Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-07-16
LABOR RIOT.
Strickers and Detectives in Collision
at Homestead, Penn.

at Homestead, Penn.
Details Of the Bloody Conflict and Lists
OF the Dead and Woundei-The
Pinkerton NJ IA Mobbed.
P ttsburg has had another experienc with
labor riots, nd III time, as during the fear.
fui scenes which we're witncs sed during the
railroad rios of 1877. blood has BEEN shed,
life jeopardized and valuable pr Jperty placed
in dang r. This time here was no destruc.
ton of property, but ths mob was thoroughly
Well organized, we'll disciplined and had
efficient officers at the head to conduct lhs.
operations. The forcs mbra ed all the men
employed in the extensive plants of the Car
regis Iron and Steel Company, at Homestead,
come eight miles east OF Pittsburg, and a bat
tie, which for bloodthirstiness aud boldness of
execut on b not been excellel in actual wsr.
fire, waged from 4 o'clock in the morning IA
til O'Clock i the ate. noon, and 0 ,ly eesstd
when the force of Pinkerton's brought to tho
place to suppress the strike, Internationally
surrendered, leaving their arms in the bargen
in which they had been ira sported to the
works.
The riot was the elimination OF the troubles
which have been brewing at Homestead for
the past month. The Carnegie Com any sub
mitted a scale TO govern their workmen in the
steel plants and a%nnouacsI that it was their,
ultima I'm. The scale male a sweeping re-
duction in the wages of Skilled men, ADD it
was officially announced that unle s the terms
were complied with before July 1 the places
of the workmen would be filled by others.
This was followed BY a peremptory refusal
on the part of the company t, recognize the
A~malgamatel Assoc alton of Steel and Iron
Workers as such, or to confer with any com!
mittee of the workmen short of an acceptance
OF the terms offered. The men stated that they
would never submit to the proposed reduction
and announced their determination to resist
iEy effort on the part ofthe Carnegies to start
up their plants with non-union men. As both
sides were determined both proceed d to pre-
pare for the contest VIII CHI eliminated in such
deeds of violence and bloodshed That were
witnessed Ia the big hive OF indust y on the
Monongahela river.
The contest was prec plated by the work
men at Homestead b. hanging IT.. G. Friok,
president OF the company, in efigy. and in
reia iation the company ordered an immediate
shu' down Of the big works, two days before
the time provided by the contract under
which the men were working. The employees
ct once began 10 organize for the defensive,
and the company erected a high board fe ce
around the entirs works, giving them the ap-
p%earance OF an immense stackade, the side,
being pierced with portfolios.
Yesterday the Carnegie Company announced
their inten ion to proceei to get ready to make
repairs, and the officials asked the sheriff. to
appoint deputies 50 protect their property.
The sheriff sent a small "a iad of men up to
the work but the striker assemble | in force
and notified them TO get out OF town, as no
disorder was intended and that DO damage
would be done 10 any property. They then
offered to be sworn in as deputies and to give
! onds for the faithful per ormance of their
duties as conservators of he peace. When
this offer was declined the advisory commit.
tee, which had been directing the action Of
the workingmen and which had been keep
ing turbulent spirits among the men in check,
was Immediately dissolved and all the records
OF the COMMITTEES promptly destroyed.
The developments shove that the ~applica-
ton made for assistance OF the sheriff was
merely for The purpose of C~cyering what wac
intended TO be a coup de main on the part of
the Carnegie Company n claniestin ly in
troducit < "A body Of PinkeftOn detectives
into the mill inc.OsuTe. The detectives had
been rendezyoused some FIVE or six miles be.
low the city on the Ohio river, at which
point two model barges had BEEN prepared
for them. The baTees were Of the best build
aud were used In shipping rails down the
rlver from the Carnegie mills at Braddock.
