Pursuant to adjournment, the committee re-assembled at ten o'clock,
A.M., this day, and continued the taking of testimony.
The first witness examined was:
* * * * *
Norman M. Smith, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State where you reside and what your official connection with the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company is?
A. I reside in the Twenty-second ward of Pittsburgh. I am manager of
the Pittsburgh transfer station.
Q. How long have you filled that position?
A. About twelve and a half years.
Q. State to the committee, in your own way, what the causes were that
led to the riot, or what the disagreements were between the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company and their employés, and give the history
of what you saw.
A. My position was not such that I can speak from personal observation
as to the causes. Of course, I understood them to be the ten per cent.
reduction, which had taken place on the 1st of June, and after that the
increased running of double-headers on freight trains. I understood
these to be the causes. My more immediate connection with the trouble
commenced on the morning of Thursday, July 19. About nine o'clock that
morning my foreman came to me, and informed me that there was
difficulty in getting out our east bound freights--that the train men
had refused to go out, unless the trains stopped running as
double-headers. I went from my office up to the outer depot, and there
found that the crews had refused to run. Shortly after that I met Mr.
Garrett, the assistant train master, and Mr. McCabe, the general
dispatcher, and they informed me that they were going to the transfer
station to detail our yard crews to run along the road. I remained
there long enough to see one of the crews arrive. They came and
attempted to couple a caboose car on one of the engines. A brakeman by
the name of Gerry was making the coupling, when he was attacked by a
number of train men, and driven away with a shower of stones, and
links, and coupling-pins. I saw him struck. A further effort to remove
the train was not made. About a quarter before twelve, I walked up to
the outer depot again, and just at that moment a car came up with some
ten or a dozen policemen. I then met Mr. Watt, and walked with him and
the policemen up to Twenty-eighth street. A yard engine was standing on
the switch there, and an attempt was made to get it out. Mr. Watt
instructed a conductor named Moore to turn the switch, in order to let
the engine out. Moore declined to do it, giving as his reason that he
had been threatened with violence if he did so. Mr. Watt then made the
attempt to turn the switch himself. Just at that moment, a man standing
there raised his hand, perhaps with his hat in it, and said: "Come on,
boys, we will die right here." Mr. Watt directed an officer to arrest
him, and at that moment he was struck, by a man named McCullough, in
the eye. The policemen made a rush on McCullough, and, after being
interfered with by his friends, he was arrested. Mr. Watt then
requested me to go to the telegraph office, and telegraph to Mayor
McCarthy for fifty additional policemen. I sent a message, as near as I
recollect, in these words: "Please send fifty additional policemen at
once," and signed Mr. Watt's name to it. That message went a quarter
before one, Philadelphia time. I then returned to Twenty-eighth street,
and remained there perhaps two hours, and then returned to my office
about three o'clock, and then returned to the outer depot. An
additional police force of perhaps five or six men had responded to the
call for fifty. A train was made up, two engines were attached to it,
and it was ready to move. When the order was given to go ahead, a
number of strikers got in front, and signaled it to stop, when it
commenced moving. One of the engineers whistled down brakes, and the
train stopped. There was some wrangling there, and the engineer of the
forward engine, a man named Woodward, got off the engine, and was
immediately greeted with cheers by the crowd, and made a hero of. I had
an engagement at the house then, and left. I did not return until the
next morning. The next morning I found the crowd still at Twenty-eighth
street, and the condition of the yard the same as the night before. No
trains had been moved. About eleven o'clock, a committee of employés at
the transfer station came to the office, and informed us that they
intended to strike, unless the ten per cent. was restored. We told them
we could only submit their demand to those in authority over us, that
we had no function in the matter at all. The committee retired to
discuss the matter with their fellow workmen. About twelve o'clock,
perhaps a little before, a committee from the strikers--a committee of
brakemen, I am told--I was not present at the time--came to the men,
and made a speech to them, and told them if they would strike, they
would protect them, and guarantee places after the strike was over. A
majority of our men then went with this committee that came down in the
direction of Twenty-eighth street. I remained on the platform, and saw
such of the men as I could, and I found those I talked with were
opposed to striking, and ready to go to work; and one by one the men
who had gone off with the committee returned, or a number of them.
