Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-12-12
A O|AbCL|CAL PLOT.
Poisoning Of Non-UnIOn
Men at Homestead.
THE MILL COOK CONFESSES.
Labor Leaders, q Druggist and IPhy.
sician Said to be Implicated.


published startling story of conspiracy
20 poison by wholesale the non-union men
at the Carnegie steel plant In Homestead
The developments made. It is said, impli-
Gates members of the advisory committee,
members of the Amalgam ted associa-
tion and officers OF some of the labor or
ganizations sympathizing with the locked.
out men Mt Homestead. As u resGll OF
this conspiracy, il is alleged that several
persons lost their lives, while scores Of
others are still suffering AT their homes
and in hospitals from the effects OF poi
sonous drugs administered to them with
criminal intent. Nire or more persons,
more or less identified with the strike, are
under arrest. ostensibly on less serious
charges, ut really for the purpose OF avert
ing suspicion until all those who are
claimed to he in the conspiracy
have been secured The ouly name
given OF those who are char gel
with administering poison is b.
ert Beatty, who was arrested Saturday
night at Louisville. The details Of the
plot sufficient 10 cause a shulder TO
those tnat hear them.
1t will lie remembered that shortly after
the arrival Of the state militia at Home
stead. and The non-union men had com
menced work in the mills complaints be-
came prevalent about the unwnoiesome
water supplied to the men
Many Cases Of sickness
were reported, but we're all attributed 10
the impurity of the water. a supply
from other sources was secured, and
notices were posted about the mill warn
Ing the employees to refrain from drinking
the water Despite this precaution, the
sickness continued. and soon il became
current at Homestead that an epidemic
was prevailing among the men within the
enclosure. The first intimaton that
the officers had that the msn were
the victims OF conspiracy To poison
was obtained more than two months
since. 1t come In such manner,
however, that IL was impossible to make
arrests Immediately, and 1t was not until
Saturday that the evidence was deemed
sufficiently strong TO warrant the apple
hension Of al least one of those who arc
alleged to have been implicated in the
conspiracy to get ril of the hated non
union men, either by death or creating
such a panic among them that they would
fee from the fatal place in body. The
price TO lie paid when the mills were
closed down WAS eJO.
Details of the Plot.
The terrible plot, according to the in
formation obtained by the reporter, was
substantially as follows: The informant
said that one Of the chief cooks AT the
Homestead works, with whom he was in
timately acquainted. met him in the city
one day and asked him il he did not want
a job at Homestead lie said he wanted
at least two assistants and said the in
formant and his FREUD could make big
money IL they would help him. He told
them he was not only employed by the
Carnegie company but Was also in the
pay of the labor associations aud members
of the strikers committees, and was just
coming money. As he grew more conll-
Dental he told Of plan TO poison the
food Of the men employed in the mills 80
rs to make them sick and render them
unfit for work. and asserted that nearly,
il not all the sickness among the men, was
caused by the poisons he nad place In
the food He said he WAS to get 5000 il
he succeeded In closing the mill lie
urged them to accept the places, told
them it would be an utter impossibility
for hem to be detected an finally LETT
them with the understanding that he
would meet them in the city next day,
give them some advance money and take
them TO HomD stead with him.
Trapping the Cook.
Realizing the Nervousness OF the proDo-
sition the two men caiel upon Coairman
Frick, and laid the matter b fore him.
Ga advice OF the comp any's attorneys, the
two men were instru, ed to meet the
cook and proceed to Homestead with him.
hat in ha xxn ms IN
stead, and were duly installed in their
positions 10y the cook. The day after their
arrival number of the men were reported
sick, and the cook told them how he had
placed the poison--a cJlorcd powder in
the food, aud told them TO watch for an
opportunity To use II IN the food
Fearing that the two men could not he
trusted, two Pinkertons were engaged to
keep a close surveillance on the inform
ants as well as the cook. The latter be-
came suspicious and at once discontinued
the use of the powders. Ord RS were then
given that the woIkmen should take their
meals at the restaurant outside the en-
closure. the reason being given that the
company was tired of furnishing meals,
aud that as quiet had been restored AMI
the mill in COOL working order, the meals
would lie discontinued.
Some time later the men reported that
the cook was becoming very uneasy, aud
they feared he might leave the city IN a
hurry. They said that the death OF some
Of the men had unnerved him. and they
believed he would make n clean breast Of
the whole plot IL he was summoned TO ths
office aud placed under arrest. This was
done, aud, when confronted with the facts
~ stated above. the cook broke down and
Made n Pull Confession.
m which he gave the names OF those who
employed him. the amount Of money he
bal received. and the manner I'm which he
bad carried out his part OF the terrible
crime He stated also that he frequently
VISITED the camps of the militia au do.el
Ihe 'ood prepared in the cook house. Ills
visits were always followed by increased
sickness among the members Of the Ma
honal Guard. His confession was taken
BY a stenograph.. .u the presence Of wit.
sesses
After the cor tession the cook begged
hat he shoul not lie place In fail, and
ais wishes were complied with. lie has.
however, a. well as the two orzinal in.
,ormants, been kept under surveillance
nI,,h, aud dav all hayinu been continued