Q. Only what you know of your own personal knowledge what effort was
made by the mayor and his subordinates to suppress the riots and
disperse the mob?
A. I only know that in the morning I went to the mayor and asked--early
in the morning----
Q. The day it commenced?
A. On Saturday. I was in Allegheny that night. I went to the mayor
early in the morning, and asked him if there was anything that could be
done--asked him if he couldn't get a few extra police by issuing a call
for extra police.
Q. That is the mayor of Pittsburgh?
A. Mayor McCarthy; yes, sir. He said the police committee were then in
session up stairs. I asked him if he would allow me to go up, and
request them to issue a call and guarantee their payment. He said, I
might. I went up and stated the case, and they said to me, that they
had authorized the mayor to employ a certain number, which I don't know
now, of police. I went to the mayor and asked him if he would--after
that there was a meeting at the city hall, pretty shortly after that--I
asked the mayor if he could get any extra police. He said, he couldn't
get them, he had tried, and couldn't get them. I joined the mayor after
that, and went to the city hall meeting. Going down Fifth avenue, I
asked the mayor if he was going to make an attempt to get additional
police, as he had been authorized by the police committee. He said he
was, but who was going to guarantee the payment of this money. I told
him we would fix that part of it, if that was all the hang there was to
it. We got to the city hall meeting, went on and got partly through. If
I remember right, I said I would be one of so many that would pay the
police, if he felt backward about employing them. Then I know after
that, he made an attempt to get men, and succeeded, I don't how far,
but he got a few, at least, later in the day. I asked him if he was
going to send out police, and he said he had not been asked to do so.
Q. Send them to the scene of the riots?
A. Yes; I am a friend of Mayor McCarthy, and I am simply testifying as
a citizen. I think there is very much of a mix somewheres--who it
belongs to or where it rests--it ought to be placed somewhere. There is
a very decided mix.
Q. I wish to ask you another question. Do you know what efforts were
made by the sheriff and his subordinates or the county authorities to
suppress the riot?
A. I don't know anything about that, nothing at all except hearsay.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Had you had any talk with Mayor McCarthy before Sunday?
A. No, sir; not on this subject.
* * * * *
Reverend Sylvester F. Scoville, being duly _sworn_, testified as
follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Were you at the citizen's meeting on Sunday?
A. I arrived just at the close of it.
Q. What occurred then?
A. I had been appointed a member of the citizens' committee. I went
with them to city hall, and from that went in carriages to the mob.
Q. Who accompanied you?
A. Bishop Tuigg, a father of the catholic church, whose name I have
forgotten--Mr. Bennett, I think his name is J. I. Bennett--Mr. J.
Parker, junior, and others, whose names I forget at the moment. There
were two carriages. Doctor Donnelly, I remember him distinctly, he was
there. Our contact with the mob was very brief. Railings were torn from
the fence on Liberty street; but we made our way to the end of the
platform of the car--the rear platform of the car. One of the gentlemen
sought to call the people to order, and introduced Bishop Tuigg, who
endeavoured to address them. They listened for a few moments, and then
interrupted with questions. After a few moments further they began to
throw clinkers or pieces of iron, and we were warned by apparent
friends to withdraw, with the words, "It is growing very hot here."
Other ineffectual attempts were made to address the meeting. After
withdrawing we proceeded to Twenty-sixth street, with a view of meeting
the strikers, and attempting to dissociate them from the rioters, with
the hope that they would assist in suppressing the riot. It was
impossible to find the leaders. One or two, who seemed to have some
influence, were finally seen. Then the citizens' committee went to
visit the railroad authorities at a private house in Allegheny.
Q. What was said to the strikers that you found, and what did the
strikers say?
A. Those who were found disclaimed any sympathy with the riot, and they
were appealed to do what they could to suppress it.
Q. Did they seem willing to help in suppressing the arson and riot that
was then going on?