These men said they were led into the thing against their wishes and
judgment, and that they were ready to work. Of course, they did not
like the reduction, but they must work if they could get it. I told
them to leave their names with the foreman, directed him to take them,
and told them as soon as they had given their names to return to their
homes, and that as soon as we wanted them we would send for them. Our
work, of course, had stopped with the stopping of the trains. I
remained about the office until four o'clock in the afternoon, and then
went to the Union depot. I there met Mr. Pitcairn, and he requested me
to remain with him. Shortly after my arrival there, I found that a
section of artillery and a portion of the Nineteenth regiment had
reported for duty. The Eighteenth regiment, under Colonel Guthrie, I
had seen going east on a passenger train, about noon, on the way, I
ascertained, to Torrens station. Breck's two guns and the Nineteenth
regiment were ready for orders. We started out Liberty street. After we
had gone a square or so, we halted, and I heard Senator Scott, and Mr.
Thaw, and Mr. Cassatt, and Mr. Pitcairn, and General Pearson in
consultation. Certain of these gentlemen deprecated the movement of the
troops at that time, thinking that the number was not sufficient to
meet the strikers then at Twenty-eighth street, and fearing a
precipitation of the conflict. After this consultation, those troops
were recalled, and brought on to the platform of the Union depot. A
number of us, Mr. Pitcairn, Mr. Cassatt, General Pearson, Mr. Watt, and
myself, and, perhaps, others, I do not recollect now, discussed the
matter there, and General Pearson said that he would await the arrival
of the Fourteenth regiment. When that came, probably about nine
o'clock, on Friday the 20th, he proposed moving out the tracks to
Twenty-eighth street, and hauling his guns after him. I objected to the
movement, and was asked the reasons for my objection. I stated them to
be, that I thought that at eight or nine o'clock that night the crowd
would be very large, and that the movement would be a mistake. I
suggested, instead of that movement, to wait until about three o'clock
in the morning, when the crowd would be at a minimum, and then move out
Bedford avenue with the Fourteenth regiment, and so give time for the
Nineteenth regiment to arrive by the time the ground was cleared by the
Fourteenth. Then, if the crowd did not go away, to drive them away, and
occupy the hill and crossing, and keep them clear. Then, I thought, we
could start the trains. After considerable discussion, that plan was
adopted. I remained at the Union depot, and met Adjutant General Latta
when he arrived.
Q. What time did he arrive?
A. On the fast line, that came in about twelve o'clock Friday
night--may be a few minutes later. General Latta was advised of the
proposed movement, and was particular in his inquiries in regard to it.
He first hesitated in authorizing it, fearing a precipitation of the
conflict. We argued that the probability of a conflict would be avoided
by making that movement; that perhaps there would only be a couple of
hundred men there and that we could occupy the place without
difficulty, and once in control could keep it without further trouble.
