Q. I want to know this: if you know the leader of that crowd?
A. I should say I did.
Q. Were they railroad employés, were they colliers, or what were they?
A. I could not say the position they held in life.
Q. You have stated in your evidence, that you had told this crowd to
disperse and go to their homes--what was their reply?
A. They said, "You sons of bitches, we will take your guns from you and
we will clean the avenue." Whether the man I spoke to said it or some
one else, I cannot say. There was lots of clubs thrown about this time,
and stones. I was struck two or three times myself.
Q. In your evidence, you have said that they attempted or asked you to
take your gun--who was the party that done that?
A. That question I don't propose to answer.
Q. I insist on it?
A. I will not answer that question.
Q. Did they belong to the rioters?
A. I object to answering to that.
Q. The man was one of the rioters--this party that tried to take your
gun?
A. He is a man that asked me to take my gun.
Q. Did he belong to the rioter party?
A. He did.
At this point the committee adjourned, to meet at the call of the
chair.
PITTSBURGH, _April 6, 1878_.
The sub-committee on railroad riot met at the Orphans' court room at
ten o'clock, A.M. Mr. Reyburn in the chair. Present, Messrs. Reyburn,
Torbert, Yutzy, Englebert, and Means.
* * * * *
David A. Stewart, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Where do you live, Mr. Stewart?
A. I live on Homewood avenue, Pittsburgh.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. I am president of the Pittsburgh Locomotive Works and Columbia Oil
Company.
Q. Were you present on the 19th of July, the breaking out or first
commencement of the riot?
A. The 19th. That was Thursday, was not it?
Q. Yes?
A. I was in the city on Thursday.
Q. Will you be kind enough just to make a statement, in your own way,
of what you know of the occurrences of that day?
A. The only excitement that I saw was on the street, but on Friday
morning when I came into the city--I live six miles out--in the city
limits--but six miles from the neighborhood--I understood Mr. Cassatt
was there, and I went to see him, and say to him that the city of
Pittsburgh was very poorly off for police--one hundred odd men having
been discharged--and suggested that he would get the mayor to employ
those that had been discharged, and guarantee the payment of their
wages, to protect the property of the company and the peace of the
city, which he agreed to do. He said he did not know Mayor McCarthy,
and I offered to take him down and introduce him. He started to go, and
then was called back on some other business, and could not go, and
requested me to take a carriage and go down and see the mayor, and
bring him up if I could. I took a carriage and went down, and met the
mayor on the steps of the city hall; went up to him and said to him I
had been sent down by Mr. Cassatt, who would like very much to see him,
and I offered a carriage, and asked him if he would come along up and
see Mr. Cassatt. He said he would not; he would not have anything to do
with it, the whole matter had been taken out of his hands. That there
was no necessity, he said, of bringing the military here, that he could
have allayed this whole thing if it had been left in his hands. I asked
him if he would see Mr. Cassatt, if I would bring him down. He says,
"No; I will have nothing to do with him," and he turned on his heel and
left, and did not wait to hear the proposition. I did not make the
proposition, because he would not wait to hear anything.
Q. Did you see the mayor himself?
A. The mayor himself, on the steps of the city hall, and he saw the
carriage there ready, right in front of him, to take him to the depot,
if he had gone. This was on Friday morning.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did you go back and report to Mr. Cassatt?
A. I went back and reported to Mr. Cassatt that he had declined to see
me--to come to see him, or to see him.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were you acquainted with the Mayor?
A. Oh, I know him. Not intimately. Have been in his office frequently
before. I think he knew me, too.
Q. Have you any knowledge of any steps taken by the mayor to preserve
the peace?
A. Not at that time. He declined then. He said the matter had been
taken out of his hands, and he would not do anything.
Q. Do you know of his having taken any step at any time?
A. Well, after that--after the fire on Sunday, I saw him then with
a lot of police, bringing some men from the Brownsville boat, or
Connellsville road, or somewhere along there--after the fire on Sunday.
I was not in town on Sunday, owing to an article in the _Globe_ that
Thomas A. Scott was at my house directing affairs from there. Having my
family over there, I expected a lot of those men out there. I was at my
house in East Liberty, around about the stock-yards, all day on Sunday.
Q. You say there was an article in the _Globe_ newspaper published
here?
A. On Sunday morning.
Q. That Thomas A. Scott was at your house?
A. Directing affairs from there.
Q. Was Mr. Scott there?
A. He was not there at any time during the riot. Was not there before
the riot, nor has he been there since.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did the mayor say to you who had taken this matter out of his
hands--what authority had taken it out of his hands?
A. I do not think he said what authority. He said the whole matter had
been taken out of his hands.
Q. Did not say who did it?
A. No; he may have stated the sheriff, but I am not sure about
that--stated he would have nothing to do with it.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Where were you on Saturday? Where are your works located?
