The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-12-15
A CONSPIRACY
70 Poison by Wholesale Non-Unioi
Man at Homestead.
A Cook Exposes the Plot to Two Assist.
ants Whom lie Had Employed to
Help In the Work-Robert Beat
ty, Suspect, Arrested.

ants Whom lie Had Employed to
Help In the Work-Robert Beat
ty, a Suspect, Arrested.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Dec. 12.--A startling
story was published Sunday of con-
spiracy to poison by wholesale the non.
union men at the Carnegie steel plant
in Homestead The developments made,
it is claimed, implicate members of the
advisory committee, members of the
amalgamated association and officials
of some of the labor organizations sym
pathizing with the locked-out men at
Homestead AS a result of this conspir-
acy, it is alleged that several persons
lost their lives, while scores of others
are still suffering in their homes and
in hospitals from the effects of the poi.
sonous drugs administered to them
with criminal intent.
Sunday nine or more persons more or
less identified with the strike, were under
arrest, ostensibly on less serious
charges, but really for the purpose of
averting suspicion until all those who
are claimed to be in conspiracy have
been secured. The only name given OF
is Robert Beatty, who was arrested at
Louisville Saturday night Several
others, however, are under heavy bail
on other charges, and the new charge
will probably be made Monday, as all are
under surveillance, and can be taken at
any moment The publication goes on
to say that the details of the plot, as
they have been slowly, but persistently
and untiringly developed are sufficient
to cause shudder to those who read
or hear them, especially when it is
known that at least two deaths, and
perhaps number of Others have al.
ready been traced to the work of the
willing tool selected to carry the plan
into execution. It will be remembered
that shortly after the arrival of the
state militia in Homestead and the nom
union men had commenced work in the
mills, complaints became prevalent
about the unwholesome water supplied
to the men, especially those employed
within the fence surrounding the plant
Many cases of sickness were report
ed, but all were attributed to the i'm
purity of the water. So firmly impressed
were the physicians and the officials of
the company that water was causing
the sickness that supply from other
sources was secured, and notices were
posted conspicuously about, the mill
warning the employees to refrain from
drinking the water.
Despite these precautionary measures
the sickness continued, and soon it be-
came current at Homestead that an ep-
idemic was prevailing among the men
within the enclosure. A number of the
sick were taken to the hospitals for
treatment, and nearly all those recov-
cred, although many of them are still
ill.
Rumors that typhoid and other
diseases were epidemic in the mill, a
representative of the state board of
health made an official investigation.
He found the sanitary arrangements
good, and attributed the sickness to the
water. The first intimation the officers
had that the diagnosis of the physi-
clans were incorrect, and the men were
the victims of conspiracy to poison
them, which was being mysteriously
and successfully executed was obtained
more than two months since. 1t came in
such a manner, however, that it was i'm.
possible to make arrests immediate.
ly and it was not until Saturday
that the evidence was deemed sufi.
GENTLY strong to warrant the appre-
hension of at least one Of those who
are alleged to have been implicated in
the Borgian conspiracy to get rid of the
hated non-union men, either by death
or by creating such panic among
them that they would flee from the
fated place in body. The price to be
paid when the mills were closed down
was $1,000. The plot, according to the
information obtained by the reporter,
WIS exposed by man who was in the
plot and was substantially as follows:
The informant said that one of the
chief cooks at the Homestead works,
with whom he was intimately ac-
quainted, met him in. the city one day
and asked II he did not want job at
Homestead He said he wanted at
least two assistants, and said the In
formant and his friend could make big
money If they would help him. He told
them he was not only employed by the
Carnegie Co., but was also in the
pay of the labor associations and
members Of the strikers commit
tees, and was just coming money. AS
he grew more confident and prompted
by the questions about the pay from
the associations, he told them of plan
to poison the food of the men employed
in the mill so as to make them sick and
render them unable to work. He de.
tailed the plan he had been pursuing
and asserted that nearly if not all the
sickness among the men, of which re-
ports had been current, was caused by
the poisons he had placed in food. He
said he was to get IS, 900 if he succeeded
in closing the mill.
Realizing the Nervousness of the
proposition, two men called upon Chair
man Frick, of the Carnegie Co., and laid
the matter before him Upon advice OF
the company's attorney the two men
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