A. They made no motion in that direction, but there were very few--they
were so scattered here and there. So far as I could see, all that was
accomplished by that committee was to direct the attention of the few
to the efforts that were going on in the city to organize a force. The
character of the rioters appeared to me to be such as belonged to
people habitually in Pittsburgh. I saw no evidence of their being
strangers.
Q. What class of people were they?
A. By their dress and language, they were laborers.
Q. Laborers from the factories, and rolling-mills, &c.?
A. I should think so. Yes, sir.
Q. Were there no railroad employés that were actually engaged in the
arson and burning and riot?
A. I recognized none whom I knew as railroad employés, but it was
evident that somebody that understood the management of engines were
there, and the crowd was not wholly confined to those whose dress
looked like laboring men. They seemed to have no wish to injure
anything but the railroad, and clamored to know whether any proposition
came directly from the chief of the road, Mr. Scott, and when they
found no such proposition was to be given to them, they would not
listen to any other.
Q. What time was it that you visited the scene of the riot?
A. From half past two to three. Do you wish to know anything in regard
to the interview with the authorities?
Q. Yes; I would like to have you relate the interview with the city
authorities?
A. I mean with the railroad authorities.
Q. Relate the interview with the railroad authorities?
A. By the time we had arrived at the private house, in Allegheny, the
depot was in flames, and I think also the elevator. So that they
answered in a word, that all the mischief had been done which they
could sustain, and they had no proposition for a compromise to make,
and it is just to say, that they would have said the same if they had
other interests. They plead also the general interest of the community
as a reason for not treating with those in rebellion against the
authorities. I know nothing whatever in regard to the conduct of the
city authorities, except what could be observed from the outside of the
building--the city hall--the new city hall--from five to seven
o'clock--the formation of the companies--they went up to the scene of
the riot, and their return, which I witnessed, that was all.
Q. Companies of citizens?
A. Citizens--young men mainly. Mr. McCune, and myself, and some others
were with the mayor at the time of the issuance of the first
proclamation, reading, I think, in this way: "Veterans, to the rescue.
Meet at city hall at ten o'clock," I think, "the citizens will follow
you."
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Whose proclamation was that?
A. Written, I think, by myself, at the instance of the mayor. That was
on Monday. There was no citizens' meeting then, that I knew of. This
proclamation was designed to meet the necessity which came upon us,
through the information of other persons coming from a distance--a boat
load down the Monongahela, and the cars full from McKeesport. That was
very soon afterward superceded by another notice, and General Negley
took the whole charge from that. I was engaged in visiting the wounded.
That is all I know in regard to it, except these expressions of opinion
I heard here and there.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How many were actually engaged in the burning and riot, when you
were out at the scene of the riot?
A. At the time we were there, before the firing of the depot, the
multitude was in an elongated form, stretching up the railway, so that
all were not visible at any one point. But those that were visible to
us, would number anywhere from two to three hundred who seemed actually
participating, while towards the city there was a large crowd.
Q. Bystanders and lookers on?
A. Yes; many of whom I recognized as our citizens, and persons of
standing in the community. Many statements have been made with regard
to the ease of checking the multitude at that point, which are
certainly hard to prove. No small force could have stopped them at that
time--that is, of course, in my judgment. I know very little about such
things. Some boys were in the multitude, and several of them evidently
under the influence of drink, and fainting from exhaustion and
excitement. But the most of them were stalwart men, under most powerful
excitement.
Q. Under the influence of spirits?
A. We could see that only in a few cases, of course, where it come to
such evidence that they were overcome by it. It is evident, there were
a number of boys who were on the point of falling, from exposure to the
sun.
Q. Were these two or three hundred that you speak of armed, so far as
you could see?
A. We saw no arms. The engine that was near us--there seemed to be an
effort of some to move it; but, if I understood rightly, those who
wished to remove the engine were pulled down from it, and not suffered
to move it.