A. Our works are located in Allegheny, but my office is on Sixth
street. I was not up about on Saturday. I was at the Union depot about
the time the firing commenced at Twenty-eighth street, and I went out
on the first train to home; but after the train could get through, and
come up as far as the yard, it was stopped at the yard, owing to the
troubles at Twenty-eighth street, and I suppose we were there half an
hour. I was not at Twenty-eighth street at the time of the firing. I
saw great crowds of people around the tracks as our train got through.
Q. Did the crowd seem excited?
A. Oh, yes; close up to the tracks along on both sides. That was after
the first volley had been fired. There was no firing at the time I went
through there. That was about five o'clock in the evening.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were you about the Fort Wayne depot during Saturday or Sunday?
A. No, sir.
Q. Don't you know anything about the doings of the mob down there?
A. I was not in town on Sunday at all. I saw the troops there at the
passenger depot at one o'clock that day, when the Philadelphia troops
arrived there, when they were taking their lunch at the Union depot.
Q. Were you over in Allegheny at any time during the trouble?
A. No, sir; not at all during the trouble.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did you apply to any of the other officials--sheriff or any other
authorities?
A. No; I did not. I am not connected with the railroad in any way,
except I am director in the Allegheny Valley road. I talked to Mr.
McCargo about him applying, but he thought it was not any use, after
the refusal to Mr. Cassatt.
Q. After the mayor refused?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What was the nature of that editorial in the _Globe_--was it
inflammatory?
A. It was not an editorial; it was a local notice, stating that Thomas
A. Scott was at the house of his nephew, D. A. Stewart, on Penn avenue,
and directing affairs from there. That was to create excitement. There
was more inflammatory articles in the extra of the _Critic_ issued
on Sunday.
Q. The _Globe_ was a Sunday paper also?
A. The _Globe_ was a Sunday paper also.
By Mr. Means:
Q. What was the tenor of that article in the _Critic_--to excite?
A. To excite the populace.
Q. Or to allay the excitement?
A. I think it was signed "Thirty Thousand Citizens," calling for a
meeting at city hall, on Sunday, at one o'clock. If I remember, the
tenor was to put down the railroad men, and all that sort of thing.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Put down the strikers?
A. Tom Scott and the balance of them.
By Mr. Means:
Q. The railroad officials?
A. The better plan is to get the article itself, instead of letting me
describe it.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was this in the _Critic_ or _Globe_?
A. In the extra of the _Critic_, on Sunday. The _Critic_ had
a regular edition, and afterwards issued an extra that was distributed
about noon, or during the forenoon.
Q. Is there anything else that you know in regard to the riots that
would be of interest to us?
A. I do not know anything directly. You know, I was about East Liberty
on Sunday, and there is nothing that would be evidence. I saw the
troops there, and I went to the general, and got him to distribute a
guard around the stock-yards and Penn avenue, and made suggestions of
that kind.
Q. Did the troops preserve order there?
A. Everything was very quiet there on Sunday, about East Liberty.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did you have any conversation with Tom Scott or Mr. Cassatt in
regard to this matter, except what you have stated about the mayor
furnishing police, or anything that would have any tendency to put down
this riot?
A. I don't remember now of any. I heard rumors that were current, of
one kind and another, which I would not consider as evidence. I heard
Mayor McCarthy made such and such speeches, but I don't know who from.
That would not be evidence.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What was the conduct of the troops out at East Liberty, those that
come under your observation?
A. They were very orderly and behaved. They had nothing to do,
specially, there. I saw them have their drill there on Sunday evening.
General White's troops were up above Torrens, and I applied to him
first about having this guard placed along Penn avenue. At first there
was no guard there, and there was danger of men coming out and setting
fire to the stock-yards; and I applied to him, and he said General
Gallagher was the officer in command, and I applied to General
Gallagher, and he said he would have it attended to. I went back in a
couple of hours, and it still was not done, but he did have it done
that afternoon. I saw there was danger, and it might create a great
deal of trouble, but they had a guard placed all along Penn avenue, and
also requested that there should be a guard put at the lower end of the
yard, the upper end of the tracks, to keep persons from going there,
except what was necessary on business, which they did. I was in the
telegraph office, and heard the reports about the wreck of that stock
train.
By Mr. Means:
Q. The disposition of the troops was to maintain order?
A. There was no difficulty, particularly. I think everything was quiet
about East Liberty and about the stock-yards on that day--on Sunday.
Q. They were ready to do their duty?
A. Ready to do their duty.
* * * * *
Joseph Thomas, _sworn_:
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. Where do you reside, Mr. Thomas?
A. Reside at No. 117, Bluff street, Sixth ward, Pittsburgh.
Q. Were you the coroner at the time of the riots in July last?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Will you be kind enough to state to the committee the number of
persons killed during those riots that came within your official
knowledge?
A. There was twenty-two that was killed, and there was two that died
from wounds. One was Lieutenant Ash, of Philadelphia, and a man by the
name of Evans, that was wounded on Sunday morning, and died afterwards.
