New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-23
witbout authority from the Sheriff OF Ale

The witness replied that he had stipulated, as
far as possible. for authority rom the sherin.
He had no reason to expect trouble as ne had
>,roctod q, oct mis- men into the works without
tho fact being known, and had taken the word
of the Carnegies that the sheriff would swear
his men in He asked TO be excused from an
swerinr Mr. Boatners inquiry if he had ever en-
ployed men to become Knights of Labor.
The detective aud the Waterman branches Of
his business were entirely separate institutions
No State officers had ever stopped any of his men
from carrying on their work of guarding prop
.rtv He constantly had applications for work,
and the new men were chosen by the superin-
.endents. who first looked up the references given
Mr. Oates asked the witness what he had TO
say of the statement that fifty good soldiers
could have scattered the Homestead mob, ana
that cowardice was shown by the Pinkertons
Witness replied tlat he had talked with his
men. They SAID that they could have taken pos
session Of the works almost at any time before
10 o'clock: thst seventy-fve men could have taken
possession of the lands, but they would have had
TO kill number Of people, men. women ana
children, and they concluded not to do anything
Of The kind The first firing. his men told him.
was over the strikers heads His men were
armed with Winchesters At the start not over
twenty Of them received arms. and afterward
arms were given to about forty in all. lie
thought it evident that the statement of his men
Vas true. for they did not do the execution That
was in their power.
Mr. Boatner having asked how 1t was thaO
trouble occurred when the strikers contended
that they did not encourage violence ana only
persuaded men not to work, and the flnkertons
were instructed not to use violence.
Mr. Pinkerton said that he had never seen
strike when labor organizations or their men
had not beaten non-union men. He had seen
men knocked of trains he had seen them beaten
almost to Jelly; he had known members OF these
very Knights of Labor, whose representatives.
were there, to put distractions on the track ana
TO nut dynamite under cars he had seen linen
who wanted 10 work treated worse than savages
bv representatives of secret labor organizations
and he had had them sent TO prison for 1t.
William A. Pinkerton next sworn, and
corroborated all that his brother had said but, re-
ferring to Mr.. Oates, inquiry about Pinker'on
men travelling trains doing an interstate
commerce business, said he desired 10 ado that
all over the West and Southwest their men rode
on cars at times to guard against attempts az
train robbery all their arms were kept In chi
cago. and only little ammunition was kept on
hand His men never had been drilled with
arms, and that was all newspaper talk
Four-ffths of their men had been with the Grm
five years or more
When their men went away. he always told
them that because a man blackguarded or threw
q stone at them that was no occasion for the
trouble and to try and get along without trouble
His men were all trustworthy, good men, and
otherwise they could not get work They mad
never furnished men TO prevent railroads or other
property from running, and only furnished men 70
protect life and enable firms 10 conduct their
legitimate business
There were no further questions, but Robert
Pinkerton said he desired to state that the answer
ns to the character of their men was correct so
used criminals where absolutely necessary In
criminal detective work His men had Deen
called thieves and thugs, but he did not believe
such case could be pointed out They had no
Quarrel with labor organizations. Men had a
right to strike or to work. and labor organzatlons
had no right to interfere with them
Robert Pinkerton laid before the committee
statement that had been prepared, and that was
admitted in evidence. 1t is in part as follows
The agency was founded in 1850 by the late Allan
Pinkrton, during tho last tweaty years hos ire
oueny furnished private wetchmen TO protect the prop
crty Of Individuals and corporations during strikes Inc
men employed by in this strike work are selecea win
great care and only after fun Investigation OF uef
characters and antecedents Not single Instance can
h. cited where we knowingly employed unreliable or
internationally where any of our wochmen have
been convicted Of crime Moreover we nave eeiuonl
permitted watchmen TO carry arms Tor the purpose VI
protecting property and life unless they were outorzeo
nv the prorer legal authorities in deputy
sherins. Our have never wontonly or recklessy
fred single shot any Of these strikes and have only
the Lost extremity In order TO protect
life.
They did not 20 into the State Of Pennsylvania as an
armed body or force and should have permitted
or assened this. There no intention or purpose
whatever Of arming until they the
Of the company Homestead and until and unless they
had been the shern's deputies The sheriff.
chief deputy Gray. accompanied our men, being on the
tug towing the barges and IT was distinctly understood
that he had the authority duly deputize them
Of necessity. The boxes containing the arms and ammu'
milton shipped from Chicago and were to be de-
Ivered the Homestead yards. The instructions to
our that they should not be armed unless pre-
yiously deputlzed by the sheriff
As a matter OF fact, the boxes board the barges
opened and the and ammunition were not
distributed until after the strikers had begun firing
on the watchmen and It became evident that 1t was
matter Of sefdefence for life death. Klein had been
murdered by strikers and about five other watchmen
shot wounded before began their fire In self
defence Even then IL impossible TO attempt 70
shoot those firing ~ the barees because the strikers made
brastwork themselves by placing women and children
in front and firing from behind them Not single
woman child was injured by our men.
When our men surrendered leader OF the strikers
soemnly promised full protection TO property and life
They surrendered because the wounded
required attention and for the Of saving further
loss Of life. After the surrender, oil our men, Including
the wounded and helpless brutally beaten and
robbed BY the strikers and the eoders made real
honest effort to protect them Our robbed Of
Watches money clothing. in fact everything and then
mercssly clubbed and stoned Corners. unable 70
or himself deliberately shot by OF the
strikeTs and then dubbed. Edwards also wounded ond
helpless dubbed by another striker with the butt
end OF q musket Both died. and subsequently, another
Waterman became insane and committed suIcids
suit OF the fearful beating after having surrendered. All
cur men were more less injured.
The OF the strikers. after men surrendered
would be disgrace savages. Yet because done in
the Of organized American labor sympathy, no,
is shown 10 such deeds by part Of the
press and by political demagogues
The principle involved is OF far Importance than