* * * * *
Archibald Jeffrey, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. No. 32 Anderson street.
Q. How long have you resided there?
A. Going on three years.
Q. What is your business?
A. I am a machinist.
Q. Were you in the vicinity of the disorders that occurred, commencing
on the 19th day of July last--that day or at any time following?
A. I was out there on the 22d--I believe that is Saturday evening.
Q. At what point?
A. About Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Tell us what you saw there?
A. There was a great deal of noise around there for awhile.
Q. Made by whom?
A. I can't just exactly tell who.
Q. There was a crowd there?
A. Yes.
Q. Composed of what classes?
A. Of most every class.
Q. How large a crowd was there?
A. I have no idea--I suppose a thousand or fifteen hundred men--I
suppose so.
Q. How long before the burning was it that you speak about?
A. I went out there in the evening about five o'clock--along there--and
I think the burning commenced about ten and a half o'clock.
Q. What was the conduct of the crowd at five or six o'clock, when you
went there first?
A. That was after the shooting had been done out there.
Q. After the firing by the militia, you mean?
A. Yes.
Q. What was the condition of the crowd at that time?
A. There was a lot of talking going on about the soldiers; but not
being interested in the thing at all, I didn't pay much attention to
it.
Q. What kind of talk was it?
A. They appeared to be angry about the soldiers firing at the crowd.
Q. Where was the crowd assembled then?
A. About Twenty-eighth street, near the crossing.
Q. Did you see anybody set fire to any car or building, or anything in
the vicinity of Twenty-eighth street?
A. I did see one man. He was the only man.
Q. Who was he?
A. Matthew Marshall.
Q. What time was that?
A. It was in the afterpart of the night. I can't say exactly.
Q. What was it he fired?
A. A car of coke.
Q. Where was the car standing?
A. On the track, about two squares above Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Just describe how he did it; where he got his fire; how it took
place?
A. I don't know where he got his fire. When I noticed him first he was
in the car. He had a bunch of shavings, and was in a sitting down
position, and appeared to me to be kindling a fire. When the fire got
kindled he jumped out. I saw him fifteen or twenty minutes afterwards.
He was the only person I know of.
Q. Did you speak to him?
A. No.
Q. Was anybody with him?
A. I didn't notice anybody with him.
Q. What was the result of the kindling of the fire?
A. If there had been no other fire it would have burnt that car up; but
there was fire all around.
Q. Other cars were then on fire?
A. Yes; burning at the same time.
Q. What has become of Mr. Marshall?
A. He is in prison--over the river.
Q. At whose instigation was he arrested?
A. I can't say that myself.
Q. You were not present when the firing took place by the militia?
A. No.
Q. Did you see any other fires kindled?
A. I don't believe I did.
Q. Describe whether there were other fires going on then, and how they
were kindled, and what the mob were doing, and describe all the
circumstances that took place at that time?
A. There appeared to me to be a gang of men. I don't know who they
were--whether railroaders or not.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did they seem to have any organized leaders, or were they directed
by anybody?
A. It appeared to me they had at that time.
Q. Were they not running helter-skelter?
A. They were ordering each other around. I can't say whether they had
an organization or not.
Q. Did it strike you that they had?
A. It did, at that time.
Q. That it was an organization?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Means:
Q. An organization without a head--do you mean to say that?
A. It appeared to me at that time that it was an organization, but I
don't say it positively myself.
Q. Was there any particular party to command it?
A. Yes; it looked to me so.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What did the crowd seem to be aiming at, at that time--was it the
destruction of property?
A. I can't say that. There was a great deal of destruction and thieving
going on.
Q. Pillage and plunder?
A. Yes.
Q. What was said by the rioters?
A. I can't state.
Q. Was this firing confined entirely to railroad property?
A. It was at that time.
Q. Was there any attempt made by any one, so far as you saw, to fire
private property?
A. No.
Q. It seemed to be confined entirely to railroad property?
A. Yes.
Q. This man Marshall you spoke of, was entirely alone when you saw him
fire the car?
A. So far as I know.
Q. Nobody seemed to be acting in concert with him?
A. No.
Q. Did this coke car stand entirely alone?
A. It stood in a train. They kept running cars down, six or seven at a
time, against each other. This came down with the rest of them.
Q. Describe that. The firing of this car would communicate to others?
A. Yes.
Q. After the car was fired, was it put in motion?
A. Not that I noticed.
Q. When you speak of running cars down, where were they running them
from?
A. From out the road some place. I think it is down grade this way.
Q. Did the cars stop at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Above Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Near the round-house?
A. The round-house is on Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Did the cars stop near the round-house?
A. Yes.
Q. Where were the troops then?
A. I suppose they were in one of the round-houses.
Q. Do you know that to be a fact?
A. I walked down, and the guard was standing there. I suppose so.
Q. The cars that were run down, then, would stop somewhere near the
round-house?
A. Yes.
Q. Was there any effort made to fire the round-house, that you saw?
A. No; I didn't get near enough.
Q. Was there any attack being made upon the round-house by the mob at
that time?
A. I can't say that there was. Not that I know of.
Q. Was there anything said by the mob about the soldiers being
quartered in the round-house?
A. Not that I can remember.
Q. How long were you there?
A. I went out in the evening about six or seven o'clock, along there. I
stayed along Liberty street and was once or twice on the railroad, and
saw Marshall, and along Liberty street at four or five o'clock in the
morning.
Q. How close to the mob?
A. I was twice, once or twice, upon the railroad.
Q. At what point on the railroad?
A. Just about where I saw this man.
Q. How far from the mob?
A. That just appeared to be--I stood along the edge of the railroad,
and this car was on the second or third track, off the edge of the
railroad.
Q. How many rods or feet from the mob?
A. Not more than five or six rods--something like that.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. You were in the crowd, were you?
A. No; not just in the crowd. I was standing looking at them.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You were within five or six rods?
A. Yes.
Q. Was the crowd noisy and boisterous?
A. Yes.
Q. What did they appear to be saying?
A. I paid no attention to that.
Q. Did you hear them say anything?
A. I could hear them say a good bit, but it is a long time ago.
Q. What did they appear to be doing?
A. Dragging things off.
Q. What?
A. Goods and things.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Was this man Marshall a railroad man or an outsider?
A. I never knew him to be a railroad man.
Q. Do you know anything about him at all--you knew the man?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Where did he reside?
A. He lived in the First ward, Allegheny, some place.
Q. Had you known him for years?
A. Yes.
Q. He had lived in Allegheny for some time?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What was his business?
A. He was a machinist.
Q. In whose employ was he at that time?
A. I don't know.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What were you doing there--what led you to go there?
A. I heard of the excitement, and I went down town and went out to see
it.
Q. It was curiosity?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you say that other cars were burning when this man Marshall
fired this coke car?
A. Yes.
Q. At that time?
A. Yes.
Q. It was not the first car burned?
A. No.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Were you there when the first car was fired?
A. No.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What kind of things were they dragging off--merchandise from the
cars?
A. Yes.
Q. Were any railroad men among that party?
A. I don't know. I didn't know anybody but the one man.
Q. Did they have the appearance of railroad men--familiar with tracks
and with getting on and going about cars?
A. I can't say that.
Q. You could not judge anything from their actions?
A. No.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. How long was Marshall sent to the penitentiary for?
A. Six years, I believe.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. In whose employ were you at that time?
A. In the employ of McIntosh, Hemphill & Co.
Q. Where are their works located?
A. Twelfth and Pike.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. How far were the other cars that were burning from this one?
A. They were close. There were cars all around, I suppose within
thirty, or forty, or fifty feet.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. The crowd of spectators was not interfering with property?
A. No.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You were there until five o'clock in the morning?
A. About that time.
Q. How large was the crowd there during the night--take an average.--I
mean the crowd engaged in burning or pillaging or plundering?
A. I couldn't just give an idea.
Q. What is your opinion as to how large the crowd was--a thousand men
or five thousand or ten thousand?
A. Two or three thousand.
Q. You mean that were about in the vicinity, and seemed to be taking
part in the destruction of property?
A. If I were to give an estimate I would give you something that I
don't know.
Q. Was there any effort made to stop the destruction of property during
the night?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Was there any interference with it by any person?
A. Not that I saw.
Q. They were running things there themselves during the entire night?
A. It appeared so to me.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. You did not see any soldiers, except the guard at the round-house?
A. I saw the guard and two or three standing there with him.
Q. There were none active in trying to beat back the crowd?
A. No.
* * * * *
Thomas M. King, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. In Verona borough.
Q. You are officially connected with the Allegheny Valley Railroad--in
what capacity?
A. I am superintendent of the river division.
Q. Did you occupy that position in July last?
A. Yes.
Q. State whether there were any differences between the Allegheny
Valley Railroad Company and their employés, existing prior to the 19th
day of July last?
A. There was some dissatisfaction among the men in regard to the ten
per cent. reduction, but they all appeared to accept it.
Q. When was the ten per cent. reduction made?
A. The 1st of June.
Q. To what classes of employés did that apply?
A. To all classes receiving over a dollar a day.
Q. And to the officers, from the president down?
A. Yes.
Q. There was some complaint at the time?
A. Some dissatisfaction.
Q. Between the 1st of June and the 19th of July, was there any
organization among the men, so far as you could learn, or any
pre-arranged plan to strike?
A. There was nothing positive. I understood that quite a number of the
men were joining what was called the Trainmen's Union.
Q. Did you know the object of the Trainmen's Union.
A. Of my own knowledge I did not. I understood it was being organized
for the purpose of organizing a strike.
Q. Did you, as superintendent, have any communication with the men that
you understood were joining the organization in relation to it?
A. A short time before the strike, three or four of our men, I
understood, were very active in it, and I think I suspended one or two
temporarily, and talked to some others about it. My information just
previous to the strike led me to suppose that our men were not going to
stand by it, or were withdrawing--that they would not go into the
strike.
Q. Did you get that information from conversation with your men?
A. Yes.
Q. With what class of employés?
A. Conductors and engineers.
Q. What class seemed to be most dissatisfied with the reduction?
A. Generally those of the lower grade of pay--such as brakemen; that
class of men.
Q. When did the first strike occur on your road?
A. I think on Monday morning, the 23d, I believe.
Q. What class of men struck first?
A. I would qualify the other statement by stating that on Saturday,
about ten o'clock, I got a message stating that the shop men had held a
meeting and determined not to work any longer without the ten per cent.
was restored. We went out and called the men together, and Mr. Shinn,
our vice president, made a speech, and explained the situation to them,
and they held a meeting and agreed to stand by the reduction and go to
work again. That was the first difficulty we had. On Monday, I think
was the first refusal, on the part of the train men, to perform
service.
