Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-12-19
The Homestead Pensioners.

The hearing in the case of Robert
Beatty, charged with having been en-
ployed in the Carnegie Steel Works, at
Homestead, was held at the office of
Alderman McMasters Saturday after
noon. II will hold the defendant for
trial ut court" was the decision of the
Alderman, after hearing the testimony
of half dozen or more witnesses.
J. NJ. Davidson, Il steamboat cook,
was the first witness. He stated that
in August, in company with Gallagher,
they met Beatty in Pittsburg. 1T was
understood" he said, that we were to
90 10 Homestead as cooks and were to
take something with Us to put in the
food given the non-union men, in order
to make them sicl, and render them I'M
fit for work. Beatty took Us TO the
Office of the Knights of Labor, where
we met Master Workman Hugh Deinp-
sew. Gallaher and Dempsey did most
of the talking. Beatty suggested dosing
the men with croton oil. / said no.
Dempsey said he knew q powder
which would be better. He said he had
used these powders in Chicago and he
had broken strike in four days. 1t
isn't dangerous. Dempsey SAID he
would guarantee us $50 each and our
expenses. We sotno powders that day.
We then left the hall together. Beatty
said we were etch to get $50 and a
gold watch and chain if we went Gal
lagher went to Homestead two days
after that. went up September 22d.
Beatty gave me some powders to take
to Gallagher There were nine in the
package. and | gave them to Gallagher.
I don't know whether they were used.
Before that Gallagher had been given
small package from Dempsey. One
powder was enough to put in thirty
gallons OF tea or coffee. This was in
the Knights of Labor hall, and Beatty
was present. Later, when Gallagher
Beatty and I went to the X. Of l..
hall, Dempsey asked how the powders
worked. Beatty said: Successfully,
and wanted more Dempsey said he
would get more. On December 1st |
asked Beatty what was in the powders.
Ee said rhubard, snuff and other things.
He did not say who furnished them.
While we were talking he mentioned
Lynch, Crawford and DR.. Purman."
The witness was given Il severe cross
examination, but did not shake bis
stoly in any particular. He insisted
that he had not administered any pow
ders to the men. He said he was ar
rested late in November and taken into
the St. Nicholas building. and was
sworn, and told the stoly he had just
told, and was released.
Detective J. II. Ford testified TO hear
ing Beatty describe the powders and
Gallagher say, Tom Brady suggested
using croton oil"
Louis Wolfers, steward of the Home
stead mill restaurants, testified TO the
serious and rapid increase of illness
among the men after Gallagher's en-
ploymcnt; that himself and wife were
vet suffering from its effects; his wife,
he thought, would Gle.
w. +. Bullock and Joseph Leslie,
pay roll clerks, also suffered from the
Drugs, and testified to its effects upon
them.
Albert c. Barnes. resident physician at the
Mercy Hospital Friday gave out statement
about the Homestead poisoning eases. \
number of the sick men were treated Mt this
hospital. The statement plrticnlarized about
Peter Flibcl, one Of the men who died there.
5. Barnes said:
when Flibcl was brought here he was
suffering from diarrhUa and with vomiting
His case Seemed an ordinary one and we
started to treat him accordingly. but we could
see no improvement. We studied his case,
but could not afford relief. He died nj the
end of the fifth week without . change in the
outward symptoms.
The other people got well. but everyone
had severe sickness and sEo we'd the same
symptoms There were two or three OF the
cases we treated for typhoi'! fever, because
they had a fewer
THE symptoms in almost every case were
such as exhibited in poisoning eases. fl ois-
son was mixed with the food the probability
is that limited amount was taken by each
workman. In such case. if any cmetic were
administered Immediately the patient would
recover, but if the poison he allowed to mix
with the bl BOD, it would result in s!oT
death"