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]