Q. It appeared to come from that direction?
A. From that direction.
Q. Didn't it sound like a pistol shot?
A. No; like a cap.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Then you heard no firing from the crowd until after the military
fired?
A. There was no firing done until the military.
Q. Was there any firing done from the crowd at all that you heard?
A. Yes; I seen the firing. Parties were firing from the side of the
hill after that fire. A man on a car fired a revolver. He was laying
right down at the end of the car. This man pulled out his revolver and
fired at the crowd.
Q. There was no firing from the crowd or mob until after General
Pearson had given the command to fire, and they had obeyed that
command?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. There was a man fired from a car?
A. That was after the firing was done.
Q. Do you know that man?
A. I would know him if I would see him. Don't know him by name. I have
met him a dozen times on the street since. I didn't want to go and ask
his name, for fear they would ask me what my name was.
Q. Do you know where he lives?
A. No, sir. I know he lives in the city somewhere.
Q. Do you know General Pearson well?
A. I know him just by seeing him, and that is about all. Never spoke to
the man at all. I don't know whether he spoke to me that time in the
car or not. I won't say positively.
Q. Why were you afraid to ask this man his name?
A. I will tell you just the reason why. I didn't want to be called up
as a witness. I have had enough trouble running round with this thing.
I don't want to go against a man.
Q. You prefer that he should go scot-free?
A. I don't think he done anything.
* * * * *
R. S. Jones, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What is your full name?
A. R. S. Jones.
Q. Where is your residence?
A. No. 337 Chestnut alley, south side.
Q. What is your occupation, Mr. Jones?
A. I am a boiler--puddler.
Q. Were you present at the fire that occurred by the troops on the
Saturday, the 21st of July?
A. I was.
Q. Will you be kind enough to tell what you saw?
A. I went out there about quarter to four o'clock--near that time--got
there just about half an hour before the troops came up--the
Philadelphia troops. I was there when the command was given to fire.
They marched up the track. I saw General Pearson there, and Sheriff
Fife and his deputies, some of them I don't know.
Q. State the movements of the troops, and what you saw?
A. They marched up the track to the corner of Twenty-eighth street.
They came to a front to the round-house--fronted to the round-house.
The rear rank came to about face and charged bayonets. They marched
across the track--the opposite side--and that left a space there of
about thirty feet; and there was a company behind that, formed in two
sections, and one section marched up the track--they charged
bayonets--and the Gatling guns came right along after them. They came
to the head of the column and stopped, and they about faced and formed
a square. I heard the command given to fire. I was standing right
alongside of one of the soldiers, talking to him at the time, from
Philadelphia. I never thought they were going to fire, or I would not
have been there.
Q. You heard the command given to fire?
A. Yes, sir; when they came by the officer that was at the head of the
column, turned around and stepped right into the square, and the
sheriff and his deputies stepped in.
Q. Did they fire in a volley?
A. They fired just about the same as a new recruited regiment--you can
pick them out in the field--you give them orders to fire, and they
wouldn't fire as one. I guess it was just about as near as they could
fire under the circumstances. I suppose they were a little scared.
Q. Did the crowd resist these men?
A. I didn't see any disturbance whatever when I was there. I didn't
stay there after the firing.
Q. Did you see anything thrown, or any disturbance in the crowd?
A. No, sir.
Q. The crowd just stood there?
A. They were all standing there before the firing. I guess there was
not many there after the firing. I didn't stay there to see.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you see any stone thrown from the crowd at the soldiers before
the firing?
A. I didn't, sir.
Q. Did you hear any firing from any one in the crowd?
A. I didn't.
Q. How long after you heard the command given to fire did the firing
take place?
A. Instantly.
Q. Did you hear that command given by more than one officer?
A. I did not.
Q. Was it a simultaneous discharge of a good many pieces?
A. As I said before, it was just something like a new regiment.
Q. Have you had any experience in active service in the army?
A. I was in the army three years, sir.
Q. What is the difference between the firing in a new regiment and an
old one?
A. They don't fire together--they will in time. Time makes everything
perfect.
Q. The firing is somewhat like the firing in a battle, after the first
volley is fired?
A. Yes; I suppose there was about a dozen guns went off, and then the
rest followed, the same as a new regiment.
