San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-07
THE HOMESTEAD FIGHT.

Nv oANSN'y e"eSAS SSN"SSA SA~ -
workers and Pinkerton's thugs at
Homestead, Pa, has been fought and
the Pinkertons repulsed after ter
rible fight. The trouble commenced
q month ago, when the Carnegie COM
psny present ted q scale for the work
men to sign, reducing wages from 10
to Is per cent and demanding uncon-
ditionsl acceptance of the scale. The
company at the same time refused to
meet a committee of the workmen,
aud would not recognize the Anal.
gsmsted association of steel and iron
workers. All men refusing to sign
the scale were ordered to leave the
works July lst. This the men refused
to do and prepared to resist
the coming into the works of nom
union men. The president of the
works, angered because the men had
hung him in effigy, closed down the
works two days earlier than the time
announced, and both sides prepared
for trouble. The company had en-
closed the works in an immense
stocksde. with loopholss for firing
through In case Of attack. The
sheriff was appealed to tor protection
and squad of deputies were sent
down to the works, but were not ad-
mitted by the men and soon returned
to the city. This movement OF the
Ca rnegie company was intended to
cover the secret introduction of 400
Pinkertons within the stocksde, who
we re rendezvoused on armed barges
above Homestead ready to descend at
q moments notice. The attempt of
the Pinkertons to land was resisted
by about 5000 workmsn, behind
hastily constructed Notifications of
pig iron, and the bloodiest labor riot
Pitts burg has known since the great
railway riot of 1877 was preclpitated.
The detectives were we'll armed with
Winchest ers, but could make no head
way against the determined front
presented by the men. The strikers
succeeded later in planting cannon
and the barges were bombarded for
hours. Little impression was pro-
duced and an attempt was made to
flood the bsrges with oil and burn
them up, Pinkertons and ell, which
was only prevented by the interces-
sion of some OF the more humane of
the strike leaders. The Pinkertons
finally held out white flag and hos
Utilities ceased. The detectives were
brought from their barges, nearly ex
hsusted and many of them covered
with blood. Seven had been killed
aud over 20 others wounded several
of whom will die. AS the men were
taken from the barges TO the opera
house for treatment, they were sub
jected to all kinds of indignities, and
it was with difficulty that their lives
were preserved. AS soon IS the last
man had left the barge the strikers
took possession, saturated them with
oil and burned them. The workmen
are known to have five men killed,
but as they were carried away as fast
rs hurt 1t is impossible to ascertain
sither the number of the dead or the
wounded.
The whole country about Home.
stead and the entire city of Pittsburg
is under the most intense excitement,
and fears are entertained that the
entire river front at the mills will be
fired. The company evidently in
tended to strike terror into the hearts
Of their workmen and had made every
preparation for q siege, but they did
not comprehend the power of armed
and desperate labor. deprived of itt
wages and given no opportunity o
being heard in its own behalf. Til,
end is not yet, but the occurrences q
Homestead emphasize the neeC
OF general law for arbitrating
differences between the employers
of vast bodies OF laborers and thei
employees. All railroad, telegraph
steamship and electric lines; al
mining and mill indicates; all larg
, operators employing labor, of what
: ever class, should not be permitted t
l disturb the peace OF society and 81
danger life and property by arbitrar
| acts directly tending to create dissat
isfaction and engender strife. 1t
high time that state and nations
legislation were invoked to put q pei