Q. What was said and done to get the men to resume work?
A. On Monday, I went down with an empty train, and turned up Pike
street. There they drew up, and I went on to the shops. We had a street
engine that far. After getting to the Thirty-fourth street station, I
was surprised to see a road engine standing there. I imagined, at once,
there was going to be a difficulty, and I got off the engine and walked
up to the round-house, and there was quite a large number of our men
congregated there. I spoke to them, and asked them what this meant.
None of them made any reply. I told them that the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company had made some arrangement with their men, and that, of course,
we would be governed by any arrangement made on the trunk lines. I told
them they were foolish to go into the strike in the midst of the
excitement--that it would do them no good. I then asked one of the
engineers to go on the express engine standing there, and take her out.
I got no reply. I said: "Boys, I am very sorry you are acting badly,
and if you don't take the engine out, I will have to take her myself."
I got on the engine and took her out, and made a coupling on a train
and started. In the meantime, one of the firemen came down and got on
with me. By the time I got up to the round-house, one of the engineers
came and took the engine from me.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You don't mean took it forcibly?
A. Oh, no. I went back to the men, and by that time quite a crowd was
gathered around, and there was a great deal of excitement. There were a
great many people around that I never saw before. The men said they
were going to call a meeting. I told them as a great many strangers,
apparently, were around, I would sooner they would go away from the
shops, and call their meeting at some other place where they could do
it quietly. They did so, and concluded that they would not go to work.
I succeeded in running all the trains that day that I cared about
running.
Q. How did you accomplish that?
A. By working myself, and by calling on the dispatchers and two or
three of the engineers. The next day a great many strangers were in our
yard, apparently influencing our men. I sent for some of our men, and
told them that I could not understand their conduct, that we had always
endeavored to treat them kindly and squarely, then they said it was not
their fault, that they were forced into it, and were doing what they
did by intimidation; that it would be as much as their lives were worth
to undertake to run those trains. By Tuesday noon I had a great deal of
difficulty in getting the passenger trains to run. The men would be
scared off and desert them. I gave the men notice on Tuesday afternoon,
at three o'clock, that if they wanted the _onus_ of stopping all
the passenger trains on our road, they would have to do it--that we
would not be justified in undertaking to run trains and run the risk of
having an accident occur to them by their refusing to perform their
duty.
Q. What action did they take then?
A. They called a meeting about four o'clock. I sent up to that meeting
and asked them to send me down a man to take out the passengers that
had come into the city that morning, so that we could get them home. I
could not get any person to do that, and had to do it myself. I took
the train out. That evening there was a committee waited on me with a
proposal that they would run two of our trains--would select the crew
to take charge of them. I had been unable to get any protection
whatever either from the military or civil authorities.
Q. Did they carry out that arrangement?
A. I sent a request to the committee of public safety, and had also
gone and seen General Brown, personally, to get some protection for our
shops, and also some ammunition for a company that we had at Verona
guarding our property there. General Brown said he could give me no
assistance, whatever, and so far as his ammunition was concerned, he
had but very few cartridges for his command. He, however, gave me
forty, and an order to gather up the company at Verona, and place them
on duty there. He said he could not allow any troops to be sent out of
the city at all, as he deemed it of more importance to keep them in the
city than to send them on the outskirts. From Mr. Thaw, I learned also,
that the committee of public safety had declined to send any persons.
After the men had made their proposal, I notified them that I would
give them an answer in the morning, and started up to the east end and
saw Mr. Shinn, our vice president, and submitted their proposal to him,
and explained the position we were in--that we could get no protection
either from the civil or military authorities, and that if our men were
willing to work, I thought it would be prudent, on our part, to submit
to the men until such times as the authorities could regain control. He
agreed with me, and authorized me to let the men take charge of the
trains and run them, so as not to stop the United States mails. The
trains were run under the charge of the men for two days--Wednesday and
Thursday. On Friday, we took charge of the trains ourselves again. We
ran the passenger trains on Friday and on Saturday--all we desired to,
and notified the men on Saturday that we proposed to commence running
trains on Monday. And I advised all the men that desired to retain
their positions, and who wanted to go to work again, that if they would
come down on Monday and take their trains they could do so.
Q. How many responded on Monday?
A. We had some difficulty up until two o'clock, and I was compelled to
employ a few new men. After that, the men saw that we were determined,
to start the business on the road again, and the majority came in, and
we had all the men we wanted.
Q. Did you have any assistance from the military at any time?
A. Yes.
Q. When was it?
A. I think on Thursday night. I went down to General Brown, and got an
order from him to bring the company that was at Verona, doing duty
there, to Forty-third street. He also sent a detail of cavalry from the
city, and we took charge of the road on Friday morning, and started our
trains.
Q. I understand it was on Tuesday you made the application to him.
A. On Monday night and Tuesday both.
Q. The troops were refused?
A. Yes.
Q. When was it you made application to the citizen's protective
committee?
A. On Tuesday, Mr. Paul came to me, and told me. He said: "Mr. King,
you are running a great risk. There is a great deal of excitement, and
I have heard a great many threats, not only against you, but your
road." I think it was at nine o'clock in the morning--between nine and
ten. I said to him: "Mr. Paul, you see the condition of things here. If
you can do anything with the committee of public safety, I think you
should go and explain our position to them." He remarked to me that he
had heard some threats among the men on Butler street, about burning
the bridges and destroying property, and, also, some threats against me
personalty, on account of my having been running trains out. The men
were afraid to take them at the station, on account of the threats made
against them. I could not get the trains run out, but as soon as I
would get out of the city limits, an engineer would come forward, and
relieve me. In that way, we were enabled to keep the passenger trains
going.
Q. Who was Mr. Paul?
A. He was a neighbor of mine, living at Verona--of the firm of Metcalf,
Paul & Co.--a member of that firm.
Q. Did you see any of the committee of public safety?
A. No. I was very busy, watching our property, and could not get down
town during the day. Everybody was excited, and there were a good many
outsiders around.
Q. Did Mr. Paul report to you after seeing the committee?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you know who he saw of the committee of public safety?
A. He did tell me, but I don't recollect now. I think he went in before
the committee, and made a speech to them, and explained the
situation--at least, that is my recollection.
Q. What kind of assistance was the committee of public safety rendering
at that time?
A. I can't answer that. They were organizing the citizens into
companies, for the purpose of protecting the city.
Q. Mutual protection?
A. Yes. The night I drove out to see Mr. Shinn the whole city appeared
to be patrolled. It was midnight, and I was halted at almost every
corner. The citizens were all apparently out.
Q. Were they armed?
A. Yes.
Q. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, were your men all at work?
A. Yes.
Q. What time did the shopmen quit work on Saturday?
A. At the usual hour.
Q. What is that hour?
A. Half past five in the evening. Mr. Shinn was there at half past two
or three, and called the men together, and made a speech. I left then,
and I think they all returned to work.
Q. Did I understand you to say that all the trains, both passenger and
freight, were running on Saturday?
A. Yes; we sent out the night trains on Saturday evening, after the
trouble had commenced.
Q. Was the same order issued by your company that was issued by the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, as to running double headers?
A. There was no necessity for it on our road.
Q. The only reduction in any way was the ten per cent. reduction, on
the 1st of June, on your road?
A. Yes.
Q. Had you any reason to apprehend any strike, prior to the breaking
out of the one here among your men?
A. No; I had an assurance from quite a number that they would not go
into the strike.
Q. Did you receive any order from Colonel Grey upon Captain Patterson
to furnish you with men?
A. I think that is the order I referred to. I went and saw General
Brown, and he gave me an order to Captain Patterson, to get the men
together and report for duty at Verona shops.
Q. On Tuesday?
A. Yes; I am not sure whether it was Monday night or Tuesday. My
recollection is, it was Monday night, but probably it was Tuesday.
Q. Did he give you the order when you first saw him--the first time he
was called upon?
A. I was to see him two or three times during that period, and I am not
positive about it. I think it was the second time; it may have been the
first. I am not positive.
Q. Did he make any refusal the first time you saw him?
A. I explained to him, that we had a guard of seventy-five men, that we
had organized ourselves at Verona, among whom were some of the Verona
company, but they had no ammunition. I think that the General said to
me, if I could get that company together, he would let it remain, but
he could not send any troops from the city hall.
Q. Did he state his reasons?
A. He deemed it more important to keep the command together than to
separate them.
Q. Did you make any application to the mayor or sheriff of the county
for aid?
A. No; we did not need it until after the riot. It was only from the
desire to protect our men who were willing to work. And I had been
advised on Monday or Tuesday of some incendiary speech, made among the
miners, and I looked for some trouble among them.
Q. Was any of the property of the Allegheny Valley railroad destroyed?
A. Nothing but a baggage car at Union depot and the tracks running in
front of the round-house where we approached Union depot.
Q. Had you any number of cars there at the time the burning occurred?
A. I think we had about two hundred south of Forty-third street.
Q. Were any of them laden with freight?
A. Some with ore; the merchandise cars I removed Sunday night myself.
Word was sent to me that the men were going to burn the freight
station.
Q. Were you interfered with in any way?
A. No.
Q. In the interviews you had with your men before the strike--between
the 1st of June and the strike--what reasons did the men give for their
anticipated strike?
Q. They were dissatisfied with the reduction of wages. There had been
one the previous year or so, and this one coming in that time, made
them very much dissatisfied.
Q. How long before was the other reduction?
A. I think in 1874 or 1875.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Is it not a habit for the men, when their wages are reduced, to
complain?
A. Oh, yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Was it deemed necessary on the part of the company to make that
reduction?
A. The board of directors thought so.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Had there been a falling off in business?
A. The business was very irregular and spurty. Sometimes we were
running all the trains we could, and then they would drop off. And
rates were not so good as they had been.
Q. From your position, you should judge that was the reason why the
reduction was made?
A. I should judge it was a necessity on the part of the management to
do it, on account of the condition of the trade of the country.
Q. There had been strikes in other parts of the country before this
trouble occurred here--for instance, at Martinsburg?
A. I believe so--from newspaper reports.
Q. Did you have any consultation with the railroad authorities when
this occurred--or did you take any measures to avert this?
A. So far as we were concerned, we did not anticipate it.
Q. You had no anticipation of any trouble on your road?
A. There had been some talk in regard to the train men's union, that it
was for the purpose of getting up a strike. But many of our men, I
understood, were withdrawing from it, and would not lend themselves to
anything of the kind. For that reason I did not anticipate any trouble
among our men.
