Q. What did they mean by holding the fort--holding Twenty-eighth
street?
A. I suppose so.
Q. They meant to stay there in spite of the soldiers, was that the idea
that you had--to stay there in spite of the soldiers?
A. I suppose that was their idea.
Q. Had you been there any time previous to the firing?
A. No, sir.
Q. You know nothing whatever of the events occurring before that?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see the soldiers afterwards?
A. No, sir; never saw them any more after that. I never crossed the
river again until Monday, I came down to the city again.
Q. Do you know anything about any organization formed to resist the
soldiers?
A. No, sir.
Q. Who went with you to the scene of the riot?
A. Saturday?
Q. Yes.
A. There was a friend of mine lives right over here.
Q. Was not there a large crowd of you went over there together?
A. No, sir; there was no crowd.
Q. What mill are you working at?
A. Graff & Bennett's.
Q. Was not there a large number of men from your mill went over there
on Saturday just before the firing?
A. If they went over there I didn't know anything about it.
Q. Were the men working at that time--that afternoon?
A. Saturday they generally shut down about two o'clock or three
o'clock.
Q. You were not working that day on Saturday?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What time did you leave the mill?
A. We shut down work about one o'clock at the upper end of the mill.
Q. About one o'clock?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Didn't most of the men who were at work in the forenoon come over to
Twenty-eighth street?
A. I couldn't say anything about that at all.
Q. Didn't see a great many of them?
A. No, sir; there might have been a good many there, but I didn't see
them, the crowd was so big.
Q. Was there any talk about there in the crowd when you were standing
there. Did you hear any talk about resisting the soldiers, and not
allow them to clear the track?
A. No, sir; I didn't hear anything of the kind.
Q. Was it people there just out of curiosity?
A. I couldn't say what they were there for.
Q. You were there out of curiosity, were you?
A. Yes; just come over to see the soldiers.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you hear any abusive or threatening language on the part of the
crowd towards the soldiers?
A. No, sir; not at the time I remained there.
By Mr. Means:
Q. In the forenoon of Saturday, while at work, did you hear any of the
men say that they were going over there in the afternoon after they
quit work?
A. No, sir; I didn't hear the men say anything.
Q. Didn't have any talk about going over to the scene of this riot?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were you there on Sunday?
A. No, sir. Didn't come over this side of the river on Sunday.
Q. Do you know of quite a number of citizens carrying away goods and
bringing them over to near your works, in that vicinity?
A. No, sir.
Q. On Sunday?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Did you see anybody carrying any plunder from the cars?
A. They didn't fetch it across there in the day time. I thought they
were watching pretty sharp around there over the other side.
* * * * *
Charles P. Wall, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What is your first name?
A. Charles P.
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Fourteenth ward.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Plumber.
Q. Were you at Twenty-eighth street on Saturday, the 21st July, the
time of the firing?
A. Yes, sir; I was.
Q. Will you be kind enough to state what you saw?
A. I went there out of curiosity, to see what was going on, on Saturday
afternoon, and shortly after I was there the Philadelphia soldiers came
up with their posse, the sheriff at the head. I was standing on the
track and toward the round-house, and General Pearson came round and
said he was ordered to clear the track, so I got around and walked up
Twenty-eighth and come around on the hill which looks down on the
track, and the soldiers formed a hollow square--the soldiers facing the
hill as well as facing the round-house--and then the soldiers marched
towards Twenty-eighth street, and the command was given to charge
bayonets. They charged, I think, but the men there could not or would
not move away from Twenty-eighth street. The soldiers came up to them
with their bayonets, and they grabbed the guns, and pushed them away
from them. Then the order was given to fire. The men, after the order
was given them, started to run down Twenty-eighth street. The men that
were charging--that were facing Twenty-eighth street--could not fire
because they were so close. The moment they started to run they brought
their guns to bear on them, and fired on the crowd as they were
running. The men facing the hill fired into the party standing on the
hill, and I seen them commence to fire, and stayed there for some
moments, and thought they were firing blank cartridges, until a party
along side of me was shot in the head and dropped down, and I thought
it was time to get, and I started.
Q. Where were you standing?
A. Standing right on the hill, looking down on the soldiers.
Q. How far from them?
A. I suppose between twenty and thirty feet.
Q. There is a road that runs up there?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How far were you from that watch-house?
A. I was about thirty feet from the watch-house, I guess.
Q. Did you see anything thrown at the soldiers?
A. Yes; I saw some stones thrown.
Q. Anything fired at them--see any shots or hear any?
A. No, sir; didn't see or hear any shots.
Q. Were you close enough to tell who gave the order, or whether it was
an order to fire?
A. Yes; I was close enough.
Q. Was it given by an officer?
A. Yes; it was.
Q. Do you know who the officer was?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. State his name?
A. General Pearson?
Q. Do you know General Pearson?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Personally?
A. Yes, sir; that is, I don't know the General personally to speak to
him.
Q. I mean by sight--if you see General Pearson walking along?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where was he when he gave the command?
A. He was in the square, a little toward Twenty-eighth--nearer
Twenty-eighth street than any other part of the square.
