Q. Not the citizens. I am speaking of the city and county officials?
A. In regard to the county officials, I was not with them. So far as my
knowledge goes, I was acquainted, at the time, from talking as I would
with Mr. Barr, or Slagle, or any of the gentlemen, and I believe they
were all anxious to try to prevent any loss of life or property, and do
all that was in their power.
Q. And could they have done so, if they had made a vigorous effort to
do so--protect the property and prevent the lawlessness?
A. After the riot got started they could not have done it. If we had
the full force we would have only had about two hundred policemen, and
they would not have been able to have done very much, and the sheriff
could not have done very much by calling upon the people and telling
them that he wanted them to stop. Nothing but imperiling their lives.
They would keep away from him. I do not think he had much chance of
doing anything.
Q. It is only a matter of opinion?
A. You could readily understand that those men, with the force that
they could command, would be small in comparison. After the firing I
have no doubt the report that there was ten or twenty killed, where
there was one, did create a fearful excitement, and I do not think any
sheriff of any county could have done anything at all that would have
stopped it, after it had once got started as it had on Sunday morning.
By Mr. Englebert:
Q. Did you take any active steps prior to Saturday evening?
A. No, sir; I did not really feel very uneasy about the matter until
Saturday afternoon, when I learned--I was not taking much interest in
the matter, and I got very much this way--the railroad people, this was
a matter they were tending to, but that there was going to be any
riot--there might be some quarreling, fighting, or something of that
kind, but I didn't expect there was going to be anything of the
magnitude it was. On Saturday, I felt concerned about the matter, and
the reason for being concerned was, that I knew that the manufacturing
establishments were idle, and the men were off work, and that they were
there, and if you have had anything to do with iron men, you know they
are a class of men who are easily excited.
Q. You, as a business man, would have closed up all business at that
time, under this state of excitement?
A. As a business man, when I found it was necessary to get the military
in there, I would not have undertaken to have done that on Saturday
afternoon. I would have waited until the men were employed on Monday,
or Tuesday, and then there would not be the danger that there was in
doing it on Saturday.
Q. The majority of men being off, of course there was great travel on
the streets?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You felt satisfied and easy that there would not be any disturbance
up to Saturday--why did you feel easy and satisfied that there would be
no trouble up to Saturday?
A. I understood that the military were here, and that would intimidate
them. I was tending to my own business, and really. I had not gone out
at all to see what was going on on the railroad, although we have a
mill opposite, within a mile, perhaps, of the outer depot, across the
river, and I came back and forward and everything was quiet; but when I
heard of the loss of life and of the firing, which, I think took place
on Saturday, and the men coming across and going into the gun shops in
the town, breaking them open and destroying them, then I felt that
there was danger, because there is this fact: there is a large number
of men that were through the war that are not afraid as those who have
never smelled powder--they are not very much afraid of it, and they are
brave men, and if you understood that there is danger, they say "we
know," and you cannot do anything with them. The idea was this: The
first I heard of it that they had shot into a crowd, killing men,
women, and children indiscriminately. These men are men who are ready
to believe anything of the kind, and they will believe what is said
among themselves quicker than they would from you or me or anybody else
on the outside. They were excited and exasperated, and then you cannot
control them, but the men about our mills are not bad men, all of them.
We have bad men there and they will get into the mills, but I do not
think there is a better class of men anywhere than in Pittsburgh. My
own theory is, that these tramps along the line of the railroad had a
knowledge of this strike, and might have been congregating in here for
two weeks, and these men are always ready to apply the torch at any
moment. They came in here and got into it. I think a great many of the
railroad men had nothing to do, and had no idea whatever of getting
anything but their wages--no idea of any loss of life or destruction of
property; but when they got in there they had no control of this thing,
and they did not know themselves whether the men that had been in the
lodge room, perhaps, were with them or against them. The people were
paralyzed at the magnitude of this thing.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You have a general acquaintance and knowledge of the manufacturing
interests of this State. Is there a larger proportion of employés in
the manufactories and mining in this vicinity than there is elsewhere
in this State?
