The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-15
WERE CNNS OF A plot
Claim That Dempsey and Beatty
Were Innocent.
GALLAGHER MAKES CONFESSION.

He Alleges That He and Davidson Were
Paid to Swear as They Did on the Trial
The Pinkertons Hatched the Conspiracy
Claimed No Poison Was Administered.
PrrrsBURG, July 15.-Within the next
few days it Is expected that the Homestead
poisoning cases will be reopened and an
effort made to prove that Hugh f. Demp-
sey, ex master workman of the Knights
OF Labor, who Is now serving seven year
sentence IN the Western penitentary, il
innocent of the charge upon which he was
found guilty.
Dempseys friends expect to produce
such evidence as will not only prove the
innocence Of Dempsey, but will also bring
to light the exposure of "a plot Sensational
in every respect.
These claims will be embodied in the
petition to reopen proceedings in the shape
of written confessions made by Patrick
Gallagher and James Davidson, both Of
whom are serving terms at the pententiary.
having bees sentenced shortly after DcsrS-
sey
In the confessions OF Gallagher and
Davidson they say they were paid 10 swear
away the liberty Of Hugh i. Dempsey and
Robert II. Beatty, each of whom, they
now assert, were innocent OF the crime
for which they were confined. They
further state that SO far as they know.
there was no poison administered TO the
men in the Homestead mill
Gallaghers confession is written by HIM
self and sworn to before Squire S. d.
White, of Haysville Davidson's was
given verbally in the presence OF witnesses.
Attorney Porter, one Of Dempsey's at-
torneys, has ever since the trial been gath
ering evidence in Dempsey's favor. Six
weeks ago he received letter from Gala
CHER, asking him To call at the Penitentiary.
Mr.. Porter called and in the presence os
Warden Wright and Squire White, Gala
CHER and Davidson told their stories
Gallagher said the secret was killing
him. He had prepared the confession and
then made affidavit to 1t. Davidson's state
ments were simply corroboration Of
Gallagher's Mr. Porter has given out the
substance of the confession, suppressing
only the names OF the men who Gallagher
says were in the plot 70 send Dempsey to
prison.
Mr.. Porter also has the aflhiavit Of q
person who swears that certain detective
in the atlantis presence told Gallagher why
he wanted to send Dempsey to prison. Il
was because he wanted to strike blow at
the Knights Of Labor. The detective also
said that the only way to do 1t was to
swear that Dempsey was guilty and stick
to 1t to the end. IL he did not swear to it
the detective said he would have Gallagher
indicted for murder Similar corrobora-
tions of the confessions Of the convicts Is
given by nearly q dozen witnesses whose
affidavits Mr.. Porter has In his possession.
1t will also be shown where detectives
tried to get others to do some swearing in
the case and where false testimony outside
of Gallagher's and Davidson's was given
ut the trial. Mr.. Porter said:
81 do not want any unjust suspicion 70
be attached to anyone. This work was
done entirely by Pinkerton detectives
probably because they wanted to get even
for their defeat on July 9, and certainly
without any authority"
Mr.. Porter thinks the fact that the othep
persons connected with the case, according
to Gallaghers first confession, were not
prosecuted is sufficient and conclusive eyi-
dence that the whole thing was plot
against Dempsey.
Continuing, Mr. Porter said: "From the
first have been entirely satisfied of Demp-
seys innocence, and, more than that, that
there was never any poison administered
In the Homestead mill. This is the un-
fortunate result of reputable people OF
Allegheny county importing thieves and
convicts from Chicago and other places,
and using them as detectives"