Q. Who had called the meeting that appointed you a committee?
A. The notice I received and read from the pulpit was signed J. I.
Burnett, but his name was crossed out, as though he desired it to be
impersonal--written hurriedly on a piece of paper with a pencil. I
announced, at the time, that "this notice comes to me without
signature, and I am unable to say in whose name it is."
Q. Was that read in the pulpit of the churches pretty generally?
A. I am not advised as to that.
Q. At what hour?
A. At the close of the service.
Q. Morning service--that would be about twelve o'clock?
A. Yes; about twelve o'clock.
Q. How large was the gathering of the citizens at the meeting?
A. I came just at its close, but I suppose, from the area they occupied
in the street, that it was from one hundred and fifty to two hundred.
Q. This appointment of this committee was with a view of trying to stop
the arson and riot by peaceable measures?
A. Conciliation--yes. Our effort with the railroad authorities was
based upon previous efforts to dissociate the rioters from the
strikers, and remove that cause of complaint, and the only proposition
that was made was whether they could make any proposition.
Q. Did you report back to the citizens' meeting?
A. We started for the citizens' meeting. We arrived shortly before its
close, but for what reason, I could not understand, our chairman made
no report. Probably because there was nothing to report--nothing that
had been done, or could be done.
Q. How soon after you came back was it before the citizens began to
organize into companies for the purpose of protection?
A. Almost within half an hour. While we were standing on the verge of
the assembled crowd, they began to form in line, and march to the city
hall. I remember the person who headed the column.
Q. Were these companies armed that night?
A. They were armed when they reached the city hall.
Q. With what?
A. With muskets, as I understood, taken from the armory of the
university, as I was afterwards told, without ammunition.
Q. How many citizens were there in arms that night do you think?
A. Do you mean at night or at that time?
Q. At that time?
A. At that time, I saw probably a hundred.
Q. Did it increase in number?
A. No; it seemed to diminish. Going down to the Duquesne depot, at nine
o'clock, I was told that quite a large number had come originally to
guard the depot, but all had dispersed, except six.
* * * * *
Frank Haymaker, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
Examined by Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Part of the time in the city and part of the time at Laurel station,
four miles below the city.
Q. A deputy of Sheriff Fife's?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. State whether you accompanied Sheriff Fife to Twenty-eighth street,
on the night of Thursday, the 19th of July last, and what took place
there?
A. On the 18th of the month, I went to the country. On the 19th I got
back. I heard they were striking in town here, and there were a good
many men got on the cars coming in along, and they were talking
considerably about it on the road coming in--talking that they were
coming in to take part in the strike. That was on Thursday, the 19th of
the month. I noticed men along the road, on the road coming in, and
some of them yelled at those parties who got on the train to send them
out grub--they had been out for some time, and hadn't had anything to
eat. They were out at East Liberty. I came in town. Didn't notice much
of a crowd in the city. That was late in the evening, and I went to bed
that evening about nine o'clock. I think it was about two o'clock I was
wakened by Sheriff Fife himself. He said they wished us to go to
Twenty-eighth street. We got in a carriage and went to Mr. Pitcairn's
office, and from there we went out to where there was a considerable of
a crowd gathered.
Q. What occurred there--what was said by the sheriff and done.
A. The sheriff talked to them, and he told them what the result of it
would be, and they would have to go away. If they did not, he would
have to send for the military. He said he would use all the power that
he could, but, he said, if they would not disperse he would have to
send for the military. They hooted him and hissed him and gave him a
great deal of bad language while I was there. I turned around and came
back to Pitcairn's office, and he told me he would not need me any
longer, I might go home. I went home and went to bed.
Q. Did he make any attempt to arrest anybody that night?
A. No, sir; not that I know. They were not doing anything at the time
we went out there, any more than standing there.
Q. Were they interfering with the trains that were passing?
A. No, sir. I believe they said, though, that they would not--they were
not going to let any more trains go out, or something to that effect.
