Part 15
Q. Were there any other such vigilance committees organized?
A. Yes. One was formed on my right and another on my left, in the East End, and I am told there were others in the city.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You have stated that you were advised to go away for safety?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was it a railroad employé or was it railroad employés, or a citizen or citizens that advised you and Mr. Pitcairn to leave the city?
A. I do not know who advised Mr. Pitcairn. The advice was given to me by myself. I was not with Mr. Pitcairn at the time. To my recollection, I think the notice was given to me by Mr. Elder, the night depot master.
Q. A railroad employé?
A. Yes. Various of my friends and citizens generally, advised me to leave afterwards.
Q. They considered your life in danger, if you remained?
A. Yes. I had notice sent to my house that I had better leave the city. They said they were going to burn the house.
Q. Was the intimation that Mr. Pitcairn's life was in danger along with the rest?
A. Yes; Mr. Pitcairn's, Mr. Watt's, Mr. Cassatt's, and mine.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Was any attempt made to interfere with your property or to burn your house?
A. Nothing.
Q. The mob did not go there?
A. It was too far away.
By Mr. Means:
Q. It was said that they would very likely take your life if you did not go away?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Who were the men that interfered with Gerry. Do you know them?
A. I think I do; but I am not prepared to say. One of the men, I think, is still in the criminal court.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You stated that General Pearson gave orders to keep the hill clear, and to let no one on the tracks. At that time was any one besides the military on the hill side?
A. Nobody except the military--not more than half a dozen. Probably the people living up there were passing up and down; but there was no crowd congregated there at all. I am unable to say to whom the order was given. He was on one side of the tank, and I was on the other. I presume it was some officer in charge; but who it was I cannot say.
Q. The object of the order was to keep the mob of people from congregating on the hill side?
A. Yes; and on the tracks.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What was the name of the person to whom the order was given to move the ammunition.
A. That was Captain Breck--E. Y. Breck, commander of the Pittsburgh battery.
Q. Can you give the reason why he did not move it?
A. I cannot. I was not present long enough to ascertain.
Q. Could it have been moved at that time without much danger?
A. I think it could. He may have had reasons or difficulties that I know nothing about. He was on the ground all the time, and had a better opportunity of judging than I had.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What troops were on the hill when General Pearson gave the orders to keep the hillside clear?
A. I am not positive about that, but I think the Fourteenth regiment was on the hill, and the Nineteenth regiment on the track, and the battery was on the flat just above the track.
* * * * *
Joseph McCabe sworn _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. In the Twentieth ward.
Q. State whether you are connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and if so, in what capacity?
A. I am the general yard dispatcher at Pittsburgh.
Q. As such, what are your duties?
A. I make up trains and see that they go out properly.
Q. Were you on duty on the 19th of July last?
A. Yes.
Q. You may go on and give a statement of what occurred, beginning with Thursday morning?
A. On the morning of the 19th of July I was in the western part of the yard. I saw that the train did not move at the proper time, and went to the middle of the yard, at Twenty-sixth street, to ascertain why it did not go. The yard dispatcher there and assistant train master told me that some of the men had refused to go out. I and Mr. Hunter, then yard dispatcher, went to the men and asked them if they would go out, and all that we would go to, said they would not go out on the double-headers.
Q. About how many men did you see?
A. All that we could find. We went into the caboose cars.
Q. All refused to go out on the double-headers?
A. Yes; except the first train. The conductor was willing to go out, but not the crew.
Q. What classes of men refused--conductors and brakemen?
A. Yes; they refused to go, and I went then to get up the yard crews to put on, and brakemen to go in the place of conductors. I got an engine out. We were just going to make a coupling. I had got two crews and brought them up, and I had told a brakeman named W. S. Gerry to couple the engine. He made an effort to do so, and while doing so, they threw at him with pins and links and stones. One of the pins struck him on the side, and he had to run for his life to the Philadelphia fast passenger train, which was standing on the track where he was, and he jumped on it. Had it not been for that they would have been very apt to have caught him.
Q. Who threw those missiles?
A. I cannot say who threw them, but the whole crowd apparently made a rush.
Q. How large was the crowd?
A. Not over twenty.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were they train men?
A. Yes.
Q. What time was that?
A. It must have been between nine and ten o'clock.
Q. Thursday?
A. Yes.
Q. The crowd was composed of about twenty men?
A. Yes.
Q. Who were those men?
A. Some of them I don't know the names of. Some are up in court, and they are now trying them. One of them is "over the river."