After the facts were presented, he declined to interfere with General
Pearson's arrangement. About two o'clock, the Fourteenth regiment was
ordered to return to the city, with the understanding that as soon as
they got to a certain point they were to turn and go out Bedford
avenue. Before this, however, I was directed to arrange to have two
gondola cars to mount the guns on, and to have two engines to push them
up. I was to man them and run them up on parallel tracks, with the
Nineteenth regiment supporting them. I went to the depot master, and
requested him to get the gondolas, and asked him how many engines he
had. He replied that he had one yard shifter. I told him to order out
two engines for the Pacific express, and told him I had authority from
Mr. Pitcairn to give the order. The engines were ordered out, but the
mob refused to allow but one to go. The Fourteenth regiment had started
out Bedford avenue. After my return, I started out the track, and went
up through the ravine there west of Twenty-eighth street, overlooking
the location of the mob, then I passed the Pest house and met the
Fourteenth regiment on Bedford avenue, and turned them through the
ravine east of the Pest house, explaining the topography of the hill to
the commanding officer, telling him how to deploy his regiment. We then
moved forward in regimental front. We started a few people on the hill,
and they ran down the track. Just as we got to the lower bench of the
hill the battery and the Nineteenth regiment arrived on the ground. The
crossing was occupied and cleared. We then returned to the Union depot
to prepare some provision for the troops. About seven o'clock we
started out, Mr. Pitcairn, General Pearson, myself, and others. At
Twenty-eighth street we halted, and I called General Pearson's
attention to the hill, and the general location. We had some
consultation about it, and General Pearson admitted that it was a
position to be occupied and held. He then went to the other side of the
tank of the engine, and directed somebody to hold the hill and allow
nobody to go on it, and to keep the crossings clear, and to allow
nobody to come on them. We then went on to Torren's station, to Colonel
Guthrie's camp. He gave his orders, and he then said he would return to
the city and await the arrival of the Philadelphia troops. The first
detachment arrived at one o'clock, and the second about half past two
o'clock. They were given a lunch there, and at about four o'clock,
perhaps a little after, we started out the tracks. Sheriff Fife, with a
posse of perhaps twelve or fifteen men, marched ahead of the column
some distance, with warrants for the arrest of certain parties who were
supposed to be ringleaders, and Mr. Pitcairn and myself accompanied the
sheriff to point out these men. When we came opposite the transfer
station, I pointed out a couple of avenues leading in from Liberty
street, and said it might be well to guard them, and we made a detail
to guard that place. The rest of the column then moved on. We saw,
directly, that the hill side, instead of being kept clear was covered
with people, and also the crossings. The troops marched up with the
First regiment--I think the regiment of Colonel Benson--in advance, and
on Twenty-eighth street came into line. Colonel Benson then formed two
sides of a square, making the north and south sides of the square, and
two companies came up in company front and formed the first side of the
square, facing east. The Gatling guns took position in the rear of the
east side of the square. Before this square had been formed, Mr.
Pitcairn and myself went with the sheriff among the crowd, but were
unable to find the parties for whom the sheriff held warrants. We had
some discussion there with the strikers, and General Pearson, I
observed, passed us going up the hill where the Pittsburgh troops
seemed to have been formed. After the square had been formed, we gave
up our discussion with those people, and Mr. Pitcairn and myself sat
down on some plank about the center of the square. General Pearson
passed us and made some remarks. I forget his words. He referred to the
thing looking serious, that more troops should be had, and said he was
going to telegraph General Latta, and left us, starting in the
direction of the telegraph office.
Q. What time was that?
A. That was about five o'clock. Mr. Pitcairn and myself were chatting
together about the situation, when my attention was called to an
attempt made by the company that formed the east side of the square to
press the crowd back. They formed with arms across, and tried to push
the crowd back, but the mob grasped the muskets of some of them. The
troops found they could not make any impression, and then the order was
given to charge bayonets.
Q. Who gave that order?
A. I do not know. I simply heard the order given. The troops came to a
charge bayonets on the mob. Then I recollect seeing one man--one of the
mob with a musket in one hand draw a pistol with the other, and fire,
and I saw a man fall--whether he was dodging only or whether he was
struck, I do not know. At the same moment one or two other pistol shots
were fired, and then a volley of stones and pieces of clinker came from
the hill on the sides of the square. A number of the troops were struck
down. Several of them fell within two or three feet of me. Then one or
two shots were fired from the muskets, and others followed, and a
fusillade was kept up for a couple of minutes. Mr. Pitcairn and myself
were still sitting there, and I said to him it would be prudent to lie
down. We kept close for a moment or two, and as soon as the crowd broke
we walked to the north side of the square, and I told a lieutenant
there, who was in command of a company, perhaps, that he had better
make a right wheel, and drive some people out who had got behind a
gondola car loaded with coal there. I believe he acted on my
suggestion. At the first firing the crowd had broken and run in every
direction. Mr. Pitcairn and myself then returned to his office. There I
found General Pearson, and I judged, by his surprise, that I gave him
the first intimation he had of the firing. Shortly after Mr. Cassatt
came into the room. A few minutes after a gentleman on General
Brinton's staff. I think Colonel Wilson came in. He was directed to
tell General Brinton to report. General Brinton reported, and, after
some consultation, General Brinton suggested a move into the
round-house. I think I objected, but to no avail, because, as he said,
the mob was driven away and he could go into the round-house and get
shelter for his men and give them some rest, and that he could protect
the property of the company in case of an attack just as well from the
round-house as from the position he then occupied. I said to Mr.
