The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-06
IRON MEN RETURN FIRE.
Five Detectives and Several
Citizens Killed-Many
Wounded.
SCENES OF HORROR.
A Nocturnal Attempt 10 Sneak
Armed Mercenaries Into
Carnegie's Works.

PITTSBURG, Pa, July q, lS92-A bloody
battle between Pinkerton detectives and
the locked out employees at Homestead
occurred at half past four o'clock this
morning.
TIVE We men were shot and a number
will probably die. Among the wounded
it is reported, were five Pipkerton men.
At an early hour this morning. 300
Pinkerton detectives arrived in Pittsburg
from the East. They were quietly
marched to the Monongahela River,
where they were loaded on barges and
shipped to Homestead at half past two.
The news of their arrival spread
rapidly, and when the steam tug Little
Bill, towing the barges. arrived at Home
stead. there was 5000 people waiting to
meet them.
AS soon as the Pinkertons attempted to
land they were met by firm refusal from
the men and battle followed.
PINKERToNs OPEN FIRE.
The Pinkertons opened fire and at the
first voliey two workmeE fell.
This enra9ed the crowd, and they bore
down upon the Pinkertons with resistless
force. Nobody stopped to inquire
whether the newcomers were Deputy
Sheriffs, Pinkerton detectives or nom
union laborers.
After the exchange OF shots the crowd
grouped on the bank fell back and
climbing oyer the heap of rubbish, rushed
toward the big trestle leading to the
Pemicky Railroad bridge.
HARMLESS FIRE.
Probably three hundred of the men
stood their ground and returned desul-
tory fire with their revolvers at the in
vaders. These shots did little or no ap-
parent damage, and the piucky band,
finding their weapons ineffective, slowly
fell back before the whitening fire of the
Winchesters.
The first shot of the engagement came
from the barge. 1t was aimed at a Dig
Hungarian who stood at the waters
edge. The ball went wide of the human
target. but it was the signal to the Pink
erton men to begin, and for full ten
mi nutes they continued to fire.
FIRST VICTIM.
TIL g first man to fall was Martin Merry,
a heator in one of the mills. He was
shot in the left side aud fell face down
ward on a pile of ashes.
Close beside Merry stood big Hun
garian. He stopped over Merry's pros
trate body, and as he was in the act of
raising him, he staggered ana an instant
later fell by the side of his comrade.
This bloody spectacle reused the droop-
ing spirits of the crowd and with a hoarse
cheer q dozen men rushed to the place
where Merry and the Hungarian lay.
They picked up the bodies aud carried
them behind the trestle.
SHOT BY HIS DYING coMRADE.
One of the rescuers, Welshman, who
refused to give his name was shot in the
left leg just as he raised Merry's head
from the ground.
Merry and the Hungarian were carried
over the trestlework to the Pemicky
tricks and then taken TO the office of DIR.
Purman en- Dixon street. The doctor,
aftel hasty examination. announced
that both men would probably die.
Five more of the strikers were wounded
and two of them very seriously. but they
were spirited away by their friends. and
It was impossible to get their names.
pINKERToNs HIT TOO.
The shots of the strikers were also well
aimed, as four Pinkertons are reported
dangerously wounded. The Pinkerton
men did not land, and another encounter
may occur any moment. Excitement is
at fever heat at Homestead.
It was exactly four o'clock when the
q steamer and barges were sighted by the
watchers gathered on the river bank. a
mile below the town. Directly the fleet
was sighted, three messengers. each
mounted on fresh horses. started for
Homestead. shouting as they went the
advance of the dreaded barges.
THE PEOPLE AROUSED.
Somebody notified the engineer at the
electric light WORKS. and for second time
The harsh voiced whistle sounded the
general alarm. The people responded
with wonderful nlacrity. There were old
men and young .nen, elderly women