The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-23
CONGRESS AND THE P1NKEaToNs.
The Heads of the Agency Before the
Senate Committee.

CONGRESS AND THE PINkERTOSS.
The Heads of the Agency Before the
Senate Committee.
WASHINGTON, Jul y 22-The Pinkerton
brothers were given hearing this morn
ing by the House committee on judiciary
They submitted a written statement in
which they said the men employed by the
agency were selected with great care and
only after a full investigation Their cher
acter and antecedents, that they seldom
allowed men to carry arms unless author
lied by the legal authorities or sworn in es
deputy sheriffs; that their men have only
used arms as a last extremity IN order to pro-
teotlife. They refused to send watchmen to
Homestead unless the men were sworn in as
deputy sheriffs. Deputy Gray accompanied
the men to Homestead and distinctly under
stood that he had power TO deputiZe them
in case of necessity. The instructions to the
men were that they should not be armed
unless deputized by the sheriff; that the
boxes on the barges were not opened nor
the arms and ammunition distributed until
after the strikers began firing on the watch
men. Klein had been murdered and about
| five Others wounded before the men began
| to fire in self defense.
The following are extracts from the state
ment submitted: "When first REQUESTED to
send watehmen tn protect the property of
the Homestead piant and the property of
the Carnegie Steel Company, limited, we
refused TO do so unless all our men should
| be sworn in as deputy sheriffs before going
| to Homestead. We were then assured that
the sheriff of Allegheny county. Penn
| sylvania, knew that our men were
| going to Homestead TO act as
watohmen and to guard the property
OF the company and protest worknen
| from violence. We were further assured that
| the sheriff had authority Immediately upon
any outbreak or disturbance TO deputize
| all our wetchmen as sheriff's deputies if
it became necessary for the protection of
| life and property. On that condition only
| did we consent TO furnish about 800 watch
men. A large number of these men were
our regular employees who could be
thoroughly trusted for integrity, prudence
and sobriety. The remainder were men
whom we employed from time to time, or
| who " ere known and recommended to us.
NOT ARMED INVADERS.
"They did not go into the state of Penn
| sylvania as an armed body or force, and we
should not have permitted or consented to
this. There was no intention or purpose
whatever Of arming them until they were
| on the property of the company at Home
stead and unless they had been sworn in as
| sheriff's deputies. The sherif's chief deputy,
Mr.. Gray. accompanied our men, being on
the tug towing the barges, and it was dis
tinctly understood that he had authority
to duly deputize, them In case of
necessity. The boxes containing arms
! and ammunition were shipped from
Chicago and were to be delivered at the
| Homestead yards. The instructions to our
men we're that they should not be armed
uDless previously deputized by the sheriff
| AS a matter Of fact, the boxes on board the
1 E-v. - H.
| ammunition were not distributed until
after the strikers had commenced firing on
| the Watchmen and 1t became evident that it
| was a matter Of self-defense for life or dee h.
| Capt. Klein had been murdered by the
| strikers and about five other watchmen shot
and wounded before our men began theic
| fire in self-defense. Even then it was i'm
| possible to attempt to shoot those firing at
| the bsrgeS because the strikers made q
breastwork for themselves by placing the
women and children in front and firing
| from behind them. Not single woman or
child was injured by our men. When our
| men surrendered the leaders of the strikers
solemnly promised full protection to prop
erty and life. They knew that our men
surrendered because the wounded required
| attention and for the purpose of
| saving further loss Of life.
BRUTALITY AFTER THE SURRENDER.
"After surrounding all our men, includ-
| ing the wounded and helpless were brutally
beaten aud robbed by the strikers, and the
| leaders made no real or honest effort to pro-
| tecs them. Our men were robbed OF their
| watches, money. clothing, in fact every
| thing, and then mercilessly tortured. Con-
| nors, unable to move or defend himself, was
| deliberately shot by one of the strikers and
| then clubbed. Edwards. also wounded and
| helpless, was dubbed by another striker
1
| Both died. and subsequently another watch
man became insane and committed suicide
| as a result of the fearful beating received
after having surrendered. All our men
were more OF less injured. The acts of the
| strikers after our men had surrendered
would be disgrace TO savages, yet, because
| done in the name of organized American
labor, sympathy, II not encouragement, Is
| shown for such deeds by part OF the press
and by political demAgogues. We do
not shirk responsibility for any of our
acts in this or any other strike. The CON-
| ing murder trials ought to bring out the
! truth and uphold the law. Our actions will
then be shown to have been legal from be-
| ginning to end. Whatever may be tue
present prejudice against our agency we
| shall patiently wait the sober reflection OF
the country in confidence that the enormity
| of the wrong aud outrage done to our men
! at Homestead will be ultimately recognized,
| although the example will in the meantime
| have caused incalcula5le injury to the
| community. The principle involved is OF
| for more importance than are the merits of
the present controversy between the Car
| negie CONF pany and its workmen. We have
no quarrel with organized labor and they
have no cause for complaint against US, ex-
cept in so far as they attempt to destroy
| property and life and to violate the law.
ADVICE OF COUNSEL.
"We are advised by our counsel, Messrs
| Seward, Guthrie and Moranetz of New
| York. that we were not violating any law
| of the United States or of the state OF Penn
| sylvania; that our acts were law