A. I think there is; I am not familiar with any place where the
proportion is so large as it is just here in our city.
* * * * *
J. Howard Logan being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you live?
A. Lincoln avenue, Allegheny.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. 1 have a foundry in New Brighton. Doing business in Pittsburgh.
Q. State whether you were with Doctor Donnelly on Sunday, the 22d of
July?
A. I went to the meeting at the old city hall, in Market street, four
o'clock, Sunday afternoon, and joined the citizens' organization to go
up and stop the riot and firing. We had great trouble getting arms. At
first we went to the university, and failed to get them there. Then
went down and got pick-handles from a hardware store on Wood street.
After that we were marched up to the university again, but failed to
get them, and from there we went to one of the armories of the
Fourteenth regiment or Nineteenth, and failed to get any arms there. We
marched back again to the university, and we got some old rusty
muskets, with bayonets. There were plenty of men willing to go; but
being marched around from one place to another they dropped off. We got
these old muskets, and had about a hundred. We marched down to the
mayor's office, and from there we went up Liberty street to Wood, right
into the midst of the crowd, and attempted to form a line right across
Liberty street, at the edge of the crowd; but we were surrounded,
individually, and failed to do that. Doctor Donnelly, who was leading,
seemed to have lost control of the men, and seemed to be very much
excited. We stayed there about ten minutes without accomplishing
anything, except having pistols at our heads all around, and nothing to
defend ourselves with but these rusty muskets.
Q. Without any ammunition?
A. Without any ammunition or anything else. Probably one or two of the
party, or a few of them, had revolvers, but the majority of us had not.
Q. What did you do then?
A. We got started, and about half of the company went out, and the
balance of us turned around and came out then, feeling that we were
whipped.
Q. Then you had not the means to cope--arms or weapons to cope with the
crowd?
A. No, sir. There were a number lost their muskets in wrestling with
the crowd, but they were willing to fight or do anything to hold on to
them, but we were powerless because we had nothing to defend ourselves
with.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were the muskets wrenched from their hands?
A. In some cases they were.
Q. Did your men fight them, or use the bayonet?
A. Didn't use the bayonets. We held on to them, and pulled them away.
It was very fortunate for us that there were no pistol shots fired, or
we would all have been cut to pieces, because all the crowd were armed,
and we were not.
Q. If you had had a bold, deliberate leader, and been well armed, could
you have accomplished anything in the way of driving away the crowd?
A. We might have done something just at that place, but we did not have
more than enough to protect that one spot which we were at.
Q. Where was that?
A. That was on Liberty street, just in front of the elevator.
Q. In front of the elevator?
A. Yes; down from the elevator.
Q. What time was it?
A. About six o'clock.
Q. Sunday evening?
A. Between five and six.
Q. Was there any trouble in raising a company of citizens at that time?
A. No, sir; there were more than we had arms for--more ready to go than
we could get muskets for, and some, when we could get these imperfect
muskets, were afraid to go into the crowd with them. When we came down
from there we deposited what arms we had in the mayor's office, in
charge of a policeman there, and some of them scattered and went to the
depot--the Duquesne depot--and others to the depots or upon the street,
individually.
Q. What did you do Sunday night yourself?
A. I went over to Allegheny; found the citizens were organizing there
and about starting out to guard the bridges. I went with a party to the
railroad bridge and was there that night. I had a revolver with me
then.
Q. The railroad bridge?
A. The railroad bridge across the Allegheny river at the Fort Wayne
road.
Q. Was that well guarded by citizens?
A. There was about fifteen or twenty, armed with muskets and revolvers.
Q. What class of citizens?
A. There were several policemen and some officers and men from
Allegheny.
Q. Were you molested during the night?
A. No, sir; the orders were from the mayor to stop every person coming
over that bridge, and let no one pass. We turned a great many men
coming over there--we turned them back, and made them go around to the
other bridges.
Q. Allowed nobody to pass?
A. Allowed no person except a few whom the policemen recognized as
living right near there, and were respectable people. Any person we
didn't know we made them go back.
