Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-13
GETTING THE FACTS,
Testimony at the Inquest on
the Homestead Victims
Begun Yesterday.
THE WORKERS FIRED FIRST
All the Boatmen We're Ignorant of
the Object of the Trip.
DESCRIPTION OF THE LANDING.
Captain Hines of the Pinkerton Force the
First Man to Fall.
THE WORKERS FIRED FIRST
DESCRIPTION OF THE LANDING.
Captain Hines of the Pinkerton Force the
First Man to Fall.
THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE VICTIMS

At 8 o'clock yesterday afternoon Coroner
Mcdowell began an inquest relative to the
deaths of the men engaged in the Home.
stead riot, Wednesday, July 6. There were
very few persons in the Coroner's office
other than the witnesses. and not the slight.
est interest appeared to be manifested in the
proceedings
Captain William B. Rodgers, of the Little
Bill steamboat, was the first witness He
testified that he was employed to transport,
for the chairman of the Carnegie Company,
Pinkerton detectives to protect and
guard the works of the company at Home
stead. The guards, he said, we're trans
ferred to his barges at Davis Island Dam
between 10 and IL o'clock on the evening of
July and the boats then proceeded up the
river. When within two miles of Home
stead the witness heard many whistles
blowing, it being then about break Of day.
An attempt was made to make landing Just
above the Pemicky bridge when the attack
on the barges was begun.
Says the Workers Fired First
The witness said the crowd on the shore
detective force was the first to fall The
witness testified that on the barge before
the landing was made he heard Deputy
Sheriff Gray tell Captain Hines not to
shoot until it became necessary in self-de-
fense-that bloodshed must be avoided.
The witness did not see any cannon, but
thought one was in use from the sound.
He knew McCurry, and when the detectives
g. HI 1z~a - al il
back to Port Perry.
Dr. S. NJ. Rinehart, of the Homeopathic
Hospital, testified that Detective j. w.
Klein had not been conscious at any time
after he was brought to the hospital, and
that he died from the effect of gunshot
wounds.
Captain John Kennedy, employed as a
watchman on the barges testified that the
boats transported the detectives, and cor
roborated the statement of Captain Rodgers
In addition he stated that none of the en-
ployes on the boat were informed as to
where they were going or for what
purpose the detectives were placed
on the barges until they were near Home
stead, and the detectives were then told not
to shoot until it became necessary. The
witness did not see any white flag run up
from the bargeS
U.
Captain c. B. Wishart, pilot of the Lit
tie Bill, and Zach Evans, engineer gave
similar testimony, as did also Morris Rodg-
ers, second engineer, Edward Wheeler,
deck hand, and John T Case, mate, all of
the Little Bill. ALI of these witnesses
claimed that the men on shore fired first
They testified that Captain Hines cautioned
lis men against using firearms until il be-
came imperative.
Joseph G. Hoffman, a Pinkerton detective
of Chicago, was the last witness called. He
described, as did the previous witness the
trip to Homestead. Captain Hines, he
said, had charge of the men, As the barges
approached the works the witness saw large
numbers Of people gathered along the river
banks, many of whom were women. As
the barges got nearer to the place of
the intended landing they were fred
upon. Captain Hines and seven
or eight men attempted to put out the gang
plank on the shore above the bridge, but
were unable to do so on account of the
shower of stones and actions of the strikers
After short time an effort was again made
and resulted in the placing of the gang
plank. As the men were starting down
the plank the strikers fired and the witness
fell, having been shot through the right leg
above the knee.
was Onarme0 cd Wnen ne Fel.
He said he did not have a weapon with
him when he was shot. He said the de-
tectives were given to understand that their
duty was to guard the company's property,
and tnat they were instructed not to fire
unless in self-defense
The affidavit of John F. McCurry, who is
at the Allegheny General Hospital, was
read to the jury and the inquest was con-
tinued until July 26, at 2 o'clock p NJ.
The list Of dead upon whom the inquest
was held is as follows: James w. Kline,
aged AZ, who died at the Homeopathic Hos
pital, identified by George Judson, of |
Chicago; James Morris, aged %, died at |
Carnegie's steel works yard, identified in |
affidavit of Philip Richards; Henry |
Streagle, aged 10 years, identified by A. |
Streagle, a brother of deceased; James |
Sotak, aged "a, killed in yards, identified |
by Mike Olah; Thomas Weldon, aged 80 |
years, mill worker, identified by Miles Nc
Sweeney; Peter Tanis, mill worker, aged |
25 years, identified by James Stufannan; |
Silas Vain, mill worker, aged 25, shot by |
cannon from Pittsburg side of river, identi- |
fed by Thomas Vain, brother; 7. j. Con- |
nors, aged 80 years, Piukerton, identified by |
C. w. Bendell.