Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-07-09
SITUATION AT HOMESTEAD.

OIL UDI lUA II llO4uh.S l14AD'
Every locl1ed-out employe ofthe Car
negie mills of Homestead, was on watch
last night, and two thousand desperate
men were resting on their arms, grimly
waiting any attempt on the part of the
Pinkertons to surprise them.
Sheriff McCleary decided to take no
further steps until Monday, hoping, in
the meantime to arrive at some AMIGA
BILE arrangement. Many of the local
militia say they will go to Jail before
they will 90 to Homestead, where they
have friends and relatives among the
strikers. All the armories are under
guard, the result Of an attempt early
Yesterday morning to spike the guns OF
Battery B. If no further attempt is
made to bring Pinkerton men into the
town, the workmen may hand over the
mills to the sheriff to-day as a result of
the conference with the Governor last
night.
Five regiments of infantry, two bat
teries of artillery and one troop of cav
airy have been ordered to hold them
selves in readiness to move at a mo-
ment's notice. The sheriff will proceed
to Homestead to-day and demand that
the mills be turned over to him. If this
is not done the militia will be called
out. Governor Pattison, who has here
tofore denied the need for troops, will
be governed by the recommendation OF
his Adiutant General and Gen. Wylie.
President Weihe, of the Amalgama-
ted Association, left Pittsburg for Home
stead last night, to induce the strikers
TO surrender the company's property to
the sheriff. His mission WAS successful
this far: A mass meeting of strikers
was held, the situation explained and
committee appointed to confer with the
sheriff. The committee was authorized
to promise that the works would be
surrendered to the sheriff, and he would
be protected. but he must allow the
strikers to name his deputies. This he
will not agree to do.
A committee of strikers left for Har-
risburg Yesterday afternoon to meet
Governor Pattison. They hoped to
convince him that the situation at
Homestead did not warrant the calling
out of troops The committee arrived
at the executive department at 1880
last night, and were at once ushered
into the private Office of the Governor,
who was awaiting them with Attorney
General Hensel and Private Secretary
Tate. They explained that they went
TO Harrisburg to see the Governor ut
the repeated and urgent requests OF the
workmen, to explain their side OF the
controversy. and for no other purpose.
There has been considerable misrepre-
sentation, and they wanted, they said.
to disabuse his mind ofany false i'm
pressions that may have been made by
reports from the scene Of the trouble.
The committee had with it Il roster ofthe
Pinkerton force secured on the desert
ed bargcs, among other effects OF the
detectives. This book also contains the
contract of Carnegie & Co. with the
l.inkerton ssociation. The committee
stated further that when they left
Homestead the regular watchmen and
clerks of Carnegie Il Co. were in and
about the works without let or hinder
ance, so far rs the workmen were con-
cerned. 1t was midnight when the
conference came to an end, and the
committee, fifteen minutes later, were
on their way back to Homestead. The
committee was composed OF two repre-
sentatives of the labor organizations
and three of the citizens Of Homestead.
Two of the men had been summoned as
part of the sheriff posse. They came to
say to the Governor that the works are
now in possession of the owners of the
plant. and that their watchmen are
now on the ground. No attempt had
been made by the workmen TO take the
works or destroy property. They
pledged the citizens OF Homestead and
the workmen to the preservation of
good order and the safety of the works.
The committee stated that the sheriff
could take charge of the property, and
that there would be no resistance to
his authority. There had never been
any attempt, they said, to execute
writ or serve q civil process, and that
the sheriff would be permitted to do so
at any time. One Of the committee said
the people of Homestead, without re,
gard to party or organization, commend
the Governors action in declining to
send troops, and request that he will
adhere to this position-at least, till
some official has been INSTRUCTED in the
exercise of his authority. The commit
tee regretted the occurrences Of We'd
nesday, but said the responsibility rest
ed largely with Carnegie & Co., who
brought the Pinkertons there as their
armed employees, acting without official
authority, and attempted to be landed
secretly. No organized attempt had
been made, they declared, to prevent
the landing of the detectives. II was
rather the result of an accidental COLI
sion than of generalization.
It is said in PittsbuIg that Mr.. Prick
has received Mr.. Carnegie's ultimatum
that the company will hold out on its
present lines to the end, no matter
what the end may be; that Mr.. Carne-
ME will not sanction the re-employ-
ment of any of the discharged workers,
and that he declares that he twill hold
out until grass overgrows the mills"
rather than give in to the association.
AN ENDEAvoR MAN TRAPPED.-Wil-
liam F. Powell, a lawyer from Indian