* * * * *
James I. Bennett, being recalled, testified as follows:
The Witness. Our city is surrounded by large mining interests, in which
thousands of men are engaged, and they come in on the trains Saturday
to do their marketing and other trading. When we learned of all this
thing--of what was going on Sunday--they came in a distance of four or
five or six miles, and perhaps there might have been thousands of these
men that came in on Sunday and on Monday. The works were nearly all
stopped, and these men were flowing in here in any number, and I think
only for the organization that the citizens had themselves perfected on
Monday, that I do not know what the consequences might have been later
in the week, but they saw that there was a preparation to meet them,
and the thing was stopped.
At this point the committee adjourned until to-morrow morning, at ten
o'clock.
PITTSBURGH, _Thursday, February 21, 1878_.
The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at ten o'clock, A.M., Mr.
Lindsey in the chair, and continued the taking of testimony.
All members present except Senator Reyburn.
* * * * *
John H. Webster, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Twenty-fourth ward, south side.
Q. What is your business?
A. Machinist.
Q. What firm are you at work for--Jones & Laughlin?
A. American Iron Works.
Q. Were you at work for them last July?
A. I have worked for them for over twelve years.
Q. Were you at the scene of the riots, near the Union depot, on
Saturday?
A. No, sir.
Q. Were you on Saturday night?
A. No, sir.
Q. Were you on Sunday?
A. I was on a hill immediately above.
Q. On Sunday?
A. Yes; got there about ten o'clock. I suppose it was somewhere in the
neighborhood of ten o'clock.
Q. That was your first appearance in the vicinity of the riots?
A. First appearance.
Q. How large a crowd was there, when you got there Sunday?
A. There was an immense crowd.
Q. Of what class of people was the crowd composed principally?
A. All classes.
Q. Were there railroad employés there?
A. I couldn't say whether there was or not.
Q. Were there mill men and factory men and employés in the shops about
Pittsburgh there?
A. Not that I seen of upon the hill where I was. I don't know what was
done on the track, I was away up top of the hill.
Q. How long did you remain up at the top of the hill?
A. I followed the firing down until the Union depot got fired, then it
got too warm for me, and I came away.
Q. Were you down near the track when you followed the firing along?
A. I was up on the hill.
Q. Were you near the elevator?
A. Coming down I passed the elevator, and got on Liberty street, and
the crowd made a rush, and came near knocking me down. I got down near
the corner of Penn street and stayed there, and watched the Union depot
burn.
Q. Did you have any conversation with those that were engaged in
burning?
A. When I first made my way on the upper part of the hill, there was a
number of young men lying on the ground under a fence, a tree, or
something, and I asked one of them--he appeared to be lively, he was
lying, kicking, and looked as though he was hard at work. Says I, "When
is this thing going to stop?" Says he, "At the elevator." Says I, "You
ain't gone that far." Says he, "Yes, that has got to come down, too;"
and I left him, after talking a few minutes about that.
Q. Who was he?
A. I don't know who he was.
Q. Strangers?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where did you go?
A. I went on from there down to look at the firing, and see all that
could be seen.
Q. When you arrived at the elevator, did you have any conversation with
anybody there?
A. Oh, yes; had a conversation with almost everybody--talking to each
other.
Q. Did you say that the elevator was going to be burned?
A. I told several parties what this party had told me on the hill, that
he allowed it would come to the elevator, and I began to think there
was a good deal of truth in it, because the Union depot was on fire.
Q. Did you see Daniel Corbus near the elevator?
A. I met him at the corner of Fifth and Fulton streets, and we walked
down together. I told him what these parties had told me--they were
going to burn down the elevator, that was a damn monopoly, too.
Q. Did you say to Daniel Corbus that the elevator had got to be
burned--that it was a monopoly, and had got to be burned?
A. I didn't tell him that, because I was taking no active part in it.
Q. Did you tell him that the other party said it was a damn monopoly,
and had got to come down.
A. Yes, sir. The railroad officials had stock in it, and they were
death on railroads.