Q. The sheriff made no attempt to disperse the crowd that night, did
he?
A. No, sir; the two of us--I don't think there was much use of us
making any attempt.
Q. Did he make any attempt to raise a posse?
A. He told me he could not find any other of his deputies--he had sent
for several of them, but they were not at home, or something of that
kind. He said I was all the one he could find.
Q. Did he call upon citizens to go out?
A. That night?
Q. Yes?
A. No, sir; not to my knowledge--he did not.
Q. Do you know when he sent to the Governor for troops?
A. These men that came for him, told him all they wanted of him, was to
go out and make a demand of the crowd to disperse.
Q. Who told him that?
A. I believe it was Mr. Scott told him that.
Q. Did you hear him tell him that?
A. Yes, sir; I am not certain it was Mr. Scott, but I think it was.
Q. Was it one of the railroad officials?
A. It was one of the railroad officials and one of the men that came
for the sheriff.
Q. When did the sheriff call on the Governor to furnish him with
troops?
A. That night, sir.
Q. After he returned?
A. After he returned.
Q. And before morning?
A. And before morning; yes, sir.
Q. State whether you were with him at any other time?
A. On Friday I was out--Friday morning--to serve some writs, and didn't
get back until pretty late in the morning. When I got in, he told me he
wanted me to go along out to Twenty-eighth street.
Q. That was the next day?
A. Yes; that was on Friday. We two went down to the depot. The militia
was gathered there. We stood there several hours. I think he came to
the conclusion not to go out on that day. He told us we could go home
again--would not go out before the next day. The next day I was out
some place attending to some business in my district, and came back. He
told me that the rest of the deputies were all out and they wanted men
to go to Twenty-eighth street. That was the day before--that was on
Friday, I think it was Friday--he attempted to raise a posse, I would
not be certain. He said the rest of the deputies were all through town
trying to get a posse to go and assist in making arrests, and told me
he wanted me to go out and raise all the men I could--if I could find
any, to bring them in. I went out and met a good many men that I knew,
and some that I was not acquainted with, anymore than I knew their
faces, and spoke to them about going out, and none of them would go.
Q. Where did you go to raise a posse?
A. I went around through the city.
Q. On what streets?
A. I believe all the time I was on Fifth street.
Q. What class of men did you ask to go?
A. Just any man at all that I thought there was any show of getting.
Q. Did you ask any of the business men?
A. I don't remember that I did.
Q. Who did you ask--anybody you met in the street?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You didn't ask strangers, did you?
A. There are a great many men in the city that their faces are
familiar, but I don't know their names.
Q. Any citizens?
A. Yes, sir; any citizens I met.
Q. What replies did you get.
A. Some of them stated they didn't want to have anything to do with
fighting against the workingmen, other men said, damned if they wanted
to go out there to get killed, and such replies as that.
Q. Did you demand--make a demand on them to go?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And they absolutely refused?
A. They absolutely refused.
Q. What was done with those men that refused?
A. I never knew of anything being done to them.
Q. Was any report of it made to the court?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Nor no arrests made?
A. No.
Q. State in what way the demand was made?
A. Well, sir, I just made a verbal demand.
Q. In what words?
A. I asked if they would go out, and assist in making arrests at
Twenty-eighth street.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Did you say to any of them that you commanded them as a peace
officer--you demanded their assistance as a posse to assist in
suppressing the riot?
A. No, sir; I believe I didn't.
Q. It was a mere request, then, and not a command?
A. I suppose it was.
Q. And they declined?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you go outside of the city in search of men?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you call upon professional men?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What class of professional men?
A. Attorneys.
Q. Did you succeed in getting any?
A. They just laughed at me.
Q. Did you call on any physicians?
A. I believe not.
Q. Any dentists?
A. Not that I know of. We don't go to that class of men.
Q. I believe you cannot state anything but what has already been
stated?