Q. What the boys used to call a rattling fire in the army?
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. Means:
Q. How near were you to where General Pearson stood when this command
was given?
A. I guess they were about the center of the square, and I was standing
three men from the end, at the head of the column--that is, the right
of the square towards the round-house.
Q. What distance would you suppose?
A. About fifteen feet, I guess.
Q. From where General Pearson was standing to where you were?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You cannot tell whether General Pearson gave that command?
A. I don't know.
Q. Was the command given as though it was peremptory?
A. It was given in a clear, distinct voice.
Q. Give us the exact language of the command?
A. The first thing I heard was, "fire!" just about that loud.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. Did it come from the officers or the crowd?
A. It came from the inside of the square.
Q. You don't know who gave it?
A. I don't know. I was looking right in at the soldiers, too, but I
could not swear who gave the order.
Q. Wouldn't you have been apt to notice? How were they dressed?
A. Pearson had a blouse.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. A military blouse?
A. A military blouse. The rest of the officers had their swords on, the
general, I don't think he had a sword on.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did he have on a hat?
A. He had a cap on.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Might not that command have come from one of the men in the ranks?
A. I don't think so--I never heard an order given from a soldier in the
ranks?
Q. Might not that command have come from one in the line, and not from
the officer in command?
A. From where I was standing, I thought it came from right in the
center. They were not standing in the center, they were standing about
five feet from the head of this square. It came from that direction.
Q. You don't know whether it came from an officer or who it came from?
A. I couldn't state--I judge it did.
Q. You supposed it would, but you really don't know that it did?
A. No; I didn't see his mouth open at the time.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were you present at the disturbance that night?
A. No, sir; I went home, and stayed there. I went out Sunday, and I
guess half the cars were burned when I went out.
Q. You went over Saturday night, and stayed home the balance of the
night?
A. Balance of the night; yes, sir.
Q. What was the feelings in the crowd?
A. I don't know. I didn't ask, and I felt just as if I had no business
there, and the quicker I got out the better.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say General Pearson wore a blouse and a cap?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he have any braid or anything of that kind about the uniform?
A. No; I don't think there was. I don't think there was anything to
distinguish that he was a general or an officer of any kind.
Q. That is, to distinguish his rank?
A. No, sir; at least I didn't see it.
Q. Did he have brass buttons on his blouse?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you take particular notice of it?
A. I was talking to him a few minutes before. The way I came to speak
to him, we had gone up to the road above the track, and I had got
through the guard. There was a guard across the track, and I had come
through, and the party that had come with me--there was three of us,
the guard wouldn't let them through, and the general was standing there
and I asked him to let them through, and he said certainly, and they
let the party through--that is the way I came to speak to him.
Q. Was that soon after or before the firing?
A. That was just before.
Q. Did you see General Pearson after the firing?
A. I didn't stay there after the firing. I got out of that as quick as
I could.
Q. How long before the fire began did you see General Pearson?
A. I saw him before, and I saw him just when the order was given.
Q. Have you any knowledge of the causes leading to this strike first?
A. I have not, indeed. I don't know anything about it. I knew there was
a strike.
Q. Did you see them leaving the round-house?
A. No, sir; I was not there.
* * * * *
William J. Shaner, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. I board at 1145 Penn street.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Roll turner. Work for my brother-in-law.
Q. Were you present on the day of the firing on the troops, on
Saturday, the 21st of July?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Describe where you were and what occurred, as near as you can
recollect?
A. When the troops were coming up the track, I was up on the side of
the hill, with a comrade of mine, Charles Bier. He and I went down a
few steps, and waited until after they had got up and halted and formed
two ranks. Before they formed a hollow square, I says to him, I am
going down to see them, and to hear, if I can hear them read anything
or say anything. He said, No, no, he says, you might get hurt. Says I,
No, there is danger; so I left him standing, and went down and made my
way in. There was a good many standing around at that time, and the
watch-box which stood there--I put my foot up on the window, and held
on to a bracket, a little above the rest of the crowd, and I stood
there for a few moments, and I heard the command given to fire, and
when it was given I tried to get down, but I couldn't on account of the
crowd there, and when they had cleared away, I got down and ran up to
the ravine there, and laid down the best I could. That was my position
when the firing took place. When the firing ceased, I went and looked
to see if I could see my comrade, and I couldn't find him. I went down
the street, and found that he was shot. I didn't find him until I found
him in the hospital. I got everything he had on his person, and carried
them home to his folks.
