The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-07-14
WAR In
PENNSYLVANIA.
CARNEGIE'S wORKMEN BAT
TIE WITH PINKERTON'S
MERCERAR1ES.
Twelve Men Killed and Forty
Wounded.

immense plant at Homeste ad, a
town of Pittsburg, Pa.
lie recently made reduction of 30
per cent. in the wages of his en-
)loyees.
The men stated that they would
never submit 10 the proposed re-
iuction, and announced their de-
to resist any effort on
the part Of the Carnegies to start up |
their plants with non-union men. |
AS both sides were determined, both |
proceeded to prepare for the contest,
which eliminated on last Thursday |
In such deeds of violence and blood
shed that were witnessed in the big
hive of industry on the MOnongahe- |
la. AS some of the wOrkmen at |
Homestead hung III. c. Frick, presi- |
dent of the company, in effigy, In
retaliation the company ordered an
shut down of the big
works two days before the time
provided by the contract under
which the men were working.
The employees at once proceeded
to organize for the defensive and
the company erected a high board
fence around the entiro works, Civ
ing them the appearance Of an i'm
mense stockade, the sides being
pierced with portfolios. Yesterday
the Carnegie Company announced
their intention to proceed to get
ready to make repairs and thu Off
cials asked the sheriff to appoint
deputies to protect their property.
The sheriff sent a small squad OF
men up to the works, but the strik.
ers assembled in force and notified
them to get out of town, as no dis
order was intended and that no
damage would be done to any pro-
perty. They even offered to be
sw orn in as deputies and to give
bonds for the faithful performance
uf their duties as conservators OF the
peace. When this offer was de-
clined the advisory committee,
which had been directing the action
of the workmen, and which had
held the turbulent spirits among the
Workmen in check, was immediate
ly dissolved, and all the records of
the committee were promptly de-
stroyed.
The Developments showed that
the application made for assistance
of the sheriff was merely for the
purpose of covering what was in
tended to be coup de main on the
part of the Carnegie company ia
clandestinely introducing body OF
Pinkerton detectives into the mill
linclosure. The detectives had beeu
rendezvoused some five or six miles
below the city on the Ohio River
at which point two model steel
lined barges had been prepared tol
them.
The barges were towed up thu
river by a towboat, but long before
the PinkertOn men reached Home
stead thousands Of strikers hat
gathered on the banks Cf the river
ready to give them a warm wei
come. When the boats attempted
to land, the workmen broke through
the fence surrounding the mill, ant
intrenching themselves behind pile
of steel biiiets, prepared to resist tn
landing of the detectives.
The detectives were armed will
Winchester rifles, but at the pOin
where the attempt to land was mad
there was steep embankment an
they were compelled to 60 i'll singl
, file and were soon driven back to h
, boats by the steady fire from tn
shore.
Three hundred Pinkerton detet
tives attempted to land from boal
r at the steel works. They fired o
, the guard and about 100 shots wer
8 exchanged. Two strikers were sho
l The Pinkertons were repulsed 6
0 the first attack. For two hours b'
fore the boats arrived five thousan
or six thousand persons awaite
their coming on the river bank
'' The shooting of the two men Ell
o ragged the crowd, and they boz
f down the Pinkertons with resistle
: force, driving them back to tt
:, boats. About a dozen men we
= wounded, several of whom are lik
q ly to die. When the boats al
re preached the landing, the first ma
a who came forward to disembark a
# vanced with a Winchester rifle, al
!, when ready to step off he discharg
- his weapon.
'e This was the signal for a gener
e. fight. There was rapid exchan
n. of shots from both sides.
20 It was seen at a glance that t
~ men on the boats were thorough
Z. armed, IS the Winchesters were
il plain view. Five thousand me
te women and children stood upon t
n. river bank watching the fight a
- cheering on the workmen in tn
" efforts to prevent landing by
cy Pinkertons. The first shot Of
is engagement came from the bar
"a It was aimed at a big Hungari'
who stood at the waters edge. !
" noise Of the battle spread about
on borough like Wildfire and thousal
rs, of men, women, and children thro
in ed to the river hank to witness
:, fight in Trogress. The Pinker
" men were determined to land, {
Dy they poured volley after volley i
We the ranks of the strikers, many
ct. whom were stricken down by
ne bullets, some of them being fats
:, injured, and some others XII
-, outright.
as AS the battle progressed
We strikers took up a position benin
ese breastWork hastily constructed
steel rails and billets, and from
va place of safe refuge were able
mas pick off the detectives as soon
to they appeared on the deck OF
hat boats.
The news of the riot reac
Pittsburg as early as 6 o'cloel
the morning, and thousands of
"a. ~. hands, all of whom are now
anS r pending the conference on the Sc
, y congregated in the streets. "
lContinued on Second Page. ]