Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-13
HUGH DEMPSEY ON TRIAL,
Charged with Poisoning Homestead Non
Union Mil Men.

PITTsBURG, Pa, January 2.-The trial
OF Hugh Dempsey, District Muster Work
man Of the Knights Of Labor, j. M. David
son and Robert Beatty. charged with pois-
oping non-uuiOu workmen in the Home
stead steal mill during last August began
here to-day in crowded rtroom. Beat
ty is accused of having arranged with Dav-
idson and other COOKS at the nil TO admin
lister the poison which ~ II, alleged Demp-
sey furnished. no serious charge OF cav
ing prOcurc. and disbursed the money
used in the furtherance OF the scheme IS
also put upon Dempsey.
When court opened Judges Slagle ana
Stowe were on the bench. Attorneys Por-
ter and Marshall, for the defense, put In a
strong plea for postpOnement OF the cases
on account of the absence oflmportant W.T.
nesses, but Judge Stowe was infext5le and
ordered the trial to proceed. The tirst case
taken up was that of Dempsey. The work
OF choosing the jury was then begun, ana
after twenty-three Juror had been stood
aside and two challenged by the District
Attorney the jury was obtained. 1t IS
composed OF seven farmers, the other i've
being respectively a manufacturer, merch-
ant, clerk, painter and gentleman.
At this point two large packages contain
ing the results of analytical tests on the
aLOulhEuh
brought in.
For the prosecution District Attorney
Burleigh has associated with him MesSrs.
Brock and Robb.
The attorneys for the defense are Messrs.
Montooth, Porter, Brennan, Jones and
Marshall.
Mr.. Breck opened for the prosecution,
describing the situation Of the dining sheds
and sleeping rooms within the mill inclos-
ure At the start he said there was a few
cases of sickness but after July 20 tners
was a marked increase, and on the otn VI
Septem Der the sick rate rose 90 or ~ over
any other previous day, and all along afteE
that the percentage of sickness was much
higher. He described how the company
became suspicious and related the ar
rest, the confession and release OF
cook Gallaher. He was watched, how
ever, and that led to the arrest of David
son and Beatty. The story OF the comics
sion was agsin gone over, how Dempsey
suggested crOton oil. but they objected and
afterwards consented 10 administer pow
ders that Dempsey said had broken up
Chicago street car strike in week Tx
cent Ia one instance the prosecution VIII
be- unable 10 prove what the poison was.
Davidson and Gallagher, he said, VIII so
on the stand and tel! their stories, which
will be corroborated by witnesses. Court
here took q recess.
When court resumed in the afternoon
there was large crowd Of workmen pres
ent. Louis Wolfe, Jr., steward in charge
OF the Carnegie cook houses and restau-
rants at Homestead, testified that he had
III cooks and walters under him and that
Patrick Gallagher was employed as night
cook at No. / house. He was taken sick
three or four times with bad disrrhoea and
has had stomach trouble ever since.
DR.. Cooper, of Baltimore, testified that
he attended the men and that they had
every symptom of arsenical poisoning.
He DIAGNOSED the cases as those of poison.
No chemical analysis was made as he was
certain the men were suffering from pol
son. Upon crOSs-examinatiOn he said the
same condition could be produced by salts
of copper forming in copper vessels IN
which victuals were allowed to stand
Court adjourned until to morrow morning
The Dispatch will say tomorrow that 1t
is known positively that arsenical poison
was found in the stomachs of the men By
the analytical chemists, and that this will
be brought out in the evidence tomorrow.