Q. Do you know whether there was any aid asked of or any consultation
held with the authorities before the strike came about?
A. I cannot answer that. I was not in the city that day.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How did the business that the road was doing for three months prior
to June 1st, when the reduction was made in wages, compare with the
same three months of the year before?
A. My recollection is that our average may have been a little heavier,
but I am not positive about that.
Q. In the three months preceding June, 1877.
A. Yes; our business is spasmodic. It is the oil business. A part of
the year they are doing a good business, and then it drops off to
nothing.
Q. How did the prices for the carrying of freight compare in 1877 with
those in 1876?
A. I cannot answer that. I did not make the rates.
Q. Had there been any change in rates, so far as you know?
A. My impression is that the rates in 1877 were lower than in 1876. I
want to say here, that our shifting engines handling freight on the
street had been interfered with two or three times during Saturday
morning by the crowd going down Twenty-eighth street, and sent back. I
walked out the street, from Eleventh street to Forty-third--between
eleven and twelve o'clock. I saw that there was a very considerable
excitement among the people, and a good deal of feeling. From there I
went up on to Twenty-eighth street, where the strikers were in
possession of the track. I saw but very few people there that I knew.
Some faces were familiar to me. I came back to the office, and got a
report about the action of the men at the shop, and went out there at
half-past two o'clock, and on my return I walked up to the Pennsylvania
railroad shops, and found the troops were moving out. I went in through
the yard, and followed in the rear of the column. After the troops
reached the vicinity of Twenty-eighth street, I got up on a car right
in the rear of them, and I watched their movements--the formation of
the command. The crossings were cleared. I saw a few stones thrown
among the crowd, and I saw a man with a cap on--saw him draw a pistol,
and fire into the troops.
Q. Do you know who it was?
A. No.
Q. Do you know whether he was a railroad man or not?
A. I cannot answer that. When the company struck the crowd on the
crossing there was a recoil like jumping up against a rock. There did
not appear to be any give to it. Then there was a struggle, and some of
the men reached for the muskets, and two or three of the soldiers
pulled back and brought their muskets to a charge, and three or four
shots were fired.
Q. By the troops?
A. Yes; and then there appeared to be a volley from the entire
command--a rattling fire--starting at the front rank and breaking back
to the rear.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What do you mean by the entire command?
A. The head commenced firing, and then it run back on the wings. It was
an irregular roll of musketry. I got off the car, and fell back after
the firing ceased. My position was somewhat exposed.
Q. Did you hear any command to fire?
A. I do not think there was any command given.
Q. You were in a position to hear it?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How many shots were fired by the crowd before the militia began to
fire?
A. I only saw one. I saw some stones thrown.
Q. Was a volley of stones thrown in among the militia, or was it
scattering?
A. Scattering.
Q. From what point were the stones thrown?
A. They appeared to come from the hill side--in the vicinity of the
watch-box, near the crossing.
Q. What was the effect of the firing of the stones among the
militia--was there any damage done to life or limb?
A. I noticed a sergeant of one of the Philadelphia companies with a bad
cut on the face. He came back with his face shattered. The thing came
very quick.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you hear any command to cease firing?
A. I did not. I went to the rear of the cars I was standing on, and the
soldiers were breaking back in my direction, and I did not notice what
was going on in front after that. There was just one volley. The
soldiers just emptied their muskets.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What was the result of the volley?
A. A panic on the hill side--every person ran from the hill side and
the crossing.
Q. It dispersed the crowd, did it?
A. Yes.
Q. In what direction did they retire?
A. In all directions.
Q. What became of the soldier's then?
A. I left the crossing, and went from there to the telegraph office,
and wrote some messages to the freight depot and shops, directing them
to put on a heavy guard during the night. While I was there Mr. Watt
came in, and told me that the mob had started for the arsenal. I
telegraphed to the commandant to take care of our shops, and advised
him to be on his guard. The message was delivered within five or ten
minutes after it was sent.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Was any actual violence used by the strikers to prevent the trains
running on your road?
A. Our men were threatened.
Q. But there was no actual violence?
A. No.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. When you were running that engine yourself, what was the mob
composed of--men that had been in your employ, or in the employ of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, or tramps? Describe the crowd?
A. They were strangers to me. I do not know them.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. I understood you to say that application was made to the civil
authorities. What do you mean by that?
A. I did not say that application had been made to the civil
authorities.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. If you were present when the first firing occurred, I wish you would
give us a description of it--what it was started by, and what the
condition of the crowd was at that time?
A. I was at the corner of Penn and Twelfth streets when the alarm was
struck, 10.40 o'clock by city time, or a few minutes later. I saw a
flash in the sky and heard the alarm, and hurried on up Penn street. I
knew what it meant. There were some oil cars stored in the Pennsylvania
yard at the time, and I saw it was the flash of an oil fire. I think
about Twentieth street the fire commenced. I then went about a square,
and I heard a torpedo explode, and I got to the next corner and saw the
fire on Penn street, and on the side street.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. A railroad torpedo, you mean?
A. Yes; it made a noise similar to that. The engines were driving fast
at the time. I went to the vicinity of the coke yards, and remained
there until half past two or three o'clock in the morning.
Q. Did you go with the engines during this time?
A. No, I was walking. When I got up there, they were dropping the cars
down to the cars that had already been set on fire--quite a crowd was
around. The burning of the cars appeared to have commenced. People were
passing with their arms full of dry goods and things of that kind. As
fast as the cars were dropped down, they were set fire to. Every few
minutes there would be a panic among them, and they would flee like
wolves or sheep, but seeing that there was no danger, they would come
back again. I remained there until three o'clock, and then walked to
the shops to see if everything was quiet there. After I got there, I
got a message from Colonel McKee, of the Oil City command, stating that
he was on his way, but had no ammunition. I telegraphed to General
Latta, and asked him where it could be got at some point on the road,
before reaching the city. I did not get any answer. The wires were
interrupted between the city and our place, and at four and a half
o'clock, I started down to Union depot, to hunt up General Latta.
Q. On Sunday morning?
A. Yes, sir; I met a great many people coming from the vicinity of the
Pennsylvania yards, all having more or less plunder. A great many of
them were in liquor. I got to Union depot, I believe, at six and a half
o'clock. I went up to General Latta, after getting to Union depot, and
he told me he had some ammunition, and would give me some after a bit,
for Colonel McKee's command. He appeared to be very much exercised over
the condition of the troops at the round-house at that time. A short
time after, Captain Breck came in and reported that General Brinton had
broken cover and started for the country. I think he told General Latta
and one or two others sitting in the hotel at the time. The general and
the captain went up stairs, and after that I did not see them. I
remained in the vicinity of our shops and the Union depot until twelve
o'clock Sunday, and then went up among the mob. I went to see what the
character of the crowd was, and to see if I knew any of them. There
appeared to me to be about seventy-five or one hundred and fifty men
that were organized. One man, particularly, I noticed with black
whiskers with a stick in his hand that appeared to be the leader. They
would go on and destroy a lot of cars and then meet apparently to
consult. He would wave his stick, the mob would follow, and do as he
directed. I saw them setting fire to the cars there. Such a hard
looking set of people I never saw before. I did not recognize anybody
that I had ever seen. Quite a number of them appeared to be in liquor.
They had cleaned out everything down as far as what is called the
"brewery switches."
Q. About what street is that?
A. About Fifteenth or Sixteenth street. One of them got up on a car and
made a speech, and declared that, as near as I could judge from their
actions--I could not hear their words--that the Union depot would be
the next point affected. Two cars loaded with plunder were got into
position and set fire to, and shoved up over the hill and down to the
other cars on the other side. As fast as the gang appeared to make an
advance, the plunderers kept ahead of them.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did these men appear to be railroad men?
A. No, sir; they were not railroad men. They looked to me like roughs
of the lowest description. They had the vilest countenances I ever saw.
One man, I noticed, was so intoxicated that he could hardly stand on
his legs, but he would go in among the cars and do what a sober man
could not do.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did you make any effort to find out who the black-whiskered man was?
A. I recognized him as the leader of the party, and I would know his
face again. If I should ever see him, I would recognize him. They
appeared determined to drop the burning cars into the depot, and I went
down and threw an engine off the track, and blocked the track so that
they could not do that. A great many people were around at the time,
and it was thought that by the time they reached the depot they would
not have the courage to come in there. The police were there, and I did
not think that they would undertake to fire it.
Q. How many police were there at that time?
A. Fifteen or twenty. They retired right in front of the mob.
Q. When they reached Union depot, how many did the mob number, that
were actually engaged in the burning?
A. I cannot answer that. A great many people were around in the
vicinity, and in the streets, and on the hill side, and all around--a
great many people were there.
Q. You spoke of about seventy-five or a hundred?
A. They were followed by an army of plunderers. This gang appeared to
be the center, and as they went along, the plunderers demolished
everything that came in their way. After they found they could not drop
any cars into the depot they walked right into the office, at the north
end of the depot, and knocked the windows out, and presently there was
a flash there, and in a few minutes the shed was on fire. After the
depot was fired, I walked to Forty-third street to see how things were
going. I returned after the elevator took fire. I saw from that
position that it was on fire, and I commenced to have grave doubts
whether they could check it--whether they could prevent the lower end
of the town from burning.
Q. Did this gang of men fire property below the depot, or did that
catch from the depot?
A. I was not in the vicinity of the depot when the property on the
other side was fired, and I cannot answer that, nor when the elevator
was fired.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. When you came back did you see this same gang?
A. The crowd was scattered then. The elevator was on fire, and the Pan
Handle yards were on fire. I got word then that they were going to
attack our property, and I started right to the shops, and took an
engine and removed what property we had.
* * * * *
David Garrett, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. In the Twentieth ward of Pittsburgh.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. I am an assistant train master.
Q. Of the Pennsylvania railroad?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you occupy that position in July last?
A. Yes.
Q. State what knowledge you have as to any dissatisfaction among the
employés of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in regard to wages prior
to the 19th of July last?
A. I have no knowledge more than any person would have who has his
wages reduced. The men spoke about the reduction of their wages, that
it was a little hard. They talked to me about the order. I told them
that we were all in the same fix, and tried to point out to them that
the reduction was general--that the business of the company had become
reduced, and I supposed that they thought it was necessary to make a
reduction. Most of the men that I talked to on the subject seemed to be
satisfied. They didn't feel good about it, but they didn't say that
they would offer any resistance to a reduction, or that they would
strike, or anything of that sort.
