Evening journal., 1892-07-07

demons. They knew no fear, but even
Jumped forward to wrest the death dealing
rifles from the hands Of their hated enemies
Tie First Gush of Blood.
Never until the Judgment morn will it be
definitely known who fired the first shot
which started the slaughter that has made
so many homes Of mourning today. The
first gun, however, was fired from the
Pinkerton barge, and is thought to have
been discharged by the captain of the gang
of men, who was afterward killed The
last moment before the slaughter the crowd
was surging downward against six Of the
leading millworkers, who stood with their
backs to the Piukertons fairly under the
muzzles OF the rifles, trying to keep the
millmen back from what seemed certain
death.
Clear as a bell. far above the roar Of the
angry crowd, came the voice Of Hugh
ODonnel as hatless and coatless, he tried
to check the angry men I'm Gods name,n
he cried, "my good fellows keep back,
don't press down and force them to do
murder"
It was too late. the appeal was drowned
by the report of a Winchester rife from a
man in the bow OF the boat The first ball
had hardly left the smoking barrel on its
mission of death ere it was followed by a
sheet Of flame from a score Of rifles in the
Pinkertons hands. William Foy, who stood
at the front with his foot on the eangplank
staggered aud fell, his life's blood gushing
out
For a moment the crowd was struck
dumb by the attack. Only the groans Of
several wounded men were heard The
echoes Of the rifles had hardly reached the
neighboring hills ere the crowd replied.
Out from the s.midarkness Of the morning
flashed a wall Of fire. The men on the
bank, too, had arms and were using them.
The leader Of the Pinkertons clapped his
hand to his breast and fell overheard, sink
ing beneath the waters, while several other
Pinkertons staggered back and were car.
ried inside the boat by their comrades.
At the first flash Of the Pinkertons rifles
many of the crowd took to their heels, but
close to the waters edge stood about 200 Of
the angry men firing their revolvers straight
at the Pinkertons. Soon the latter, unable to
TO withstand the firing, they retreated into
their cabin and fired from under cover as
quickly as possible When the men on
shore had emptied their revolvers, they re-
treated up the bank, greeting every shot
from their enemies with defiant cheers.
It is remarkable that among that vast lot
Of Homestead men not gun was seen, but
after the first attack messengers flew wild
| ly 10 the town and in quarter Of an hour,
armed with rifles, shotguns, muskets and
] everything in the line Of firearms, they
were hurrying again to the scene Of battle.
/ The Pinkertons kept rather close under
cover, bnt when the millmen came down to
~
was readily given them The spokesman OF
the Pinkertons said they did not intend
working. and voice from the crowd ans
wered "You fellows would not work. its
against your principles This evidently
ended the conference, as the speaker
shouted:
''You fellows have been blowing through
the newspapers what you We're going to d1
and now we will show you what we can
do, and in fifteen minutes we win make 9
landing and clean the ground in short order
This was greeted with defiant cheer OF
the part Of the millmen. One old gra,
haired man shouted TO the Pinkertons:
"Our boys have just whipped you and we
can do it again. If you want to fight wei
send the women down as you're afraid q
fight men,"
Nothing further was done by the Pinker
tons until after they had eaten breakfast ol
the boat, when at $3.50 they made anothe
attempt to land on the companys grounds
but We're again repulsed
The millmen now took their position Of
top Of The bank while skilled marksmel
were placed at every sheltered point, an,
and with their long range rifles proceeded
70 shoot down every Pinkerton they coull
see. Heavy slugs went crashing into TN
boats three different times, however, anI
each time caused flag Of truce to be hum
out by the Gagged Pinkertons, but the cry O
ono quarter was raised on every side. am
the flags were riddled with bullets and dis
regarded.
watched with Guns Cooked.
For hours the crowd Of worzmen behin
the balricades Of structural iron within til
walls watched the barges with guns cooked
waiting for head TO appear. Down in th
boats, swelierirg and with hearts file
with fear, lay the 90 Pinkerton guard.
The sun was beating down on the low root
of the barges, and the air within ther
must have been sitting, for an opening wa
not to be lhought Of, as it would only al
tract a storm Of bullets from the angry me
outside The suffering Of the wounded i
the boats must have been awful, not {
hotter, sounds Of an AK at work within Oh
boat told the crowd that the Pinkerto
guards We're taking desperate chances
prevent suffocation. Soon a hole was ca
through, and moment later it was mad
twice as large from the bullets from th
shore. The axman was wounded, and a
further attempts We're made TO secuI
ventilation. Death in q sitting atmospheI
was better, the Pinkertons thought tina
from the guns Of the mob
All sorts of plans were tried TO fire th
boat A band fire engine owned by tl
steel company was gotten out of its she
and connected with a big oil tank. The O
was pumped down into the river and burr
ing waste was thrown after it. This woul
not do, and the stores with overstocks
Fourth Of July fireworks were drawn up0i
Rockets, roman candles and the like WEI
used, but without effect. The oil was
the lubricating kind and not as infamm
ble as other grades But if the mill me
had succeeded an appalling fate must hay
been in store for the Pnkerton men. I
save themselves from death in fro the
. would have had TO face the rifles Of Il
mob, and tho escape of any Of them ali'
would almost have beep beyond hope,