magnifier
Image
magbottom
 
Alexander Berkmann attempting to assassinate Henry Frick during the Homestead strike in 1892.
Close Window

Alexander Berkmann Pointing a Gun at Henry FrickAnarchist Alexander Berkmann attempts to assassinate steel factory owner Henry Frick during the Homestead strike in 1892

Credit: Image Donated by Corbis - Bettmann

Two weeks after striking Homestead workers battled with Pinkerton agents on the banks of the Monogahela River, Alexander Berkman, a Russian-born anarchist, entered Frick's office in downtown Pittsburgh, shot Frick twice in the neck, then stabbed him with a poisoned knife as Frick and an aide wrestled him to the ground. The botched assassination drew attention to the anarchist cause, but had little if any impact on Homestead. While Frick returned to work within a week, Berkman would serve fourteen years in prison before his pardon in 1906.

Back to Top