Q. You had no participation at all in what was going on?
A. No, sir; just went over to see the fire, and to see what was going
on.
Q. How many were with this fellow that made this remark to you?
A. There was some four or five of them laying there, I think.
Q. Was this fellow intoxicated, did you think?
A. He appeared to be perfectly sober.
Q. What for a dressed man was he? How was he dressed?
A. From the appearance of him--he was not dressed any better than I am
just at the present time--dirty.
Q. Did his dress indicate a railroad employé or a factory man?
A. I couldn't judge that from his dress. Couldn't say what he was by
that--by his dress.
Q. He was dressed like a laboring man?
A. Yes; he was dressed like a workingman.
Q. What time did you leave the depot or elevator?
A. I left when I was standing on Liberty street. I left the time the
Union depot fell.
Q. About what time in the afternoon was that?
A. Somewhere very near six o'clock.
Q. Did you go back again?
A. No, sir; stayed home all night. I overheard a couple of gentlemen
saying that a committee had been talking to the crowd, and gotten the
promise not to burn the elevator. I thought the firing had stopped
there.
* * * * *
Irvin K. Campbell, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Ninth ward, Allegheny City.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. I am a foreman of the hinge factory of Lewis, Oliver & Philips.
Q. How long have you occupied that position?
A. About three years--possibly four. Between three and four.
Q. Were you near the scene of the riots any time during July last, in
any of the days and nights?
A. I heard of the firing on the citizens about six o'clock, and I came
up on what we call the Cleveland train, and got to Twenty-eighth
street, probably at eight o'clock.
Q. What was?
A. That was on Saturday evening--the evening after the firing.
Q. Twenty-eighth street? What time?
A. It was probably half past eight o'clock.
Q. When you got there how much of a crowd did you find there?
A. There was not much of a crowd when I was there. The troops had gone
into the round-house, and I inquired why they went in, and received no
satisfactory answer. I supposed I was acquainted with some of the
troops that went in, and inquired for Colonel Howard, of the
Nineteenth. I was acquainted with Mr. Howard, and served in the same
regiment in the army, and talked of going in and advising Colonel
Howard to get out of the round-house, and was advised not to go in;
that the men were scared enough to shoot any man.
Q. Who advised you this?
A. Alderman Conlan, of the Ninth ward, said they were scared bad enough
to shoot any man. I came out--I just stepped--probably had one foot
inside of the fence where you go into the round-house track--going into
the round-house at Twenty-eighth street. I went down Liberty street,
and there was two shots fired. I was with a gentleman named Joseph
Steen, son-in-law of Mr. Bown's, on Third street. I spoke then and said
something about firing out there when there was no occasion for it. I
don't mind what my conversation was, but kept on down the street, and
heard no more firing until I got down a little ways, and I heard
several rambling shots fired. At this time there was no organization,
or any crowd to amount to anything. I had been up to the hospital in
the meantime to see if there was anybody hurt that I knew. I formerly
worked for the railroad company there, and was a little interested to
see if there was anybody killed or wounded that I was acquainted with.
Q. Where were those shots fired from?
A. They were fired from one of the windows of what we call the
round-house for passenger engines--the round-house this way. You might
call it the Twenty-eighth street round-house.
Q. Were there any soldiers there?
A. I presume there was. I couldn't see from the outside.
Q. You didn't know whether they were soldiers or part of the mob?
A. I knew there were none of the mob in there at that time. They were
soldiers I knew, but I did not see them.
Q. Was there any burning going on at that time?
A. No burning at that time. 1 think after I came from there down the
street I heard burning talked of; and, if I recollect right, I heard it
intimated before I left Twenty-eighth street. I think that was my
reason for wishing to see Colonel Howard, to advise these men to come
out.
Q. By whom did you hear it talked of?
A. I couldn't tell. Although I formerly worked on the railroad, I
didn't see a man there that I was acquainted with.
