Evening journal., 1892-07-23
lie PINKERToNsl pEEENsE.
All Their Acts Done Within the Law tc
Protect Life and Property.

All Their Acts Done Within the Law to
Protect Life and Property.
WASHINGTON, July 23.-When the sub
committee Of the house committee on judi
ciaiy appointed TO investigate the Home
stead troubles resumed its session here Rob-
ert Pinkerton, of the Pinkerton detective
agency, was the first witness called Will
liam Pinkerton, his brother, was also present.
as were Messrs. Wright Hayes and Devlin,
Of the Knights of Labor The Pinkertons-
submitted a statement of their case, and sa-
lent features of it are given as follows:
The Pinkerton agency was founded in 1850
by Allen Pinkerton to furnish private watch
men to protect property during strikes.
The men employed in this work are, il is
claimed, selected with great care and only
after full investigation Of their characters
and antecedents.
Their watchmen are seldom permitted to
carry arms for the purpose of protecting
property and life unless they are authorized
by the proper legal authorities or sworn in
as deputy sheriffs. They have never, it is
asserted, wantonly or recxlessly fired a
single shot in any strike, and have used
their arms only as the last extremity in
order to protect life. The Pinkerton broth
ers assert that when first requested to send
watchmen to protect the plant and prop
erty Of the Carnegie Steel company Qim-
ited) they refused to do so unless all their
men were sworn in as deputy sheriffs before
going to Homestead
Did Not Go to Pennsylvanfa ARMED.
They were then assured that the sheriff
Of Allegheny county, Pa, knew that their
men We're going to Homestead to act as
watchmen and to guard the property of the
company and protect its workmen from
violence, and that the sheriff had promised
Immediately upon any outbreak or disturb
ance to deputize all their watchmen as
sheriff's deputies if it became necessary for
the protection Of life and property. This
was the condition on which they consented
to furnish about 800 watchmen
They did not 60 into the state Of Penn
sylyania as an armed body, and there was,
1t Is claimed, no intention of arming them
until they were on the property Of the com
pany at Homestead, and until and unless
they had been sworn in as the sheriff's
deputies
The sherifrs chief deputy, Gray, accom-
panied them, and it was distinctly under
stood that he had authority TO duly depu-
tie them in case of necessity.
The boxes containing the arms and am
munition were shipped from Chicago and
We're TO be delivered at the Homestead
yards. The instructions to their men were
that they should not be armed unless pre-
Siousy deputzed by the sheriff. The
pinkeiton brothers claim that the boxes on
board the barges were not opened and the
Erins and ammunition were not distributed
Until after the strikers had commenced
lring on the watchmen and Klein chad
boen murderedn and about five other watch
men "shot and wounded The treatment
accorded the watchmen after the surrender
Is then described.
The Pinkertons' Defense.
The statement then proceeds to Justify
fle employment Of Pinkerton 'swatchmenr
by reciting deeds Of violence perpetrated by
Molhe Maguires and strikers at Chicago and
New York 1t is stated that the counsel Of
the Pinkerton brothers. Messrs Seward,
Guthrie 81 Morewetz. New York, informed
them they were not violating amy law Of
the United States or Of the state Of Penn
sylvauia; that their acts Were lawful
The key to the arguments advanced by the
Fnkertons IN the defense of the private
watchmun business is given in the follow
ing paragraphs:
.rrr~ hrsir.ees ~ rprrdirr ard watching
private property is now extensively carried
on in large cities in this country, not only
by ourselves, but by many other reputable
concerns. Thousands Of banks, residences,
warehouses, Offices, stores, etc, are thus
protected and guarded by private watch
men.
IF men cannot lawfully act as private
watchmen in a large manufacturing plant,
then it must follow that the bank or the