Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-07-07
STRIKING MILL
MEN VICTORIOUS
Pinkerton Detectives Forced to
Lay Down Their Arms
and Surrender.
UNABLE LONGER TO WITHSTAND THE
FIRE OF THE ENEMY.
RESULT OF THE HOMESTEAD BATTLE

to Run the Gaunt1et-Their Boats Looted
and Burned and Arms, Ammunition and
Provisions in Large Quantities Fall Into
the Hands of the Strikers - The Detec-
tives Roughly Handled on Their Way to
aTemporary Place of Refuge-Details OF
Yesterdays Great Battle--The Carnegie
COmpany's Attempt to Secure Outside
Help Precipitates the Dreaded CrIsis--
The Pinkerton Question in Congress-
Frick Goes Guarded--The Battle Will
Not Change the Company's Policy.
HOMESTEAD, Pa, July For hours
the crowd yf workmen behind the bar
ricades of structural iron within the
walls watched the barges with guns
cooked, waiting for head to appear.
Down in the boats, swelteriug and
with hearts filed with fear, lay the $40
Pinkerton guards.
The suffering of the wounded on the
boats must have been awful.
All sorts of plans were tried to fire
the boats.
A hand fire engine owned by the
steel company was gotten out of its
shed and connected with big oil tank.
The oil was pumped down into the
river aad buring waste was thrown after
it.
This did not do, and the stores with
overstocks of Fourth Of July fireworks
were drawn upon, rockets, Roman can
dies and the like were used, but with
out effect.
The oil was of the lubricating kind,
not indammable as other grades. But
if the mill men had succeeded, an appal
ling fate must have been in store for
the Pinkerton men.
Seeing their efforts were in vain. the
steel workers rested and discussed the
situation.
Hugh O'Donnell, cool headed and anx-
ious to avoid further bloodshed, seized
a small American flag, mounted a pile
of iron, and soon had the attention of
the 1900 maddened men who were
shouting for blood. His words were re-
ceived with cheers.
He said a wife flag should be carried
to the bank, and he was going to explain
his plan further when a howl arose from
1000 throats:
"Show the white flag, Never" was
the cry.
"They shot at one flag, and if there is
any white flag to be shown it must fly
from the boats"
"What will we do then" asked O'Don-
nell.
1--WE will hold them in the boats until
the sheriff comes and we will have war
rants sworn out for every man for MUIR
der. The sheriff will then have to take
them in CHARGE" said one man, and
shouts of approval rent the air.
Seeing that this was the desire of the
men, O'Donnsll stepped down and went
to work to keep them to that and pre-
vent further conflict, if possible.
While the meeting was in progress in
he mill, another was being held by
| the beleagured ones in the boat
The result was soon shown by a white
handkerchief being cautiously showed
| out of an opening and cheers greeted it.
"They surrender ~ Victory ~ "We
| have them now ~ and like cries rung
| out.
Then Hugh O'Donnell, accompanied
by two or three of the Advisory Com
mittee, ran down the steep bank to re-
| ceive the message of peace.
| The spokesman of the Pinkertons an
nounced that they would surrender on
condition that they would be protected
from the violence of the mob.
After a short parley this was agreed
to, though multitude of enraged people
| were bowling for the blood of the men
| who killed their comrades.
AS soon as the committee had ar
ranged the preliminaries, one hundred
| or more men from the shore climbed
| upon the boat.
ertons talk long, but ordered them to
hurry out.
The first one to leave had his Win.
chester rife with him.
"Disarm them," cried the mob, and
the rifles were then taken away from
all, and became the property of the man
who took the gun.
Then began a looting of the boat.
The uniforms the guards had intended
to wear were either thrown in the river
or given to the Hungarians.
Everything of the slightest value that
was portable was carried away by the
crowd.
When the boats had been looted, the
march Of the captured crew began.
Down the gang plank, one by one
they came, and that they might be dis
tinguished from the men ON the bank
so that none would get away, they were
forced to walk with uncovered heads.
Cries of 80 the woodsr' Lynch
the dogs p were heard on all sides
Every striker seemed as if he wanted d
particular man among the Pinkertons.
| After considerable parley some one suR-
gested that the guards be marched &c
the big skating rink and there tried for
murder. Many of the captors woul'
| not listen to this. Some wanted to take
the scared Pinkertons and shoot them
as they stood. Cooler heads, however
prevailed and the march to the rinl
began.
The poor guards, with most of Jhei
clothes torn from them, were compelled
to march through the town to the rink
, On both sides of them stood lines O
the strikers aud their friends, hootinl
and yelling as they passed. As thu
men passed through the gauntlet the.
were kicked and cuffed on all sides
Their csptors tried to protect them, bu
IL was . physical impossibility.