Q. Was it the rioters that were talking about the burning?
A. At that time you couldn't tell who was rioters. They stood around in
crowds of four, or five, or a dozen. The only active rioters I noticed
was when the way passenger came in I seen probably five or six men that
looked liked brakesmen on the road run up to uncouple the engines, and
the engineer, Tom Wilson, told them that the car behind him had one
horse in, and asked them to let him take it on through--there was no
ammunition, or provision, or anything of that kind. I listened to some
of the arguments whether they would side-track the freight car or allow
it to go through, and they finally told Wilson to back and they took
the train into the Union depot.
Q. Mow long did you remain there?
A. I was in the vicinity of the crossing probably ten minutes--not
long. The train moved down, and I started to go towards my home.
Q. What time did you get home?
A. I came down Penn street with this Mr. Steen, son-in-law of Mr.
Bown's, and we heard of the trouble at Mr. Bown's hardware store, and
we stopped there for a few minutes--we stopped there probably three
quarters of an hour. I don't recollect, positively, how long, but when
I left there I got over in Allegheny, and in time to make the late
train, and got down to the Ninth ward. The train, at that time, left
Allegheny sometime after eleven o'clock.
Q. When you got to Bown's store, had the rabble been in and ransacked
things?
A. They had been in and ransacked things and had gone off. They had
apparently taken things that were of no account at all, so far as the
riot was concerned.
Q. Were there any rioters still around the store?
A. No rioters at all. The police were standing in front of the store
and refused to let us in, and I explained that Mr. Steen was son-in-law
of Mr. Bown's and wanted to see if the family was hurt.
Q. Did you see any police up at the crossing near the scene of the
riots?
A. Not on Saturday afternoon.
Q. How many came up on the train from the Ninth ward of Allegheny City
with you?
A. There was quite a number. The word came down that there had been
firing up there, and parties killed and wounded--I could not tell
positively how many I came up with--two parties with me.
Q. Did any of the men from your works come up?
A. Not that I know of--there was none came up with me.
Q. Were there any of the men at these works that came up and remained
and participated, to your knowledge?
A. Not to my knowledge.
Q. Are you well acquainted with the laboring men about the city?
A. I am in the neighborhood in which I reside.
Q. Did you see any that you knew in that vicinity?
A. Not one--didn't see a man taking an active part in the riot that I
knew. I was pretty well acquainted with both sides, and I thought that
there was something strange about that--men that were supposed to be
easy led by excitement of the kind--and I rather wondered at it. The
only man I noticed making any resistance, was one man who said he was a
son of a bitch from Brownstone.
Q. That is in the vicinity of the iron works?
A. On the south side. That was on Sunday, near the elevator.
Q. He was near the elevator?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. He was engaged in the riot?
A. He said he had been at it all night and all day, and was nearly done
out, and at the time I seen him he had a keg--I forget whether it was
wine or beer, but he was very liberal with it, giving it to any parties
that wanted it, urging them to turn in and help, that he was tired.
Q. What time did you return on Sunday to the scene of the riot?
A. It might have been half past eight or nine. We could see the smoke
from down where I lived. That was the first I knew of the burning, when
I got up next morning, and came up to see what was burning. I got to
Twentieth street about the time, or just before the police made their
appearance there to stop the burning of cars.
Q. How far had the fire progressed towards the depot when you got
there?
A. I am not positive the street, exactly, but it was in the
neighborhood of Twentieth street.
Q. Was there any effort made by the police or any other parties to stop
it there?
A. In the vicinity of Twentieth street, the police came along the wall
that holds the embankment the tracks are laid on, and drove parties
away from the cars. Just as the fire would catch a car, the rabble,
composed of all parties, not rioters, but thieves or whatever you
choose to call them, they would break into a car and commence carrying
the things off--men, women, and children. The police drove the parties
off the wall. Some of them fell down, and one, I noticed, got hurt,
and, apparently, the police at that time had possession, and I thought
it was going to stop, but in a short time I noticed smoke starting up
below, further down, and the police went down that way.
Q. How many policemen were there?
A. I am not positive of the number, but there must have been twenty or
thirty, the mayor at the head of the police.
