New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-12
POISONED NON-UNION MEN.
A HOMESTEAD COOKS ALLEGED MURDER
Gus WORK.


REST At 1.oUIsvILE-sIX DEATHS THE
RESULT OF A CoNsP1RACY-LABoE
LEADERS IMPLICATED
| Pi,tsb,,rg. Dec. ia Sunday newspaper pub
| llshed story today OF conspiracy ~ poison ny
wholesale the non-unlon men Mt IN" carnegie S'''''
plant I'm Homestead. Tho .dcvcl pmonis made. u
Is said, imrpcate members of the AdVlsorN ''"'-
mittee members n ,he Amarnmated Association
and officers NJ o. the labor organizations SYM
pathi7ing with the lockedout men at lou"'tead'
As rcenlt # ibis consriracy It Is alleged that soy
ora persons have lost tor lives. wi,c scores Of oths
ave SIN suffering nj their homes and at hospi'aS
from the effects Of poisonous drugs adm'nist"rei
to them with criminal intent. Today nine or more
persons more or less identified with the strife ar"
under arrest ostcnsibly less serious charges but
really for trc purpose OF avcr'ing suspicion until
ell those who arc claimed to be IN The conspiracy have
been secured The only name given Of those charged
with administering Tho poison IS Robert Beatty VINO
was arrested at Louisville lost night. Several others
however are nm FER heavy ra other charges n he
new charge will probably he made. a al are uhuer
surveillance and can be taken at any moment
II will be remembered that shortly after IN" hr
rtvo of the. State militia dt Homestead. and the
non-union men had begun work in the mills com
plants became prevalent about fhr un"h"iesoho
water supplied to the men. especially to those VINO
lived within the fence surrounding the plant. MANY
trlbnted 10 the lmpurity Of the water. - firmly
impressed were the physicians and the officials Of
tie company that the water causing the SICK
that supply from other sources was S'cur'"
and notices postc1 consplcllously a'out the
mill warning the employees TO refrain from hilnK-
ing the water Despite this prccaution .be SICK
ness continued. and IL reported at Home
stead that an epidemic prevailing among the
-cn within the lnclosre. Many Of the SICK were
taken the hospitals for treatment and nearly all
recovered, although many Of them are sun III.
The first intimation that the officers had that the
diagnosis Of the physicians was incorrect, ana mat
the men were the victims of q conspiracy TO poison
was obtained more than Two months ago. II came
I'm such manner. however. that 1t impossible 70
make arrests Immediately. and ii not until yes
terday that tho evidence deemed TO be sufficiently
strong warrant the arrest Of at least one OF those
who are alleged have been implicated In IN" con
suiracy. The plot, according to the Information OBJ
tanned by reporter from a man who was In the
conspiracy WINS substantially told below.
The irforner said that one Of the chief cooks at
the Homestead works With whom he was Intimately
acquainted. met him In the city one day and asked
II he lid not want a ich at Homestead. He said he
wanted AT least assistants. and said the Informant
and his friend could make big money II they would
help him. He told them he not only employed
by The Carnegie Company. but was also In The pay
OF the hlor associations and members Of the strikers
committees, and just coming money. As he
grew conhdeNiial and prompted by the queS-
lions about the pay from the associations he toId
them OF a plan TO poison the food oi the mcI ON
poycd in the mill to make them sick and render
them uq,ahle 10 work. He detailed the plan ne had
been pursuing, and asserted that nearly. If not AZ,
the sickness among the men Of which reports had
been caused by the poisons he had placed
In the food. He said he TO get $4,000 II he slc
ceeded in closing the mill. lie urged them TO accept
The places, told them Ii would be an utter mpo9nhiy
for them TO bc detected and finally left them with
the understanding that he would meet them In The
city next day. give them some advance money and
take them to Homestead with him.
Realizing the henousne,s of the proposition. the
two men, 1t is said called upon Chairman Frich OF
the Carnegie company and laid the matter Lefore him.
ON advice Of the cOmpany's attorneys. the two men
were instructed TO meet the cook and proceed 10
Homestead with him. That evening the two
went 10 Homestead, and were duly installed in their
positions ~ the cook. The day after th,ir arrival
number Of the reported Sick and the cook
told them how he had PLACED the pDson-a colOrcd
powder-n the food. and told them 10 watch for an
opportunity to 1t in the food. Fearing that the
men could not be trusted two Pinkert1ns were on
gagged TO keep close surveillance upon the nfomants
and discontinued the of the powders. sub
sequeEy he confessed 10 the cOmpanys officers. lie
militia and dosed the food prepared In the copkhousc
Ills visits were always followed by incrca>ed sick !
confession taken 10y stenociuphcr I'm the presence
Of several Witnesses. He eNhllcd vouchers for the
money due him. After mahing the confession the f
cook begged that he should not be placed in JAIL ana
his wishes were complied with. He has. however |
ls Wen the two original infOrmantS. been kept |
under surveillance night and dav all having been |
continued In the employ Of the firm night and day |
Charles CLOSER died two weeks after going 10 II me
stead. IT Is said that since the confession mad" by
The COOK the body was. exhumei ana the stomach |
submitted to n chemist for analysis. The result OF |
the ANALYSIS Is not known but f. is said that the |
CHEMISTS report viii he submitted In evidence when /
The comes 20 tnal. Mr.. Frick refused 10 talk /
abOnt the matter. At Homestead the story was pro
nOuncod ridiculous
F. I. Beck. esq, counsel for the Carnegie steel
Company. Limited 10 night confirmed the story Of thc
poisoning. H. his lnfOImati-n i, that at least
IN draths resulted from poisoning \ Homestead
dugpi~ and phr>ican are implicated The powder |
was gwen 10 dog and II died in fw minutes. !
number of arrests viii probably be made few dav.
Coroner NcDOwcll hos not Vet been Informed Of tn
facts. he will To Homestead tomorrow. however.
- Investigate the cause Of the death Of Isaac Juri.
who died suddenly ahOni two week, AGO. JnTfes
2 witness In the CrtchlOw case. The Coroner IS Of
the opinion that death was dne 10 alcoholism.