Original Document

"In the latter part of August, 1919, pressure was being brought to bear by the American Federation of Labor for the general organization of the steel workers, and the recognition of the union. Many divisions and branches of the union had sprung up under various names and titles, some of them outlaws, and distinctly communistic. Warring among themselves had brought chaos among the workers. At this time an attempt was made to meet with Judge Gary of the Steel Corporation to discuss union recognition, but such a conference was flatly refused. Organization efforts in McKeesport were being conducted principally by two men, William Z. Foster and J.L Beaghen, who were refused any permits for meetings by the local authorities. These two men, while attempting to speak at Slavish Hall in White Street on the third of September, 1919, were arrested on orders of Mayor Lyale, and were later released on payment of $25.00 forfeit. The next day several men refusing to move on order of the police were arrested and committed to jail.

Finding their efforts for a conference with Judge Gary to be of no avail, President Gompers of the American Federation of Labor appealed to President Wilson to arrange a conference with Judge Gary, threatening to call a general strike unless Gary consented to negotiate. A few days later Foster and Beaghen were arrested when a meeting of steel men in Duquesne was broken up. A $100.00 fine, imposed by Mayor Crawford, was paid.

On the ninth of September five foreigners charged with inciting to riot at the meeting in Slavish Hall the week before, and at Central Police Station, were given a hearing before Alderman Markus, and held for action of the Grand Jury. Bail was set at $3,000.00 each. These men were positively identified by different witnesses and the defendants admitted being in the crowd, but emphatically denied that they had thrown any stones, or acted in a disorderly manner. The men were John Hudock, 403 Center Street, John Marsal, 604 White St., John Goyak, 1616 East 8th Street, John Pahota, 2201 Summitt Street, and John Frechalk, 944 Fourth Street. A composite story of what happened on that night, gleaned from the testimony of all the witnesses is as follows: It started on White Street when two labor leaders tried to address a large crowd of men in defiance of the Mayor's orders. These leaders were arrested and taken to Central Police Station, the crowd following. A near riot took place at Central Station and then the crowd went down Fourth Street, tried at several places to enter the mill, threw stones at the mill buildings, striking several watchmen and millmen, entered the Blast Furnaces at Center Street, and succeeded in making, either by force or by persuasion, a number of men leave their work. It was charged that the five defendants were the leading spirits in the affair....

By September 18th, the State Constabulary sent here for patrol duty, was re-inforced by ten more members, making a total of fifteen patrolling districts within a few miles of McKeesport. . . . The Mayor of McKeesport and Burgess of Port Vue started swearing in citizens as special officers, and made the statement that every effort would be made to preserve order. On September 22nd, the strike broke and many conflicting stories were current as to its effectiveness. Several shots were fired at Clairton, where much rioting took place. State Troopers arrested forty as a result of the disorder. National Tube Works, W.D. Woods plant, and Christy Park Works were working full. . . .By this time, the seriousness of the strike had been recognized by the National Government at Washington, and hearings were started by the Senate Labor committee. At a hearing today, September 25th, John Fitzpatrick, Chairman of the Striker's Committee, told the Senators that the steel industry's "oppression" of labor is the "rotten apple" of the industrial situation. Long hours and small wages drag conditions in other industry backward and downward. Senators listened to his recital of attempts to prevent union meetings at McKeesport, and elsewhere. Mayor Lysle at this time issued a proclamation stating the position of the City and authorities toward the strike, and calling on everyone to keep the peace and be orderly. There were several arrests and fines for youths who jeered the troopers and who refused to move when ordered. The most serious trouble up to this time resulting from the strike took place at Otto, where a huge mass meeting was scheduled to take place. One foreigner shot at a State Trooper, and another pointed a gun at Police Chief Reddington. Thirty-six arrests were made. There were over 1,000 men in the crowd assembled, though all were careful not to stop on the McKeesport side of the line, but several were searched before crossing the line and arrested for "gun toting".

