Homestead : $b A complete history of the struggle of July, 1892, between the Carnegie-Steel Company, Limited, and the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel WorkersBurgoyne, Arthur Gordon
History
Homestead : $b A complete history of the struggle of July, 1892, between the Carnegie-Steel Company, Limited, and the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers
Burgoyne, Arthur Gordon
Homestead Strike, Homestead, Pa., 1892
So the misguided wretch made up his mind to murder the Carnegie
chairman, and proceeded accordingly to Pittsburgh, armed for
assassination. In company with Henry Bauer and Carl Knold,
active anarchists of Allegheny City, Berkman inspected the
_Chronicle-Telegraph_ building on Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, in which
Mr. Frick's office is located, and mapped out a program of attack.
Representing himself as an employment agent, who desired to confer with
the Carnegie chairman regarding the furnishing of non-union labor, he
experienced little trouble in obtaining access to Mr. Frick's private
room. He made several visits before the day of the shooting, and was
suspected by no one. The neatly-attired, slight, young man who appeared
so anxious to help the firm in its endeavors to procure workmen was one
of the last men who would be supposed to harbor murderous designs.
At noon on the day set for the consummation of his plan, Berkman sent in
his card to Mr. Frick, requesting an interview, but was referred to the
clerk whose business it was to supervise the transportation of non-union
men to Homestead. The clerk was out and Berkman was told to call again
later. Shortly before two o'clock, Berkman returned and again asked to
see Mr. Frick. He was informed that the Chairman was engaged. After
waiting a few minutes in the hall outside the anteroom adjoining Mr.
Frick's office, he came back once more, and finding nobody present but
the office-boy, handed the lad his card and told him to take it in to
the Chairman. The boy had hardly opened the door of Mr. Frick's office
when Berkman rushed in, drew a revolver and opened fire. Mr. Frick, who
was seated at his desk in conversation with Mr. Leishman, one of his
partners, had his back turned to the intruder and offered an easy mark.
Berkman fired three shots in quick succession, the first two lodging in
Mr. Frick's neck, while the third struck the ceiling. The assassin
attempted to fire a fourth time, but the cartridge failed to explode.
He snapped the trigger several times and finding that the revolver
would not work, threw it on the ground, and, pulling out a stiletto,
advanced upon Mr. Frick, who, wounded as he was, had risen to his feet
to defend himself. Twice Berkman plunged the stiletto into Mr. Frick's
side and he was about to strike a third time when the wounded man,
summoning up all the strength left to him, seized his assailant's arm
and grappled with him in a fierce struggle for life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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