Chapter I: Introduction

The demand voiced by representative workingmen in the Pittsburgh district, not only on their own account but on that of their brethren the world over, for a correct and impartial history of the Homestead trouble, sufficiently explains the appearance of this volume.

The importance of the theme requires no demonstration. Since labor first organized for its own protection it has passed through no period more prolific in soul-stirring events and significant developments than that extending from July to November, 1892, and including the lock-out at the Carnegie mills, the battle with 300 Pinkerton guards, the military occupation of Homestead, the trial of labor leaders on capital charges and the ultimate collapse of the Amalgamated lodges for lack of funds to continue the struggle against non-unionism. This was a conflict of far more than local interest. It was watched with anxiety by both friends and foes of organized labor on both sides of the Atlantic; it claimed the attention of leaders of thought in all departments of human activity; it stirred up the British House of Parliament and the United States Congress, agitated the newspaper press of both continents, became an issue in the election for President and is said to have contributed more largely to the defeat of Benjamin Harrison by Grover Cleveland than any other influence.

The injection of partisan considerations into public discussion of the Homestead affair led naturally to a vast amount of misrepresentation, and even at this late day the causes and character of the struggle are widely misunderstood. It has been the mission of the author of this history to sift out the truth, to make clear the motives and methods of the disputants on both sides, and to recount in detail the events of the contest without sacrificing historic accuracy to romantic effect.

Personal observations in the course of visits to the "seat of war" while hostilities were in progress, and subsequent conversations with the leaders has made the task a comparatively easy one.

Little attempt is made to philosophize on the varying phases of the labor question as presented at Homestead. It is left largely to the reader to form his own deductions from the facts set forth and from the opinions of recognized authorities, not forgetting Mr. Carnegie himself, which are liberally cited.

That through the perusal of "Homestead" new light may be borne in upon some of the many who persist in regarding the American workingman as a mere piece of mechanism, deservedly at the mercy of his employer, is the earnest hope of

THE AUTHOR.

PITTSBURGH, November 22, 1893.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. CAPITAL IN ITS STRONGHOLD.

Homestead and Its Mills--The Rise and Progress of the
Carnegie Firm--How The "Star Spangled Scotchman"
Made His Fortune--He Labors For Years and Then
Lapses Into Luxury--H. C. Frick's Career as Coke
King and Iron Master--The Fine Art of Crushing
Strikes--Carnegie and Frick Join Hands and the
Latter Becomes the Master-Spirit--Condition of
Organized Labor at Homestead 3-14

CHAPTER II. THE GATHERING OF THE STORM.

History and Methods of the Amalgamated
Association--Operation of the Sliding Scale at
Homestead--Superintendent Potter Makes Amicable
Suggestions _a la_ Carnegie--An Ultimatum From
Frick--He Threatens Non-Unionism and Fortifies the
Mills--Lodges Hold a Sunday Morning Meeting--Burgess
McLuckie's Bold Speech--"High Fences, Pinkerton
Detectives, Thugs and Militia"--Political Exigencies
Give Hope to the Workmen 15-26

CHAPTER III. LOCKED OUT.

Frick's Allies--A Plan of General Assault on the
Amalgamated Association Falls to the Ground--The
Labor Question in Politics--Democrats Make Capital
Out of Wage Reductions--Frick Confers With a
Workmen's Committee and Rejects a Compromise--Mills
Shut Down and Are Declared Non-Union--"Fort
Frick"--Lodges Appoint an Advisory
Committee--Guarding the Town 27-40

CHAPTER IV. THE PINKERTON GUARDS.

Planning a Siege--History of the Pinkertons--Hatred of
Organized Labor for Soldier Policemen--Frick's
Cold-Blooded Letter--The Sheriff of Allegheny County
is Enlisted in the Carnegie Forces--Millmen Dispose
of a Sheriff's Posse--The Gathering of the
Invaders--Departure of the Pinkerton Barges for
Homestead 41-51

CHAPTER V. THE FIRST SHOT.