Q. That was after the ten per cent. reduction?
A. Yes; they talked about it some. Of course we had heard about the
troubles on the Baltimore and Ohio, and had heard about the Trainmen's
Union, and also heard about men withdrawing from that, and also about
its being bursted up. What I think the cause of the trouble was the
very light business that was doing. Then in June, when the reduction
was made, we found we had a large surplus of men, and we reduced the
force to suit about the volume of business doing then. In doing that,
we had regard to the condition of the men. Those who were married we
tried to retain, and those who had been a long time in the service we
tried to retain, and occasionally if we had a man who could get along
at something else, or who was in particularly good circumstances, we
would discharge him, in order to keep some man who was not so well
favored. That threw some men out of employment. Then on the 16th of
July--that was the morning on which the new arrangement was to go into
effect--the running of double-headers. That is, instead of taking two
trains from Pittsburgh to Derry, with seventeen cars, we would run one
train with thirty-four cars.
Q. Was the order issued on the 16th?
A. It was to take effect on the 19th. The order had been issued some
time previously, and posted on the bulletin boards where the men could
see it. When this order was posted up, the men would come, and I saw
them looking at the bulletin boards. No one expressed any
dissatisfaction. There had been some talk among the men that it would
dispense with the services of quite a number, which, of course, we
admitted it would, and the more so, from the fact that while formerly
we were running men from Conemaugh, the company found it inconvenient
to run trains to Conemaugh, and were making Derry the dividing point.
We were running from Pittsburgh to Derry and back again. That would
give the smaller portion of the run to the men on this end of the road,
and, of course, a smaller number of men were required. But to fix that,
the day previous to the strike I went out to Derry, and there had a
consultation with Mr. Edward Pitcairn, who is the train master at
Derry. We saw the difficulty, and tried to provide for it, by taking
seven or eight crews, of four men to a crew, to run between Derry and
Altoona. As we were getting along with a less number of men, at the
other end they would require a greater number of men. That was on
Wednesday, the day preceding the riot. We had the thing all arranged,
as I thought. I came into Pittsburgh the next morning about nine
o'clock, when one of the dispatchers told me on my arrival, that one of
the trains had not gone out. I asked him the reason, and he said that
the brakemen had refused to go out on the train. I asked him the number
of men he had asked to go out, and he said quite a number--eighteen or
twenty, perhaps more. I told him I would go out and talk with the men
about the matter. I felt about that, that we had a large surplus of
men, and if only a portion of the men were insubordinate and refused to
run, it would relieve us from embarrassment. I had no idea that it
would extend beyond that. I went out and found eighteen or twenty men,
and asked them if they had any objections to go out. Some just declined
to go out on double trains, and others said nothing. Of the men
present, I couldn't get any to go. The conductors were willing to go. I
conferred then with Mr. McCabe, and he suggested that we should get
some of the yard men to man the trains. We called on several of them,
and finally got three to go as brakemen. Preparation was made to start
the train. I walked some distance in advance of the engine that was to
take the train, and met some men coming along that seemed to be
somewhat demonstrative, and among them one man very violent--one now
undergoing his trial. He remarked to me--I said something about the
switches--I cannot remember now what--and he remarked to me that no
trains would go out, or something to that effect. I asked why, and he
said that they had resolved not to let anything go out. I remonstrated
with him, and said: "Hice, you have a perfect right to refuse to go out
if you don't want to go out, but you have no right to interfere with
others." He said it had got to be a question of bread or blood, and
that they were going to resist. I left him, and then came to attend to
some other matter towards the switches. I heard something behind me and
turned around, and saw a considerable confusion. I saw links and pins
being hurled at these yard men on the train. I saw one of them struck.
I saw a link or pin falling from his person, and saw it hit him. I also
saw men going on the engine. I came forward then and found no person on
the engine at all, and found that the men we had expected to run the
train all driven away. I found that we were defeated in getting the
train out. It was not worth while to parley with the men at all. We had
no force at all--no police at all--or not very strong. I went to the
office of Mr. Watt, who was acting in the place of Mr. Pitcairn, who
was absent, and it was suggested that inasmuch as a large quantity of
live stock was at East Liberty, and it was important to get that away,
that I should go there and anticipate any power that might be coming
west, and put the cars away, and take the power and send the live stock
away from East Liberty. I immediately did that, and went there on the
first train I met. I went to Torrens, and at East Liberty I met a coal
train, and I stopped the train and went to the conductor and told him
what I wanted. I told him to put his cars in there and to take a train
of live stock from East Liberty. I didn't tell him anything about the
trouble in Pittsburgh. He went away and conferred with some person, and
then came and told me that he declined to do that. I left him go. I
then went to Torrens, not wishing to lose any time, and while there
received a message from the superintendent's office telling me that two
engines were on the way there and would soon arrive--two engines
westward. I then received another message to make haste, that Hice and
his crowd had started for Torrens to interfere with the live stock. I
made all the haste I could. I went down to Gray's switches, and there
waited the arrival of the two engines, took the cars from them, crossed
the engines coming west over to the other track, adjusted the switches,
and went on down. When I got down there, Hice and his party had just
arrived.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. How did they get there?
A. I don't know. The distance is not very great. I don't know what time
they started, and I don't know by what route. I rather think they
walked up the track to Torrens. At that time, when we got back, the
party was there and surrounding the engines. I got up on one of the
engines and asked the engine man what was wrong. He said he couldn't
take the stock. They said that their lives had been threatened if they
moved the stock. I telegraphed to Pittsburgh, stating the situation of
affairs, and that we couldn't do anything at all without we had more
protection, and Pittsburgh told me, after a bit, that more police were
coming--that there would be fifteen of them. They had made a
requisition, I understood, upon the mayor, and that fifteen police were
to come up. They were to come up on the Atlantic express, I think.
About the time the Atlantic express was due, I went out to where the
engines were standing, and backed up against the stock. I didn't tell
the crowd or any person that I had information of any assistance
coming, but I just remarked to them that we proposed now to commence
moving that stock, and that those who were in no way concerned with the
railroad, or who had no interest in the matter, except as
lookers-on--that I would take it as a favor if they would retire, and
give us room to work. There was a large crowd there. Just at that time,
this same man Hice called out, they are going to bring the militia--the
Duquesne Grays. He immediately called out and said, I want four good
men. They came up to him, and he said, I want you to go to Pittsburgh
and get out two thousand mill men. Four young men started--a couple of
them were, I think, our own men, and a couple were not in our service.
I can't say who they were. One little thing occurred before this
conversation with Hice--before the Atlantic express came. I had gone
some distance east to the telegraph office, and I found Hice there, and
I got into conversation again about it, and I told him: "Hice, be
careful not to do anything you will be sorry for." He said it is a
question of bread or blood, and said, if I go to the penitentiary I can
get bread and water, and that is about all I can get now. I saw it was
no use to talk to him, and I left him. When the express came along it
didn't have the force on that I expected. It had some men, but not
enough for the emergency. A great many men came up on the train. We
found that we couldn't move the stock. Mr. Watt had come up, and I
called his attention to the situation. I suggested that we should move
some of the stock by deceiving the men. That I would get two engines,
and say I couldn't move the stock, and I might as well go on back, and
that under pretense of shifting the stock on to the siding he should
get it past the crowd, and run it to some point on the road--to Spring
Hill, and that there I would take it with those two engines, and that,
in the meantime, if he couldn't do that, that I would couple to a train
of cars that had been brought from Wilkinsburg in the morning, and take
it as far as Spring Hill, and if the stock didn't come would take it on
through. After we started from Torrens with the engines, I told the
conductor and men what I wanted to do--to couple on to the train at
Wilkinsburg. The men seemed to have a little fear that the crowd would
overtake us before we could get the train out. However, I told them to
hurry up, and I succeeded in getting it out. We took it on as far as
Spring Hill, and, while the engines were taking fuel and water, I told
them to remain until I came back and gave a signal, and I walked on to
Walls to ascertain whether or not the stock was coming. When I got to
Walls I learned from Mr. Watt the stock was coming. I then went back,
and, when the stock arrived, coupled on, and sent it out. That was the
last train moved, and it was done by deceiving the men. I then returned
to Pittsburgh. It was pretty near night. I found the crowd at Torrens
was indignant at us deceiving them in moving the stock. Some of the
stock couldn't be moved, and had to be unloaded. I then came to
Pittsburgh, and I found that while I had been away that they had a
great deal of trouble in the Pittsburgh yard. But I don't know anything
that occurred in Pittsburgh that day from the time I left until six or
seven o'clock that night. But I remained there then all that night.
Q. As train master, tell us how the traffic on your road for the three
months prior to June 1, compared with the traffic during the same time
of the year previous?
A. I can give my impression, that it was very much below the
corresponding period of the year previous. My impression is, it was
below. Of course, in that, I may be mistaken.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. You judge from the number of trains and the amount of stuff you
hauled?
A. Yes; our trade is peculiar. There are times when the through freight
may be heavy, but at points east of Pittsburgh, the coal and other
local business may be very light. We will start from Pittsburgh with an
unusually heavy business, but it won't aggregate nearly as much when it
arrives at Altoona, as on other occasions, when we start from
Pittsburgh with a comparatively light business. I was present at the
time of the firing of the troops, but about that, what I can say is
about what Mr. King has said.
Q. If you were present at that time, however, you may state what you
saw?
A. I was at Union depot when the troops arrived. I went to the outer
depot, two blocks west of Twenty-eighth street. We kept ourselves
advised by wire as to about the time the troops would move from Union
depot to Twenty-eighth street. We were expecting that they would clear
the track, and that then, if possible, we would get the trains started.
We had a crew in readiness to go just as soon as they got protection
enough to start. I remained on some gondolas there until the troops,
with the Gatling gun, passed along up the track. Then I followed up. I
didn't intend to go very close, but got much nearer than I had
intended, and so got near enough to see the movements of the troops. I
saw them form on Twenty-eighth street into what is called a square, and
saw the confusion that Mr. King spoke about. I heard the shots very
soon after that. I thought at first it was blank cartridges, but soon
learned such was not the case.
Q. Have you any idea as to how many were hurt?
A. Seven, eight, or ten--and some killed.
Q. You saw this yourself?
A. I didn't see any myself. I saw them carrying people away very soon
afterwards. I saw afterwards the man that Mr. King mentioned as having
been hit in the face by a stone before the firing. While I was in the
superintendent's office, after the firing, a report came that they were
going to attack the arsenal, and also the superintendent's office. I
afterwards went home and got my supper and returned. When returning,
the mass of people at Twenty-eighth street was enormous. They were
solid on both sides of the track. By the way, some soldiers were there,
enough to keep the men off the track. I had intended to go up and walk
to the superintendent's office, but found I couldn't do it with safety.
