Q. We have had a great many witnesses on that subject?
A. I don't think I can enlighten you any on that subject.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. The sheriff issued no proclamation?
A. Not that I know of.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did the sheriff go out himself, and command men to join him in
putting down the riot?
A. I couldn't state that, whether he did or didn't. I was not in the
office much. I was away in the morning, and when I came back, he
requested me to go out.
Q. What were his directions to you?
A. His directions were to go out in town, and get all the men I could
to assist in making arrests in Twenty-eighth street. He said there was
three or four men there they had warrants for, and they expected
trouble, and wanted a posse.
Q. Didn't tell you to make your demands, or what language to use, nor
gave you no written summons.
A. Nothing more than what I have told you.
* * * * *
James H. Fife, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Allegheny City.
Q. Brother of Sheriff Fife, of Allegheny county?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you with your brother at any time during the riots of July
last?
A. I was with him on Saturday.
Q. With him on Saturday?
A. Yes, sir; went with him from the Union depot up to Twenty-eighth
street.
Q. What time did you meet him at the Union depot?
A. I think about two o'clock, as near as I can recollect.
Q. Go on and state what took place from that time on.
A. There was considerable delay, at least I thought so, before we made
a start to go from the depot to Twenty-eighth street. There appeared to
be a delay with the military. They had not all arrived at the one time,
and those that had, had to have something to eat, before they were
ready to go on. There appeared to be considerable delay. I think it was
near four o'clock before a start was made from the depot--somewheres
between three and four o'clock. The sheriff and I think seventeen
assistants were in advance of the military, and marched up the railroad
street in that way. I understood the object that we were taken for was
to assist Constable Richardson in making some arrests. I understood
that there was an order issued from court to arrest some ten or eleven
of the ring-leaders of the strikers, and we were to assist Richardson
in making the rescue, and the military, as I understood it at the time,
was to protect us. I walked with my brother the greater part of the
way. We went two by two, in advance of the military. We reached the
neighborhood of Twenty-eighth street, and the crowd was so dense it was
with difficulty that we could get through it. We worked our way on up
to Twenty-eighth street. I stood about the center of the street for a
considerable length of time, at Twenty-eighth street, where the
railroad crosses. You have heard the statements made in regard to the
disposition that was made of the military there, and my own views are
just the same. They were put into what is termed a hollow square, and
then what followed after that----
Q. Did you find any of the men you went to arrest?
A. No, sir; my understanding before we started, and on the way there,
and afterwards, was, that Mr. Pitcairn was to point out the men to this
Constable Richardson, but I have never seen Mr. Pitcairn but once
since, and that was before your honorable body, and I saw no men
pointed out. There was no attempt made to arrest that I know of, and I
think it was very well that it was so.
Q. When you got to a certain point, the crowd resisted your further
progress?
A. It was an impossibility to get through, that was just about it. They
were there in large numbers. In front of us appeared to be one dense
mass of people, for a square or more, and on either side. Of course
they gave away to the military, to a certain extent, up to
Twenty-eighth street, and there the military halted, and appeared not
able to go any further.
Q. When the hollow square was formed, where was the sheriff's posse?
A. The sheriff was just--the last place I saw him was just at what we
would call the corner of this hollow square, on the left hand side as
you go up. His posse was--the principal part of them--right in front
among the crowd--immediately in front. I know that was my position, and
there was several others, I noticed, that went with us, that were
within a few feet of me at the time the order to charge bayonets was
made. I was, perhaps, no further than to that wall, [indicating about
fifteen feet,] from where I am sitting to where the charge was made.
Q. Was any attack made upon the sheriff's posse?
A. None that I know of. I was looking for it; but there was nothing of
the kind made. We were distinguished by a badge, so that we could have
been known by any person.
Q. Did the sheriff say anything to the crowd?
A. He tried to; but the noise was so great I don't think he was heard,
only by a very few in the immediate neighborhood.
Q. What did he say?
A. I don't know really what he did say. I could see that he was
talking; but I don't know what he did say. He was perhaps twenty (20)
feet from me.
Q. Was any attack made on the military by the crowd?
A. Yes; I presume you gentlemen were up there and can understand me.
Just where Twenty-eighth street crosses the railroad there is a road
which leads diagonally up the hill to the hospital. Just where that
road connects with Twenty-eighth street there was a gate that was hung
to close up that road. That gate was swung back, about two parts that
way, and here was a pile of stones behind it--between it and this
fence. There were two men standing behind that gate, and from the time
that these men attempted to make a charge, these men commenced throwing
stones at the military.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. The stones came from the right and front of the military?
A. Yes; and there was quite a number of pieces of coal and other
missiles thrown from the front or from this side here. These two men
that throwed them were behind this gate.
Q. This gate is east of the street, isn't it--Twenty-eighth street?
A. East of the street; it is to close that road that runs up the hill
to the hospital.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. They commenced throwing when the military got in reach?
A. No, sir; not until the time the charge of bayonets was made.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Where was it on Twenty-eighth street?
