The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-28
PINKERTON'S TESTIMONY
Before the Senate Committee on
the. Homestead Strike.
STRIKES ARE ON THE INCREASE.
This Is the Opinion of the Well
Known Detective-Scnator PETER
II ssevcs the Com mittee Will Solve
the Labor Problem.

This Is the Opinion of the Well
Known Detective-Scnator PETER
II A"ves the Committee Will Solve
the Labor Problem.
New YORK, Nov. Ex-senator w. A.
Petfer, of Kansas, was the chief inquisi-
tor Saturday at the final session of the
senate subcommittee that has been in
quiring into the employment of armed
detectives during labor disputes. The
session was held in the Office Of Clarence
A. Seward, 81 Nassau street. Mr. Sew
ard is the lawyer for the Pinkerton De-
tective agency. He was represented
Saturday by w. D. Guthrie, his partner.
Senator J. II. Gallagher, of New
Hampshire, presided. He and Senator
Peffer were the only members of the
committee present. The other members
are Senators Hansbrough, of North
Dakota; FELTON,, of California; White, of
Louisiana, and David B. Hill, of New
York.
Robert A. Pinkerton, OF the New York
branch ofthe Pinkerton onDetectiveagency,
was the first witness. He was taken in
hand by Senator Gallagher.
MFR. Pinkerton Testifies.
"The agency" said Mr.. Pinkerton, in
reply to questions, "began to furnish
men in strike difficulties twenty-six
years ago. Since then we have fur
nished men in seventy strikes"
Mr.. Pinkerton was asked to mention
some of the strikes in which his men
were employed to guard property. He
named about half dozen, including the
New York Central strike and the Home
stead strike. On the latter occasion 305
men had been sent to Homestead. He
then proceeded to tell aSJut the use of
dynamite in the disturbances following
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
strike, and Senator PETER said he had
some questions to ask.
From your experience" said Senator
PETER, do you think the number of
strikes is increasingly
The senator looked mildly shocked.
Then he wanted to know if any public
officials in city or town had ever made
application for PinkertOn men.
'Yes, was the reply, "but not in large
cities. Generally, however, the applica-
tions come from private corporations or
individuals"
"From whom did you know that there
was representative OF the SherlH at
Homestead"
From the Carnegie people,"
Senator Peffer put his finger to his
cheek and thought moment, while the
witness sat with his hand to his head.
Then he said sharply:
The Pinkcrton Arsenal.
"Does your agency keep a supply of
armsI"
I'VE have in the past kept supply of
arms, but all the arms in our possession
We're forwarded to Chicago during the
Homestead strikes. All the rifles, about
2l0. were sent"
Senator PETER asked great many
questions as to the persons who caused
disturbances during strikes. He looked
panied when the witness said every time
that in his experience he had found it
was members of labor organizations.
do you think they do so as represent
atives of labor organizations"
II do not say that. know, ho wever>
that a man admitted that the men whJ
laid distractions on the tracks of the
New York Central railroad during the
strike received money from the head
man of the strike in Albany"
Senator PETER looked shocked again
and asked:
''ls that the reason you hold the labor
organizations responsibley'
II did not say that. | only state the
fact. The confessions of people who
We're arrested showed that the people
who placed the distractions were mem
bers of labor ganizations-Knights of
Labor" Senator Petfer frightened up
when the witness added: Il don't mean
to say that these organizations approved
of it,"
Did you ever know of labor organi-
cations employing Pinkerton men to spy
Never"
Senator PETER looked triumphant.
The witness said he had no feeling
against labor organizations. He regarded
them as good thing-if under good
leadership.
Captain Hinde's Testimony.
Captain Frederick II. Hinde, of the
Pinkerton agency, who was shot in the
thigh when the rioters attached the
Pinkerton barge at Homestead, was the
next witness. He was examined by
Senator Petfer, and gave an account Of
the affairs up to the time he was shot.
when | was shot" he said, q fell,
and | think the Pinkertons opened fire
then. | only distributed twelve rifles
among them. The first shots fired at us
We're from skiif, before we came in
sight of Homestead. Before l was shot
] thought we might have driven the mob
back with clubs, though it was armed
with reyolyers. l wish it to be under
stood that the people who attacked us
did not know that we were Pinkerton
men. They thought we were non-union
men, and shouted ''scabs" at MS. All the
P1nllertonS who came on from New
York were men of good character and
American citizens, as far as / know, |
believe the use of arms should be the
last resort"
The investigation closed with the ex-
animation of this witness. Senator PETER
said to reported:
This is no party business. We want
to solve the problem of these labor
troubles, and / believe we will. We
have now only to prepare our report"