Q. Anybody near him?
A. Yes; Mr. Pitcairn and some of the other officers was handy.
Q. Any of the sheriff's posse?
A. I didn't notice.
Q. They were in front, were not they, when the troops came up?
A. The sheriff marched front; yes, sir.
Q. Did he stop and address the crowd?
A. I suppose he was addressing the crowd when I was going round, but as
soon as he gave the command to clear the track, I was walking round to
get on the hill.
Q. You are sure you heard General Pearson give the command?
A. Yes; positively.
Q. It was not somebody told you that that was Pearson?
A. No, sir; I know the man.
Q. Did you notice how he was dressed that day?
A. Yes, sir--not particularly. I noticed he had a blouse on, with brass
buttons on, buttoned up. I suppose I was as close to him as I am to you
when he gave the command to clear the track. He said he had orders to
clear the track. As soon as I seen they were going to clear the track,
I got off the track and walked around.
Q. Did he have a sword on?
A. Not that I could see.
Q. Did you notice whether any of the other officers had swords on?
A. No, sir; I did not notice particularly.
Q. How would you distinguish an officer?
A. Well, I would distinguish him by his clothes, of course.
Q. If there were a number of men there, how did you distinguish it was
General Pearson gave the command?
A. I could not help to distinguish him, because I knew him
personally--knew him to be what they call a general. He had a blouse
on.
Q. Did he order them to load, or anything preliminary--he just said
fire?
A. Just gave the command to fire?
Q. Did he give that directly to the men themselves?
A. I could not say whether it was direct to the men, because
immediately after he gave the command to fire, they commenced to
fire--whether it was passed down the line or not, I could not say.
Q. Did you see any of the soldiers struck with stones?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. How many stones were there thrown?
A. Oh, a good many.
Q. Quite a volley?
A. Quite a volley of stones thrown. They seemed to all come from one
place, though. On the hillside, where I was standing, there was not a
stone thrown.
Q. Any stones thrown from below where you were standing?
A. From towards the hospital, there was. That seemed to be the only
place there was any stones coming from.
Q. What became of General Pearson after he gave this order?
A. I didn't wait to see what became of him. I seen him start towards
the round-house. Then I started myself, and ran up the hill some three
hundred or four hundred yards, and then I stopped.
Q. From what point did the stones appear to come?
A. From the direction of the hospital.
Q. In front of you?
A. No, sir; from the rear.
Q. Could you see who threw the stones?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. Did General Pearson have anything about him, or his uniform, that
would indicate his rank?
A. He had a blouse on with brass buttons I think he had epaulets on his
shoulders, I could not say positively. I knew the man, knew him to be a
general.
Q. What kind of a hat did he wear?
A. He wore a slouch hat--a soft hat.
Q. Did you see any other officers there that wore hats?
A. No, I couldn't say that I did. I didn't take notice of the officers
particularly. In fact I did not take notice of any of them.
Q. Did you see the troops after they came out of the round-house on
Sunday?
A. No, sir; I didn't.
Q. Were you there during Saturday night?
A. No, sir; I left there as soon as they went into the round-house;
then I left and went home; didn't go there until the next morning. I
went over on the hill and stayed a while, then I went home again.
Q. Did you hear them talk in the crowd about resisting the soldiers?
A. No, sir; heard nothing said. The crowd seemed to be very orderly up
to the time the Philadelphia soldiers came. I was among the crowd until
past one o'clock or two o'clock, and the Fourteenth regiment had charge
of the track, and the shifting engine was going backwards and forwards.
Of course, there was a big crowd there; but they didn't interfere in
any way that I saw.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did you hear the crowd say what they would do when the Philadelphia
soldiers came in?
A. No, sir; I didn't hear them say anything.
Q. They were looking for them, were they not?
A. Not that I know of; didn't hear them say so.
Q. Was it possible for you to be mistaken in the man that gave the
command "fire?" Might it not have been somebody else?
A. I don't think so. I knew the general, and was close enough to hear
distinctly.
Q. You knew the command really came from him?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was General Pearson facing towards Liberty street, or up the hill?
A. He was facing kind of towards Twenty-eighth street. Twenty-eighth
crosses Liberty. That is where the most excitement was. The soldiers
were trying to force them off the track. The crowd had gathered up the
track, and they were trying to force them down. I suppose the men in
front would have got out of that if they could, because I don't think
any man would stand up to a bayonet.
Q. Facing towards Twenty-eighth and Liberty streets?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the firing commence from that direction?
A. No; not just exactly. They fired into the car where they threw the
stones first. When they started, the men that were standing on
Twenty-eighth started to run.
Q. The crowd?
A. Then the soldiers brought their guns up and fired on them as they
ran down Twenty-eighth street. Then the soldiers that was fronting the
hill fired into the parties on the hill.
Q. Then the firing commenced on the line that were on Twenty-eighth
street--lying parallel with Twenty-eighth street--facing up the track?
A. Yes; facing up the track.
Q. How long after that fire did the troops commence firing that were
standing to their right, facing up the hill?
A. I suppose it was not more than ten or twelve seconds.
Q. Did those that were facing down towards Liberty street fire at that
time?
