Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-23
/ llneton, and Quincy railway dynamite was

the night poured acid on tho rope hnu
then rewound IL so that next day non
union men might be killed IN ascending
with the stone or by the Ealing stones.
These fendish acts were done by mempelss
OF labor organizations in the promotion OK
their strikes, and the only grievance
which the men had was that the
employer was seeking 70 hire men
who were perfectly willing ana
eager TO take the places OF the weli-pald
strikers. These are but few instances
where strikers. controlled by secret labor
orders, have sought to murder and destroy
property. 1t was morally certain from the
threats of the men themselves that the
strike at Homestead would result IN sinli-
lar violence and TO attempt to destroy the
property of the Carnegie Company II any
attempts were made TO supply their places
BY non-union men. At the present time
thousands of men would go to homesIeao:
attracted by the high wages paid there, II
they were assured of protection In the
right TO earn their living.
TIE BUSINESS OF WATCHING PROPERTY.
The business of watching and guarding
private property is now extensively car
ried on in large cities in this country. not
only by ourselves. but by many other
reputable concerns. Thousands OF banks,
residences, warehouses, offices, stores:
&C., are thus protected and guarded
by private watchmen. IL men cannot
lawfully act as private watchmen In 0
large manufacturing plant, then 1t must
follow that the bank or the private house
or Office cannot be protected or guarded.
II would. we think, surprise the commu-
nifty if 1t should be declared by Congress
that the right TO protect ones property
and to hire servants and agents 70 assist
in so doing no longer exists in this coun-
try.
NOT vIoLAToRs OF Law.
We we're advised by our counsel, Messrs.
Seward, Guthrie, and Morawetz, OF New
York, that we were not violating any law
of the United States or OF the state OF
Pennsylvania; that our acts were lawful {;
that we had the right TO, employ
and send men TO Homestead to act
as watchmen that if they we're attacked
they had the right to kill II ab-
sol1telv necessary for self-defence; that
they had the right to bear arms on the
premises of the Carnegie Company IN
order TO protect life and private property,
whether or not they were deputlZed Dy
the sheriff of Allegheny county; that we
had the right to ship arms from Gnlcaso
TO the Carnegie yards at Homestead Tor the
after they were deputiZed by the sherih /;
that in view of the attack on the barges
our men had the right to bear arms and TO
defend themselves. and that all their acts
In firing in self-defence from the barges
after the attack on them were legally Justl-
fable under the laws of the United States
and of the State of Pennsylvania.
\ Yours respectfully
WILLIAM A. PEKEBToN,
ROBERT A. PSKERToS.
ROBERT A. PIgKFRTos EXAMINED.
The judiciary subcommittee investi-
eating the Pinkertons met again this after
noon and examined Robert A. Pinkerton.
The PInkertons were late in arriving and
the committee did not get TO work until
some time after / O'Clock. The list OF
questions which had been prepared and
furnished the committee by the represen-
tatives of the knights of Labor was read
and followed by the chairman in the
first part of the examination. IL had
previously been submitted to the Pinker-
tons and their answers were returned IN
writing. Robert PinkertOn reading them
from the prepared statement. After
the examination had proceeded in this
way for some little time Mr. Boatner
objected that this was not the proper
way for the committee 70 conduct the
examination. He said that the commit
tea was quite car able of asking lis own
questions, and that he did not think that
thew should permit any outsider TO come
in and outline the extent and scope OF the
inquiry. 1t would be proper enough, he
said. after the committee had asked oil
the questions they wanted to. Then ii the
KNIGHTS OF Lator or any other party TO
this investigation had anv additional ques-
tions they wanted asked they might
make the suggestion, but he thought 1t
entirely improper for the committee 70
l. lNr nVt a
ries for outsiders. There was some little
controversy on this subject. and 1t was ex-
planned to Mr.. Boatner that at tho morn
ING session the committee had adopted
these questions, many of them being such
as they would have asked anyhow. Finally
Mr.. Boatner withdrew his objection and
the examination by the rest of the Ques-
tions was continued.
PURPOSES OF THE AGENCY.
Mr.. PinkertOn described the purposes
of his agency and said that they had pro-
baby coo men employed in tho United
States. and he said that he did not believe
that at anv time they had more than 800.
He said that the arms belonging TO the
PinkertOns were stored at Chicago at the
time Of the collision between his men
and the strikers were sent for and that
the arms on the barges did not belong
to them. He SAID that they had some men
in most of the principal cities OF the
United States whom they used to protect
property, &c. The men sent to Home
stead. he said, came from Chicago. Phila-
delphia, and New York, and that ma
iority Of them had been In the employ OF
the Pinkertons before. They embarked
on board the barges at hshtabula
but the barges were not armored IN
any way by iron or steel, and the guns
and pistols were IN boxes and were
not taken out until the Piukerton men had
been fred on and some of them wounded.
They did not expect, he said, to have any
collision with the strikers before the land
ing. If they had anticipated any such
thing the men would not have gone. The
purpose of arming them was for self-de.
fence and defence of property. He SAID
that his men had at no time shot any one
except in self-defence ind that none hac
ever been convicted in ahe courts.
LABOR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
After the recess Robert Pinkerton wa!
called to the stand and required TO answer
questions that had been prepared by re
preventative of the Knights OF Labor. Tn;
recess had afforded ample opportunity fol
the preparation of the replies. which wer'
generally covered by statements read II
the forenoon.
From these replies the following extracts
are made:
The Pinkerton agency owned about 25l
rifles, about 400 pistols and an equal mum
ber of clubs. and they we're deposited al
Chicago. In oil its various branches the
firm never had at any one time more than
500 persons in their employ. and on July
4th not to exceed COO persons
Many of their contracts with then
employees were IN writing. lheS
required sobriety, honesty, and attention
to duty on the part of employees. The
employees we're not required to bear arms
nor to perform whatever service was I'M
posed upon them. The employed were
advised exactly what they were expected
to do. and understood that they were al
perfect liberty TO refuse any employment
TO which they objected.
The Carnegie Company requested the
Pinkertons TO furnish about 800 watch
men TO protest the Homestead property.
The negotiations were first broached BY
the Carnegie Company's representative
TIE HOMESTEAD FIGHT UNAFFECTED
The barges were not constructed Tor thu
purposes Of protection, and were not llnec
with iron OF. steel. and could not resis
small arms. The men would neyei
have been allowed TO start on the
expedition if il had been known
that they were to be attacked before
landing The barges were employed be