Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-23
The ARREST OF CONSUL RYDER.
PINKERTONS EXAMINED.

PINKERTONS EXAMINED.
They Explain Their Course in tn,
Homestead Troubles Before Specia
House Committee on Judiciary
How They Were Engaged by tn,
Carnegie Company Were No
Violating Any Law OF the United
States-The Committee VIII MAX,
Its Report at Once UnIesss New
Testimony is Offered.
WASHINGTON, July 22.-The Pinkertor
Brothers were given an opportunity thil
morning to explain and defend the work
ings of their system by the special com
mittee of the house committee on the judi
ciary, which has been engaged in an inves
tigation of the labor troubles at Home
stead, and of the operations of the Pinker.
ton system. Messrs. Hays, Devlin and
Wright of the Knights of Labor were
present to watch the proceedings. Robert
| Pinkerton took the stand and laid before
| the committee statement that had been
| prepared. The two Pinkerton brothers
were present with their counsel, Mr.. w.
D. Guthrie. The statement in substance
| says
THE STATEMENT.
The men employed by us in this strike
| work are selected with great care and only
after full investigation of their chsrac-
| ters and antecedents. Not a single in
| stance can be cited where we have know
| ingly employed unreliable or untrust-
worthy men or where any of our watch
| men have been convicted of crime.
The statement cites instances of such
| violence during the strikes of the Chicago
Stove company, the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy railroad, the New York Cen
| trail railroad and in New York city during
the stone cutters strike, and concludes:
1t was morally certain from the threats
of the men that the strikers at Homestead
would resort to similar violence and at
tempt to destroy the property of the Car
negie company if any attempts were made
to supply their places by non union men.
would go to Homestead attracted by the
high wages if they were assured of pro-
lection.
We were advised by our counsel that we
were not violating any law of the United
States or of the state of Pennsylvania; that
our acts were lawful; that we had the right
to employ and send men to Homestead to
act as watchmen; that if they were at
tackled they had the right to kill, if abso-
lutely necessary for self-defense; that they
had the right to bear arms on the premises
of the Carnegie company in order to pro-
tect life and property whether or not they
were deputized by the sheriff; that we had
the right to ship arms from Chicago to the
Carnegie yards at Homestead for the pur-
pose of arming their men if they were
deputized by the sheriff; that in view of
the attack on the barges our men hsd the
right to bear arms and to defend them
selves and that all their acts in firing in
self defense from the barges after the at
tack on them were legally justified under
the laws of the United States and of the
state of Pennsylvania.
ROBERT PINKERToN ON THE STAND.
After a recess Robert Pinkerton was
called to the stand and required to answer
the questions prepared by the representa-
tives of the Knights of Labor. The replies
were in substance as follows:
Pinkerton agency owned about $50 rifles,
about 400 pistols, and an equal number of
clubs, and they were deposited in Chicago.
Many of its contracts with it's employees
were in writing. They required sobriety.
honesty and attention to duty on the part
of the employees. The employees were not
required to bear arms nor perform what
ever service was imposed upon them. The
employed were advised exactly what they
were expected to do and understood that
they were at liberty to refuse any en-
ployment to which they objected. By
advice of counsel the witness declined to
produce the contracts because they were
matters of private agreement. The Carne-
gle company requested the Pinkertons to
furnish about three hundred watchmen to
protect the Homestead property. The ne
gotiations were first preached by the Car
negie company. The men cent to Home
stead were obtained in New York, Chicago
and Philadelphia. All of them knew the
exact nature of the employment, and
about two-thirds of them had been for
some time in the employment of the agency
and were well recommended. The barges
were not constructed for the purposes of
protection, and were not lined with iron
or steel and could not resist small
arms. Then men would never have
been allowed to start on the expedition If
| it had been known that they were to be at
| tackled before landing. The barges were
employed because 1t was believed the men
| would be able to land without a breach of
the peace. Otherwise the men would not
have been permitted to go unless authorized
| by the governor or deputized by the
| sheriff. There were about $40 on the
barges with about $50 rifles, 300 pistols
and ammunition and clubs. The arms
armed. They went armed during the New
| Central strike to protect tn emselves from
| assault.
Mr.. Pinkerton said his firm furnished
80 to 315 men to Mr.. Frick at S. per day
per man. Mr.. Pinkerton said that any
time his men had trouble it had always
been brought on by strikers or their
friends. They went armed only when
sworn in as law officers, or when riding to
protect property. They never Travelled
armed when being transported throughout
Carnegie works. The arms were generally
put on in the works.
''That is" added witness, eve don't
carry armed guards through the country.
| AS witness had no reason to anticipate
an attack on barges no orders were giver
to his men. He thought that if the detec
tives had fired to kill many more livei
would have been lost and the works could
have been taken at that time, but no
great loss of life. Mr.. Pinkerton stated
that he was a sworn police officer-a dep
uty sheriff and he made it rule Away
to swear in his men, except in the case O
| railroad service.
Mr. Boatner asked why witness, knowing
trouble might occur at Homestead had sen
men in without authority from the sheriff
of Allegheny.
Witness replied that he had stipulate,
as far as possible for authority from tn
sheriff He had not reason to expec
trouble, and had taken the word of tn
Carnegies that the sheriff would swear hi
men in He asked to be excused from an
sweripg Mr.. Boatner's inquiry if he ha
lever employed men to become knights @
|. Labor" The detective" aad the ''watct
;. man" branches of his business were seps
rate. Mr.. Oates asked witness what b
!. had to say of the statement that fifty goo
soldiers could have scattered the Homestea
mob, and that cowardice was shown by th
= Pinkertons. Witness replied that he ha
talked with his men. They said they coul
have taken possession of the works almol
at any time before 10 o'clock; that sevent,
five men could have taken possession
=. the works, but they would have had to ki
! number of people, men, women and chi
n dren, and they concluded not to do an.
= | &l,in;, Of tho hind The frat fr;nor n