The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-12
Alleged Confession of the Cook, Who Is Said TO
Have Admitted He Was to Get $4,000 lille
Could Succeed in Closing the Mills.
Heartless Crime Laid at the Door of
the Amalgamated Association.
Only One Nams Given Out, but Certain Others
Thought to Be Under Arrest Already and
- Secretly Charged with the Conspiracy.
WAS IT A CONSPIRACY?
Charges of n Deep Plot to Kill or Nc
Union Iron w orkers.

Charges of Deep Plot to Kill or Nom
Union Iron Workers.
PITTsBURG, Pa, Dec. 11.-A Sunday pa
per published startling story to-day Of q
conspiracy to poison by wholesale the non-
union workmen at the Carnegie steel plant
In homestead. The developments made,
it says. implicate members of the advisory
committee members of the Amalgamated
Association, and officials of some of the or
ganizatIons sympathizing with the locked
out men at Homestead. AS q result of this
conspiracy it is alleged that several per-
sons have lost their lives, while scores of
others are suffering at their homes and in
hospitals from the effects of the poisonous
drugs administered to them with criminal
intent. To-day nine or more persons. more
or less identified with the strike, are un-
der arrest. ostensibly on less seri-
Gus charges, but really for the
purpose OF avefting suspicion un-
til all those who are claimed to be in
this heartless conspiracy have been Sc.
cured. The only name given of those
charged with administering poison is Rob
ert Beatty, who was arrested at Louisville
last night. Several others, however, are
under heavy bail on other charges, and the
new charge will probably be made to-mor-
row, as oil are under surveillance and can
be taken at any moment The details of
the foul plot, as they have been slowly but
persistently and untiringly dev e,o ped, are
sufficient to cause q shudder to those who
read or hear them especially when it is
,kpown that at least two Deaths and per-
|haps number of others. have already been
traced to the work OF the willing tool Sc
lected to carry the murderOus plan into ex-
ecution.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WATER.
: 1t will be remembered that shortly after
the arrival of the State militia at Home
stead and the non-union men had CON-
menced work in the mills, complaints be-
came prevalent about the unwholesome
: water supplied to the men, especially those
employed within the fence surrounding
the plant. Many cases of sickness were
reported, but all were attributed to the
impurity of the water. So firmly impressed
were the physicians and the officials of the
company that water was causing the sick
ness that supply from other sources was
secured and notices were posted conspicu-
ously about the mill warning tho en-
ployes to refrain from drinking the water.
Despite these precautionary measures
the sickness continued and soon 1t became
current at Homestead that an epidemic
was prevailing among the men within the
inclosure. number of the sick were
taken to tho hospitals for treatment, and
nearly oil those recovered, although many
of them arc still i'll. Rumors that typhoid
and other diseases were epidemic in the
mill caused a representative OF the State
Board of Health to make an Official investi-
CATION. He found the sanitary arrange
ments good. and attributed the sickness to
the water. The first intimation the officers
had that the diagnosis of the
physicians was incorrect. and that
the men were the victims of 9
conspiracy to poison them was obtained
more than two months since. 1t came in
such manner, however. that it was I'M
possible to make arrests immediately. and
it was not until yesterday that the evil
dence was deemed to be sufficiently strong
to warrant the apprehension of at least
one of those who are alleged to have been
implicated in the Borgian conspiracy to
get rid of the hated nom union men. either
by death or by creating such a panic among
them that they would Tee from the fated
place in /. body. The price to be paid " hen
the mills were closed down was 5000. The
terrible plot, according to the information
obtained by the reporter, was made by
man who was in the plot, and was SUBJ
stantially as follows:
The informant said that one of the chief
cooks at the Homestead works, with w HON
he was intimately acquainted. met him IN
the city one day and asked him If he did
not want job at Homestead. He said he
wanted at least two ASSISTANTS, and said
the informant and his friend could make
big money IT they would help him.
He told them he was not only employed by
the Carnegie Company but was also In the
pay of the labor associations and members
rf ha <~,1~ md VVa raf
coming money.
PLAN TO POISON FOOD.
As he grew more confidential, and
prompted by the questions about the pay
from the associations, he told them of o
plan to poison the food of the men employ ed
| in the mill SO as to make them sick and
render them unable to work. He detailed
the plan he had been pursuing. and as
serted that nearly. if not all, the sickness
among the men. of which reports had been
current, was caused by the poisons he had
| placed in food. He said he was to get S5.-
| 0O0 If lie succeeded in closing the mill He
urged them to accept the places. told them
| 1t would be an utter impossibility for them
to he detected. and finally left with the
understanding that he would meet them in
the city next day. give them some
Homestead with him. Realizing the helm
| ionsness of the proposition the two men
| called on Chairman Frick. of the Carnegie
| company. and laid the matter before him.
Upon advice of the company's attorneys
| the two men were instructed to meet the
cook and proceed to Homestead with him.
| That evening they went 10 Homestead, and
| they were duly installed In their positions
By the cook. The day after they arrived q
number of the men were reported sick. and
! the cook rold them how he had placed the
uoison-a coiored powder-in the food. and
told them TO watch for an opportunity to
use ii. Fearing that the men could not
be trusted two Pinkertons were engaged
| TO keep q close surveillance on the
| informants as we'll as the cook. The lat.
ter became suspicious and at once discon.