Shortly before 3 o'clock the troopers hove in sight. At the same time a freight train slowly moved towards McKeesport. Sergeant Murphy of the State Troopers headed his men and all jogged along until they were a few yards from the crowd that was on the sidewalk. Sergeant Murphy gave the command to charge, and like a streak the horses shot along the sidewalk. Many of the foreigners had previously stationed themselves on the P&LE Railroad track and they climbed one side of the cars, as those driven from the sidewalk climbed the other side. Foreigners, who were on the south side of Monongahela Avenue raced for the woods with troopers and officers in hot pursuit. Sergeant Murphy said it was lucky for the men that the freight train happened along when it did, for he would have run them into the river. In two minutes there was not a person on the streets but officers and reporters. The foreigners yelled as they raced for the woods. A few stopped to hid in the bushes, others were running by the officers ten minutes later. Most of those who secreted themselves in the bushes were rounded up and arrested, and several others were captured by officers. This was the first meeting in this section, where shots were fired and clubs used, but it was announced that since the officers have been fired on, they will use their entire effectiveness of armament in the future to protect themselves. . . . At Washington, [DC] the Senate investigating committee is continuing hearings, and has listened to Gompers, Fitzpatrik, and others, stating the labor side of the case. This testimony evoked an editorial in the McKeesport Daily News descrying testimony given before the committee. It declared that Gompers was a piker with Ananias, and called on the business men of McKeesport to rally to the City's support, and refute the slanderous chargers.

On October 1st, Judge Gary flatly refused before the Senate Committee, to deal with labor unions. He specifically told the committee he would not meet Gompers or any other union leader as a representative of his employees. He said, "Every employee of the Corporation has the right to singly, or in groups, appeal even to the President of the Corporation, but we cannot deal with outsiders."

The Allegheny County courts upheld the Mayor's ban on meetings, and fines imposed on Foster and Beaghen, stating in their decision that public safety was at issue. During these days men were being arrested and fined for bothering workmen trying to return to work. Hundreds of striking foreigners are leaving for Europe, depleting the striker's ranks. . . .

Senator Kenyon and his investigating committee visited Homestead, Duquesne, Clairton, and McKeesport on October 10th. They talked with strikers, non-union workers, and wives and children, in an effort to learn how the other half lived. The visit to McKeesport, where they were greeted by a committee composed of Mr. W.A. Cornelius, J.W. Wilson, H.N. Pendleton, T.H. Fox, W.T. Snyder, and T.M. Hopke, took place in the afternoon. The committee was barely an hour in the mill and expressed astonishment and admiration for the manner in which the machinery was guarded with respect to safety, and the fact that practically everything was done by machinery. Senator Kenyon asked Sergeant Murphy of the State Police about dispersing the meeting in Otto and said, "Did you hurt anybody?" "No, Senator", said the Sergeant, "I would not say I hurt any of them, I just clubbed a few of them."

Americanism, in the opinion of Senator Kenyon, is the sole remedy for the industrial ills of the United States. "Did you see that crowd of 150 strikers at Clairton", asked the Senator, "Did you notice that when I asked how many of them were citizens, only three raised their hands?" The Senator, on his return to Washington from Pittsburgh, made a statement in which he advocated strenuous changes in naturalization and Americanization, believing that if a foreigner did not learn to speak and read English, after being five years in the United States, he should be deported.

At a meeting of the National Industrial Congress in Washington, on the 17th of October, 1914, the recognition of the right of collective bargaining seemed likely to be endorsed as the basic principle of the nation's future code of industrial relations. Chairman Wheeler of the employer's group offered the following resolutions: "Resolved: That without in any way limiting him, the right of the wage earner either to refrain from joining any association, or to deal directly with his employers as he chooses - - - - is recognized. No denial is intended of the right of any employer and his workers voluntarily to agree upon the form of their representative relations." . . . . While the foregoing descriptions, in a general way, gives the highlights of the three principal strikes of National Works of National Tube Company, minor disagreements of a departmental nature occurred from time to time, and in some instances, departments were closed down for short periods until the difficulties were ironed out.

Credit: Pittsburgh University Labor History Archives, UE/Labor 91:6, Box 3061