Tn holds were filled with hunks, cooking
arrangements and o her accommodations.
aud as an extra protection. as If in prepare.
tlon for the siege TO which they we're cub.
iected, were lined with heavy steel plates on
the inside, while the whole back deck vas
protected in a similar manner. Ii was the
Intention that the sen should reach the
works abOg: 8 O'Clock A. NJ, but tho guards
which were on duly along tbs river got
Wort OF the threatened invasion Of the hated
Pinkerttn men, and prepared to receive
them. The barges were towed up the river
by a t%0wboat, but long before the Pinkerton
men reached Homestead thou ands OF strikers
had gathered on the banks o. the river ready
10 give them a warm welcome. When the
boats attempted to land the workmen broke
through the fence surrounding the mill, aud
Cntrsnchiug themselves behind piles Of steel
biilets pre-. AIRED TO resist the landing Of the
de'cc.iyes.
By 4 o'clock in the morning an effort was
made 10 lam the detectives, hut the strikels
met them and a fierce bait e vas precipitated,
b tn sides exchanging a heavy yolley OF
shots. The detectives were all armed with
Winchester rifles, but at the point where the
attempt TO land was made there was a stesp
embsnkment and they were compelled 10 20
in single file and were soon driven back 10
the beats by the steady fire from the shore.
The nose of the battle spread about the Dor
ough like wi,dGre and thousands of men.
women and children thronged to the river
bank 10 witntss the fight in progress. The
PinEerton men we're determined 10 land and
poured voliey after volley into the ranks OF
The strikers, many Of whom were stricken
down by the bull cts, some of them being
fatally injured and others xii ed outright.
AS the ! attic progressed the strikers took
up a position behind a lreastwork, hastily
constructed of steei rails and billets, and
from this place OF safe refuge were able TO
pick off the detectives as soon as they an
peared on the decks of the beats.
In the meantim Captrin liynd and Super.
intendent Kline, of the Pinkerton men. were
disabl d, and the fire wa4 % fl rec th I the
crew o! The to S.i oat hastily cut loo.e from
the barge nd strained up the river, carrying
as many Of tte wou ded MS they could reach
to Braddock, fir, m which Point they were
sent down to the hospitals Tor treatment NJ
Pit sburg. Seven OF the force wer. Ihus
cared TOR, while t e strikers that fell wounded
were ca rid 10 their homes at Homesttd. the
dead being taken to the morgue and under.
taking rooms in The town.
TIE news OF the riot reached Plttsburp a.
early as six o'clock in the marning and thou.
sands Of mill. \ orkers, all Of whom are now
idle, pending ihe c n-erence on the scale, con.
gregsttd in the streets viii e hundreds Of
others. ARMED W tn guns and revo yers and
well .uppl ed with ammunit' on, took up the
lire Of march TO reinforce t e strikers,
AS soon Bs day broke the strikers : cured a
sm vi brass / n FOUNDER cannon and planted
1t within = steel bi.l,tfmbrasure 80 as to COM
mand the barges which were moored At III +,
bank OF the rivtr. AT the same time a force
OF more than a thousand men took up a pos.
ton on the oppos t S de o the river and also
plante a cannon which they protected with
a breastw rk OF railroad ties. The FIRE from
io'h 81 les wes keft up, the barges having
been pierced along the sides. Shortly before
nine &c ock the cannon was t ained on the
boats and for several hours an awful hom.
iardment was kept Up. The stou: oak n
timbers forming the sides of the boat we're
{plintered, hut the heavy steel plates on the
lns de prevented the balls from penetrating
tie interior. Many OF t e strikers. however
were expert msrksmen and they 9 nj shot
sitter shot into the port-hoi S in the bows and
inflicted terrible injury to the imprisoned
men.
when 1t was found that little Impression
could be made by the cannon IN the boats,
an effort was made TO fire the barees and thus
compel the dstec ives to leave the vessels or
suffer the terrible iats of being burned alive.
Hose we're procured, and oil was erouted on