I thought they possibly might want me, and I intended to go. I went to
Union depot, and made an arrangement to get to the office. After that,
I learned that the military had charge of everything. I staid at Union
depot until ten o'clock, and left on the last train that went out. That
was on Saturday night. About three or four o'clock in the morning I was
awakened by a great deal of noise and hallowing, and saw a great many
roughs passing my place, and heard wagons passing.
Q. Did they seem to be coming in wagons from a distance?
A. Yes; various wagons went past my house. It was three or four o'clock
in the morning. It was getting daylight; and during all that day the
people were carrying plunder past our house; and those same wagons
returned during the afternoon loaded. I remained at home on Sunday, for
the reason that they said they were going to commence at East Liberty
and burn everything to Pittsburgh, and I thought that possibly my house
might be burned.
Q. If you had succeeded in starting a train from Pittsburgh, would it
have been able to get ten miles away.
A. All the trains that we started previous to, say, nine or nine and a
half o'clock on Thursday, went through--went through all right.
Q. What do you mean by through?
A. To the destination, wherever it was.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. During this time, before the military arrived, was there any
considerable effort made on the part of the police to protect you and
your men and property?
A. No, sir; nothing at all equal to the emergency.
Q. What number of policemen were there in force, at any time, to
protect you?
A. I cannot say that I ever saw a dozen. A small force of police were
brought to the outer depot on Thursday, but it was after I had gone to
Torrens, and I remained away the remainder of the day. It was after the
time that we were trying to get out another train, when the men refused
to let it go, and when Mr. Watt was struck.
Q. What were the police doing all this time?
A. I suppose the police were too weak in numbers.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. When you saw them they were inadequate to the emergency?
A. Yes; altogether.
Q. Up to Saturday night, any train that could have been started would
have gone through to its destination?
A. No; only on Thursday. After Thursday, I think, no freight train
could have gone through, because all the trains were stopped; and even
the passenger trains were stopped at East Liberty and Lawrenceville.
Q. From the information that the railroad authorities had, they could
not have run trains through to their destination?
A. I don't think so, after Thursday. The men allowed our trains to come
west, but as fast as they came west they prevented them from going
east.
Adjourned until Monday morning, at ten o'clock.
PITTSBURGH, MONDAY, _February 11, 1878, 10 o'clock_, A.M.
ORPHANS' COURT ROOM.
Pursuant to adjournment the committee re-assembled at ten o'clock,
A.M., this day, and continued the taking of testimony.
* * * * *
Charles McGovern, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. On Boyd street, in the Sixth ward, Pittsburgh.
Q. Were you on the police force of the city of Pittsburgh, in last
July?
A. I was.
Q. In what capacity?
A. I was a detective.
Q. Were you in the city on the 19th day of July?
A. I was. That was Thursday.
Q. Were you employed by the mayor as a special detective?
A. I was serving under his administration.
Q. Had you any communication with the mayor on that day with reference
to the disturbance of the peace?
A. I had.
Q. State what it was?
A. A little after eleven o'clock on Thursday, the 19th day of July, Mr.
Watt came to the mayor's office and had a conversation with the mayor,
and after he was through the mayor called me in. It was my week in the
office. We took our turns in the office. He instructed me to gather
what men I could find and go out to Twenty-eighth street--that there
was some trouble with the railroad employés out there on account of a
strike. The week before that our police force had been reduced from two
hundred and thirty-six men to one hundred and twenty, I think. That
left us without any men in the day time at all, except six men that
were employed in the office as detectives, and one man on Fifth street,
and two specials, I believe; but on this day it happened that the men
that had been dropped from the rolls were in the City hall for the
purpose of getting their money. I told the mayor that I could not get a
sufficient number of men to go out there to amount to anything, if
there was any serious trouble, but that a number of these men were
there, and that I could raise a squad from them if necessary. So
failing to find the necessary number of our men--who were in bed at
this time because they were on duty at night--I gathered ten men
belonging to the force that had been dropped, and started out to the
Union depot. Mr. Watt met us there and took us out to the crossing at
Twenty-eighth street. He had some two or three of his own men there.
When I got out there he told me what we were brought there for--that
there was a strike in progress, and he anticipated some trouble with
the employés--that is they would likely resist the running of trains.
We were moved out to Twenty-eighth street, and at Twenty-eighth street,
or a little this side of the street--that is, west--there is a switch.
He told me he was going to move the trains, and I sent the men to
protect those switches, and to see they were not interfered with by the
strikers. I divided the men into two squads, and sent one squad to the
western switch and took charge of the other myself.
Q. How many men were there in a squad?
A. Five; I had ten men and myself. Quite a number of the people there
were boys, and there didn't appear to be much excitement just then.
Q. What time was that?
A. A little before twelve o'clock.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What were they, railroad men?
A. Yes; a number of them. Some I knew.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Could you mention their names?
A. One I recollect now. I knew him to be a railroad man. I had a
conversation with him. It was Samuel Muckle. I talked with him. The
leading men of them seemed to be disposed to keep the peace. They
didn't want any trouble with the police. We didn't anticipate much
trouble then.
Q. How many were there?
A. One hundred were there, but a number of those were spectators, who
had just come from curiosity.
Q. How many were engaged in the strike?
A. I can only judge of the number actively engaged in the strike, from
the number of persons that interfered with the first arrest that we
made. That occurred when Mr. Watt attempted to open the switch to let
the train out. That is where the first trouble commenced. As soon as he
did that, a man named McCall, and another man named Davis, both of whom
have been tried in the courts since--they jumped on to the switch, and
one of them struck Mr. Watt. When I saw that, I was at the other
switch. I ran down, and after considerable trouble, we succeeded in
arresting McCall and in taking him down to the watch-house. Then
probably there were fifteen or twenty persons that appeared to take an
active part in preventing McCall from being arrested. They seemed to be
very anxious to have us let him go. There were a number of stones
thrown, and some of my officers were hit. I saw a number of stones
thrown, and it was principally the work of boys. The railroad men
wanted to persuade us to let him go, but we finally got him down to the
watch-house. He resisted very stoutly. None of the railroad men
attempted to use violence at that time.
Q. You placed him in the lock-up?
A. Yes; at the Twelfth ward station.
Q. How many of your men remained there on the ground?
A. After we locked him up we came right back there again.
Q. What occurred then?
A. Mr. Watt left then and went to get more men. Along about one
o'clock, I judge, there were some five or six men came, in charge of
officer White, of the mayor's force, and went on out to East Liberty,
and my impression is that Mr. Watt went with them.
Q. How many men were with officer White?
A. Five or six men--also men dropped from the rolls. Then three or
four--probably more--there may have been ten--came to my assistance and
remained with me at the crossing.
Q. How long did you remain at the crossing?
A. Until about three o'clock. In the meantime there did not appear to
be any effort made on the part of the railroad authorities to move any
more trains after this assault at the switch, and my impression was at
the time that they had given the matter up just then. There seemed to
be a general disposition on the part of the railroad employés--the men
not on strike--to rest easy, as it were. They didn't want to work. I
heard the men talking with each other. They did not appear to make any
effort to work. Those not engaged in the strike actively--they seemed
to be in sympathy with those in the strike.
Q. What was the condition of the crowd there from one o'clock up to
three o'clock?
A. It kept on increasing.
Q. How was it as to being demonstrative or boisterous?
A. There was no trouble there after this assault on Mr. Watt, because
no effort was made on the part of the railroad officials to run out
trains.
Q. Where did you go when you left there?
A. I telegraphed to the chief, in town, from the Twelfth ward station,
that things were at a stand-still; that there was no attempt on the
part of the railroad men to run out trains, and that the men were still
stationed at the crossing, and he instructed me to place the men in
charge of officer Fowler, and to come in to the central office. I did
so after three o'clock.
Q. Did you go out again?
A. Not that afternoon.
Q. Did you receive any further instructions?
A. Not that day. The men remained there that day and night--all night.
Q. Were you present when Mr. Watt came to consult with the mayor?
A. I was in the office.
Q. Did you hear the conversation?
A. No.
Q. What did Mr. Watt tell you that time in the presence of the mayor?
A. I do not think the mayor was present at that time. It was in regard
to what I was going out there for. He told me a few of the men were on
a strike, and that they would probably undertake to interfere with the
running of the trains, but he did not anticipate any serious trouble.
He thought that a few men would be sufficient. He did not think it
would amount to anything, and said that the presence of a few men would
stop the whole thing. He looked on it very lightly at that time.
Q. After Mr. Watt went away it was that Mayor McCarthy gave you
instructions?
A. Yes.
Q. What did he tell you to do?
A. He told me to collect as many men as I could get.
Q. Of the force on duty?
A. There was no force on duty.
Q. From what source were you to collect them?
A. He told me to get as many men as I could get. He meant the office
men. But they were only on duty at night, and at this time none of them
were about except the chief of detectives, Mr. O'Mara, who was busy, I
believe. I so reported to the mayor. I told him I could get a number of
the men who were dropped from the rolls. He told me to go ahead and get
them.
Q. How many of those men were there then?
A. I suppose there may have been twenty or twenty-five.
Q. You selected ten of them?
A. I thought that would be a sufficient number on account of what Mr.
Watt had told me.
Q. You could have got more if you had wanted them?
A. Yes; I did get more afterwards. I think ten more came out. Of course
we could not get those men and bring them into service as our men in
actual service, because those men had been dropped from the rolls, and
it was only those willing to go on duty or not.
Q. But plenty of them were willing to go?
A. Yes; they showed a willingness to go.
Q. When you got to Twenty-eighth street, how many men were engaged
there then in preventing the trains from moving?
A. The first intimation I had of any men, who were going to prevent
trains from running, was when Mr. Watt was assaulted, and then I should
judge that those men actively engaged, numbered, probably, ten or
fifteen--that seemed to be the leaders.
Q. When you undertook to arrest McCall, how many men took his part?
A. I suppose ten or fifteen of those men gathered around us, and wanted
us to let him go.
Q. Did you arrest all of those who undertook to take McCall's part?
A. They did not use any violence at all. McCall appealed to them, and
asked them not to allow him to be arrested, that they were there for
the purpose of preventing the trains from running, and that they were
not surely going to allow him to go to the watch-house, but there was
not a man of them that attempted to interfere with the officers. The
only interference was some stones thrown from the hill-side around. I
saw some of them thrown, and most of them by boys.
Q. I understand, after you returned from the lock-up, you found the
crowd still assembled at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Yes.
Q. How large was it then?
A. It was increased then, I estimate, to about the number of two
hundred people, women, and children, and boys, and men.