A. Just at the edge of it.
Q. Just reaching the street?
A. Yes, sir. I saw the two soldiers that were struck with missiles. One
of them was knocked down. He got up in a minute. When he dropped his
cap had dropped off, and when he got up he held his gun in his left
hand this way, butt on the street, and he was wiping his face so,
[indicating] it was bleeding very profusely. The other one didn't fall;
he was struck some place about the shoulder. These are the only two
that I saw that I knew to be struck, and it was over in that
neighborhood where these two were struck that the firing commenced, the
firing was in that direction, over towards the hill. I didn't see any
stone thrown immediately in front, but there was coal and other
missiles--pieces of sticks and things of that kind.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Have you any new facts to communicate to us that have not been gone
through?
A. I don't know that I have, unless there will be some question
occurring to you.
Q. Do you know what efforts were made by the mayor to suppress the
riots?
A. I know nothing about that, only from hearsay.
Q. You live in Allegheny City?
A. Yes; I live in Allegheny City. I live on Anderson street--that is,
at the far end of the bridge.
Q. Was there any riot over there?
A. We didn't permit it over there.
Q. Was there any strike?
A. Yes; there was a strike, and the railroad, as I understood it, and
to all appearance, was in the possession of the strikers. There was no
destruction of property.
Q. How large a crowd of strikers was together at any one time?
A. At one time, I suppose, I saw two or three or four hundred together
at the outer depot.
Q. What day was that?
A. That was on Sunday. They didn't appear to destroy any property,
everything appeared to be just at a stand-still. There was men standing
talking, and didn't appear to molest anybody.
Q. What preparations were made by the city authorities of Allegheny
City, to protect themselves and to keep down the riot?
A. Meetings of the citizens were called at the public square--the
mayor's office--and of course there was a great deal of talk like there
is at all these kind of meetings, and a good many propositions made,
but the one that was adopted, was, that they should organize the
citizens into a military force, and did it, so that General
Lesieur--General Lesieur was the colonel of the round-head regiment
during the late trouble. He is now a practicing physician in Allegheny
City.
Q. What time was it organized?
A. Sunday afternoon or Monday afternoon, the time of the troublest
times, anyhow.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Go on?
A. To let you know a part of what was done, I live adjacent to the
bridge. There was a piece of artillery planted there, and sixteen men,
armed with muskets, stood there as a guard for a week, every night, and
I was informed it was so down at the other bridges, and the street cars
that run over that line, many of them, were stopped just at the end of
the bridge, and one of these military would look in to see who was in.
There was persons coming, as I understood, from a distance here, roughs
and rowdies, &c., and the object was that they shouldn't come in
Allegheny City--they had to go back on this side.
Q. How long did that crowd continue there at the outer depot--of
strikers?
A. I don't know the length of time it continued; there was more or less
of them there for several days, until the thing got settled.
Q. What was done by the mayor and his subordinates prior to the
citizens' meeting in Allegheny City--Mayor Philips?
A. Well, I don't know precisely what was done, it is only from hearsay,
and that, of course, is not evidence.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was this meeting called by the mayor?
A. Called by the mayor, as I understood.
Q. Organized a force?
A. Yes, sir. I don't know the number, but the number is quite small,
compared with this city. I saw myself, on Sabbath day, a policeman stop
two persons that were carrying stuff away, that afternoon, they had got
from some of the cars here. It was plunder. They stopped them and took
them with them, I presume to the lock-up. I don't know, but I suppose
so.
Q. Plunder and all?
A. Plunder and all. A question has been raised here frequently about
who gave orders to fire up there. I think I was in a position that I
would have known.
Q. That is, at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Yes; I heard no order given by any one, and during the time the
firing was in progress, I saw a man that was represented, that I
understood to be General Brinton, trying, apparently, to stop it. He
was using his sword this way, [indicating,] under their guns, to get
them to shoot up or quit. That was the idea conveyed to my mind.
Q. I would like to ask you another question or two in relation to this
citizens' meeting in Allegheny City. Were the people generally in
Allegheny City unwilling to respond, or did they willingly respond to
the call of the mayor, and organize themselves into a military
organization.
A. I think so--all that was needed. I think there was no difficulty
there.
Q. How large was the response--was the meeting in response to the
mayor's call?
A. This thing of fixing numbers is kind of guess work. I don't know.
There was two or three hundred, perhaps, when I saw them. I think, if
you would call Mayor Philips, he could give you that perhaps better
than I could.
Q. Was there anybody who refused, to your knowledge?
A. I don't know of a single one that refused in Allegheny City--I don't
know of any.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did Mayor Philips take active measures to raise a force for the
purpose of preventing or suppressing violence and riot?
A. I so understood that he did.
Q. He did his duty well?
A. I think so; and the evidence of it is, that he had his men at these
bridges, guarding them, and keeping them there for a week, a piece of
artillery and twelve or sixteen men at every bridge.
* * * * *
George Olnhausen, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Over on the south side, on Carson street.
Q. What is your business?
A. Window glass business.
Q. Were you a member of any of the military companies?
A. Yes; pay-master of the Fourteenth regiment.
Q. On the ground or scene of the riots?
A. Yes; I was there.
Q. What day first?
A. It was on Saturday. We started on Friday afternoon, or rather
Saturday morning, to go up there, about four or five o'clock.
