The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-07

PIrTsBURa, July G.-lSpeciall- Pitts
burg has had another experience with
labor riots, and this time, as during the
fearful scenes which were witnessed
during the railroad>riots of 1877, blood
has been shed, life jeopardized and
valuable property placed in danger.
This time there was no destruction of
property, but the mob was thoroughly
we'll organized, we'll disciplined and had
efficient officers at the head to conduct
operations. The force embraced oil the
men employed in the extensive plants
of the Carnegie Iron ana Steel Com
pany, at Homestead, somo eight miles
east OF Pittsburg, and the battle, which
for blood thirstiness and boldness of
execution has not been excelled in
actual warfare, waged from o'clock in
the morning until 5 o'clock this after
noon and only ceased when the force of
the Pinkertons brought to the place to
suppress the strike Internationally sur
rendered, leaving their arms in the
barges in which they had been trans
ported to the works,
PITTsBURG, July 6.-lSpeciall AT an
early hour this morning three hundre
Pinkerton detectives arrived in Pitts
burg from the East. They were quietly
marched to the Monongahela river,
where they were loaded on barges and
shipped to Homestead at 2:15. The
news Of their arrival spread rapidly and
when the steam tug Tide, towing the
barges, arrived at Homestead. there
were 5000 people waiting to meet them
AS soon as the Pinkertons attempted to
land they were met by firm refusal
from the men and battle followed.
The Pinkertons opened fire and at the
3rst volley two workmen fell. This en-
ragged the crowd and they bore down on
the Pinkertons with resistless force.
Nobody stopped to inquire whether
the new corners were deputy sheriffs.
Pinkerton detectives or non-union
laborers. After an exchange of shots
the crowd grouped on the bank, fell
back and elm bling over heap of rub
bish rushed toward the big trestle lead
ing to the Pemicky railroad bridge.
Probably 300 of the men stood their
ground and returned a desulatory fire
These shots did li5tle or no apparent
damage and the plucky band, finding
their weapons ineffective, slowly fell
back before the whitening fire of the
Winchesters.
The first shot of the engagement came
from the barge. 1t was aimed at a big
Hungarian who stood at the waters
edge. The ball went wide Of the human
target but was the signal to the Pinker-
ton men to begin, and for o full ten min
utes they continued to fire. The first
man to fall was Martin Merry, heater
in one of the mills. He was shot on the
left side and fell face downward on
pile of ashes. Close beside Merry stood
a big Hungarian. He stopped over
Merry's PROSTATE body, and, as no was
in the act of raising him. he staggered
and an instant later fell by the side of
his comrade.
This bloody spectacle aroused the
dropping spirits OF the crowd and with a
hoarse cheer half dozen men rushed
to the place where Merry and the Hun
garian lay. They picked up the bodies
and carried them behind a trestle. One
of the rescuers, o Welchman who re.
fused to give his name. was shot in the
left leg just as he raised Merry's head
from the ground. Merry and the Hun
garian were carried over the trestle
work to the Pemicky tracks and then
carried to tho office of DIR. Peerman on
Dixon street The doctor. after hasty
examination, announced that both men
would probably de-
Five more OF the strikers were
wounded and two of them verv Sc
riously, but they were spirite away by
their friends and it was impossible to
get their names. The shots of the
strikers were also we'll aimed, as four of
the Pinkertons are reported dangerously
wounded, The Pinkerton men did not