Q. What were they doing at that time?
A. They were just standing around there chatting and talking among
themselves. The excitement was still increasing.
Q. No effort was made to start the trains from that time until three
o'clock?
A. When those men came from the office--the second force--Mr. Watt went
up to Torren's station. I believe there was no person there that
appeared to make any effort to do anything. Mr. Fox, the chief of the
Pennsylvania railroad police was there, and I was under his
instructions to do anything he wanted done. From that time, until I
left, no effort was made on their part to run out trains east. There
was an attempt made after I left to run trains out, but of course I did
not see that.
Q. Did you command the crowd to disperse?
A. We undertook to keep the crowd off the tracks, but our force was not
sufficient. As soon as we would get one track cleared, they would come
in on the other. It would have required at two or three o'clock--it
would have required a hundred men to clear the tracks, and do it
effectually, and I did not have the necessary force to do it with. They
appeared to loiter around there talking, and the crowd kept on
increasing.
Q. Did you get any further instructions after you returned to the city
and reported to the chief of police?
A. I got no further instructions, I remember, from the chief; he
instructed me to turn the force over to officer Fowler, and report at
the city hall.
Q. Do you know, of your own knowledge, what were the movements of the
police force there during the balance of the day?
A. During the balance of the day the force was increased to, I think,
at Twenty-eighth street, thirty men--twenty-five or thirty men--during
the evening. They remained on duty all night.
Q. Was there any effort made to run out trains during the afternoon of
Thursday?
A. I believe there was.
Q. Were you not on an engine, and were you not driven off?
A. I was not; the officers can be got here that went on that engine.
Q. Will you tell us who they were?
A. Officer Saul Coulston and officer Robert Fowler.
Q. Did you have any further connection with the movements of the
police?
A. Not in the capacity of commander or leader.
Q. Were you present at any of the disturbances after that?
A. I went through it all, backward and forward, around the city, in the
capacity of an officer.
Q. Were the police, to your knowledge, reinforced in the morning of the
20th--Friday morning.
A. No, sir; the police force was not reinforced until Tuesday
morning--the following Tuesday--that is, were not organized. Then the
regular force was filled up and organized by the committee of safety.
But a number of the men who were called on on Monday and Sunday
responded. But the regular organization did not take place until
Tuesday.
Q. They responded whenever the calls were made?
A. A number of them responded on Sunday, after the fire was going on.
Q. Was there any difficulty, so far as you know, in reinforcing the
police force?
A. I know, from my own experience, that there was considerable
difficulty in bringing the men dropped from the rolls when there was no
trouble,--in bringing them to the front after the trouble commenced. A
great many of them objected to going on duty.
Q. Why?
A. I suppose they looked on it in this way. I inferred this from the
tone of their conversation--that they were discharged--that the
councils had thought proper to dispense with their services when there
was no trouble, and that, when they were in trouble they did not
propose to put their heads into the halter. I know one of them left my
squad--or two of them. One of them did not reflect that he might be
taken to where he would get hurt or get hit with a stone. He left and
the other left.
Q. What reason did he give?
A. He simply left.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. These men were not organized at all?
A. They had been dropped from the rolls the week previous. They were
not bound in any way to the city.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did not a demand have to be made on them?
A. No, sir; I simply told them. Those that wanted to go, fell into
line, and marched out as volunteers.
By Mr. Means:
Q. They could leave as soon as they wanted?
A. Yes; the same as any other citizens. They were not under pay--not
under pay at all.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you not have the right from the mayor to demand them to go with
you?
A. I did not know I had a right any more than I could command you to
assist me.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did you get such instructions from the mayor?
A. At the time we went out we did not expect any such trouble.
Q. But did the mayor give you instructions to demand them to go with
you?
A. He did not think of it, and I did not either. I thought that the
presence, as Mr. Watt told me--that the presence of five or six men
would have the desired effect.
Q. Did you make any report to the mayor, during the afternoon?
A. I reported to the chief of police.
Q. That is the only report you made?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Who was he?
A. Philip Demmel.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Do you know of an order, given by the mayor to his officers, to
compel men to serve on the police force, during those troubles?
A. I do not know of any order of that kind. I know of orders given by
the mayor to summon all the men that had been dropped from the rolls,
and to get them organized with the men we had, and go on duty. A number
of them responded. That was on Sunday.
Q. What do you mean by summoned?
A. Just notified them.
Q. Compelling them to serve?
A. I did not understand it as compulsory at all. I did not think it
was.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. It was simply a call for volunteers to go out?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you state to them anything about their pay--as to how they would
be paid?
A. I do not know as I stated anything to them probably the first day,
but the understanding was after they got out there that Mr. Watt was
responsible for the pay of these men.
Q. The mayor did not make any call on the night police to go out there
at all on Thursday?
A. Not on Thursday. The night men were not there.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. There was no effort made, that you know of, to get the night men out
there?
A. There was no apparent necessity at that time. The night force went
on duty on Friday night, and they remained on duty in and around the
city hall until the trouble was all over.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What do you mean by that?
A. Going out in squads from the city hall wherever they were required
to go.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did they serve during the day on Friday?
A. I do not recollect that they did. I cannot say that.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did they serve during the day Saturday?
A. I think they were on duty from Friday night until the trouble was
all over. That is my impression. I cannot be positive, however.
Q. The night force numbered one hundred and twenty?
A. One hundred and sixteen men we had left for the whole city.
Q. Were any of that number detailed to go to the depot or to that
section of the city?
A. On Thursday?
Q. Yes; or on Friday or on Saturday?
A. The men were on duty continually Friday, and on Saturday all the men
were out.
Q. Where?
A. In the neighborhood of Twenty-eighth street, and along where the
trouble was.
Q. How many were at Twenty-eighth street on Saturday?
A. I cannot say.
Q. How many on Friday?
A. That I cannot say. I suppose the chief would know.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. You were on duty that day?
A. I was on duty continuously from that time until the trouble was
over.
Q. When you talked with those men, what reason did they give you. You
have said you talked with one?
A. They assigned as a reason for striking that it was on account of the
double-headers, slim pay, and so forth. That the men were starving, and
all that kind of thing, and that now they proposed to reduce the force,
and compel one crew to run two trains, and they did not propose to do
it. Various reasons were assigned.
Q. Did he express any intention to use violence?
A. He did not. He and a number of the others had considerable influence
over the men, and no violence was to be used at all. It seemed that the
men not in the strike were in sympathy with those that were, and that
no trains would be run out.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. When was this?
A. It was after Mr. Watt was struck.
Q. Did he take any part with them?
A. No, sir.
Q. How many men were arrested in that crowd on Thursday in the vicinity
of the trouble?
A. McCall was the only one I arrested. I left about three o'clock.
While I was there no other act was committed by any person in the
party, and no effort was made by the railroad to run out trains, and we
were simply there under the instruction of the railroad men.
Q. You do not know of any others being arrested that day in that
vicinity?
A. I do not.
Q. Nor on Friday in that vicinity to your knowledge?
A. On Friday morning, I think, the military was out with the sheriff
and his posse.
Q. But answer my question?
A. No.
Q. On Saturday?
A. On Saturday, no, not on Saturday. The military were in charge of the
railroad property on Saturday.
Q. Did you or any other officer that you know of have a warrant in his
hands for the arrest of some ten or twelve men?
A. Yes; I had a warrant for the arrest of ten or twelve men that were
interfering with the railroad employés.
Q. You had the names of those parties?
A. Before the warrants were served they were re-called from me.
Q. By whom?
A. The information was taken away by the attorneys of the railroad
company.
Q. Did they recall them?
A. Yes.
Q. From you?
A. Not the warrants; but I was notified by the mayor that the
information was taken from the office, and that the matter was placed
in the hands of the sheriff.
Q. Did he instruct you to return the warrants?
A. The warrants were null and void then when the information was taken
away. The warrants were transferred to the sheriff.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did you hear anybody make any threats against the railroad officers?
A. Well, Davis jumped on the switch, and swore that no trains should go
out, that he would die in his tracks first. Those were the only threats
I heard on Thursday.
Q. Were those directed against the railroad officers or any of their
employés?
A. The threats were against the running out of the trains.
Q. Do you know anybody going to the officers of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, and advising them to leave the city for fear that
they would suffer violence?
A. Not to my own knowledge.
Q. You did not hear anybody make such threats?
A. No.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. When did you first get the warrants for the arrest of those
men--what day was it?
A. It seems to me the warrants were issued on Thursday afternoon or
Friday morning, but I am not positive about that. I can refer to the
warrants and see.
Q. How long did you hold them before you got notice that the
information was withdrawn.
A. I think the warrants were held by me--I am not positive about the
time that they were issued to me--but it seems to me that the warrants
were in my hands; just one day and night.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were not your instructions to quietly take those men?
A. My instructions were to quietly take those men up. They were my
instructions. At the time the warrants were issued there was
considerable excitement, and the instructions I got in relation to it
were that after the excitement allayed somewhat, the warrants could be
quietly served without bringing about a conflict, and owing to the
pretty slim police force, it was considered wise to wait until the
trouble would be over.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who gave you those instructions?
A. The mayor--the chief of detectives, I think it was. I do not say the
mayor, but one of my superior officers, I know it was.
Q. Who was the chief of detectives at that time?
A. Mr. O'Mara, I believe.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Your instructions were to wait until the excitement was allayed?
A. Yes.
Q. And not to go after your men that night after the men had retired to
their homes, and take them up quietly, and take them to the station
house?
A. My impression is, that the men did not retire to their homes on that
day or night; the crowd kept there all night, or staid around the
tracks at Twenty-eighth street, and also at Torrens station.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Was any effort made by the police to disperse the crowd during the
night?
A. I was not there.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Could you at any time have taken the men out of the crowd with your
force?
A. If they had resisted I could not, I know.
Q. Could you not have quietly slipped up and taken them?
A. Those men I had warrants for were employés of the road, and I did
not know anything about their being in any crowd, but it appears they
were active leaders. I did not know they were in any crowd, but owing
to the state of excitement at the time, it was considered advisable to
wait until the excitement was allayed before arresting those men.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who made the information against those men?
A. I think it was Mr. Watt. That is my impression. The information was
drawn by Messrs. Hampton and Dalzell, and sworn to by Mr. Watt.
* * * * *
Roger O'Mara, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. No. 267 Webster avenue.
Q. What was your business in July last?
A. I was chief of detectives of the city of Pittsburgh.
Q. Were you in the city on the 10th of July?
A. Yes.
Q. State what knowledge you have of any disturbance of the peace on
that day?