Pitcairn that I thought it was a great mistake--that the hill should be
occupied; but General Brinton and General Pearson, of course, were the
military officers who were in charge of the situation, and for the time
the railroad officers had relinquished all control. We remained there
some time, and the question of supplies came up--of provision for those
men--and Mr. Pitcairn, Mr. Watt, Mr. Cassatt, and myself got on an
engine and went to the Union depot, and gave orders for provisions.
Those provisions were loaded up and started to the outer depot, and I
afterwards understood were captured by the mob. We remained at the
Union depot that evening. About ten o'clock a person came and told me I
had better leave. I asked for his reason, and he said that the mob were
then at Saint Fulvia's church, at Fourteenth and Liberty streets, on
their way to the Union depot, and said they were going to hang Mr.
Cassatt, Mr. Pitcairn, Mr. Watt, and me. I did not place much reliance
on the report, but it was afterwards verified that the mob was there
and moving down in that direction. The other three gentlemen went away.
I was in a different part of the hotel at the time, and remained there
some time, but several friends came to me and urged me to leave. I went
out through the front door of the depot, and when I got near the
elevator, true enough the mob did come, but I do not know what for. I
then got into a carriage and drove to my house.
Q. What time was that?
A. About a quarter after ten o'clock on Saturday night. I locate the
time from the fact that after I got to my home, I threw myself on the
bed, and my wife came to me and said the fire alarm was striking from
box sixty-four. I said it was the outer depot, and it would be a big
fire in a few minutes, but I did not want to be disturbed. I looked at
my watch, and it was a quarter to eleven. Shortly afterward I was again
awakened to come and look at the fire. I saw at once that it was the
oil cars. I slept a few minutes, and then went to the stock yards. At
Torrens station I met Colonel Guthrie, and there we chatted a while,
and then I returned to the city. Probably about seven or eight o'clock,
I am not sure about the hour, in walking up the track, I met some of
our clerks, and they told me that my office was on fire, and that
everything was burned, and there was no use to go up. I went up far
enough to see the fire there, which was then extending, and I went then
to the west end of the Union depot in the endeavor to get a few men
together to throw some cars off the track to block it. I feared they
would set fire to cars, and run them down the track to burn the depot.
I got a number of men together and left them in charge of it. They
succeeded afterwards in throwing some cars off, and blocking all the
tracks but two. The reason of my leaving was, that I recollected that
the night before, Saturday night, I had been requested by General Latta
to remove a lot of ammunition which had been stored in the store-room
at the east end of the Union depot--some twenty or thirty thousand
rounds, perhaps more. I had gone there the evening before with a few
gentlemen, and loaded this ammunition up on baggage hoppers, and stored
it away in the cellar. I thought of the ammunition, and knew it was
important to be saved. I left the parties at the cars and went to
General Latta, and asked if any arrangement had been made to get the
ammunition out. He said, "yes," that he had requested Captain Breck to
attend to it, and that he was then at it, but he asked me to go and see
if I could render him any assistance. I went to Captain Breck, and
found he was making some effort in that direction. I offered him my
services, but he said that he had all the assistance that he required,
except that he had no wagon. I then went to a livery stable right
opposite the depot and got a large express wagon and had it brought
over, and Captain Breck said he had ample assistance to load the
ammunition up and get it out. Shortly after I went to the Monongahela
house, to which General Latta's head-quarter's had been removed.
