The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-07-14
BULLETS N BLOOD
Bloody Fight Between Striking Iron
Workers and Piukertons at
Homestead.
Eleven Strikers and Nine Detectives
Killed aud Many Seriously
Wounded.

Capltal and labor have CllShed at Home
stead, Pa, ssand the.town is red with blood.
vicinity. save the great railroad riots OF
1877. has there been such carnage and such
q battle. The 800 Pinkertons who came in
q boat to Homestead early this morning
have desolated many o hearth and their
shots have aroused such desperation that it
is sac to say that before the men would
now allow the mill to be operated by non
union men t, ey would burn it over their
heads.
The story of the battle is hard to tell. In
the dark mist of early morning, when the
town was quiet, the rumor Of the arrival of
the boat load O. Pinkertons reached Home
stead. The word was sent along the line
and the streets in almost all instant We're
crowded with men. women and children,
hurrving in the direction Of the works
landing. Some We're only half clad. On
the maddened mass rushed, some to return
without even a tear in their eyes, others to
part forever on the battle ground. Mothers
stood with babes in their arms wondering
what would be the result if the Pinkertons
made an attempt to land. The most horri-
BILE torebodings have been realized and
there are many homes in distress, many
mothers, fathers. sisters, brothers and
sweethearts with tears running down their
cheeks, mourning the loss OF some one
who fell by the bullets rom that boat.
The landing of that boat will ever be re-
bered at Homestead, and tor some
generations to comethe fathers willtell their
children of the bloody battle of he Monon-
gahela. When the boat was sighted by the
multitude of workingmen and their iami-
lies, q feeling such as was never felt before
stole over the anxious walters. As it came
near, the feeling became more intense. The
crowd stood motionless until it became
known that they were going to land. AS it
by an Unseen power.
THE SETTLING MASS
of humanity made a rush an 100 feet Of
the high .ence was seen to crumble like
paper. The men were in the yard and close
behind them were their antilles.
A more determined body OF men never
entered a battle. The sight OF their wives
and children seemed to give them courage.
Their only thought was or home, and no
class'ot men would die for home one
than these workinEmen. The men resem-
bled q, drill ed army more han a bowling
mob, rs all lined the bank evenly. There
they stood Tor an instant, watching every
move Of the Pinkertons. Suddenly a form
was seen to break from the ranks of the
workingmen and move toward the waters
edge. Almost instantly a flash was seen on
the boat, followed by a report, and a form
was seen to roll down the bank. One man
had met his fate. The shot was the signal
for all attack, and opened II of the great
est wars between capital and labor that the
Keystone State ever witnessed.
What followed after the first shot can
only be realized by those who were pres
ent. The air was filled with the
DEATH DEALING BULLETS
of both parties. The battle was at its
height, and regardless of the rapid firing
the bowling of the workmen could be
heard above all. The sight Of their fell
lows falling at their sides gave them new
lie and courage, and although their fire.
arms were not equal to the improved VIM
chesters of their enemy, they drove them
back. The workingnen had won the first
battle. The dead and wounded were car
RED to the rear and cared for by the women,
while the men TODD their ground and kept
up a constant attack upon the boat. The
Plnkertons' firing dropped off after thew
took refuge in the boats cabin. The others
were soon at their side. the cabin was a
poor fortress, IS the balls from the lew
rifles on the shore penetrated its frail side,
and the Pinkertons were at the mercy OF
the men until the boat pulled into the mid
die OF the river. When at a safe distance
from the bullets Of the now maddened men,
they looked after
THEIR FALLEN COMRADES.
The dead were laid on the cabin floor,
while the wounded We're placed on cots
and given such medica! attention as was at
hand. The sight OF dozens of dead and
wounded seemed to make them more de-
'ermined to accomplish their purpose of
going into the n,iH. The captain of the
Pinkertons ordered the dead and wounded
taken to Braddock, and the Little Bill
towed the barges to the river bank, where
they were moored. The boat then with
drew and was soon on its way to Braddock
with her Dad of mutllated humanity.
No sooner had the boat left the barges,
yv van fha cnoDcl ntt>~N- M :
barges containing the Pinkertons proved a
valuable tort, and. with their bodies con-
cealed and their excellent guns, they had a
great advantage over their enemy. The
workingmen were still lined along the river
bank within .uli view of the men in the
barses. The firing was rapid for some
minutes, the Pinkertons getting the best OF
the fight. When they saw several men fall,
and many wounded retreat, they
RUSHED FOR THE LANDING.
They Jumped over the sides OF the barses
and up the banks toward the mill. The
men SCENE to expect this, and the report
o. their guns rang out. The Pinkerton
men were scattered, and fell never to rise
again. When they saw their mistake
alter it had cost the lives OF some of their
party, a stampede occurred. When the
PinkertonJ retreated to their barges, thew
scrambled over the sides faster than they
lett II, a :ew moments before. During this
attack at least three Pinkertons met death,
but how many were mortaliy wounded
could not be learned. The workingmen
lost but one mau, Il Slav. Several were
wounded, and were cared for by the women
III the rear. There was q lull Tor many
minutes alter that. 1t was only to refill
cartridge belts, tor the fighting blood could
not be cooled.
The sun rose glorio'lsly, and from a dis
lance the day in Braddock was as serene
and quiet as a Sunday. Jack Morris stood
up at the pumping station and looked out
OF a window. 1t was 3:15 o'clock and not
a shot had been exchanged for thirty-six
minutes. A moment later a Pinkerton
ball
PIERCED HIS FOREHEAD
and he fel! headlong out OF the window,
and forty feet below his bones were broken
on the shore. Six men rushed down the
bank and dragged his body up. James
Ryan was shot in the arm while doing it.
Then the fight reopened and continued in
a desultory manner for an hour and a half.
Three men were killed and many slightly
wounded. The men shot often into the
barges and a cannon ball struck one Of
them. The gunne! was shot. The men
standing in the mill had e%ntrenched
themselves and when the bullets went
through they took advantage OF every bar
Of iron, and every pile had men behind it
armed with guns and revoivers.
1t was a thrilling sight to witness the
regular army line move fearlessiy to the
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