A. The first knowledge I had, Mr. Watt came to the mayor's office that
morning. I was in the office at the time. He stated that there was a
disturbance, that the men were on a strike, and he wanted to get some
officers to go out with him. Our force was reduced shortly before that,
and no men were on duty in the day time. We only had one hundred and
twenty men, and ten were lamp watchers, and ten were at the
station-houses. One hundred and one in all were left for police duty.
Q. State what occurred?
A. I asked Mr. Watt how many men he thought would do, and he said about
ten men. I had the men gathered up from those men who were dropped from
the rolls, and brought them in there, and told Officer Fowler to take
charge of them, and to go with Mr. Watt. I afterwards asked the mayor,
and he told me that Mr. McGovern should be placed in charge. I then
sent him on up.
Q. Did you have any difficulty in getting the men you wanted?
A. I gathered them in about five minutes. I just asked for ten, and got
them.
Q. Plenty of others were willing to go?
A. I suppose so.
Q. Was anything said between Mr. Watt and the mayor about the pay of
the men?
A. Mr. Watt told me he would pay the men.
Q. Who introduced that subject of pay?
A. I do not know. I told him these men are not on the force, but we
could gather them up if he agreed to pay them.
Q. They went then?
A. Yes; in charge of McGovern.
Q. State what occurred from the time that they went away--whether any
report was made to you or not?
A. I understood about the trouble. McGovern told me about arresting
this party after he came back.
Q. Was any report made to you of what occurred?
A. I had a conversation with him after he came back.
Q. At what time?
A. About four o'clock on Thursday.
Q. What did he state to you when he came back?
A. He told me he had arrested that party--that Mr. Watt went to turn
the switch, and somebody hit him, and he arrested him, and put him in
the Twelfth ward station-house. Information was afterwards made against
some ten parties.
Q. What time was that?
A. I think on Thursday afternoon, after this arrest.
Q. You say against some ten parties?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. In whose hands were the warrants placed?
A. They were given to me first. A lawyer in Mr. Hampton's office was
here. He had them drawn up. I gave the warrants to McGovern. On account
of the excitement we proposed to locate the parties in their houses,
and to get them there. But the next morning a young man in Hampton's
office came in and told me not to make the arrests until further
orders. I thought then that the men were going to work, perhaps. I then
told McGovern not to make the arrests.
Q. Do you state you told McGovern not to arrest the men, but to get
them at their houses?
A. Yes.
Q. How many policemen do you think you could have gathered up that
afternoon for duty?
A. I have no idea how many. A good many of them were about there just
at the time that Mr. Watt came in and said he wanted some. We might
have gotten thirty then. More went out afterwards.
Q. Who sent them out?
A. I do not know. But I understood, however, more men were wanted, and
they were sent out.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. These men that were picked up--these men that had been dropped from
the rolls, did they go out on the ground in uniform, or did they go out
in citizen's dress?
A. I guess some in uniform and some in citizen's dress. I cannot say
whether they were in uniform or not.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Were they armed as usual with maces?
A. I cannot say that.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. Usually when you send out a squad, don't you arm them with maces?
A. Yes; but these men were not on the rolls, and I just gathered them
up, and sent them out as quickly as possible.
Q. If not armed, they would not have been of much use?
A. No; not of much use, if there was much disturbance, without arms.
Q. You do not know whether they were armed or not?
A. I do not, because I did not go out with them.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Was there any call made on the night force for it?
A. I do not think there was that night.
Q. They were on duty regularly on Thursday evening, I suppose?
A. Throughout the city, yes.
Q. The one hundred and one men were on service throughout the city
proper?
A. On Thursday night, yes.
Q. None of them went to the scene of this disturbance?
A. Not to my knowledge, except the men on in that district.
Q. How many men were regularly stationed in that district?
A. I suppose about ten men were on in that district--the third
district--from the Union depot to Twenty-eighth street. The lieutenant
in charge of the district may have had his men there.
Q. Who had charge of that district?
A. Henry Coates, I think. I think he had charge of it.
Q. Were any of them sent out there on Friday morning--any of the night
force?
A. I do not think they were, to my knowledge.
Q. Or during the day Friday, at any time?
A. I do not know that they were.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Were you at the scene of the disturbance at any time during the
trouble?
A. I was out there on Sunday morning early, along the line on Liberty
street. There was a good deal of trouble about the city, and we were
gathering the police in and sending them out throughout the city. We
were afraid that the mob would break into the gun shops. The excitement
was so great that I thought they might attempt to break into places,
and so I gathered the men up and sent them to different places.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. If the mayor had made a call for policemen on Thursday afternoon,
how many men could he have raised?
A. I do not know. I have no idea.
Q. Would there have been any difficulty in raising any number of
policemen, do you think?
A. There might have been some. That call was made through the Sunday
papers, and a good many responded.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. How many officers and men does the night force consist of?
A. The whole force was one hundred and twenty men--nine of them
were engaged in the station-houses, and ten of them watched
lamps--patrolmen, detectives, and all. That was for the whole city.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How many men were discharged from the day force?
A. One hundred and sixteen men were discharged. Our whole force
consisted of two hundred and thirty-six men, all told. The
appropriation ran out, and we had to knock the men off.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What reason was given by the officer for not serving the warrants?
He had them one night, had he not?
A. We did not get the houses all located. It seems they were out that
night, and we could not get them served, and the next morning we were
ordered not to serve them. The case was put into the hands of the
sheriff on Friday, I think.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. While you had those warrants for the arrest of those ten men, could
you not have arrested them?
A. I do not think, with the few men we could have got, that we could
have arrested them out there, on account of those men out there. It
might have made the thing worse if we had attempted to arrest them on
the ground. I thought it was better to arrest them away from there.
Q. Did you attempt to locate them at their homes that night--you did
not go to their homes?
A. No; we did not go to their homes, but we got information from the
parties who made the information.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did you have any arrangement to watch those men?
A. From all accounts, the men seemed to be in the crowd. We had no one
watching their houses that night, because we did not find out that
night were they all lived.
Q. Did you not have men to watch these men or follow them around?
A. No, sir; not to my knowledge.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Didn't you see some of these men out there on Friday?
A. I did not. I was not out there.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. How did you expect to know that these men went to their homes, if
you did not follow them or have them watched?
A. The warrants were withdrawn before we located the men.
Q. What efforts were you making to locate them?
A. We were making inquiries from parties who knew them.
Q. Were you trying all the time to find out where they were?
A. We asked the parties who made the information. We wanted to locate
them all, and to make the arrests. We did not expect to arrest them in
the crowd. We thought we could not do it there.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. Did you have any spotters out in the crowd at all?
A. Several of the officers there saw the different parties, and what
they did. Or, if information was made against them, we had them
arrested and tried. Some of them are not tried yet. Any of the officers
who knew any men, or saw them do anything, afterwards made information
against them.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. The officers reported to you, did they?
A. Some of them.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. You being the chief of detectives, did you send any men out to spot
those parties?
A. No, sir; after Friday, the thing was taken out of our hands. If any
party gave information in regard to what was done, we would have them
arrested. The detectives were out. We made inquiries of people as to
what they saw other people do.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Was it not on Saturday morning that you considered the complaint
withdrawn upon which the warrants were based?
A. I think on Friday, it was, that I was notified to hold them until
further orders.
Q. Was it not on Saturday morning instead of on Friday morning?
A. My recollection is, that it was Friday.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were you present at any time during the destruction of the property
of the railroad company by fire?
A. I was along the line Sunday morning, in Liberty street. I drove
along with the mayor in a buggy. My mother and sister both lived back
of the Union depot, and they were burned out. I tried to help them get
their things away.
Q. During the fire, were you ever called on by the chief of the fire
department, or by anybody connected with the fire department, to
protect them in their attempts to put out the fire?
A. No, sir.
Q. Do you know of any other officer of the police force being called
upon to assist them?
A. No.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did you take any measures to prevent this destruction?
A. We could not do anything after the first firing was done. With what
police force we had, we could do nothing at all. They commenced
breaking into houses, and gun stores, &c., and we tried to prevent them
from doing that.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you see them breaking into any gun stores?
A. Yes; on Penn street I saw a couple of men breaking into a pawn shop.
I heard of the mob coming, and I hurried up the officers, and placed
men in front of different gun stores, but on Wood street they got into
one in spite of the men. Before that, we had notified the different
parties to put their guns away, that the excitement was very great, and
that the soldiers had fired upon the men, and that they would be apt to
break into places to try to get arms. I notified the different parties
to put their goods away that the mob should not get them.
Q. Who composed that crowd--did you recognize any of them?
A. They seemed to be working men--men that came from the south side.
One squad that came from the south side--I saw them going down the
street--a couple of young men--the same that I saw marching down Penn
street. Some of them have been arrested since.
Q. You think the men were principally from the south side who broke
into the gun stores?
A. About the time that they broke into them, at different places, I had
squads of men. On Fifth street a couple of young men came down firing
off guns, and I went to the mayor's office for more men, and I was not
there two minutes when word came that Brown's gun store was broke into.
I then got some men and placed them in front of the door.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did you succeed in keeping the crowd out then?
A. Yes; but it was not much good then, for the things were gone. They
had ransacked the place.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. What time was that?
A. It was on Saturday night. It was just about dusk when this party
came down, and went in on Liberty street and on Penn street. I was
going up that way towards Twenty-eighth street, when I saw this mob
coming down. I followed on down to see what they proposed to do.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You had no men stationed about any of these gun stores before they
broke into them?
A. Yes, sir; at Brown's, on Wood street.
Q. Were they uniformed men?
A. Yes; on the regular city force. I sent them to the places where I
thought they were most needed, and I tried to prevent the mob from
getting fire-arms.
* * * * *
Charles McGovern, re-called.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Were those men that you took to Twenty-eighth street dressed in
uniform?
A. No; just a few of them had vests on with uniform buttons on. And all
of them that had badges about them, I had them place them on their
coats in order to show that they were officers.
Q. Were there any that had neither vests nor badges among them?
A. I think there were. Some of them did not happen to have anything
with which to show that they were officers.
Q. Were they armed in any way?
A. No.
Q. They had no maces?
A. No; they were taken out in a hurry from the city hall--just taken
out on the spur of the moment.
Q. What time were those warrants placed in your hands for the arrest of
those parties?
A. My recollection of the warrants--I could very easily give you a
definite answer if I had time to go to the office and refer to my
memoranda. Then I could tell you. But I think it was Friday. That is my
impression. I think it was Friday morning or Thursday afternoon.