Q. Was that ammunition for the troops?
A. It had been brought out with General Brinton's command.
Q. What time did it arrive?
A. It arrived with the troops that came on Saturday afternoon. It
remained in the store-room, into which they put it first, until nine
o'clock Saturday night, when those gentlemen and myself loaded it up
and took it down into the cellar of the hotel. I went to the
Monongahela house. I was anxious to see Mr. Cassatt and Mr. Pitcairn. I
found Mr. Cassatt there. Previous to this, information had been
received of General Brinton's retiring--that he had gone east, and then
we heard he was in the Allegheny cemetery. The question of provisions
was uppermost in the mind of everybody for those men, and orders were
sent to Allegheny for the different bakers to prepare sandwiches, and
get all the provisions ready they could. Mr. Scott, the stock agent at
East Liberty, came to the hotel about noon, and said that Colonel
Guthrie was anxious about ammunition--that he had but little, and had
divided what he had with the Philadelphia troops stopped at Wall's
station. I wrote out an order on Captain Breck to give to Mr. Scott
what ammunition he wanted, and took it to General Latta, who signed it.
I knew Colonel Guthrie's position in regard to ammunition, and in about
a quarter of an hour I followed Mr. Scott to the Union depot. I found
him, and he said that the party with whom he had come in the buggy to
get this ammunition had become demoralized and left, at any rate he
could not get the ammunition. I think that was the reason he gave. I
walked through the depot, and went to the place where the ammunition
was stored, and I found it all remaining there; none of it was removed.
I walked on the platform, and found the upper end on fire. I came down
and walked through the lower part of the depot, and then up stairs
through the hotel. I saw very few people--scarcely anybody. I then
returned through the crowd, who were dragging every sort of property
away from the robbed cars--got through them, and returned to the
Monongahela house. General Latta then expressed an anxiety to form a
junction between those troops at Wall's station and General Brinton's
command, since ascertained to be in the vicinity of Sharpsburg, and
expressed an additional anxiety in regard to the question of
provisions. After consultation, I volunteered to do what I could to
effect a junction between the two commands. Colonel Guthrie had
returned from Torrens station, in citizens dress, to consult with
General Latta, as he was unable to make any communication with him
because the wires were burned. It was decided that I should take a
buggy and communicate between those two detachments, and make what
effort I could to get provisions. Mr. Cassatt was to take the north
side of the river with a provision wagon, and get through the best he
could, and I was to take the south side of the river and get through
the best I could. I was to remain at General Brinton's camp until I
heard from Mr. Cassatt. An order was also given to Colonel Guthrie to
bring his regiment from Torrens station into the city. They thought,
perhaps, that that regiment could stop the further burning. That
regiment had remained solid and intact through the whole trouble.
Q. What time were these orders given?
A. About three o'clock on Sunday afternoon. I drove, then, first out to
Torrens, and left Major Sellers there, and returned to my house, and
changed my clothes, and then started for General Brinton's camp. I went
across the Sharpsburg bridge, and then returned and took the river
road. Being unacquainted with the location of General Brinton's
command, I stopped at a hotel on the road, and endeavored to make some
inquiries. I was not interfered with. In consequence of some replies I
got, I went on to Aetna, and there ascertained the exact locality of
General Brinton, and met Mr. Campbell Herron, of the firm of Spang,
Chalfant, & Co., of the large works there. I explained to him the state
of the troops in regard to food, and asked if he could help me. He sent
for his manager, and directed that everything in the company's store
should be turned over to my order. I arranged with the manager that
provisions should be loaded up as soon as it was dark, and hauled out
to the camp. I then went on to Claremont, and found General Brinton in
camp at that point. I told General Brinton that I had orders from
General Latta to effect a junction, if possible, between his command
and the detachment of his division at Wall's station, under the command
of Colonel Rogers. After talking the matter over, we concluded we had
best bring them across from Walls, by the way of the Fairview ferry.