Q. The mayor at the head of them?
A. That is my recollection. I am almost positive of that, because I
know the mayor by sight when I see him.
Q. Did they succeed in clearing the track and driving them away from
that point?
A. There was five or six tracks in that vicinity. They entirely cleared
them on the side next to Liberty street, but there was at least six
tracks there, and most of the tracks had trains laying on them. Smoke
started over a little further amongst some of the other cars.
Q. Did the rioters make any resistance to the police?
A. Not any that I noticed. Some, according to their creed or
nationality, held on longer to their goods.
Q. What nationality seemed to hold on the longest?
A. I must say that the Germans carried the heaviest loads. I noticed
that, and commented on it coming up in a street car, that the Germans
had the heaviest loads. I mean no disrespect to anybody.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. About what time was it that the police cleared the crowd off the
wall?
A. It might have been half-past ten or eleven.
Q. On Sunday?
A. On Sunday, but I could not be positive; during the excitement there
I was paying more attention to what I could see, and wondering what
would turn up next.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did you remain there during the entire day?
A. I remained on the Pittsburgh side until probably six o'clock in the
afternoon. I then heard they were organizing in Allegheny, and that is
the side I lived on, and that there was likely to be trouble over
there, and I went over to the other side. The elevator was partially
burned down when I left the ground.
Q. Did you see any further efforts of the policemen after eleven
o'clock to stop the riot and stop the fire?
A. After that time the police appeared to be scattered in squads. I did
not see them in one body after that. I believe they were distributed
around after that. I seen a few policemen after that, but not in a
body. At the time I lost sight of the policemen I started to go up to
see the condition of the round-house. From there I went up to
Thirty-third street--I had formerly lived up in that neighborhood--and
then down to what they call Lawrenceville, and back down to the Union
depot in that direction. I will just say that I met Captain McMunn on
Twenty-sixth street coming down, and inquired of him if there was any
effort being made to stop it, and my recollection is that he said they
had made a proposition to try and organize the employés and try to stop
it, but it had not been entertained. I would not say that on oath, but
I think so.
Q. Captain McMunn?
A. Yes; he was one of the strikers. Another employé standing looking at
the engine in the morning was Robert Aitchison, known on the road as
old Bobby Aitchison. He was lamenting about the destruction, and
finding fault, and said it was wrong, and he told me he was sure the
railroad men had nothing to do with it.
Q. What is Mr. Aitchison's first name?
A. Robert.
Q. That is the old man?
A. That is the old man. At the time I speak of seeing Aitchison, he was
standing where he could see the engine he had formerly run--engine 281.
I was acquainted with him, and had fired the engine myself at one time.
This act was rather impressed upon my memory more than any other things
that occurred.
Q. Did you go close to the men that were engaged in the arson and riot
during the day, Sunday, so as to ascertain who they were--that is, the
leaders in the burning, I mean?
A. I could not recognize any man, but they were what I would call
roughs--hard cases, desperate men, most of them. I was told that some,
I think, were men that had been--I do not know what the best word
is--proscribed, or whatever you choose to call it, been discharged from
one railroad, and got a situation on another, and been discharged from
there, by this last company receiving a letter. There are a great many
men in this country now, that, if they are discharged on the Fort Wayne
road, they come to the Pennsylvania railroad, and that company will
discharge them, and give no reason for it. There are a great many of
this kind in the country to-day, that are desperate men, ready to do
anything at all. I have no doubt that some of the leaders in this
movement were men of that kind, because the men that were engaged in
the riot, were used to railroading, because they could not have run
these cars in and burned the round-house as they did. If they had been
men belonging to the Pennsylvania railroad, I would have recognized
them. I was standing by the elevator when the firemen attempted to
throw water on there. I was close by the hose when somebody cut the
hose, and the water went over the crowd. I received some of it myself.
Q. When you got back to Allegheny City, you said they were organized
there--how large was the crowd there?
A. It was probably six or half past, when I got back there. There was
no complete organization--they were just gathering.
