Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-08
THE PIyEERT0NS.
How They We're Trapped Into
Taking the job.
Their Employers Concealed
from Them the Facts.

They Were Engaged as "watolimen" and
Did Not Know Where They Were to
Work-Did Not Know of the Trouble
Until Handed Guns and Told to Fight
for Their Lives--One Tells His story.
HOMESTEAD, Pa, July 9.--Amone
those rescued from the barges was tall,
smooth-faced young man named Atllin.
son. who gave this account of his ex.
perience as a Pinkerton detective:
"My home is in New York city. l am
a member of one of the leading military
companies. Being out of work I an
swerei an advertisement for Waterman
l was told that would be paid $15 a
week and boarded free of cost. &C
cepted the place. When 1 got to the
train found nearly hundred men who
had also been
Engaged as Private Watchmen.
We were told that we were to go to a
little country town, but nothing was
said of a strike. We We're led to believe
that we We're to have an easy time of it,
None OF us Elew weere we were going.
We were taken to Buffalo, Rochester,
Erie, Youngstown, o., and finally put
off the train in Pittsburg, though at
that time we had no idea where we were.
We were marched to the barges, which
were soon started up the river, towed
by two steamers, We had not proceeded
far when the boats came to a stop, and
we heard firing. Then it was that we
were handed guns and
Told That We Must Fight
for our liyes This was the first init
nation that we had of the character of
the work for which we had been en-
gagged. Many of the men refused to obey
the orders to use the guns. Not q few
made rush for the steamers, but found
that they had cut loose, and that there
was no possible chance of escape from
the trap. All night long we were in
state of terror, and when daylight
came we saw the armed and de-
termined-loolEing men on the river
bank and heard the roar of the cannon
and saw men bleeding and dying all
around us our feelings can be better iln-
agined than described. There were
about fifty trained Plnkerton men on
the barges who seemed to be doing al
lll6 III Il =. w ttll DltliCuSI IdCtS, SJIOIl5
men pleaded with those in command to
run up flag of truce but they would
not listen to it. When it was found
that the fight was to continue, many of
those on board
Threw Down Their Arms
and hid beneath cuts, mattresses, etc
By lying on our stomachs we could see
everything that was taking place on
shore When we saw that preparations
We're being made to burn the barges by
throwing oil upon them, not one of us
expected to get away alive. Even those
in command grew nervous, but still they
would not give up. 1t was then that [
made preparations to kill myself. |
loaded my revolver and made up my
mind to
Blow Out My Brains
should the boat be set on fire. | am Just
as positive tt Ut not less than dozen of
our men committed suicide during the
day as | ain that | am standing here. /
saw four jump into the water and sink,
and have been told that several Others
made way with themselves in the same
way. They went over the side of the
boat furthe"est from the shore, and
could not be seen by the men in the
millyard The pleadings of some of the
older men, Who said they had families,
was enough to move the hardest heart
ed, but it vas not until those in COM
mand saw that to remain on the boats
until after nightfall
Meant Sure Death
that they agreed to the demands of the
men and sent out word that they were
ready to sur: ender. AS member of a
company have seen sham bat
ties, and have had some pretty rough
but that was all featherbed
soldiery compared with what | have
gone through during the past day and
night. 1 will never again accept soft
snap as Waterman unless l know exact
ly what Fam going to do"