Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-07-23
THE PlNKERT0NS.
The Leaders Of the Detectives Tell
Their Side Of the story Before
The Committee.
a HARD HIT At THE LABOR
UNIONS.



ITO Answers u .esics of Questions
rrcpared hy the itniEhH Of Labor.
WAaiINGIoN, July 22.-Pinkcrlon
was called 10 the stand and required 30
answer long Lat of questions, which
were pref AIRED by representatives Of tho
knights Of Labor. Tho replies ia sub.
stance were that the PInkerlun agency
owned about $50 rides, 400 piatols and
an equal number NJ clubs, all Deposited
at Chicago. In oil It's various branches
the ilrm never had nj any one time
had more than 500 persons In It's en-
plOy. The employee were advised OK
aolly what thoy had 10 d1, ana were
perfectly at liberty 10 refuse employ
mcnt 10 which they objected. Al Of
the men sort To Homcslead knew the
nature Of their employment. The
bargca were not constructed for the
plrposr OF protection, not lined with
Iron or steel, aud could not resist smal
arms. Tho men would never have
been allowed to start on the expedition
" II had been known they were 10 be
attacked before landing.
Bafges were employed because II
was believed that the men would be
able TO land without n breach Of
tie peace. The sole desire was
by all means 10 avoid a breach Of the
peace, otherwise the men would not
have been permitted to 20 unless au.
thorizsd by the governor or deputized
by tho sheriff. Tie only purpose was
60 pat tbs men upon private properly,
Ind thon protect II nom attack. The
men would not have fred except 40 n
matter Of Enlt defense. IL was unuur-
stood that tho Carnegie company had
applied 70 the proper legal authorities,
and that tLe nen were going to Home
stehd with the approval Of the sheriff.
Mr. PinkeftDn thought that u his men
bud fred TO Kill many more lives would
have teen lost and The works could
have been taken NJ that time, but not
without great loss OF life.
Chairman Oates asked the witness
what he had 10 say Of the statement
that Gfty good soldiers could have scat.
tered Homestead and that cowariice
was shown by the Piuliurtons. The
witness replied that he had talked with
his men, ana they said thoy could have
taken possession Of the works almost
any tint before 10 O'Clock, but would
have had 10 kill men, women and
children, and they would not do any
thing OF the kind. Tho flrst firing
they did was over tho heads OF the
crowd.
hlr. Bontner having asked how II
was that lho troutl. occurred when
the strikers clsimcdlthst they did not
encourage violenceF and the Plnker.
tons were INSTRUCTED not 20 uso ylo-
lencv. Mr.. Pinkerton made n roply
that hit squarely nj tho Knights OF
Labor representatives present. He
said he hau never seen strike when
the labor organizations or their mon
mad not abused ncn-uni0n men. He
had ,ecn men knocked OF trains; he
had seen them bcaton 10 a Jtily; he
had known members OF the very
Knights OF Lsb2r, whose reprononta-
uvca were here, TO put distractions on
tracks and dynamite under 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 corroboratod
all that his brother had said.