The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-05
A CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY.
-Four Of CaTnesie'S WOTkmem Accused
Of Fleeing Him.

Inferior Plates Substituted for Those
Passed Upon by the Government In-
speotors-The Conspirators Said to
Have Received 25 Per Cent. of the
Fine Assessed Against the Firm by
the Government.
Pittsburg, Pa, March 4.-The Times
tomorrow will publish the following:
1.-The Carnegie Steel Company limited,
has permitted itself TO be made the VIC
tim of big conspiracy. This in brief, is
the true explanation Of the assessing Of
Sl40, 4S9.91 damages or fine, laid by Presi-
dent Cleveland and Secretary of the
Navy Herbert against the company for
furnishing the government with armoR
plates, which, to quote Secretary Her.
bert, was good, all excelling the lowest
limit of tolerance in the specifications;
yet portions of it were not up to the
highest possible mark of excellence
which, by their contract, the company
was bound to attain.
FOUR IN THE CONSPIRACY.
"The conspirators were four in number.
all well-known workmen hereabouts, who
until quite recently were employed at the
Carnegie's big Homestead plant. The
price they received from the government
as reward for their conspiracy was
about $4,000, or rs per cent. of the
damage assessment made by President
Cleveland against the Carnegie Company.
The manner in which these facts have
leaked out is simitar that in which the
famous Tweed conspiracy first became
known in New York One of the con,
spirators, who got but $1,000 out Of the
$50, 600 reward paid by the government,
learning that he had, in common parI
luR M mott Ton tal4g a
gave expression to his feeling while
somewhat under the influence of liquor,
and slillful questions and more liquoa
brought out the entire story"
PLATES SUBSTITUTED.
The Times then states that after the
strike, when work had been resumed in
all departments at Homestead the con.
spirators Matched their scheme 1t saws
they managed to place with the armor
plate that had been passed upon and ac.
cepted by the naval officers sta
toned at the works as inspectors,
plates that had failed to come
up TO the highest possible mark Of
excellence" ." but which "were good: all
excelinF the lowest limit Of tolerance in
the specifications " The substitution of
defective plates extended over a period Of
time and was done In a systematic man
ner, the conspirators keeping a careful
record Of every plate substituted.
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
The Times says that negotiations were
opened with the government, the reward
was promised and the conspirators then
made oath TO their memoranda. ''Then
Chairman F'rick was summoned to Wash
inton, aud accompanied by vice-Chairman
Leishman, he went on. That was in De-
cember last and they were then informed
by Secretary Herbert for what they had
been summoned. They denied that
what they were charged with had been
done, and sworn aifidavits were placed
before them. They were then informed
that damages were TO be assessed against
them. They protested and appealed to
President Cleveland Andrew Carnegie
was sent for and appeared on the scene
soon afterward. He and Mr. Frick are
said to have gone before the Presi-
| dent in the matter of the
appeal The president sustained Secre-
tary Herbert's levying Of damages, or fine
or blackmail, or whatever it may be
| called, and the Carnegie Company sub
mitted 70 and paid over on Jan. H. the
money, of which the conspirators got 25
per cent. They say there was not fair
division, resulting in letting the remark
able story out.