The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-23
PINKERTON'S PLUGS
Their Methods Investigated by
the Special House Committee.
ROBERT PINKERToN's REPLIES
His Evidence as Given Before the Committee
in Reference to the Homestead Rattle
knights OF Labor Roasted by Him.

WASHINGTON, July %. The special com
mittee of the House inquiring into the
Homestead troubles heard the Pinkerton
side this morning.
r. Pinkerton presented a statement COW
ering the history of his agency since the
organization in 1850. stating that for twenty
years he had furnished men TO protect
property during strikes These men were
carefully selected and seldom permitted to
carry arms, except under public authority.
They never wantonly fired a shot in any
strike. The men were sent 10 Homestead
only on the assurance that the sheriff would
swear them as deputies, if necessary.
Many OF these men were regular employees.
thoroughly tried and trustworthy.
others were vouched for They did not
go into Pennsylvania as an armed force.
The arms were shipped from Chicago and
ordered not to be given to the men unless
deputzed by the sheriff AS matter OF
fact, the boxes were NOT opened until the
strikers opened fire and it became matter
of life and death.
Klein had been killed and i've others
were wounded before the Pinkertons re-
turned the fire. The Pinkertons were
handicapped in the fight by the fact that
the strikers made breastwork by placing
women and children in fcont. Not single
woman or child was injured.
The statement declares that the acts of
the strikers, after the surrender of the
watchmen, is disgrace to savages."
Yet, because done in the name OF Ameri
can labor. 1t is upheld By some newspapers
and political demagogues. 1t declares that
IN the trial for murder it will be shown
that the Pinkertons' acts were legal.
The statement then reviews the history
of the strikes and shows that organized
labor every where win murder and destroy
property out Of sheer Wantonness and
revenge, and it Is morally certain. from
the threats Of the men themselves, that the
Homestead strikers would have done ike
wise II the company had tried to suRply
their places
The employment all over the country by
banks aud private people as watchmen was
referred to. and then the Subscribers to the
statement affirm that their counsel assure
them they have violated no law, federal or
state, and that they "had right to employ
and send men to Homestead to ACT as
watchmen and that, if they WI re attacked
they had right TO kill, If absolutely neces-
sary, for self-defense; that they had n
right to bear arms on the premises of the
Carnegie company in order to protect the
life and property, whether or not they
were deputized by the sheriff Of Allegheny
county; that we had the right to ship arms
from Chicago to the Carnegie yards at
Homestead for the purpose of arming orr
men. and that all their acts in firing in
seif-defense from the barFes after the
attack on them was legally Unsuitable
under the laws of the United States and
the laws OF the state OF Pennsylvania
Robert Pinserton was called to the stand
and required to answer q long list OF ques-
tons, which we're prepared by representa-
tiyes OF the Knights OF Labor. The replies
in substance were that the Pinkertcn
agency owned about $50 rifles. 40 pistols
and an equal number Of clubs. all depos-
tied at Chicago. In all tho various branches
the firm never had at any one time more
than 500 persons in its employ. The en-
ployees were advised exactly what 10 do
and were perfectly ut liberty 20 refuse em-
ployment to which they objected All the
men sent to Homestead
KNEW THE NATURE OF TEE EMPLOYMENT
The barges were not constructed for the
purpose of protection, not lined with iron
or steel, and could not resist small arms
The men wOHld never have been allowed
TO start on the expedition if 1t had
been known they were to be at
tackled before landing. The barges
were employed because it was
land without a breach of the peace and
the landing made all right for the reason
that the sheriffs force had been resisted
in the day time and it was
EXPECTED THE STRIKERS WOULD BE IN BED.
The sole desire was by all means to avoid
q breach of the peace, otherwise the men
would not have been permitted to go un.
less authorized by the governor or depu-
~ "a oh he os,Ir
was to put the men upon private property
and then be protected from an attack
The men would not have fired except as q
matter OF self-defeDse. Ii was understood
that the Carnegie company had applied to
the proper legal authorities and that the
men were going to Homestead with tie
approval of the sheriff.
Pinkerton thought if his men had fired
10 Kill many
MORE LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST
and the works could have been taken at
that time, but not without great loss of
life.
Chairman Oates asked the witness what
he had TO say of the statement that ffty
good soldiers could have scattered Home
stead and that cowardice was shown bv
the Pinkertons. The witness replied that
be had talked with his men and they said
Lu6y cpulu udfb ldEGU possession Oh tie
works almost any time before 10 O'Clock
but would have had to
KILL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN,
and would not do anything of the kind.
The first firing they did was over the heads
of the crowd.
Boatner having asked how it was the
trouble occurred, when the strikers
claimed that they did not encourage VIC
lence and the Pinkertons- were instructed
not TO use violence, Pinkerton made reply
that hit squareiy at the knights of Labor
representatives present He said he had
never seen strike when the labor organi-
cations or their men had not abused non
union men. He had seen men knocked off
trains, be had seen them beaten 10 Jelly.
he had known members Of the very
knights Of Labor whose representatives
were mere to put distractions on the tracks
and
DYNAMITE UNDER THE CARS,
he had seen men who wanted to work
treated worse than savages could have
treated them, by recognized members of
secret labor organizations.
William A. Pinkerton corroborated all
his brother had sad.
FIGHT WITH A CIRCUS CROWD.