The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-11
A NIGHT OF ANXIETY.
A False Alarm Calls the Workers
Picket Guards to Duty.

A False Alarm Calls the Workers
Picket Guards to Duty.
HOMESTEAD, July 11.-There was q
scene of wild excitement Saturday at
midnight, when word came from what
was believed to be an authentic source
that Pinkerton forces were on their way
to Homestead, and would disembark
from their train ON the disuseh Wheel
ing branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
at point northwest of Homestead, near
the Carnegie property, and from over
the hills and under cover ofathe Carne-
gle Company's houses endeayor to effect
o secret entrance to the idle mill. Scouts
were at once sent the houses of the
sleeping workingrnen, and the alarming
information that 'the black sheep were
coming" was sufficient to send scores OF
men hurrying towards the headquarters.
The greater number Of these were armed
with Winchesters. Some of these
weapons, by the irony of fate, had be-
lorged TO the Pinkerton agency and
were taken from the detectives after
their surrender last Wednesday. 1t was
strange scene. Squads of armed men
silently shouldered their rifles and went
to the points selected-the hilltops about
the town overlooking the tracks of the
Wheeling division.
The leaders, with anxiety written on
their faces and thoroughly appreciating
the gravity Of the situation, walked
among the men and gave them their in
structions. Perhaps 800 armed work.
men were called into requisitiop. The
leaders decided that more were not
needed, but they knew that il the ex-
pected contingent arrived the shrill
whistle of the electric light works would
give the alarm to Homestead, and that
thousands OF sympathizing comrades,
each with weapon of some SORT, would
be quickly on hand. But the hours of
the night passed away and no hostile
force appeared. 1t was a disappoint-
ment to few, but the great majority
of them thankfully shouldered their
arms and walked back to their homes
in the early morning light. The alarm
was false, but the leaders do not believe
it to have been intended for a hoax. 1t
came from too authentic source for
that Notwithstanding the seeming un-
reliability of the warning the leaders
believe it was based on some actual in
formation, and vigilance has increased
accordingly.
A Bureau of Censorship.
The belief is firmly fixed in the minds
OF nearly everybody in Homestead that
Pinkerton detectives are in town obtain
ing information of some sort, and acting
on this belief suspicion has Increased to
an almost incredible degree.
Every presumed unsympathetic feel.
ing for the cause Of the men ls resented,
and any open attempt to turn them
from their present course would be dan.
gerous. An illustration is Afforded by
one incident that occurred here. 1t was
rumofed that New York paper, friendly
on personal and pecuniary grounds to
the Carnegie side of the trouble, had
published an editorial not at All friendly
10 the locked out men. Shortly after
this seven bundles, containing several
thousand copies of an edition of the
journal, arrived in Homestead. The
bundles were addressed to the looked out
workingmen. AT headquarters the
bundles were opened, and a committee
was appointed to pass upon the char.
Rcter of the matter in the edition con.
eerning the Homestead trouble. The
examination was not satisfactory to tine
examining board. 1t was decided that
the matter in the paper was derogatory
to the workingmen's cause, and that the
copies were sent to Homestead In an at.
| tempt to have the strikers influenced
from their course. And SO the seven
bundles were made into a hig bonfire,
and the danger was removed.