Q. At what point?
A. The center appeared to be, that I noticed, near the round-houses of
the Fort Wayne road. I noticed parties there that were employés in the
shops, and probably there might have been some on the road, but some
that I knew belonged to the shops.
Q. Did the crowd increase there?
A. The crowd increased there, but I did not stay there. I kept on down
to my own home.
Q. Remained at home during the night--Sunday night?
A. I remained at home all night--was not outside.
Q. Monday morning did you return?
A. Monday morning I reported at the works, and we organized there, and
I was placed in charge of a patrol or guard we had round the company's
works.
Q. For protecting the works?
A. For protecting the works and do what we could for the whole
neighborhood.
Q. Did your men all join in that organization?
A. Just what was asked. They did not make an indiscriminate thing of
it. We just selected men and placed them on guard, and kept them on all
night, and let them off in the morning, but were ready for a call at
any time.
Q. Were the men all willing to unite in such a scheme of protection?
A. All that I seen--I heard no objection.
Q. If there is anything else you can enlighten us on state it? I do not
think of any further question to ask.
A. I will just say that the first night we were on we arrested two
different parties down there. The first one was on Pike street,
Pittsburgh. We found him skulking around the works. I inquired what his
business was, and he said he heard there was going to be fun down
there, and he came down to see it, and gave no excuse--said he didn't
intend to do anything, but he heard there was going to be fun; and
there was a lot of freight cars laying full of freight. We put the fear
in him a little, and let him go--didn't keep him.
By Mr. Means:
Q. There were two arrested?
A. I arrested another--that was a boy about sixteen or eighteen. I
found him laying in a metal pile. He gave the same excuse. He heard
there was going to be fun down there, and he came down to see it. We
found out that he lived a mile or two back in the country from our
neighborhood.
Q. The first man lived in Pike street?
A. He said so. He gave his name there, and the young man, too.
Q. How far is that from the destruction of the property?
A. It is right in the vicinity--down a little. Pike street and
Sixteenth street, I think that is in the vicinity of Zug's mill, out
along Penn, between Penn and the river. The city was full of men at
that time, that, while the excitement was up, they wanted to see what
was going on. There was a great many outsiders that were tramps, I
suppose. They appeared to be strangers. It appears this strike had been
talked of for sometime, and the tramps appeared to understand it, and
they appeared to be gathered in for the spoil.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you observe, during the time of this destruction, whether there
were two separate classes of individuals, one destroying the property
and breaking up cars, and the others carrying away?
A. I noticed that there were men destroying that appeared not to do it
for personal gain. Just appeared fonder of destruction than anything
else.
Q. Did you think that either of these two parties--the parties carrying
away, and the parties breaking up the cars, were citizens?
A. The parties carrying away were citizens, but just appeared to be
carrying away because it was there to be had, and wanted to get it.
Q. Those who broke up cars, did they appear to be citizens, too?
A. I could not say about that. The reason that I suppose these parties
that carried away were citizens was because they were all making for
different localities, and I have every reason to believe they were
citizens from some of the things they were carrying away, such as
rolling away barrels of flour, and rolling away barrels of lard.
Q. Looked as if they had a place to put it?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Would these goods have been consumed by the fire, had they not been
carried off?
A. That was the excuse which some of them gave for it. There were some
that would be ashamed to steal that were carrying the things off.
Q. Because they were being destroyed by the fire?
A. Because they would be destroyed any way.
Q. You said you had no difficulty in getting citizens to volunteer and
organize into bodies to assist in suppressing the riot or keeping the
peace?
A. There was no riot in Allegheny.
Q. You said they were willing to organize?
A. They were very ready.
Q. Did the citizens generally express a willingness to go elsewhere,
where there was riot or lawlessness besides in their own locality?
A. That question I do not think was brought up at all. I heard nothing
of the kind mentioned. I know citizens of Allegheny, that they were in
Pittsburgh, and took an active part in organizing to put down this
riot.
* * * * *
Captain W. J. Glenn, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. I reside at Mansfield, about five miles out of the city--west of the
city.
