PITTSBURGH, _Wednesday, February 20, 1878_.
The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at ten o'clock, A.M. Mr.
Lindsey in the chair. All the members present except Messrs. Reyburn
and Torbert.
* * * * *
Daniel Corbus, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
Examined by Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. New Brighton, Beaver county.
Q. How long have you resided there?
A. I was born there in 1839.
Q. What is your business?
A. Wire drawer by trade.
Q. State whether you were in Pittsburgh when the disturbances of last
July first broke out?
A. I was not there at the breaking out of it. I arrived here the same
day, about a quarter past one, I suppose--Liberty street.
Q. State what you saw and heard?
A. Saturday night the news was very exciting out home, and Sunday
morning at eleven o'clock I took the express and arrive I here at the
city--Federal street--about twelve o'clock I should judge it was. Came
over to Fifth street and got my dinner. Went to the market-house and
saw a crowd of people there. Went down to see what was going on, and
found it was a peace convention.
Q. A what?
A. A peace convention.
Q. At what point was that?
A. It was some place near the old City Hall--I should judge it was. It
was in the street. I went from there up Liberty street until I met the
fire. I couldn't state how far it was from the Union depot--how many
squares it was; but I stopped at the first crossing below the last car
that was on fire. I staid there until a car load of spirits exploded,
and the flames ran down from there about a hundred feet.
Q. Where was this explosion--at what point?
A. It was on the railroad in a railroad car.
Q. What street?
A. It was on Liberty street--I should judge that was the street that
the cars go out of. I am not well enough acquainted to state
positively--it was on the Pennsylvania railroad.
Q. Was that on the Allegheny Valley track?
A. No, sir; on the Pennsylvania tracks.
Q. Near what cross street?
A. That I am not well enough informed to know, but I should judge it
was four squares above the Union depot, right up the track.
Q. Four squares?
A. Yes; four squares.
Q. Go on now?
A. While standing there looking at the flames going on, I made a remark
to some person: "Ain't they going to try to stop it?" and he said, "no,
we don't care anything whether it is stopped or not." I hadn't staid
there long until I heard the gong of a hose carriage. The crowd didn't
seem disposed to give way or do anything--just standing in the road. I
asked the crowd if they would stand back and let the hose carriage come
in. I was a perfect stranger to every person around. There was a
movement made in the crowd, and the hose carriage came up. Says I, "do
you want any assistance?" says he, "yes." Says I, "give me the end of
the hose and I will make the attachment." He was taking it off the reel
and one man jumped from the reel and went to the plug, and him and I
made the attachment. The reel started on--there was barrels being
rolled down this street, and everything was in confusion, and no person
seemed to make any effort to check anything. I seen that the hose were
in danger of being blocked, and I told some parties who were rolling
some barrels down, "stop that! put that barrel in here." They stopped.
I took the barrel out of their hands, and rolled it into the gutter. I
staid there for ten minutes afterwards, when one of my companions came
along, and says he, "let us get out of here." We walked on down do the
Union depot, passed the Union depot and went up to, I should judge it
would be Washington street, from the description given--not being well
acquainted with the streets--and stepped into a segar store, got some
segars, and told the proprietor of the store, says I, "I think you had
better move." And says he, "no, I don't think there is any danger."
Says I, "in a couple of hours you will be burned out--they ain't making
any effort up there to stop it." I went out, passed around on to the
side of the hill above the Union depot, where I had a view of the whole
transaction that was going on; just seen the burners going along and
doing just as they pleased, having everything in their own hands. I was
on the side of the hill when the office beyond the shed attached to the
Union depot building was set on fire.
Q. Did you see it set on fire?
A. I seen a man go into the building, and in a few minutes I seen the
flames coming out.
Q. Do you know the man?
A. No, sir; I was too far away. The smoke coming up over the hill, I
moved around and came back, then down to the Union depot by the same
route I had went up, and there stopped by the elevator. As I came by
the Union depot, I saw, I suppose, twenty armed men leaving it, some
with parts of uniform on, some with caps, and some with pants, and
others with citizens overcoats. They were going through the gangway to
the hill, passing out of the side entrance to the gangway that runs
across the Pan-Handle road on to the hill. I stood down by the
elevator, and saw the parties making their escape from the upper
stories of the Union depot, and then I got in conversation with a
gentleman about it. Says I, "I suppose they will be satisfied when that
is burned." "No;" says he, "we won't be satisfied until this elevator
is down." Says I, "do you intend to burn this?" Says he, "everything in
these monopolies has got to burn"--he made use of that expression. Says
he, "I am a citizen here, and I own property, and I expect to help pay
for it." Says I, "this is not railroad property." Says he, "it don't
make a damned bit of difference, it has got to come down; it is a
monopoly, and we are tired of it."
Q. Did you know that man?
A. I am personally acquainted with him, but I would rather not give his
name publicly.
Q. I think we ought to have his name?
A. I would give it to you privately. He is a friend of mine from
boyhood up. I can give you his name, and you can have him before you. I
would like to be excused from giving his name publicly.
Q. What kind of a citizen is he--what is his business standing?
A. He is a machinist, and of good character, so far as I know.
Q. How long has he resided in the city of Pittsburgh?
A. I suppose he must have resided in this neighborhood for twenty
years.
Q. Does he work in the railroad shops as a machinist?
A. No, sir; one of the city shops.
Q. How old a man is he?
A. I suppose he would be between thirty-five and forty years. About
near my age. We were boys together when we were in Brighton, and he
came to the city.
Q. A man of family?
A. Yes; he is a man of family.
Q. He said he expected to help pay for it?