The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-23
DEFENSE Of THEIR men.
Made by the Pinkertons Before a
Committee Of the Lower
House.
Organized Labor Charged With
Murder and Wanton Destruc-
ton Of Property.


ton Of Property.
They Declare That Their Men Acted With
Moderation and F0rbearance In the
Fight 1T Holnsstead.
WASHINGTON, July 22.-The special COM
mittee from the house to inquire into the
Homestead troubles heard the Pinkerton
side this morning. Robert Pinkerton pre-
sented statement covering the history of
his agency since its organization in 1850,
stating that for twenty years he has fur
nished men to protect property during
strikes These mon were carefully selected
and seldom permitted 10 carry arms except
under public authority. They never wan
tonly fred shot in any strike. The men
were sent to Homestead only on tho assur-
anos that the sheriff would swear them IN
as deputies if necessary. Many OF these
men were regular employees. thoroughly
tried and trustworthy, and the others wore
vouchsd for. They did not 90 into Penn
sylvanis ~ an armed force. Arms were
shipped from Chicago and ordered not 10
be given to the men unless deputized by the
sheriff. As a matter of faot the boxes were
not opened until the strikers opened fire
and it had become q matter OF life and
death. Klein had been killed and five
others wounded before the fire. The Pin
kertons we're handicapped in the fight by
the fact that the strikers made breast
work by placing women and children In
front. Not single woman or child was
injured.
Tho statement declares that the act of
the strikers after the surrender Of the men
was disgrace to savages, yet, because it
was done in the name of American labor,
it is upheld by some newspapers and politi-
cal demaRoR ues. He declares that on the
trial for murder il will be shown that the
Pinkertons' acts were legal. The state
ment then reviews the history of strikes
and says it shows that organized labor
everywhere will murder and destroy prop
erty out of sheer wantonness and revenge.
and that it is plain that it is morally GER
tain, from the threats of the men them
selves, that the Homestead strikers would
have done likewise if the company had
tried to supply their places. Employment
all over the country by banks and private
then the subscribers to the state
ment affirm that their counsel assure
them that they have violated
no law, federal or state; shat they had q
right to employ and send mon to Home
stead to act as watchmen: that if they were
attacked they had 1iQar to kill if abso-
lutely necessary for self defense; that they
hod he IN haa
ises of the Carnegie company in order to
protect life and property. whether or not
they were deputized by the sheriff of Allie
gheny county; that they had the right to
ship arms from Chicago to the Carnegie
yards at Homestead for tho purpose of
srminR their men before and after they
were dsputized by the sheriff; that in view
of the attack on the bargss the men had a
right to bear arms and defend themselves,
and that all their acts in firing IN self
defense from the barges after the attack on
them was legally just6able under the laws
of the United States and the laws of the
state of nsylvania.
Robert Pinkerton was called to the stand
and required to answer long list of ques-
tions. The replies III substance were that
the Pinkerton agency owned about 250
rifles, 400 pistols and an equal number of
clubs, all deposited at Chicago. In all
their various branches the firm never had
at any one time more than 800 persons in
its employ. The employees were advised
exactly what they were to dos and were at
perfect liberty to refuse the employment to
which they objected. All the men sent to
Homestead knew the nature of their en-
ployment. The barRes were not constructed
for the purpose of protection, not lined
with non or steel, and could not resis,
small arms. The men would never have
been allowed to start on the expedition if it
hol hoo h - 10 ha ot-
tackled before landing. Barges were en-.
ploved because it was believed that the men
would then be able to land without breach
of the peace, and that the landing would
be made all right for the reason that the
sheritf's 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
breach Of the peace. otherwise the men
would not have been permitted to 60 unless
authorized by the governor or deputized by
the sheriff. The only pdrpose WAS to put
the men upon private property and then
protected it from attack. The men would
not have fred except as a matter of self
defense. 1t was understood that the Car
negie company had applied to proper lega
authorities and that the men were going &c
Homestead with the approval of the sheriff
Pinkerton thought ii his men had fired tc
kill many more live would have been lost.
and the works could have been taken al
that time. but mot without great loss OF
life.
Chairman Oates asked witness what he
had to say of the statement that fifty good
soldiers could have scattered the Home
stead crowd. and that cowardice was shown
by tho Pinkertons. Witness said that he
had talked with his men. They said they
could have taken possession of the wo, Ks
almost any time before 10 O'Clock, bui
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 o.owd.
Boatner having asked how it was that
trouble occurred, when the strikers claimed
they did not encourage violence, and the
Pinkertons were instructed not to use vio-
lence, Pinkerton made reply that hit
sauaIely at the knights OF Labor representa-
tives p, esent. He said he had never seen a
strike when labor organizations or their
men had not abused non-union men. He
had seen men knocked off trains, he had
seen them beaten to Il jelly, he had known
members of the very knights of Labor
whose representatives were here to put OBJ
sttuotions on tracks and dynamite under
cars. He had seen men who wanted to
work treated worse than savages could
have treated them by representative. of So
cret labor organizations.
Vim. A. Pinkerton corroboratsd all his
brother had said.