Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-03
MORE RIOT INQUIRY.
Coroner Mcdowell Continues the
Homestead Investigation.
MANY UNIMPORTANT WITNESSES.
Steel Workers Say They Stayed Abed When
the Whistle Blew.
A VERDICT WILL BIZ RENDERED TO-DAY

ten men who were killed at Homestead or
died as the result of wounds received there.
He hopes to conclude the inquiry this after
noon, when the jury will render verdict.
The inquest yesterday was again attended
by Attorney Cox, but outside of the wit
nesses there were no other auditors Ply
sicians, steel workers and Homestead resi-
dents were examined. and little new light
was thrown on the tragedy of July 6. All
the steel workers put on the stand swore
that they did not respond to the call of the
steam whistle in the morning and took no
part in the effort to repulse the Pinkerton
men. Only one man was found who con-
fessed that he was at the river shore when
the barges were tied up, and he had not
worked in the mill for year.
DR.. A. NJ. Barton said that on the after
noon OF July 6 he saw Thomas Weldon at
the home of neighbor, and remained with
him until he died, between and o'clock.
Weldon was shot IN the abdomen and died
of internal hemorrhsge.
DR.. A. P. Fogelman attended Stregel,
Ritter and Peter Ferris, all of whom died.
Stregel was carried into the doctors yard
about o'clock in the morning and died
there. He was shot through the neck, and
the bullet fell out of the back of his neck
when the doctor lifted his head. The
ragged bullet of A caliber was shown.
DIR. John Osborn attended three or four
wounded men, but none of the men who
died.
DIR. John Purman also attended four
wounded men, three of whom were Hun
IL. q h.
he saw many people on the streets with
guns but he was not near the mill.
The Doctor Was Somewhat Afraid.
DIR. W. A. McCaslin said he was called to
the mill during the forenoon to see Silas
Vain. As he approached the mill he was
met bv a crowd of men running toward
Homestead, who cried that the Pinkertons
had broken loose and were coming. The
doctor heard shooting and he retreated. He
afterward saw Vain dead in an undertaking
shop.
j. III. Gillen, an undertaken, testified that
he cared for the bodies of Morris, Vain and
Weldon
Joseph Mort, of Homestead, said he
knew nothing about the fight at the mill
and was not near the place until late in the
day.
ID. K. Calhoun, farmer living at How
ard station, below Homestead, said that he
heard boat going up the river between
and o'clock in the morning and looked
out of the window at it. As he did so he
heard eight or ten gunshots a short dis
tauce up the river. A few minutes after
that the whistle commenced blowing at
Homestead. Similar testimony was given
by James Bacon, who lives near the river
about half way between Homestead and
Howard station.
G. w. Crouch, a steel worker at Home
ytead, said that since the lockout he had
moved to Wilmerding. The nearest he was
to the fight on July was at Munhall sta
tion, where he took train to Wilmerding
At that time. 9 A. NJ, he heard firing at the
river, but did not see any of it
Harry Barnes, a McKeesport painter,
knew nothing about the affair.
Roy McCombs, Homestead blacksmith,
said he went up to the millyard about $50
A. NJ, but did not go to the river where the
barges were. He saw two men carving
shotguns, but did not know them. When
the Little Bill came back down the river he
ran away with the crowd along the Pemickey
track.
Steel Workers Stayed in Bed.
Dennis Murphy, a steel worker, said that
when he heard the whistle blow before
daylight he did not leave his house. About
9 o'clock, after eating breakfast, he went
down town, and then returned home and
went back to bed. He did not go near the
mill until o'clock in the evening, after the
Pinkertons hat surrendered.
Benjamin f. Ross, steel worker, said he
lived close to the mill on City Farm lane.
When he heard the whistle blow he got up
and looked out of the window. He saw o
few people running toward the river, but
he went back to bed. He arose again about
6 o'clock, ate breakfast and then took
walk along Eighth avenue. He saw four
men carrying Ritter on a stretcher. At
the Pemickey station he saw a large crowd,
and some whom he did not know were carry
ing firearms He went into the millyard
in the afternoon and was present when the
Pinkertons surrendered. He said: "When
they came off the barges 1 saw few get
slapped little alongside of the head, but
nothing to amount to anything. There
were a dozen or more trying to keep the
crowd back and forming line SO the men
could march through
John Edwards, a steel worker, said that
when he heard the whistle blow he did not
leave his bed. He knew the whistle was a
signal for the men to get together, that
something was wrong. He left his house
about o'clock and went to the plate mill,
where he remained about an hour He was
not near the river and could not see the
barges. He saw men with guns but could
not say who they were
Isaac Bryan, colored contractor of
Homestead, said that he passed through the
millyard and over the river on a Pemickey
train to Braddock about $50 A M. He saw
the barges and men in the yards, but there
was no firing at that time.
One Man Who Saw the Fight.
Elmer L. Biel, of Homestead, said he
had worked in the steel mill until July,
1891. He was asked to tell what he knew
of the fight at the river bank, and he said:
81 heard the whistle blow about o'clock
in the morning and ran to the river. 1
went up along the shore with about 500
other people. When I got to the river
some of the people there were shooting off
pistols, but apparently firing into the air.
II went with the crowd through curiosity.
We could see the boat going up the
river q little ahead of us. When we came
TO the company's fence the crowd halted.
Some of them said, bust down the fence.
followed not to break the fence down but
TO run around the outside. The fence ran
out into the river only or 10 feet and the
water was shallow there. Some few of the
men waded around the end of the fence, and
did myself just as I stepped out of the
water the fence was broken in three places;
three boards were broken of 1 heard
somebody say, stop that shooting
didn't hear shot fired on the shore from
that time until got up to the mill.
"When l got to the mill the boats had
Just landed. They were tied up. 1 saw
about 20 men standing out in front with
rifles, dressed in blue clothes and with some
sort of badges on. 1 heard one man on the
boat say they were coming out and coming
in nrrfn II hahs I'D