Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-04
THE WORKERS WRONG
The Coroner's Jury Finds the Home
stead Men Acted Unlawfully
AND COMMITTED WILFUL MURDER.
But No individuals Are Mentioned as Re-
sponsible for the Crime.
CERTIFIED Up TO THE GRAND JURY
ND COMMITTED WILFUL MURDER.
CERTIFIED Up TO THE GRAND JURY

The inquest in tine Homestead cases was
concluded Yesterday afternoon. The Jnry
was ont about an hour. The essence OF the
verdict was that there was an unlawful as
semblage of men on the river bank at
Homestead July 6, through which murder
was committed, and the jury recommends
that the members of the unlawful assem-
blage be certified to the September sessions
of the grand jury.
There were no witnesses examined, the
only matter being the charge OF the o"ro-
ner. 1t is as follows:
Gentlemen of the Jury:
Won have been selected and sworn to in
ouire. on behalf of the people of this county
as to when. where, how and bywhat means the
bodies viewed and identified, namely, j. w.
Klein, Joseph Sotaf, 7. J. Connors, John
f. Morris Silas VAIN. Peter, Ferris, Thomas
Weldon, Henry Striegel George w.
Rutter and Edward A. r. Spear. each, re-
spectively came to their deaths. 1t is the
duty of the Coroner, when any person shall
die violent or sudden n dea,n iaw ,he I'm Sre res
mains and institute an inquiry, ana supmlt
the same to n jury of six citizens, ana upon
them devolves the duty OF renderlng Hnu-
ing according to the evidence offered pefore
them.
Attracted the Notice OF Congress.
You have been selected, gentlemen. from
the qualified citizens of the county by the
Coroner, and q grave and important duty
devoIves upon you, as the deaths In THIS
case are Of more than ordinary moment, SO
much So that the national Congress deems
it its duty to hold an investigation, which
was done in our city recently. Our courts,
nary hearings have been held in number
of cases. Therefore, gentlemen with these
facts before you you can readily see and
understand the Importance OF careiul'
honest and impartial finding in this case.
You will first gentlemen, lind who each OF
the persons are, giving their iull name anu
age and occupation, and the time ana place
of their deaths, and the caus. OF the same,
and from the circumstances and from the
1acts placed before you, state what person.
or persons, If any, were responsible anu
should be held accountable therefor.
II from the evidence You are unable 10
ascertain any person or persons in part1cu-
lar, then your finding should be general. L
deem it prudent to say that If you bel1eve
the case demands il, that you should recon-
mend the proceedings so held should be GER
titled to at the next sitting of the grand jury
for their action
Ast fhe Use OF Firearms.
No disagreement between any persons
will Justify the use of firearms or felonious
assault or shooting or the killing OF any per-
son.
q
| i do so with the firm belief that any further
continuance or delay in this matter would
not at all benefit or further the ends of jus
tice and am of the firm belief that you
will perform your honest duty in making
presentment at this time SO that our courts
NAV be able to take whatever action they
may deem proper in the premises. 1 will
therefore submit this case to you, ano at the
same time place in your hands these au-
thoritieS on unlawful killing.
The Coroner then gave the members of
the Jury a number of legal extracts on the
nature and character of killing, after which
the jury retired. At 4:30 o'clock the ver-
dict was rendered
The return of the jury in the cases of the
seven strikers who were killed reads al
most alike in each one. That on the death
of Silas Vain is as follows:
Killed with the Cannon.
siIas Vain, aged about "a years, came to
his death on Tuesday, July 6. 1892, about $50
A. NJ, while in company with others in an
unlawful assembly upon the property of
Carnegie, Phipps & Co.'S Steel Works, Mif-
fin township, to prevent the landing of two
model barges loaded with Pinkerton guards
to protect said property, and he being struck
by missile from cannon which had been
taken, by said unlawful assembly, to the
Pittsburs side of the Monongahela
striking and instantly killing the said silas
VAIN and we recommend tha2 said un-
lawful assembly be certified to the Septem-
Der sessions of the grand jury.
In the cases of th,. three Pinkerton men
similar returns were made in each. One of
them reads:
j. Connors, aged about 80 years, came to
his death at the Vest Penn Hospital Tues
day. July G, 1892, about IL o'clock P. N, from
shock and exhaustion due to a gunshot
wound in the righf arm. which severed the
femoral artery, received about o'clock A.
NJ. while in a model barge employed as u
Pinkerton guard to guard the property of
Carnegie, Pbipps & Co.'S steel works,
Mifliin township, and being shot by
n ball from an unlawful aSsemblage
which had assembled on said
property TO avoid the landing of said barges
and we find that said shooting was done by
a party parties unknown, with felonious
intent, and we recommend that said unlaw-
full assemblage be certified to the September
sessions of the grand jury.
No attempt was made by the jury in any
of the ten cases to designate the persons by
whom the fatal shots were fired.