On Board the Barges--Floating Barracks Equipped for
Bloody Warfare--Up the Monongahela at
Midnight--Homestead Gets Warning--Defenders at the
Mill Landing--Frick's Army Repulsed With Heavy
Loss--Hugh O'Donnell Takes Command of the
Workmen--Sheriff McCleary's Appeal to the
Governor--Frick Refuses to Interfere 52-64

CHAPTER VI. THE BOMBARDMENT.

Cannonading the Barges--Silas Wain's Sad Death--The
Little Bill Returns and Runs the Gauntlet--A Car of
Fire Terrifies the Pinkertons and Drives Captain
Rodgers to Flight--Amalgamated Officials
Arrive--Dining Under Fire--Horrors in the
Guardsmen's Quarters--The Killing of Detective
Connors--Dynamite--Suicide on the Barges--Messages
From Abroad--Congress Acts 65-77

CHAPTER VII. THE SURRENDER.

Amalgamated Officials as Mediators--President Weihe
Calls a Mass Meeting and Counsels Peace--Hugh
O'Donnell's Speech--The Brave Young Leader Procures
a Surrender--Pinkertons Run the Gauntlet--A Savage
Mob Assails the Prisoners--Arrival of the
Sheriff--The Frick Troop of Invaders Driven From the
State 78-88

CHAPTER VIII. AFTER THE BATTLE.

Carnegie's Property Protected--Confidence Still Strong
Among the Men--Homestead as a News Center--The
Death-Roll--Burial of the Dead--Anarchists Get a
Short Shrift--The Sheriff Fails Again--Interviewing
the Governor--Martial Law in Sight--Proceedings in
Congress--Opinions of Newspapers and Publicists--A
Press Censorship Established at Homestead 89-101

CHAPTER IX. SOLDIERS TO THE FRONT.

The Sheriff's Last Effort--Mr. Frick Issues a Statement
and the Amalgamated Association Responds--Political
and Industrial Organizations Indorse the Homestead
Men--Interviewing Carnegie--Censorship of the
Press--Governor Pattison Orders Out the National
Guard--Strength of the Militia--Locked-Out Men
Prepare to Welcome the Blue Coats--A Speech That
Burgess McLuckie Never Delivered 102-115

CHAPTER X. CAMP McCLELLAN.

Snowden's Sharp Tactics--The Taking of Homestead--Troops
in Possession--Soldiers Repel Advances and the
Fraternal Reception is Declared Off--O'Donnell's
Committee at Headquarters--Suspicion and Resentment
Abroad--The Little Bill Returns--Congressmen Hold an
Investigation--Capital and Labor in Conflict on the
Witness Stand--The Cost of Producing Steel Remains a
Riddle 116-132

CHAPTER XI. THE FIRST ARRESTS.

Bringing in the "Blacksheep"--Pittsburgh, Beaver Falls
and Duquesne Men Come Out--An Alarm in Camp--The
Governor Arrives--The Boycott as a
Persuader--Politics to the Rescue--Murder Charged
and Warrants Issued--McLuckie, O'Donnell and Ross
Surrender and are Released on Bail--General
Snowden's Disheartening Announcement 133-145

CHAPTER XII. THE SHOOTING OF FRICK.

Berkman, a Russian Autonomist, Attempts the Life of the
Carnegie Chairman--Mr. Frick's Bravery--"The
Shooting Will in no Way Affect the Homestead
Strike"--Militiaman Iams Cheers the Assassin and is
Drummed Out of Camp--Public Indignation over the
Iams Affair--Snowden, Hawkins, Streator and Neff
Indicted--Workingmen Prosecute Carnegie Officials
for Murder 146-158

CHAPTER XIII. BERKMAN AND IAMS.

Frick's Assailant Railroaded to the Penitentiary--The
Iams Trial--Hanging by the Thumbs Approved by a
Jury--The Mills Filling Up--Sermons to
Non-Unionists--Strikers Go Through the Plant--The
Relief Fund--Gompers Arrives and Makes an Incendiary
Speech--Pittsburgh and Mahoning Manufacturers
Capitulate--William and Robert Pinkerton on the
Defensive 159-173

CHAPTER XIV. POLITICIANS AT WORK.