Q. How long did you keep them in your possession?
A. A day, I think, and a night. That is my impression.
Q. Did you make any effort to arrest the parties?
A. We were so busy on other matters that there was no effort made, any
more than to make inquiries and locating the parties. We did not
anticipate any trouble in getting them after the excitement was
somewhat allayed.
Q. Did you go to their houses during the time that you had the
warrants?
A. No.
Q. Did you try to spot the men among the crowd?
A. No; I cannot say that I did, because it was a secondary
consideration in regard to those men. The information was interfering
with railroad employés, and we considered it a light matter towards
what was going on at Twenty-eighth street--the riotous proceedings. We
were kept busy that day and night trying to keep order.
Q. Those men were all participating in the riot as leaders when you
first went out there?
A. I do not know that of my own knowledge, but I, of course, inferred
it from the fact of the information made against them.
Q. Did you know any of the ten or twelve men that stood around, trying
to prevent the arrest of McCall?
A. None of them tried to prevent the arrest of McCall. I knew some of
them by face and a few by name.
Q. Were any of those men's names included in those warrants?
A. I believe they were, but I did not have those warrants at the time.
Q. You did not get them until that evening or the next morning?
A. I think it was the next morning.
Q. Then you did not go up to arrest them when you got the warrants?
A. Not immediately. It was considered a matter of judgment at the
office by the mayor, and, of course, I was under his instructions.
Q. You followed the mayor's instructions?
A. Not specially his instructions, but chief O'Mara's instructions. I
considered it would be easier to serve them afterwards than at the
present time.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. When you summoned those men to go out, you did not provide them with
maces and equipments as you usually do?
A. The police force of this city provide everything for themselves. If
they want to carry a pistol, they must provide it. Our maces we buy,
and our clothes we buy. The city supplies nothing. At one time the city
supplied those things, but now we have got to supply all those things
ourselves. We did not think it would be necessary to have them armed at
that time.
Q. At the time of a row, if the men are armed, it is all right, and if
they are not armed, it is all right, too?
A. It was a sudden summons, and nobody understood the extent of it. Of
course, the gentleman who summoned us, said he did not anticipate any
serious trouble at all; that he thought that our official appearance
would be sufficient; that the presence of the officers there would be
all that was necessary.
Q. But you, as an officer, did not exactly believe in official
appearance, without something to knock down with in case of a row?
A. In case of a riot we ought to be provided with arms; but there was
no riot at that time, nor did we anticipate any.
[A paper exhibited to witness.]
Q. State whether this is the information made upon which the warrants
were issued?
A. I never saw it.
Q. What did you do with the warrants?
A. They are still in the office.
Q. You returned them to the mayor?
A. No; they are still in the closet at the office. I think they are
there yet. I may have destroyed them.
Q. Do you know the date of the warrants?
A. I cannot remember the date. I told you I thought it was Thursday
evening or Friday; that would be the 19th or 20th.
* * * * *
John J. Davis, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. No. 114, Sixteenth street, on the south side.
Q. What was your business in July last?
A. I was clerk to the chief of police.
Q. Where were you on the 19th day of July--Thursday?
A. At the mayor's office, and at the railroad.
Q. State if you have any knowledge of the disturbances that occurred?
A. I was not at the railroad during the time of the disturbances.
Q. Did you receive information of them?
A. We got a second dispatch, or rather a young man came from the ticket
office asking for fifty men. I was present in the office at the time.
Q. What time did you receive that dispatch?
A. Between twelve and one o'clock.
Q. By whom was it signed?
A. I cannot say now. It was brought by a young man at the ticket
office?
Q. You mean the railroad ticket office?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Asking for fifty men?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. To whom was it addressed?
A. To the mayor. I started out and hunted up all the men I could find,
and during my progress I saw the mayor, and he gave me orders to hunt
up all the men I could, both the old men and the men that had been
dropped. I met him on Fifth avenue.
Q. Did you inform him of the dispatch?
A. I did, and he ordered me to hunt up all the men I could possibly
find.
Q. How many did you get?
A. In the neighborhood of twenty-five or twenty-eight that afternoon. I
can not say exactly.
Q. What did you do with them?
A. Some went out on a train, and some walked out. I went out with one
squad, with Mr. White. We saw Mr. Watt, and he suggested the sending of
the men to Torrens station, six or eight of them; the balance of them
stayed at Twenty-eighth street.
Q. What time did you meet the mayor on Fifth avenue?
A. I suppose five minutes after the dispatch came. I started out and
went down to the station-house to see if any officers were there, but I
found none there. I then went two squares, and on my way coming back, I
met the mayor on Fifth avenue. It was not over five or ten minutes.
Q. You informed him about the dispatch calling for fifty men?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where was he during the rest of that afternoon?
A. As I stated before, I went to Twenty-eighth street, and stayed there
all that afternoon.
Q. Did you have any communication with him that afternoon?
A. No; everything was quiet at Twenty-eighth street that afternoon. My
instructions were to communicate if anything was wrong. I went to
Torrens station about four o'clock. Quite a crowd was there.
Q. What was the crowd doing?
A. They were watching to see if any trains would go out. It was
curiosity.
Q. How many were there?
A. One hundred or one hundred and fifty, while I was there.
Q. Of whom was this crowd composed?
A. Of laboring men, and railroad men, and business men, and women and
children.
Q. All mixed together?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were the railroad men noisy and boisterous?
A. Not that I saw.
Q. Were they stopping the trains?
Q. The only one I saw stopped was at Twenty-eighth street.
Q. What time was that?
A. I heard the men saying it was three-forty, schedule time.
Q. They stopped it?
A. They started out, and three or four officers were put on the engine.
After they started, some parties got on the track and waved their
hands, and the engine stopped and the engineer jumped off. The officers
were still on the engine after the engineer got off.
Q. You simply called for volunteers when you went out to hunt up those
men?
A. Only one man refused to go.
Q. Was any demand made on the night force that afternoon?
A. The mayor instructed me to hunt up all the men I could find, both
the men on duty and the men dropped, and I did so.
Q. The men on regular duty went out, did they?
A. Those that I found. At that time we only had one hundred and twenty
men, including lamp-washers and station-house keepers.
Q. How many men did you get that afternoon on actual duty--the night
force?
A. To my best recollection, five or six, but I won't be positive. I
only sent in the bill for the men not on regular duty--twenty-nine the
company paid for--for those men on duty we sent in no bill at all. It
was only for the men not paid by the city.
Q. How long were those men on duty there?
A. Until morning. They reported at the office between seven and seven
and a half o'clock.
Q. Friday morning?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. All of them?
A. Some went home for breakfast.
Q. Were they sent on duty again?
A. They were sent out to the depot in the morning, but they came back
and said they were not wanted, that Officer Fox had all the men he
wanted.
Q. Who was he?
A. He has charge of the officers around the depot.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. He is an employé of the railroad?
A. I think so.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did he tell you that he had all the men that they wanted?
A. The men I sent up to the depot reported that to me.
Q. Who reported that?
A. Officer William Johnson. Several of them, I think. Officer Crosby.
The men came back and they said that they were not wanted. He kept
three at the depot, M. A. Davis, Matthew Goddard, and Ernest Ehring.
Q. Where was the mayor during the night?
A. When I came back in the evening, about seven o'clock, I brought the
men to supper, and after they had supper, I sent them out again, and I
went to the office. I am not positive whether I saw the mayor there or
not. I am not positive about that. The next time I saw him, was in the
neighborhood of twelve o'clock, at the office.
Q. Thursday night?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where did he remain during the balance of the night?
A. In the office. I stayed there also all night.
Q. Were you out during the night?
A. I went out and stayed until about ten o'clock, and then I came back.
Q. Did the mayor have any communication with the men out there during
the night?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Where was the chief of police during the night?
A. I cannot say that.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say you sent the men back on Friday. Where did you instruct them
to go--to the Union depot or to Twenty-eighth street?
A. To the Union depot. I directed them to ask if they were wanted, and
they came back and said that they were told that they were not wanted;
that they had all the men they wanted.
Q. Do you know where the mayor was on Friday?
A. I cannot answer that, because I was at Twenty-eighth street, almost
all day on Friday. My instructions were to go there, and if I saw a
disturbance, to telegraph immediately to the city to the office.
Q. You did not see him on the ground at any time?
A. No--not on Thursday nor on Friday.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. While you were there, on Friday, did you see any effort made to take
possession of the tracks?
A. No; no effort was made at all.
Q. You saw no disturbance at all on Friday?
A. No.
Q. Or Saturday?
A. No disturbance, until after the trouble about the firing.
Q. Was any effort made during Friday to run out trains?
A. Not while I was there--not on Friday.
Q. The crowd was there?
A. Quite a crowd was gathered there. They appeared to be going and
coming all day.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You saw no effort made on Friday. How long were you there on Friday?
A. I suppose I was there three quarters of the day--walking all along,
and seeing what was going on.
Q. There might have been an effort made, and you not have seen it?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. It appeared to be an orderly assemblage?
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What were they doing?
A. Standing together and chatting--talking.
Q. Standing there all day?
A. They appeared to be coming and going.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did the subject of conversation appear to be the stopping of the
trains?
A. I did not hear them.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What were they there for?
A. For curiosity, I suppose.
Q. Where is this William Johnson that you spoke of?
A. He is on the police force now.
Q. What is Crosby's first name?
A. George.
* * * * *
Philip Demmel, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. No. 26 Twelfth street, in the south side.
Q. What was your business during last July?
A. I was chief of the police of Pittsburgh.
Q. State whether any knowledge was brought to you in regard to the
disturbance at Twenty-eighth street, on the 19th of July, and if so,
state what time it was.
A. I came to the office sometime after dinner, and went into the
mayor's office, and I was told that some of the railroad employés had
gone on a strike at about Twenty-eighth street, and that Mr. Watt had
sent for some policemen, and that about ten or a dozen had been sent
out in charge of Detective McGovern. A short time after a dispatch came
in signed by Mr. Watt, asking for fifty more men. I went on the street
myself then. Our police force, of course, was in bed. They did duty at
night. I went on the street, and saw a few of those discharged men, and
asked them to go. Some went and some did not. I did not hear anything
more of it until evening, when I came in from supper. They reported
then that one man had been arrested, and after that everything was
quiet. The men got their suppers, and we sent them out again. There
were only a few that would not go. In the morning they came back--those
who were on duty all night--and some of them said that the railroad
officers had got as many men as they thought sufficient, and that the
military was called out. It was thought at the mayor's office then that
the services of the police would not be needed any longer.
Q. That the services of the police would not be needed any longer, you
say?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the mayor say that?