Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1892-07-06
LOOKS LIKE MURDER !
A BATTLE AT The CARNEGIE IRON
WORKS.
The PinkertOlis Fire First
and Into a Crowd.
SEVERAL MEN PROBABLY
FATALLY WOUNDED.
MARCHING TO
HEI.P THE oTK,K .RS.

PITTsDURG, July Cat an early hour
this morning 300 Pinkerton detectives
arrived in Pittsburg from the east. They
were quietly marched to the Monon-
gahela river where they were loaded on
barges and shipped to Homestead, (where
the Carnegie iron works are) at 2;15.
The news of their arrival spread rapidly
and when the steam tug towing the barges
arrived at Homestead there were 5000
people waiting to meet them.
PlnkertOns Fire the First YOlley.
AS soon as the Pinkertons attempted
to land they were met by a firm refusal
from men and a battle followed The
Pinkertuns opened fire and at the first
volley two workmcn fell. This cnragcd
the workmen and they bore down on the
Pinkertons with resstess force. Nobody
stopped to inquire whether the new
corners were deputy shcrifls, Pinkcrton
detectives, or non-union laborcrs.
After the exchange of shots the crowd
grouped on the bank fell back and
rushed toward big trcstle leading to
the Pemicky railroad bridge.
Probably three hundred men stood
their ground and with their reyolvers
returned the fire. These shots did little
or no damage, and the plucky hand,
finding their weapons ineffective, slowly
fell back before the whitening fire of the
Pinkerton Winchesters.
The First Shot.
The first shot of the engagement came
from the barge. 1t was aimed at big
Hungarian who stood at the waters
edge. The ball went wide of the human
target, but was the signal to the Pink
erton men to begin and for ten min
utes they continued to fire. The first
man to fall was Martin Merry, a heater
in one of the mines. He was shot in the
left side and fell face downward on pile
of ashes.
The Second Murder.
Close beside Merry stood the big Hun
garian. He stopped over Merry's pros
trate body and as he was in the act of
raising him, he etaggered and an instant
later fell by the side of his comrade.
This bloody spectacle reused the spir-
its of the crowd and with hoarse cheer
hali-dozen men rushed to the place
where Merry and the Hungarian lay.
They picked up the bodies and carried
them behind the trestle. One of the res
cuers, Welchman, who refused to give
his name, was shot in the left leg lust as
he raised Merry's head f'om the ground.
Merry and the Hungarian were carried
over the trestle-work to physician. He
said that both men would probably die.
-Four FinkertOns wounded
Five more of the strikers were wounded
and two of them very seriously. The
shots of the strikers were also well
aimed, as four Pinkertons are reported
dangerously wounded.
Another Account.
HOMESTEAD, Pa, July 6.-Excitement
is at fever heat at Homestead.
1t was exactly 4 o'clock when steam.
er and barges were sighted by the work.
ingmcn's watchers gathered on the river
banks mile below the town. As soor
as the fleet was sighted, three mountec
messengers started for town shouting a.
they went in advance of the dreaded
barges. Some one notified the engineer
at the electric light works and secont
later the harsh-voiced whistle sounded
general alarm. The people Responded
with wonderful alacrity. There wer
old men and young men, elderly women
mothers with their babies in arm, ant
any number of children. The thron,
headed toward the river.
Battered Down the barrier.
The day was just dawning and cl,ud
of thick, grayish vapor hung over tn
waters. Suddenly from out the shadow
were seen the lights of the steamer. o
either side OF her were barges. Th
moment the people on the bank caugh
glimpse of the hotilla, they made
break down the road toward the earn,
gle works. When the head of the lin
reached the city farm fence, which ha
been built out several feet into the waite,
so men or more used their shoulders a
battering rams and almost in a twinklin
hnI f,,r Il
through the fence the crowd poure
along the step embankment skirtin
; the river fence of the Carnegie compan,
and despite the mud and uneven cha
acter of the ground. made rapid heat
way.
Silent. but Determined.
1t was strangely silent crowd. Fee
words were spoken and these spran
from the lips of the women who we,
apparently as anxious to participate
the conflict as the men. From HON
stead to the pump house it is goc
two miles, but these half dressed mt
and women made the journey in recoi
breaking time.
Facing the PinkertOms.
Once there they gathered in one sol
mass, most of the women on the ou
= skirts. The front rank of this solid wa
of humanity stood at the waters vel
edge and every moment the crowd gre
in numbers and determination. Slow
the steamer Tide brought her silent co
sort down the channel. lust belo
Pemicky bridge she partly turned t
ward shore and then amid the shrieks
= the steam whistles and angry groa