New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-25
STRIKE INQUIRY TO-DAY
FEDERAL INVESTIG1TION
1T MKEE"S ROCKS.
1ttem pit to Wreck Train-DebS Re
ported Fired OR-GlOOm at
Strikers Funerals.

FittsbIIre Aug 24-It became known that
the federal Department Of Justice had taken
official cognizance Of the strike at Mckee's
Rocks when il was announced here tonight
that District Attorney John A. Jordan had r"-
ceved orders from washington TO begin an in
vestigation of the stockade of the Pressed Steel
Car Company tomorrow morning
Charges Of peonage have been made against
President Frank y Hoffstot of the COM
pany and Samuel Cohn, in charge of the EN-
ployment bureau at the works. 1t is to sift
these charges and ascertain whether prosecu-
tion would be justified that the investigation
has been ordered.
Mr.. Jordan viii enter the plant tomorrow
morning, taking with him persons who may
prove an interest in the inquiry. The strikers
making the charges will be represented by a
committee Edgar Prochink, Of Pittsburg. act
ing consul for the Austro-Hungarian Consul.
viii also be one Of the party.
Mr.. Prochink's appeal to Washington to-day
Is thought 10 have brought about the order TO
Jordan He telegraphcd the Austro- Hungarian
Ambassador at Washington this morning ask
ing that he lay the case before the proper au-
thorities there He asserted that one hundred
subjects Of Hungary were being detained inside
the mills against their will
There was some excitement to-day when the
authorities admitted that early this morning
they had discovered what they considered at
tempts TO wreck a train at three different points
along a railroad leading TO McKees Rocks. Il
was this line over which the special train OF
four cars bearing the additional company Of
state constabulary was run II is thought the
strikers intended TO wreck the train on its
rival here at Caybreak. The train made de
tour. however, and came into Pittsburg
different line.
~,
ing four persons this morning and fired several
shots when it did not stop. \ report was cir
culated that Eugene V. Debs was in the car
Mr.. Debs was in the Pittsburg district to-day
but denied that he had been in the vicinity OF
Mckee Rocks or had given the troopers amy
chance at all" At himself.
PLANT INSURED FOR $4ooO.ooO.
Insurance 10 the amount Of 100000 has been
placed on the Pressed steel Car Company works
here. The deal was closed to-day by &. NJ
Logue q Bro. of Pttsburg. brokers. and
it isrundcrstood that forty different companies
in the United States take part of the risk At
"A meeting of the Allegheny County Board of
Underwriters held some days ago the rate was
agreed On but it has not been made public
Everything but raw material is included in the
insurance. which is twelve times as great as has
ever before been placed on the plant.
Gloom prevailed ut MckeeS Rocks to-day.
Long funeral professions pitiful in their attempt
at proper decorum. wended their way at queer
hours from the Greek Catholic Church to st.
Mary's Cemetery. a small burying plot just out
sid. Schoenvilc. Strikers ana their families
crowded in the van Of these funeral trains
dressed IN their fnery and showing deep grief
one band Of eight musicians furnished music
10 which the strikers tramped in dust and CRIME
10 nay their respects TO the men they look upon
as martyrs To "A lost cause.
The finding late to-day Of three more bodies
Of terribly beaten strike sympathiZers added 10
the depression of the strikers. Troopers detailed
to the work Of searching for dead and wounded
made little effort 70 spare the feelings Of the
men who gathered about them when the bodies
tv,, under pile Of railroad ties and one under
c,,lyert on the tracks of the Pittsburs & Lake
Erie Railroad were pulled into sight. The bodies
were hastily piled into morgue wagon and
turned over 10 the county officials
with the burial Of The dead strikers and the
finding Of the additional bodies came a truce in
hostilties From dawn To- rishtfalI a pistol
shot was heard. neither was arrest made
The striking men and their sympathizers kept
quiet and even gave up mass meeting planned
for the late afternoon. as they believed any
Gathering of the workmen could do no good at
this time Eugene y. Debs declared that words
were of little avail now. as the riots OF Sunday
night had Tor once and all placed the strikers
i'm The. position of outcasts whose cause was all
but lost a report that Emma Goldman had
Continued sccVnd Dage.