General Brinton was to take a detachment at daylight to the ferry, and
seize the boat, and hold it until we appeared on the opposite bank. I
waited there, awaiting word from Mr. Cassatt. At ten o'clock a citizen
of Allegheny came from Walls with word for me from Mr. Cassatt. I then
started for Walls Station, distant some eighteen miles from that point.
I returned by way of Sharpsburg bridge. I lost my way and got in Barren
valley, but finally got on the right road again, and reached Walls
station about two o'clock in the morning. I found some men there, and
supposed it was a picket post of the troops, but found instead it was
some men there, who, I suppose, were railroad men or miners. After some
parleying with them, they permitted me to go to the house of one of the
passenger conductors of the road, and from him I ascertained that the
troops had gone to Blairsville. While talking to them, this party had
taken my horse and buggy, but after some difficulty I got it back
again, and returned to Claremont, and got there about six and a half
o'clock, in the morning. I then found that the First brigade of General
Brinton's division was loaded on cars, and was just then pulling out on
the way to Blairsville. They had been instructed during my absence to
report there. I remained until they were all loaded up, and then
returned to my home, changed my clothes, and returned to the city. On
my arrival at home, I was told that my neighbors had held a meeting,
and had organized a vigilance committee, and placed me in command, and
I spent the day in obtaining arms and ammunition for the committee. I
remained on duty with that committee for the next week, patrolling the
streets--twenty miles of streets. On Friday morning or Saturday, about
sun rise, I was on the picket post at Torrens station, and there met
Governor Hartranft and the troops returning to Pittsburgh. I remained
on duty with my patrol. The next Sunday morning I was sent for by Mr.
Pitcairn. He told me that he expected to commence moving trains that
day, and wanted me to get ready. I got a force of clerks together, and
we commenced starting trains, and in a few weeks things resumed there
normal condition.
Q. Did you endeavour to ascertain whether the outbreak on Thursday was
the result of a pre-arranged plan among the railroad employés or not?
A. I made no effort to ascertain that. From observation, I think there
was a plan in course of arrangement, but I think the execution of it
was premature on their part. I believe they did not strike here
intentionally, but that it was precipitated by the crews that first
refused to go that morning.
Q. What facts have led you to that conclusions?
A. I know from newspaper reports, and from rumors among the employés,
that they were organizing a union of some description, to oppose this
reduction. I simply have it from general rumor--from report.
Q. Have you ever succeeded in getting anything from the employés
themselves--any statement from them that would lead you to that
conclusion?
A. Nothing that I can re-call. I have heard them talking among
themselves, saying that they would be organized by and by--some passing
remark of that description, but nothing very tangible.
Q. Did this commence prior to the issuing of the order to run
double-headers?
A. My impression is that it was started with the reduction in pay--the
order for it. The order for double-headers affected only the
Pennsylvania railroad, but, that for the reduction in pay was
general--affecting all the roads.
Q. Have you succeeded in gathering any facts from the men, or from any
reliable source, to show whether or not there was any understanding
among the men on Thursday morning, in relation to a general strike?
A. I have not, but from my observation, I should think the thing was
not understood at all. It was started by one crew and the others
gradually came in.
Q. Can you give us the names of the parties for whom the warrants were
issued?
A. I cannot now. It is a matter of record in this court-house. I think
they were bench warrants.
Q. What reply did the mayor make to the telegram that was sent calling
for fifty more policemen?
A. I do not know of a reply of any description. If there had been any
reply made it would have come to Mr. Watts. I signed his name.
Q. Explain to us the condition of the crowd at three o'clock on Sunday
afternoon, when the orders were given to form this junction between
Brinton's men and Colonel Roger's men--the crowd about the depot, and
from that point out to Lawrenceville?
