Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-12-23
The Poisoning Case.

r. j. Beatty, the alleged Homestead
poisoner, was broIght back to Pittsburg,
Thursday. and lodged IN Jail,
On Saturday he had hearing before
Alderman McMasters and was held IN
s., 900 bail for court.
J. NJ. Davidson was the first witness,
and being told to relate all he knew about
Beatty and his connection with the con
spiracy to poison Homestead workmen, be
said:
at was in the latter part OF August
that Patrick Gallagher and | met Beatty
on Wood street. Gallagher started to IN
troduce us when Beatty recognized me as
Jimmy Davidson. / have known Gal
lagher for fifteen years. 1t was under
TODD that we were all to go to Homestead
10 work as cooks aud that we were To take
something with US to put in the food given
the non union men in order to make them
sick and to render them unfit for work.
When we met Beatty he took US to the
Office OF tne X. of L., on Third 'avenne.
There we met Hugh Dempsey, who, un-
derstand, il master workman for this dis
rriet. am not a member of the X. Of IL.
While we we're in the office Gallagher and
Dempsey did most of the talking. Beatty
suggested that it would be well for Us to
dose the men in Homestead with crotcn
oil. He said croton oil could be used safe
II; that we could carry bottles Of il in our
pockets aud when we were at work in the
cockhouse we could put it on our fingers
and rub it on the inside of the soup bowls
and cnffee cups. | objected to the use of
croton oil on the ground that it was dead
ly drug. and 1 did not want to run The
risk of killing any one. Dempsey said he
could furnish US with powders that would
do the work effectively and safely; that the
powders had been used on non-union men
in Chicago; and that by their use strike
had been broken III four days, lie said
that while it would make the men sick, 1t
was not dangerous. Dempsey said that II
we would go to Homestead aud administer
these powders he would guarantee Us $50
each and our EXPENSES. We did not get
any powders from Dempsey that day
Gallagher. Beatty and myself then left
Dempsey's office We took u walk about
town discussing our plans and the contract
we had undertaken. Beatty told us that
if we did the work well there would be
A gold watch and chain in it fOr each of us
in addition to the money We were to re
ceive. did not go to Homestead until
September 80 Gallagher, who had been
there for some time, left the day before !
arrived Two days later he returned aud
worked about the restaurant in the mill
Before Gallagher went to Homestead the
first time we called ON Mr.. Dempsey
He gave US small jar OF some
kind Of powder. He said there was enough
OF the stuff in the jar for three powders,
each one sufficient To fix thirty gallons of
tea or coffee. | suppose there was nine or
ten teaspoonsful of the stuff in the bottle
| Dempsey told Gallagher 10 divide il into
thr e equal parts This Gallagher took
with him 10 Homestead The day before
wet tn Homestead Beatty gave me some
powders To deliver tn Gallagher. This was
| in Dempsey's "tiice, or X. of l.. hall.
met Gallagher on the street and gave him
| the package He opened it and told me
] there were nine powders in the package
| The bottle containing some of the stuff was
given to Gallagher by Dempsey in my
presence. This was in the X. of l. hall
|
use his own discretion whether he put in
the tea or coffee. / next saw Beatty about
| September 80.
About September Gallagher came back,
| and Beatty, be and | went to the X of L..
hall Dempsey asked him how the powders
worked. He said, successfully, and wanted
| more, and Dempsey said he would get
| more After | came back ] again met
| Beatty. We talked obout the sue, ess the
powders had. and Beatty seemed pleased
| had quit work on October 10. About
| December | | met Beatty Gt Cavanaugh' s
| Saloon. Gallagher was with US and w0 then
went - Gallagher's room where we dis.
cnssed the powders, and | asked Beatty
what was IN the powders. He said rhubarb
and snuff aud other things. He didn't say
who furnished them. While were taking
| he mentioned Lynch, Crawford and DR..
Purman. Gallagher presented his bull OF
expenses to Dempsey and he asked me
where mine was, and made il cut and
gave it to Dempsey. Dempsey said the
money was exhausted and we would have
to wait. Beatty said the powders didn't
ssem to be success. Gallagher told
Dempsey that the powders had been used
IN cook house 30, ]. saw Beatty again
two weeks later on pOod street. We
| talked 0v5r tfal Ia CHEERS sucC~5su in admin