Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-07-14

the borough like wild fire, and thousands of
men, women and children throngod 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 the strikers, many of
whom were struck down by the bullets,
some of them being fatally injured and
others killed outright.
As the battle progressed, the strikers took
up position behind breastworks, hastily
constructed of steel rails anu billets, and
from this place of refuge were able to pick
off the detectives as soon as they appeared
on the decks Of the boats
The bullets crashed through the glass
pilot house, and the pilot had to
rush below. Captain Rogers was on board
and he displayed great bravery. "When the
firing commenced we all lay down on the
floor to escape the bullets but | was not
quick enough and was wounded There was
a cessation in the firing and the pilot secured
control of the boat before it ran into the
bank which it came near doing. There was
no one on board at the time we were fired
upon, but the crew, Captain Rogers and one
Pinkerton man, j. H. Robinson of Chicago.
When we approached Homestead from Port
Perry we could see attempts to set fire to
the barges The strikers had carload of
what appeared to be oil ana they were pour
it upon the water and igniting it. The barges
at this time were out in the middle OF the
river.n
Some of the bullets went half through the
boats. On board one was John T. McCurry,
who was shot in the groin. A reporter inter
viewed the wounded man as he lay on
couch on the lower deck. McCurry said
''Our boat had in tow one barge of Pinker-
ton men and the Tide had the other. While
going up. the Tide was disabled and we
took our barge up in front of Homestead
and then went back for the Tides barge.
We made q landing at the Homestead mills
about o'clock this morning, The shore
was crowded with the locked out men and
their sympathizers The armed Pinkerton
men commenced to climb up the banks
Then the workmen opened fire on the detec-
tives. / am willing to take an oath that
the workmon iirod first, and that the Pink
| erton men did not shoot until some of them
had been wounded.
"The workmen were so strong in numbers
that it was useless for tho $50 or 400 Pink
erton men to oppose them further, so they
reiterated to the barges, carrying their dead
and wounded. One Pinkerton man was shot
| through the head and instantly killed, and
| five were wounded. We backed out into the
| river, anchored the barges, and then took
| the dead and wounded men up to Port
Perry, from where they were sent on the
! Baltimore and Ohio railroad to Pittsburg.
| We then went down to Homestead again.
We were going along peaceably and expect
! ing no trouble When reached the mills
the strikers opened fire on the Little Bill
from both sides. 1t was then | was hit The
bullets broke the glass and splintered the
woodwork. Capt. Alexander Mitchell was
at the wheel. "
McCurry was taken to the Allegheny gen
eral hospital, where he is reported to be rest
ing easily tonight.
Captain Hynd and Superintendent kilins
! of the Pinkerton men were disabled and the
| fire was SO fierce that tho crew of the tow
boat hastily cut loose from the barge and
steamed up the river, carrying as many OF
the wounded as they could reach to Brad
dock, from which point they were sent down
to the hospitals for treatment at Fittsburg.
| Seven of the force were TINS cared for,
while the strikers that fell wounded were
led to their homes at Homestead, the
dead being taken to the morgue and under
| taking rooms in the town.