Q. Were you there before the arrival of the Philadelphia troops?
A. Yes; we arrived about three or four o'clock.
Q. Colonel Gray and the entire Fourteenth regiment?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was he there on Saturday?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. In command of his regiment?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How many men did he have on arrival?
A. On arrival we had twenty-seven officers and one hundred and
seventy-eight men on Twenty-eighth street.
Q. How long were you on duty there before the arrival of General
Brinton and his troops.
A. I think when we got there it was between four and five o'clock, and
stayed there until Brinton came. It was, I think, perhaps two or three
o'clock; I think somewheres near that time.
Q. Was anything said or done by Colonel Gray about clearing the track
before the arrival of General Brinton?
A. Yes. In the morning when we first got there there was a little
excitement--it didn't amount to really very much, but by ten or eleven
or twelve o'clock, one, &c., it got on worse all the time; that is,
there was a great many more men got there, and Colonel Gray sent me
down--I think it was between two and three o'clock--to give Colonel
Hartley Howard his compliments, and said, if they would cooperate with
them he would clean that track. Colonel Howard acknowledged the
compliments, and said he didn't think it was proper to do that.
Q. What regiment did Colonel Gray command?
A. The Nineteenth.
Q. Where was he stationed then?
A. He was laying just about this gate Mr. Fife spoke about here a
little while ago.
Q. Where abouts was the Fourteenth regiment then?
A. Right up on the hill.
Q. Commanding the hill?
A. Commanding the hill--that is, we were laying there. I went and
reported the matter to the colonel, that Colonel Howard didn't think it
was justifiable in doing that, and that ended the matter.
Q. Which officer was senior in command then, Colonel Gray or Colonel
Howard?
A. Colonel Gray is senior in command. Colonel Gray sent down that word.
I don't suppose that he meant or wanted to shoot or use any extra
force, just simply wanted to get them to go away from the track; at
least that is my impression.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was the message in the form of an order to Colonel Howard from
Colonel Gray?
A. No, sir; I don't think it was in the form of an order. Just simply
stating, that, if he would cooperate, they would clear the track
together. At that time we had four or five companies, and just as soon
as one company would march by they would rush in again, and kept on
that way all the time, from ten o'clock until the afternoon. It was
very annoying, because the men were very nearly played out.
Q. You may state what condition Colonel Gray's regiment was in, as to
obeying orders, and whether it was disposed to obey orders.
A. The majority of the men were. Of course, there were some few that
were in sympathy with the strikers. In fact, almost everybody in
Pittsburgh was in sympathy with the strikers.
Q. How many of Colonel Gray's regiment was in sympathy with the
strikers?
A. I should judge there would be about thirty-two.
Q. That couldn't be depended upon in case of an attack on the mob?
A. I suppose there might not have been that many, not quite thirty-two
you couldn't depend on, but there was thirty-two missing that night,
and I didn't hear of any of them being shot, and I suppose they must
have gone away.
Q. They skulked, in military parlance?
A. Yes; that was generally the case. I would also state, that when we
were disbanded at the Union depot we had twenty-eight officers and one
hundred and forty-six men. We had one officer more.
Q. When were you disbanded?
A. It was about eleven o'clock Saturday afternoon.
Q. For what purpose--why did you disband?
A. So far as I can learn, as General Brinton gave the orders to Colonel
Gray, Colonel Gray gave it to the officers and his men, and he
disbanded--staff officers.
Q. I would like the general to explain what he means by disband.
A. He meant that we should go to our homes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Broke ranks for the evening?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you re-assembled the next morning?
A. No, sir; we didn't re-assemble the next morning. I was over, and a
great many of the other officers were over, to see what we could do,
but we didn't re-assemble.
Q. To whom did you communicate these facts?
A. I communicated them to a number of persons.
By Senator Clark:
Q. Will you give the names of those persons?
A. I want to state this fact right here, that I understand this
committee to be appointed for the purpose of investigating this
transaction. Now, with all due respect to the committee, my idea is,
that the committee is appointed for the purpose of investigating the
facts.
Q. As a regiment you were not re-organized until Monday morning?
A. Yes, sir; a great many of the officers were there, and I suppose a
great many of the men. Everything was so exciting we could not get them
together.
Q. While you were on the hill, during Saturday, did your soldiers
mingle among the rioters, or did they preserve order?
A. They preserved order. There was a few that would get leave of
absence to go down street for something or other--very few.
Q. Did they remain in ranks.
A. Remained in ranks.
Q. You staid there until what hour?
A. We all remained there until the Philadelphia regiments were coming
up there, and I got instructions from Colonel Grey to have the troops
got ready to move.
Q. At what time did you abandon the hill?
A. I think we received orders to move down there about six o'clock. I
guess, perhaps, a little later than that--perhaps a little earlier--I
am not positive. We marched down there.
Q. Down where?
A. Down the hill, on to the railroad track at Twenty-eighth street, and
then down to the transfer depot, and stayed there until eleven o'clock,
or near eleven--half past ten, anyway.