Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-27
FIRED THE FIRST SHOT.
Testimony That the Pinkerton Men
Opened the Battle.

Opened the Battle.
INQUEST UPON THE VICTIMS
Captain Coon Positive That No Shooting
Was Done Until
THE MEN on THE BARGES OPENED FIRE
The Coroner's inquest into the causes Of
the deaths at the Homestead riot on July
was resumed at 2 o'clock. The inquest was
held in the Coroner's court room in the
county Court House, and the examination
was conducted entirely by the Coroner.
Attorney John F. Cox, of Homestead, was
an attentive listener during the afternoon.
Thirteen witnesses were examined, and the
inquest was then continued for one week.
DR.. G. H. McGeary, of Homestead, was
examined in regard to the wounds and
death of George w. Rutter He was
! called to attend Rutter about 8 o'clock on
the morning of July 6. at Rutter's board
| ing house on Fifth avenue, three or four
doors from the doctors Office. Rutter said
he had been shot, and could not use his
right leg. Said the doctor: III found that
he had been shot in the right hip. There
was a small wound on the surface, large
enough to admit my front finger; and in
passing my finger in found the upper end
of the temur, the large bone of the thigh,
fractured at the head into q great many
pieces. By moving his leg 1 found that
the great trochanter, which is the large knot
at the upper end of the femur over which
the principal muscles pass, was entirely
severed from the bone, and found that the
true head of the bone itself was split apart,
and the bullet seemed to have gone on
through and shattered the socket in which
the head of the femur rests Then I lost
the course of the ball, but examining the
body elsewhere I found the bullet just un-
der the skin in front, above the .pubic
bone"
The Fatal Bullet Produced.
The bullet was taken from the doctors
pocket, large, ragged piece of metal, was
marked by the doctor so that he could rec
ognize it again, was shown to the jurors and
was then sealed in an envelope by the Cor
oner.
DR.. McGeary said he asked Rutter how he
got his wound, and the patient said: ''There
was barge load of Pinkertons landed at
the mill, and they are trying to kill off as
many of us people as they can. walked
down from the bank and up to the edge of
the barge and said to the man who seemed
to be the leader for them not to land, that
there would probably be a fight and some
persons hurt. Then as I turned to walk
away I got it. )"
Dr. McGeary said that Rutter seemed to
have little liquor, having been given some
after he was shot He had not lost much
blood and was not weak. After dressing
the wound, the doctor put Rutter on train
and brought him to the Homeopathic Hos
pital in this city. Before leaving Home
stead Rutter said he was beginning to feel
weak, and the doctor gave him less than
tablespoonful of whisky. Rutter, the wit
ness said, was not drunk. DR.. McGreary
said he had seen Rutter under the influence
of liquor at various times, but never saw
him so drunk that he conld not walk and
did not know what he was doing. The wit
ness said that as soon as he learned the
nature of the wound he thought it would
be fatal
OtHor THySIClbuB O1Vo 1eStIluOnys
DR.. c. P. Sipe's testimony substantially
corroborated that of Dr.. McGeary.
DR.. w. j. Walker, of Homestead, had
Homestead whose name he had not learned.
He then dressed the wounds of Peter Foris,
who was shot through the thigh, and after
ward sent to the Southside Hospital. He
also saw Joseph Stodak before he was sent
to the Mercy Hospital
He examined Foy at DR. Osburn's office,
and saw Morris and Vain at the under |
takers. He was called at 8 o'clock in tine |
evening to see Thomas Weldon. The latter |
died at $3.50.
Coroner Mcdowell asked the witness if |
he had seen the surrender of the Pinker- |
tons, to which he replied that he was going
up Eighth avenue as the detectives were |
marched down toward the rink.
Deputy Sheriff Gray was called. He has
told his story Of the journey Of the
up the river, their re-
ception at Homestead and treatment
while there SO often that it is |
we'll known. His testimony yesterday did |
not differ materially from that related on |
two former occasions. The only new
feature in connection with the trip up
the river related bv him was that he had |
cautioned Manager Potter after they passed |
Lock No. 1 that there was danger of the |
men being suspected of being non union |
and suggested that the Pinkerton
men be put in uniforms. Up to this time
they were in citizens clothes, and they were
then Immediately uniformed and
number of them placed out on guard on
the Nbarges with maces. But none of them
were armed until the shooting began from |
the shore.
the Union Depot Management |
DR.. NJ. s. McKennan related how
Thomas j. Connors was injured and how he |
was treated at the hospital. He criticised |
The management at the Union station bag |
yage room, saying that Connors was kept |
there for fully three-quarters Of an hour
and the hospital corps was refused admis-
sion to get the injured man.
Charles w. Mansfield, real estate clerk,
testified: 81 live in Homestead. I was there
On the morning of July 6. I saw Mr.. Morris
and Mr.. Rutter after they were shot. 1 saw
The men on the boats fire shots at the men
On the banks. 1 could see that the men on
The boats had guns. I did not see any of
he men on the bank fire. heard shots fred
from the banks. The shots looked as though
hey were fired into the air.
"Did you hear the report of a cannon
across the river?" asked the Coroner.
"Yes. sir; heard the report"
"Were you close enough to hear what the
men on the boat said?"
"No sir; could hear them talking, but
could not make out what they said. -
"What was the extent of firing on the
,oats?"
Shots Fired From the Barsea
considerable firing was done from the