The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-07-14
A BLOODY LABOR RIOT.
CIVIL AUTHORITIES POWERLESS TO
MEET THE SITUATION.

Who are Finally Compelled to Surren-
der UuConditionalIy to tho Workmon
and They arc Terribls Treated.
PITTsBUKG, Pa, July 6.-Pittsburg
has had another experience with labor
riots, and this time, as during the fear
full scenes which were witnessed during
the railroad riots of 1877, blood has
been shed, life jeopardlZed and valua.
bic property placed in danger. This
time there was no destruction of prop
erty, but the mob was thoroughly and
well organized, we'll disciplined, and
had efficient officers at the head to con-
duct operation. The force embrace
all the men employed in the extensive
plants OF the Carnegie Iron and Steel
Company at Homestead, some eight
miles east OF PittSburg, and battle,
which for blOOu-thirtineSS and bold
ness of calculation, has not been ex-
celled in actual warfare, ragged from 4
| o'clock In the morning until o'clock
this afternoon, and only ceased when a
force OF Pinkertons brought to the
! the place to suppress the strike, ,lncon-
dltionally surrendered, leaving their
arms In the barges in which they had
been transferred to the works.
The riot to-day was the elimination
of the troubles which have been brew
Ing at Homestead for the past month
| The Carnegie company submitted a
scale to govern their workmen in the
| steel plants and announced that it was
their ultimatum. The scale made a
sweeping reduction in the wages of
the skilled men, and it was officially
announced that unless the terms were
complied with before July the places
OF the w"rkmen would be filled by
others. This was followed by peremp-
tory refusal On the part of the com
pany to recognize the Amalgated AS
Soclatlon of steel and iron workers as
such, or to confer with any committee
OF wOrkmen short of an acceptance of
the terms offered. TIE men stated
that they would never submit to the
proposed reduction and announced
their determination to resist any effort
on the part OF the Carnegies to start
| up their plants with non. union men.
AS both sides were determined both
proceeded to prepare for contest
which eliminated III deeds of violence
and bloOdshed that were witnessed to-
day in big hive of industry on the
Monongahela.
The contest was preclpitated by the
WOrkmen at Homestead by hanging III
&. Flick, president Of the company. in
etligy, and in retaliation the company
ordered an immediate shut down of
the big works two days before the
time provided by the contract under
which the men were working. The en-
plOyeeS at once proceeded to organize
Tor the defense aud the company erect
ed Il high board fence around the en-.
tire works. giving them the appearance
of an immense stockade, the sides he
ing pierced with port holes.
Yesterday the Carnegie Company
announced their intention to proceed
to get ready to make repairs and the
officials asked the Sheriff to appoint
deputies to protect their property
The Sheriff sent small squad up to
the works, but the strikers asst IN Dlpd
III force and notified them to get out
OF town as no disorder was Intend
ed, and that no damage would be done
to any property. They even offered to
be sworn III as deputies and to give
bonds for faithful performance of thelr
duties as conServatoIS of The peace.
When this offer was declined, the ad-
Yisory committee which had been ui-
rccting the action Of the workmcn and
which held the turbulent spirits among
the workmen in check was Immediate
ly dissolved and all records of the com
mittee promptly destroyed. Develop
ments to day showed that the applica-
tlOn for the assistance of the Sheriff
was merely for the purpose of covering
| what was intended to be a ram fIc
muin on the part of the Carnegie Com
pany, In clandtStiEely Introducing a
body Of Iinkertun detectives into the
mill enclosure.
The detectives had been rendezvous.
ed some five or SlX miles below the
city on the OHIO l:ivtr, az which two
model barges had been prepared for
them. The barkes were OF the best
| build and were used III shipping iron
rails down the river from the Carnegie
mills at Braddock. The holds We're lit,
ted up with unks, cooking arrange
ments and other accommodate Is, and
as an extra precaution, as If in prepa.
ration for the siege to which they
were subjected to-day, were lined with
heavy steel plates on the inside, while
the whole back deck was protected in
Il similar manner. 1t was tho inten
tion that the men should reach the
works about o'clock this morning.
but the guards which were on duty
along the river got word Of tie threat.
ened invasion OF the hated Pinkerton
men and prepared tc receive them.
The bargeS were towed up the river by
a tow boat, but long before the Pinker-
COn llen TedCneu liOneSJCdu, JnOuS
ands of strikers had gathered on the
banks Of the river ready to give them Il
warm welcome. When the boats at
tempted to land the workmen broke
through the fence surrounding the
mill and entrenching themselves be-
hind piles of steel billets, prepared to
resist the landing of the detectives.
BY 4 o'clock in the morning an effort
was made to land the detectives, but
the strikers met them and q fierce bat.
tie was precipitated, both sides ex-
changing a heavy vOlley of shots The
detectives were all armed with Win
chester rifles. but at the point where
the attempt to land was made there
was a steep embankment and they
were compelled to go in single file, and
were sOOu driven back to the boats by
the steady fire from the shore. The
noise of battle spread about the hor.
ough like wlld-lirc and thousand of
men, women and children thronged to
the river bank to witness the fight in
progress. The Pinkerton men were
determined to land and they poured
volley after volley into the ranks of
tie strikers. Many of them were
.l