The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-07-07
The FORT HELD.

The FORT HELD.
Streams of Blood on the
Streets Of Homestead.
RIOT BETWEEN PINKERTONS
AND THE CARNEGIE LOCKOUT.
Day of Unparalleled BloOdshed d in the
Annals of Pennsylyania.- Pin
kcrtOns Surrendered to the En-
furfOted LabOrers-The De-
velOpments of the Day.
BY Telegraph to the State Chronicle.
HOMESTEAD, Penn, July 6.-Early
this morning three hundred Pinkerton
detectives attempted to land from boats
at the steel works. Thsy fred on the
guard and about 100 shots were ex-
changed. Two strikers were shot The
Pinkertons were repulsed at the first at
tack. For two hours before the boats
arrived 5000 or 5000 persons awaited
their coming on the river banks. The
shooting of the two men enraged the
crowd and they bore down upon the
PinkertOns with resistless force, driving
them back to the boats. About dozen
men were wounded, several of whom are
likely to die. When the boats approach
ed the land the first man who
, came forward to disembark ad-
vauce with winchester rifle,
and when ready to step off he dis
charged his weapon. This was the sig
nal for general fight There was a
rapid exchange of shots from both sides.
The Dead and Dying.
When the smoke had cleared away it
was found that half dozen or more OF
the workmen had been shot, several
fatally. About half dozen of those on
the boat were shot. The boat pulled
up to the pump house If the works
There they were greeted by the crowd
: ready at all hazards to prevent land
ing 1t was seen at glance that the
men on the boat were thoroughly armed
as the Winchesters were in view. Five
thousand men, women and children stood
on the river bank watching the fight anC
cheering on the workmen in their efforts
ITO prevent landing by the Pinkertons
Not a Pinkerton was allowed to com,
ashore, and the men declared none wOul(
be allowed to enter the works. The frs
shot of the engagement came from th
barge. 1t was aimed at big Hungarian
no = Hn Il Wa ho1
went wide Of human target but it wa
the signal to the Pinkerton men to begin
and for full ten minutes they continued
to fire. The first man to fall was Martin
Merry heater in one of the mills. Fl
was shot in the left side and fell fac
downward on pile of ashes Close be
d side Merry stood Hungarian
He stopped over Merry's prostrat
body and as he was in tn
: act of raising him, he staggered
and fell by the side of his comrade.
/, Streams of Blood.
: This bloody spectacle reused the drooE
ing spirits of the crowd and with a hoars
cheer half dozen men rushed to tn
place where Merry and the Hungaria
= laid. They picked up the bodies an
y carried them behind the trestle. One {
S the rescuerers, Welshman, who refuse
q to give his name was shot in the left lie
y just as he raised Merry's head from tn
q ground. Merry and the Hungarian wei
carried to DR.. Purman's office and afte
hasty examination he announced tbs
both men would probably die. Gee
r Retter, a prominent citizen, had h
thigh shattered. 1t was stated that tt
Z Captain of the Pinkerton detectives an
IS five Of his men were dead. Eleven me
"a were carried from the river ban
y badly wounded A cannon ws
ST planted on the river bank an
20 BROUGHT to bear on the Pinkerton. TT
! burgess issued proclamation calling c
i all citizens to remain indoors and orde
y ing all saloons closed. About ten c, o,cloc
- a raft of logs and barrels of oil was 81
% set on fire and started down stream t
e. ward the barges. Four thousand me
n the majority armed, hold possession
the Carnegie steel works to pre- vent Il
PinkcrtOns entering.
id At 10 a. m. the chief leaders of Il
~ wOrkmen accompanied bv a reporte
went to the front of the line of battl
The main fight was at that time beil
made near huge oil tank on the riv
front one mile from Homestead. Here t
n reporter saw one of the workers breath
. last The man was standing near the
~ & o., tracks firing 20 pound came
IN trying to sink the barges on which we
"a the Pinkertons. His shots went wide
the mark A moment later the m
workers head was almost severed frC
/ his body by shot from winchester
the hands Of Pinkerton.
The Fight On.
At 1910 q. m. near the lavatOry O
man aimed his rifle and the next insta
shout went up and Pinkerton det
tive who had been standing on the bal
= fell. The bullet had passed through
1C head and he dropped in the river ne,
QC to rise The locked out men had gain
entire possession of the companys la
tory and IN this their ammunition v
stored. The workmen had at least {
s92 rifles in their possession. At II o'cc
Jul the men reported that they were out
and ammunition and the committee was
ers ,ars mediately sent after more. Hugh Cd
on nell, one of the most conservative II
,cu here, was seen by your reporter. WI
my depicting the early morning scenes
sle sne wept as numbers of men gathered arou