They had amputated his limbs, and he died. I took his deposition.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was he a soldier?
A. No; a citizen shot in the neighborhood of Thirty-seventy street on
that Sunday morning. That is all I have any account of altogether.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What were those--citizens?
A. There was four soldiers--four Philadelphia soldiers, altogether,
counting Ash. One of our soldiers that belongs around here, and the
others were all citizens. That would be five, counting Ash, that I held
an inquest on.
Q. What were the occupations of those men that were killed? Do you
remember?
A. I think that I have got a list down there, if it has not been
mislaid. There was some of all kinds, painters--some railroad men among
them, there was some rolling-mill men, I think--yes, I know of one. I
did have a list of them.
Q. Could you give the committee a list of the killed, with a
statement----
A. Statement on my docket? I could. I had a list made out, which I gave
the grand jury. I don't know what they did with it.
Q. We would like to have the list of killed from your docket?
A. Yes, and the place they were killed?
Q. Yes?
A. And their occupation?
Q. Yes; just a description of them, so that the committee can file them
in their report. Where were those men killed?
A. The majority of them were killed in the neighborhood of Twenty-eighth
street, and some were killed about the corner of Twenty-sixth or
Twenty-seventh. That was during Sunday morning--Saturday night.
Q. During the time the troops were in the round-house?
A. Yes, sir. This one soldier that belongs here, he was shot up on the
hill. I had been out in Sharpsburg that afternoon, and was within a
couple of squares at the time of the firing. I could see him laying up
on the hill from Liberty street.
Q. You speak of this man Evans having made a deposition?
A. He was shot right in the neighborhood of Thirty-seventh street.
Q. He was further out on Penn avenue?
A. Yes, sir; that was on the road that the troops retreated on. Butler
street there was another--a saloon-keeper shot pretty near the same
place. This man Evans' deposition, as near as I can remember, was, that
he was engaged in the Valley round-house, taking charge of the engines,
and running them in, and he had got done work, and went down to see
about some relatives of his--went down street apiece, and saw the
troops coming, and he turned off and went around the corner and waited
until they passed, he said that after they went apiece, he followed
them up on his way home. He was shot in the ankle.
Q. That was on Sunday morning?
A. Yes, sir; that saloon-keeper--he was shot at his own door, and there
was a man that was carried in Doctor Robinson's--I don't remember his
name, but I can give it to you--was shot just about a square above
that. He was a plasterer.
Q. Did you have a physician to make a _post mortem_ examination of the
dead?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. What appeared to be the nature of the injuries of the soldiers that
were killed? Did they appear to be wounded from rifle bullets or pistol
bullets?
A. They appeared to be mostly gun-shot wounds. There was one of them
had a hole you could pretty near put your fist through. It was where a
ball came out. It appeared like a minie-ball. There were two soldiers.
They were laid out by Mr. Devore. By the time I got there, he had them
fixed up to be shipped, and he could give you a description of their
wounds.
Q. Joseph?
A. Mr. Devore, the undertaker; he got them in Lawrenceville. He had
them fixed up at the time I got to see them, and he could give you a
description of them.
Q. Did you think they were all gun-shot wounds?
A. All gun-shot wounds, except one.
Q. Rifle of large caliber?
A. Yes. Well, these minie-ball are not a very big ball, but they make
an ugly wound sometimes.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. I suppose the Senator means that they were not pistol shots?
A. No; I feel confident they were gun-shot wounds.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. The wounds of how many men did you examine--of the soldiers?
A. These two in Devores. I don't know whether I examined the wounds or
not. Mr. Devore would know. The other one up here I did. It was a very
big wound. He was killed about Thirty-third street.
Q. A citizen?
A. No; he was a soldier. I think he had two wounds in him.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Was he a Philadelphia soldier?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were there any women and children killed?
A. I didn't see any. There were rumors around the streets Saturday
afternoon that there was, but I didn't see any.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. You held no inquest upon any children or women?
A. No, sir; there were places pointed out to me Saturday where there
had been women or children shot, but I didn't hear anything of it
afterwards.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Have no knowledge of any being killed--children or women?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Have you any information, or did you see any of the occurrences on
Saturday--Sunday that would be? You are county officer--are you a
county officer?
A. Yes, sir. I was about two squares from the firing at the time it
commenced, coming down Liberty street. I think I was up about
Thirty-first street, about three squares.
Q. Coming this way?
A. Yes, sir; coming this way. I went up along Liberty street in the
afternoon about two o'clock, and I was in a buggy when the firing
commenced, about three squares up Liberty street from Twenty-eighth
street. I could see the people up on the hill from where I was, the
dust rising when the balls would strike. I was not near enough to
recognize anybody.
Q. State how many you know of having been wounded?
A. Three.
Q. What were they?
A. One was a Philadelphia soldier.
Q. Where was he wounded?