A Suppressed Congressional Report--Sympathy Strikes
Prove a Failure--Gompers as a Boycott Wielder--The
Slavs Weaken--Plans of the Republican National
Committee--Smooth Mr. Milholland Enlists Hugh
O'Donnell--Honest John McLuckie Refuses to be
Muzzled--The Milholland Scheme Falls
Through--Outbreaks at Homestead--The Search for
Pinkerton Guns--Mr. Frick Revisits the Mill 174-188

CHAPTER XV. TREASON.

Progress in the Mill--A Quartette of Aristocratic
Non-Unionists--Sickness Breaks Out--More
Arrests--Jack Clifford Suspected of Treachery, but
is Held Without Bail for Murder--167 True Bills
Returned--Supreme Justice Paxson in the Saddle--He
Orders Arrests for Treason and is Generally
Condemned--Snowden Favors the Gallows for
Homesteaders--Judge Agnew on Treason--Paxson
Instructs the Grand Jury and Pronounces the
Homestead men Traitors--Carnegie in Scotland 189-208

CHAPTER XVI. THE FIRST BREAK.

More Prosecutions--The Soldiers Withdraw--A Non-Union
Hotel Dynamited--Homestead Figures in Parades and
Gives a Democratic Majority--Slavs Weakening--The
_Local News_ Predicts Defeat--Gompers Again--Sheriff
McCleary is Harassed and Increases His Corps of
Deputies--Lawyer Jones in Trouble--Schwab Succeeds
Potter as Superintendent--Homestead's Last
Riot--Striker Roberts Hints at Defeat--Mechanics and
Laborers Go Back to Work 209-225

CHAPTER XVII. CAPITULATION.

The Last Mass Meeting--Strikers Surrender
Unconditionally--Cost of the Homestead Dispute to
Capital, Labor and the State--Few Old Hands Get Work
and Poverty Stalks Abroad--Noble Service of Relief
Committees--The Coming of Santa Claus--Congressional
Investigations Wind Up Without Accomplishing
anything--A Batch of Useless Reports--The Kearns
Anti-Pinkerton Bill Becomes a Law in Pennsylvania 226-240

CHAPTER XVIII. THE FIRST TRIAL.

Sylvester Critchlow Arraigned--Pinkertons on the
Stand--The Prosecution Makes a Strong Showing--A
Suspicious Carnegie Banquet--Attorneys Erwin and
Argo to the Rescue--An Alibi for the Defense--John
S. Robb Attacks Mr. Erwin--The "Northwestern
Whirlwind's" Magnificent Oration--He Captures the
Court and Confounds the Prosecution--"Not
Guilty"--The Backbone of the Murder Charges Broken 241-260

CHAPTER XIX. WEAVING NEW TOILS.

An Epidemic Investigated--Detectives Charge Poisoning
and Arrests are Made--Gallagher and Davidson Turn
Informers--Dempsey and Beatty are Indicted--Hearings
and Trials--A Tangled Mass of Medical Testimony--Mr.
Brennen's Little Hibernicism--Defendants are
Convicted and Heavy Sentences Imposed--Gallagher
Recants and Then Reconsiders--Clemency Refused by
the Pardon Board 261-279

CHAPTER XX. THE DENOUEMENT.

Clifford Tried For His Life--Alibi Testimony--Attorneys
Erwin and Anderson Win New Laurels--"Not
Guilty"--Hugh O'Donnell at the Bar--The Homestead
Leader as a Reporter and Peacemaker--Weak Testimony
for the Prosecution--Major Montooth Ridicules the
District Attorney's Substitute--O'Donnell
Acquitted--The Carnegie Lawyers Abandon the
Field--Berkman's Accomplices Disposed Of 280-295

CONCLUSION 296-298