TRUE. GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE. GLAD TO BE HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FUN HERE. STARTING WITH THE FIRST GUESTS, ANDY, STOPPING BY TO TALK ABOUT PURG, PURG HISTORY -- PITTSBURGH, PITTSBURGH HISTORY. AND THE CURATOR OF THE HEINZ HISTORY MUSEUM.
SHORT AND FASCINATING. THE BITS OF PITTSBURGH HISTORY FROM THIS MONTH, HOW IT STARTED AND ENDED IN AN INFAMOUS FAILED ED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. THE HOMESTEAD STRIKE HERE, THE STEEL WORKERS, WORKING AT HOME FOR CARNEGIE STEEL, IN -- CARNEGIE AND FREK WERE THE MANAGEMENT.
BATTLE. PINKERTONS, DETECTIVES CAME IN ON A BARGE FROM BURG WITH WINCHESTERS BLAZING AND FIGHTING BACK WITH A BRASS CANON AND THE WIVES OF THE WORKERS SAYING, KILL THE PINKERTONS, KILL THE PINKERTONS. HOW DID IT GET TO THAT?
IT WAS NUT. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING NOW? INTENSE.
HAPPENED IN PITTSBURGH 125 YEARS AGO. HENRY CLAY FRIK, YOU KNOW THE FRIK MANSION THERE, YOU CAN VISIT IT, HE WAS GIVEN SHORT BY ANDREW CARNEGIE, THE ARE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME WAS CHOSEN TO BREAK THE STRIKE, TAKING OVER THE MILLS AND CARNEGIE AND FRIK COULDN'T ACCESS THEM. AND HAD DO SOMETHING.
SO THIS GREAT BATTLE ERUPTED. THE PINKERTONS LOST, THE MANAGEMENT LOST. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION WAS AGAINST THE STRIKERS.
TWO ANARCHISTS -- AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION WAS AGAINST THE STRIKE BREAKERS. AGAINST THE STRIKE BREAKERS. AND FOUNGD THE THEY THOUGHT THE STEEL WORKERS ARE GOOD HARD WORKING AMERICANS AND A VOTE TO ASASS NAH NATE HAN RI CLAY FRIK.
AND THESE WORKERS, OUTSIDERS? THE ANARCHISTS? THEY WILL BELIEVED IN CHANGING AMERICA'S LABOR SYSTEM, BUT DO IT NOT THROUGH PROPAGANDA OF WORD BUT DEEDS.
AND BREAKING INTO THE OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH AND SHOOTS HIM TWICE IN THE NECK AND TORSO. YOU KNOW THE STORY. AND TAKES OUT THE DAGGER.
STABS HIM. A DAGGER MADE FOR BERGMAN AND THAT IS USED TO STAB FRIK REPEATEDLY. AND THE TIP BREAKS OFF IN FRIK'S LEG AND THE ASSOCIATES PULL BED THE ANARCHIST OFF OF FRIK AND HE'S BLEEDING ON THE FLOOR, AND GET HIM UP VERTICAL AND SAYS, WAIT A MINUTE, BOYS, I GOT TO SIGN SOME PAPERS.
. AND HE DID AND THEY HAULED HIM OFF. THEN HIS GOLF GAME WAS AWKWARD.
LIKE YOURS AND MINE. A LITTLE BIT LIKE MINE. AND HE SURVIVED.
PUBLIC OPINION TURNED AGAINST THE STRIKERS. THOUGHT FRIK MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BAD GUY, BUT YOU DON'T GO INTO HIS OFFICE AND SHOOT HIM AND STAB HIM. AND TURNED IT THE OTHER WAY.
BERGMAN WENT AWAY FOR 14 YEARS AND THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THIS, THE LEADER OF THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT, WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. A SUPPORT OF THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT? PROBABLY THE MASTERMIND.
AND MAY HAVE HAD A LOVE CHILD OF FRIK, THEY WERE LOVERS. AND BOTH OF THEM WERE DEPORTED TO RUSSIA. HOW ABOUT THAT?
AND THEY SHIPPED THEM OUT. SHIPPED OUT. THEY CAME BACK TO NORTH AMERICA, BUT COULD ONLY GET TO CANADA.
IT'S LABOR AND SEX AND VIOLENCE. WHERE IS THE MOVIE? AND 16 DEATHS?
YEAH. PINKERTONS SUFFERED DEATHS AND THE STEEL WORKERS SHOT DOWN BY THE PINKERTONS AND IT WAS A BLOODY MESS UNTIL THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS CALLED IN. TO THIS DAY, THE HOMESTEAD STRIKE AS IT'S KNOWN AND THE AFTERMATH, THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST DISPUTED AND BEST-KNOWN OF ALL THE LABOR UNREST IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
THE WAY YOU WERE TELLING IT, SEEMS LIKE BOTH OF YOU WERE THERE. ALMOST OLD ENOUGH. YOU CAN SEE THAT DAGGER, THE VERY DAGGER THAT WAS USED TO STAB HENRY CLAY FRIK IS IS ON DISPLAY.
AND THE TIP OF THAT DAGGER IS IN FRIK'S LEG IN HOMEWOOD CEMETERY. HOW DID YOU COME TO ACQUIRE IT? HOW DO YOU HAVE IT?
IT'S BEEN DONATED. COLLECTING THINGS SINCE 1979, THE OLDEST HISTORICAL INSTITUTION IN PITTSBURGH. FOUND THE EVIDENCE FROM THE TRIAL AND DONATED IT TO THE CENTER.
INCREDIBLE. ANDY, ALWAYS A PLEASURE. YOU BET.
