The Portland daily press., 1892-07-14
STRIKERS FIRED FIRST.
Story Of the Battle Of Homestead
Told to Congressman.
HOW ONE VICTIM SUFFERED UN-
TIL DEATH ENDED THE FIGHT.

No Excitement in Homestead Yesterday
The Soldiers Hunted for Food and the
Workmen Went Fishing. While the
Leaders Saw the Congressmen-SIana-
ger Frick, Sheriff McCleary and Mr.
O'Donneu Among the Witnesses Ex-
amined.
PITTsBURG, Pa, July 13.-The con-
gressional committee of investigation
of the Homestead trouble met this
morning, and the examination of Mr..
Frick was continued. Mr.. Frick said
that the arms were consigned to the I'm
ion Supply Company, and by it delivered
to Captain Rogers, of the steamer Little
Bill. His arrangements to obtain the
Pinkerton men were completed July 1st.
The negotiations were carried on by Mr..
Frick, the New York agent and the Phil
adelphia agent.
Mr.. Boatner tried to get the witness to
answer directly whether his firm advised
the Pinkertons that arms would be need
ed. All that Mr. Frick would say was
| UlldU IG DSll6tCo AC lldlI. 4uls l. 11Ch ociiA
the prices paid for similar work at
| Homestead were higher than at any 9TH
er place; at least per cent higher than
paid in eastern mills. He said that Sun
day night he wired the governor that he
| believed troops would be necessary The
| witness said the introduction of i'm
| proved machinery would increase the
| cost of production Is per cent. The
men worked about 270 days in a year.
| Captain Rogers was called, and told
| of the arrangement made with him by
Mr.. Frick to, take the barges to Home
stead Captain Rogers said he met Dep
uty Sheriff Gray at Davis Island dam.
Gray said he was to accompany the par
| ty officially. The witness detailed the
story of the fighting, and said the first
shot was fired by the strikers.
| Sheriff McCleary testified that counsel
| for the Carnegies notified him the week
| before the men went out that there
would be trouble; that the company had
arranged to send 300 men to Homestead
| titled July 4th that he must protect the
property of the company. Tuesday he
| sent 12 deputies to the works and they
were driven away. His efforts to secure
| a posse were detailed at length. He was
notified concerning the Pinkertons and
| tried to persuade them not to send
men as he feared trouble. He was final
| 1Yinduced to send Colonel Gray along to
try to prevent trouble. Sheriff McC Cleary
said the people would not serve on the
posse because they were afraid of being
| killed. The sheriff said he had not au-
thorized Colonel Gray to deputize the
Pinkertons.
| President Weihe was the first witness
on the side of labor. He reviewed the
sliding scale and the failure to reach an
agreement with the company. Reduc-
tions, he said, were proposed in most all
of the departments. The reductions
would average 18 per cent. The date OF
the expiration of the scale was vital
question to the men because they could
not work in the heated season.
Judge Taylor asked why the men
| thought they had a right to take posses
sion of the mill.
| Weihe said: "There may be some
who think so, but they are not so taught
in the association"
'sWas it not the object of these men
when they fought the Pinkertons to pre-
vent the mill from being worked by non
union men?'
''That may have been the object but
| do not know that it was"
Hugh O'Donnell was called. He said
the men placed around the fence were
not instructed to keep any one out of the
mill They were to try and persuade
the non-union men to remain out of the
mill. The witness repeated the story OF
the battle and his efforts to prevent
| firing.