Q. You belong to the National Guard?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Captain of a company?
A. I command company K, of the Fourteenth regiment.
Q. When were you called upon--called out?
A. I received an order to report my company at head-quarters from
Pittsburgh on the 20th day of July. I think was the date--on Friday.
Q. To report your company in Pittsburgh?
A. Yes; at the head-quarters of the regiment.
Q. From where did you receive the order?
A. Lieutenant Colonel Glenn, commanding the regiment, in the absence of
Colonel Gray.
Q. Did you report as ordered?
A. I did, sir.
Q. At what time did you report at head-quarters, and with how many men?
A. I reported at the Union depot at seven o'clock--I think it was about
seven o'clock--with twenty-one men.
Q. How many men composed your company?
A. I had forty men on my roll--thirty-nine men.
Q. Did you have any difficulty in getting your men together?
A. I had difficulty in getting them together from the fact that they
are scattered. I live in a country town. The majority I got word to
reported promptly. There was a few exceptions that I knew of that were
restrained from coming by their friends that thought differently.
Q. Restrained from coming by friends who were opposed to putting down
the riot?
A. As they said, they were opposed to fighting the workingmen; that is
it.
Q. What was done Friday night after you reported at the Union depot?
A. The first thing we did was to partake of a very excellent supper in
Union depot, and then staid at the Union depot until sometime early in
the morning. Two o'clock, perhaps, at the Union depot.
Q. What time in the morning?
A. Until about two, I think. I would not say for certain.
Q. Where did you go then?
A. We marched to Twenty-eighth street, by a circuitous route, by the
way of Wylie avenue and Webster avenue, I think, are the streets, and
then down on the hill to Twenty-eighth street--to the hill above
Twenty-eighth street, right opposite.
Q. Were you joined by any other companies; if so, state what?
A. We there met our regiment--we there found the Nineteenth regiment,
and a battery called the Hutchinson battery, that I understood had gone
out on the train.
Q. How long did you remain there?
A. We remained in about the same position all day, with the exception
of details that were made to go down to the crossing, until about five
o'clock in the evening, I think it was. We marched to the transfer
station--perhaps later than that.
Q. What was done then, after you arrived at the transfer?
A. We stayed there until ten o'clock at night, then we were ordered to
the Union depot, and about eleven o'clock--I think it was near eleven
o'clock--we were ordered to go to our armories.
Q. Where were the armories?
A. Our armory is at Mansfield.
Q. Did you go?
A. There was an eleven o'clock train--11.02--which starts for
Mansfield. I took that train and went to Mansfield.
Q. How long did you remain there?
A. I remained until Monday.
Q. Called into action again Monday?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Reported, where?
A. I reported at the Central armory, Pittsburgh.
Q. During the day on Saturday, while occupying the hill, you had a view
of the track, and the scene of the riot, did you not?
A. Yes, sir; I had.
Q. How large was the crowd during Saturday--and what was their--were
they demonstrative or not?
A. Very much so, and the crowd was very large. They seemed to increase
after three o'clock.
Q. Was any attempt made by the Fourteenth and Nineteenth regiments
during Saturday, to drive the crowd from the tracks?
A. Yes; I was, with my company, several times ordered to go down to the
track, and clear the crossing at Twenty-eighth street, which I did, and
it was immediately filled up again by some on the other side. My
company being small, would, of course, sweep but a small space of the
ground.
Q. Tell us in what manner you cleared the crossing.
A. I marched company front across the track towards the river, and then
I would wheel from the left to right, and marched back again, asking
the crowd to get off the track, which they would do reluctantly, but I
had no trouble.
Q. At a charge bayonet?
A. I do not think I came to a charge bayonet at all.
Q. Just simply marched through and back?
A. Yes; at a carry.
Q. In what order was your company drawn up--in two lines?
A. Sometimes in double rank, and sometimes in single rank.
Q. Would you sweep the track the width of your company?
A. There was generally two companies detailed. One would be passing,
perhaps east, keeping the crowd towards East Liberty, and the other
would face the river.
Q. Were there any other companies of your own regiment there?
A. Where--on the track?
Q. Yes?