A. I went out on this side of the city. I did not pass up the railroad.
At the Union depot, when I was there, there was a crowd of half drunken
men and women dragging and hauling away every sort of plunder they
could lay their hands on. I saw nobody that claims respectability among
the crowd committing any depredation. Of course there were some lookers
on.
Q. Was the riot still progressing--was the plundering and burning still
going on?
A. It was at its heights. The fire was then at the east end of the
shed, at the Union depot, and by the time I crossed the Ewalt street
bridge I looked back and saw the elevator in flames. After that it
burned all the way down to Seventh avenue. They were still burning and
destroying property and carrying things away.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What kind of property?
A. For instance, I saw a woman dragging a sack of salt, another woman a
bag of flour in a wheelbarrow, and a great many others carrying leaf
tobacco, and some rolling tierces of lard--railroad goods in
general--the products of the west going east.
Q. Was it all railroad property?
A. Yes.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Freight?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Can you tell us whether, at that time, there was any reason to
apprehend further destruction of property, not only of the railroad
company, but of the city itself?
A. There were certainly such reasons. It looked then as if half the
city would be burned.
Q. State whether or not you recognized any of the train men among the
crowd assembled at Twenty-eighth street?
A. At what time?
Q. On Saturday, I refer to particularly, but at any time during the
progress of the riot?
A. I know of but one man thus far that I have been able to recognize,
and I know their faces. For instance, I can generally tell an employé
of the road here--in a great many cases. But I do not know them all by
name. There are one or two now under indictment that I have not seen
since the riot. I expect to recognize one when I am called on to give
my testimony.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Do you know of any requisition being made on the mayor of Pittsburgh
or the sheriff of the county for a force to protect the company's
property prior to the arrival of the military, and if so, did either of
them respond to the call made?
A. The only requisition that I know of, to my personal knowledge, was
the telegram that I sent myself, that I spoke of before, in which I
requested the mayor, in Mr. Watt's name, to send fifty additional
policemen at once. From the number of policemen we had that afternoon,
I should judge that perhaps eight or ten came. I know of no other
requisition of my own knowledge.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You know of no requisition being made on the sheriff, of your own
personal knowledge?
A. I do not.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How large was the vigilance committee that was organized--that you
were at the head of?
A. There were a number of them. Mine was only one of the number. I had,
I should judge, over a hundred men immediately under my command. Some
were armed with their own arms.
Q. When was this committee organized?
A. The first meeting was held on Sunday evening. I was absent, but I
was informed the following morning that they had held a meeting, and we
were under arms that day.
Q. Monday?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were there any other such vigilance committees organized?
A. Yes. One was formed on my right and another on my left, in the East
End, and I am told there were others in the city.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You have stated that you were advised to go away for safety?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was it a railroad employé or was it railroad employés, or a citizen
or citizens that advised you and Mr. Pitcairn to leave the city?
A. I do not know who advised Mr. Pitcairn. The advice was given to me
by myself. I was not with Mr. Pitcairn at the time. To my recollection,
I think the notice was given to me by Mr. Elder, the night depot
master.
Q. A railroad employé?
A. Yes. Various of my friends and citizens generally, advised me to
leave afterwards.
Q. They considered your life in danger, if you remained?
A. Yes. I had notice sent to my house that I had better leave the city.
They said they were going to burn the house.
Q. Was the intimation that Mr. Pitcairn's life was in danger along with
the rest?
A. Yes; Mr. Pitcairn's, Mr. Watt's, Mr. Cassatt's, and mine.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Was any attempt made to interfere with your property or to burn your
house?
A. Nothing.
Q. The mob did not go there?
A. It was too far away.
By Mr. Means:
Q. It was said that they would very likely take your life if you did
not go away?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Who were the men that interfered with Gerry. Do you know them?
A. I think I do; but I am not prepared to say. One of the men, I think,
is still in the criminal court.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You stated that General Pearson gave orders to keep the hill clear,
and to let no one on the tracks. At that time was any one besides the
military on the hill side?
