distance
, of several city squares.
For fully an hour these men ant
women had stood and waited for tn
captiyes, and, as q natur&l sequence
they were i'll no pleasant humor, Grea
clouds of yellow dust heralded the ad
vanclng column over the hill. Thert
r was moment of perfect silence, as sol
l emn as it was portentious, and thci
Q came mighty cheers, followed by per