A. No, sir; they did not.
Q. Did they fire at any time?
A. Not that I seen.
* * * * *
William J. McKay, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Give your full name.
A. William J. McKay.
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Thirtieth and Penn street.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Work in the Western air brake shop, on Twenty-fifth street.
Q. Were you present during Saturday, the 21st July, at Twenty-eighth
street?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Be kind enough to state what came under your observation.
A. I was up there when the Philadelphia soldiers came. One of them got
sun struck, and they had to carry him down to the office, Twenty-sixth
street. That is all I have got to say.
Q. That is all you know about what occurred?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you in the telegraph office there?
A. I was in the superintendent's office.
Q. You know nothing of what occurred at the time the soldiers fired?
A. No, sir; didn't hear them fire at all.
Q. Did any of the officers come to the telegraph office while you were
there?
A. One soldier, and some other men came down, I don't know who they
were.
Q. Was he an officer?
A. I took him to be an officer.
Q. Did you know the man?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What do you do at the Western air brake?
A. Chip brass castings.
Q. Where did you carry this man that was sick?
A. Carried him into the office--the left second door.
Q. What office?
A. The office under the superintendent's office; I don't know whose
office it was.
Q. Was it a telegraph office?
A. I didn't take notice.
Q. Were you in the telegraph office at any time after you carried this
man down?
A. No, sir; I was never in the office before in my life.
Q. It was not a telegraph office you carried this man to?
A. I didn't notice what office it was.
Q. It was the superintendent's office, you say?
A. No, sir; the superintendent's office is up stairs.
Q. Whom did you see there in this office, where you carried this
soldier?
A. There was no person there.
Q. No one there at all?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you know where the telegraph was of the railroad company?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where is it?
A. Twenty-sixth street--it was, before it was burned down, I don't know
where it is now.
Q. Isn't there a telegraph office at the superintendent's office?
A. I don't know anything about that. I passed the office often, but I
was never in it.
Q. What was this office used for that you carried the man to?
A. I don't know what it was for.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were there any officers of the militia there when you went there
with this man, except the one that helped?
A. No, sir; there was no other person in the room at all.
Q. Did you stay there with those men, or put him down?
A. We laid him down on two chairs, and there was a man came in and told
us there was shooting up there, and I went up and left him there. The
other two stayed there.
Q. Said they were shooting up there?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Is that all he said about it?
A. That is all.
Q. Did he say anything about an order having been given to fire on the
crowd?
A. No, sir; he just wheeled round and started back out again.
Q. Did you know this man?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say there was no one in this office at all, when you carried
this soldier there?
A. No, sir; there was no person in when we went in.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did you see General Pearson about there?
A. I don't know the man. Never saw him.
Q. Did you see whether there was any other offices right there, close
by this--that is, where you carried this soldier?
A. How do you mean?
Q. In the same building?
A. I didn't see any.
Q. The rooms close by these are used as offices?
A. Yes; there several rooms in this office. There may have been a
thousand in there, but I didn't see them.
Q. On which side of the track, going down towards the Union depot?
A. It is on the right, coming down this way.
Q. Was it between the two tracks, between the Allegheny Valley and the
Pennsylvania Central track?
A. Yes; it is right along side of the Allegheny track.
Q. Did you carry this man down the Allegheny track, or the Pennsylvania
track?
A. Down the Pennsylvania.
Q. And then turned to the right?
A. Yes; where the engines come out of the round-house--carried him down
across there, and went into the office.
Q. Is that the only building standing between these two tracks--the
Allegheny Valley track and the Pennsylvania Central, in that vicinity?
A. No, sir; there is two or three dozen buildings.
Q. What were they?
A. There is a square shop, and the round-houses, and this shop, and
then there is small buildings. I don't know what they are used for.
Q. There are offices in some of those buildings, are there not--machine
shops for instance?
A. There is an office between the two round-houses--Shafer's office.
That is the only one I know there.
Q. You are positive it was not the superintendent's office?
A. Yes, sir; the superintendent's office is up stairs.
Q. How many rooms were there down stairs?
A. I don't know how many; I was never in only this one.
Q. Were you there on Thursday or Friday previous to this?
A. Yes; I was up there.
Q. Do you know anything about the causes leading to this riot?
A. No, sir; only the double-headers. That is all I know.
Q. Did you hear any talk of resisting the troops if they attempted to
clear the track?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see any stones or anything thrown at the soldiers?
A. No, sir; I was not there when they came up. This man fainted, and I
helped to carry him down.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you notice whether there were any doors leading out of this
office to any other rooms, or from the hall you went into to other
rooms?
A. Yes, sir; as you go into the door there is a door leads to the left,
past the stairs. There is one under the stairs.
Q. Did you go in the first door?
A. No, sir; the second.
Q. To the left?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was the first door open on the left as you went in the hall?
A. I didn't notice; I know there is a door there, because I took notice
to it as we went in--we went on to a second door. The other fellow
helping to carry him seemed to know where to take him to, and I went
along.
Q. Did you see anybody in the room--the first room--the front room--to
which this door led to, through the windows or door?
A. No, sir; I could see no person.
* * * * *