Q. You heard the command given to fire?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What occurred--did the crowd stand still, or were they making a
noise--and did they interfere with the soldiers?
A. There was no interference with the soldiers at all.
Q. Did you see anything thrown?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. What was thrown?
A. I saw one stone, to my knowledge, and that was all thrown--about as
large as your hand--for it come from the corner of where the gate goes
up to the hospital--the right hand corner as you face Twenty-eight
street.
Q. Did you hear any firing by the crowd before the soldiers were
ordered to fire?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you hear any firing from the watch-box there?
A. Yes, sir; the soldiers--not from the crowd.
Q. Not from the crowd?
A. Not at all.
Q. There was no firing at all from that part of the crowd?
A. No, sir.
Q. Could you have heard any firing?
A. Yes, I could have.
Q. It was quiet there?
A. So far as firing was concerned it was.
Q. I mean before this firing took place?
A. There was noise, talking, and hooting, and just when the military
fired for a moment it ceased like.
Q. You could hear who gave the command?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Who was it--an officer?
A. Yes, it was an officer.
Q. Do you know him?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. Who was it?
A. General Pearson, or Albert Pearson.
Q. Do you know General Pearson?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. How long have you known him?
A. That is, I know him by sight, but never spoke to the man in my life.
Q. How was he dressed that day?
A. He was dressed in a white vest and blouse, with brass buttons on it,
and the blouse was buttoned up middling close to the neck, and he had
something similar to that. [Indicating.]
Q. A soft hat?
A. Yes; as near as I could see.
Q. Did you know General Pearson before that?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. In all this confusion, you could see General Pearson give the
command to fire?
A. Right at the moment the command to fire was given, it was kind of
stopped--the confusion was--and I heard distinctly the command "fire"
given by General Pearson.
Q. Where was he standing?
A. He was standing a little over half way through the square, towards
the rear rank.
Q. Did the men fire as soon as he gave the command?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. They fired at his command?
A. They fired at his command.
Q. You are sure of that?
A. I am certain of it.
Q. Did you see any of the soldiers struck by any stones? You say you
only saw one stone thrown?
A. I only saw one stone thrown, to my knowledge, that I could
distinguish perfectly, and I didn't see any soldier struck at all.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. After General Pearson gave the command to fire, was it repeated by
any other officers?
A. Not to my knowledge. I didn't pay any attention to it. I tried to
get out of the ... and I couldn't. I was looking out for my head, then.
Q. How did you know the order was given by Pearson?
A. I saw it. I saw General Pearson, and saw his lips move.
Q. In what direction was he facing, then?
A. He was kind of facing toward the rear rank.
Q. Towards the hill-side?
A. No, sir.
Q. The other way down, towards Liberty street?
A. Kind of towards the sand-house.
Q. That is, on the left hand side, as you could see?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. He was facing in that direction?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the fire commence from that direction?
A. No, sir; it commenced from the corner, right at the watch-box.
Q. Did he turn his back to give the command?
A. He kind of turned round to the officers that were there, and who
they were I don't know.
Q. He had his back towards the watch-box when the command was given to
fire?
A. Not altogether, he didn't. [Witness illustrates the situation of
affairs on paper.] That is Twenty-eighth street; here is the watch-box;
there is the rear rank; and here is the front rank; and here is General
Pearson, right in here; and here is where the firing commenced; and
General Pearson was standing, with his face towards Twenty-eighth
street, before he gave the command to fire; and when he turned, he
turned right around this way, and his face was directed about towards
me; I could look right into his face there. There was a man standing
between me and General Pearson, up like from him, and that was an
officer, and who that officer was I don't know.
Q. You say you heard no command from any of the other officers?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What did he do after the firing? Did you notice what became of him?
A. I took notice he disappeared very quickly. I don't know whether he
was inspecting car wheels or not.
Q. All that I want to know is what occurred after the command to fire
was given?
A. The firing commenced immediately.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You didn't tell them that General Pearson was inspecting car wheels,
did you?
A. It was hard to say what he was doing, I know he got away.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say General Pearson had a blouse on?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. It was buttoned up close?