A. Nobody except the military--not more than half a dozen. Probably the
people living up there were passing up and down; but there was no crowd
congregated there at all. I am unable to say to whom the order was
given. He was on one side of the tank, and I was on the other. I
presume it was some officer in charge; but who it was I cannot say.
Q. The object of the order was to keep the mob of people from
congregating on the hill side?
A. Yes; and on the tracks.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What was the name of the person to whom the order was given to move
the ammunition.
A. That was Captain Breck--E. Y. Breck, commander of the Pittsburgh
battery.
Q. Can you give the reason why he did not move it?
A. I cannot. I was not present long enough to ascertain.
Q. Could it have been moved at that time without much danger?
A. I think it could. He may have had reasons or difficulties that I
know nothing about. He was on the ground all the time, and had a better
opportunity of judging than I had.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What troops were on the hill when General Pearson gave the orders to
keep the hillside clear?
A. I am not positive about that, but I think the Fourteenth regiment
was on the hill, and the Nineteenth regiment on the track, and the
battery was on the flat just above the track.
* * * * *
Joseph McCabe sworn _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. In the Twentieth ward.
Q. State whether you are connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, and if so, in what capacity?
A. I am the general yard dispatcher at Pittsburgh.
Q. As such, what are your duties?
A. I make up trains and see that they go out properly.
Q. Were you on duty on the 19th of July last?
A. Yes.
Q. You may go on and give a statement of what occurred, beginning with
Thursday morning?
A. On the morning of the 19th of July I was in the western part of the
yard. I saw that the train did not move at the proper time, and went to
the middle of the yard, at Twenty-sixth street, to ascertain why it did
not go. The yard dispatcher there and assistant train master told me
that some of the men had refused to go out. I and Mr. Hunter, then yard
dispatcher, went to the men and asked them if they would go out, and
all that we would go to, said they would not go out on the
double-headers.
Q. About how many men did you see?
A. All that we could find. We went into the caboose cars.
Q. All refused to go out on the double-headers?
A. Yes; except the first train. The conductor was willing to go out,
but not the crew.
Q. What classes of men refused--conductors and brakemen?
A. Yes; they refused to go, and I went then to get up the yard crews to
put on, and brakemen to go in the place of conductors. I got an engine
out. We were just going to make a coupling. I had got two crews and
brought them up, and I had told a brakeman named W. S. Gerry to couple
the engine. He made an effort to do so, and while doing so, they threw
at him with pins and links and stones. One of the pins struck him on
the side, and he had to run for his life to the Philadelphia fast
passenger train, which was standing on the track where he was, and he
jumped on it. Had it not been for that they would have been very apt to
have caught him.
Q. Who threw those missiles?
A. I cannot say who threw them, but the whole crowd apparently made a
rush.
Q. How large was the crowd?
A. Not over twenty.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were they train men?
A. Yes.
Q. What time was that?
A. It must have been between nine and ten o'clock.
Q. Thursday?
A. Yes.
Q. The crowd was composed of about twenty men?
A. Yes.
Q. Who were those men?
A. Some of them I don't know the names of. Some are up in court, and
they are now trying them. One of them is "over the river."
Q. Name as many as you can?
A. One was Andrew Hice; another Alonzo Milliner, and several more of
them. I can't just remember their names now.
Q. Were they all railroad employés?
A. As far as I saw, they were at that time.
Q. Men in actual employment at that time?
A. Yes.
Q. Were there any men there at that time who had previously been
discharged?
A. None that I know of.
Q. What was the next incident that occurred that came under your
observation?
A. The next thing, I went to Twenty-eighth street with Mr. Watt, and
tried to get engine seven hundred and eighty-five out--Conductor S. K.
Moore.
Q. What time was that?
A. Pretty close to twelve o'clock. I told him to bring his engine out,
and he told me that they would not allow him to turn the switch.