Q. Name as many as you can?
A. One was Andrew Hice; another Alonzo Milliner, and several more of them. I can't just remember their names now.
Q. Were they all railroad employés?
A. As far as I saw, they were at that time.
Q. Men in actual employment at that time?
A. Yes.
Q. Were there any men there at that time who had previously been discharged?
A. None that I know of.
Q. What was the next incident that occurred that came under your observation?
A. The next thing, I went to Twenty-eighth street with Mr. Watt, and tried to get engine seven hundred and eighty-five out--Conductor S. K. Moore.
Q. What time was that?
A. Pretty close to twelve o'clock. I told him to bring his engine out, and he told me that they would not allow him to turn the switch.
Q. Who do you mean by "they?"
A. He said all of them--the crowd. They would not let him turn the switch. Mr. Watt said he would turn it. While he was stooping to turn it, one of them struck him. They arrested him, and after they arrested him I turned the switch and brought the engine out on the track and down the yard, and coupled her to sixteen cars, and sent her to Wilkinsburg with them.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Was that the same crowd that had assembled about ten o'clock?
A. Yes; it was Twenty-sixth street, and they went to Twenty-eighth street. The second engine was at Twenty-eighth street. It was the same crowd.
Q. Had it increased in numbers?
A. Yes; in the meantime.
Q. Who were the men that joined them? Were they railroad employés too?
A. I cannot say. Afterwards I went to the west end of the yard with another engine. I had the dispatcher at the west end to get sixteen cars on another track, and I went there with another engine at about the time the Atlantic express should leave the depot. We got that train out, and that was the last.
Q. What time did that train go out?
A. It left Seventeenth street about one-five. I got to Twenty-eighth street before I ought to. The engineers left their engines there at Twenty-sixth street after we had got the trains ready to go. The mob got in front, and the first engineer blew down brakes, and got off. Then the second engineer did the same. The assistant engineer came to me and asked what he was going to do. I said I didn't know. He said he would run that engine if anybody else would. The road foreman came up, and I told him what Mr. Phillips had said, and he got on one engine and Phillips got on another. Then some person hallooed: "If you move that engine we will blow your brains out." Then they did not start. They all went out. There were about sixteen policemen there, but they could not apparently do anything with them.
Q. How many men got in front?
A. Suppose forty or fifty.
Q. Were they all railroad employés?
A. I don't think they were.
Q. Who composed the balance of the crowd?
A. I am not able to say.
Q. What time was that?
A. I can't say that positively, either.
Q. As near as you can tell?
A. Somewhere about twelve o'clock.
Q. Thursday?
A. Yes.
Q. You say that some policemen came up there?
A. About sixteen.
Q. Who was at the head of the police?
A. I can't say who.
Q. Just explain what effort they made to disperse the mob?
A. We got the train ready to start, and five or six of them got on one engine and the same on the other, and the balance of them got on the train. At Twenty-eighth street they arrested McCullough.
Q. Who made the arrest?
A. Four or five of them had hold of him.
Q. Policemen?
A. Yes.
By Senator Torbert:
Q. He was the person that struck Mr. Watt?
A. I suppose so.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Was not any attack made on the crowd by the policemen?
A. They tried to get them away.
Q. How? With their clubs?
A. No. By pushing them with their hands, I suppose.
Q. What was done next?
A. The balance of the day the men could not do anything. The crowd appeared to increase all the time.
Q. Did you have any conversation with those men that refused to go at first to ascertain their reasons for their refusal?
A. I asked what their reason was for not going, and they allowed that they would not run on double-headers.
Q. All gave that as their reason?
A. Yes.
Q. Had you any knowledge before Thursday morning that such a refusal would be made?
A. No; I didn't have the slightest idea until I went up that morning from the west end of the yard.
Q. Did you talk with the men to find out whether there was any prearranged plan to strike that morning?
A. I did not ask them anything about it. They might have had an idea of striking, but I don't think the time was set. That being the morning that the double-headers was to go out, they picked on that morning very suddenly.
Q. When was that order first promulgated or known to the men?
A. I don't remember the date. I think it must have been a few days before that, but I can't say how many.
Q. Had you heard anything said by the men about the order prior to that morning?
A. No. Whatever they did do in the matter, they kept among themselves.
Q. Were you on the ground during the day of Friday?
A. Yes.
Q. Relate to us what occurred. Had double-headers been run before that day on the road?
A. Yes; the Union and National lines were double-headers, and our coal trains were double-headers. Some trains, such as coal trains between Derry--they were running them double for a number of years.
Q. Had you run through freight trains as double-headers before Thursday?
A. Yes; the Union and National lines.
Q. That morning, the order to run double-headers on all freight trains went into effect?
A. Yes.
Q. That required the discharge of a number of men, did it not?
A. I don't know whether they intended to discharge them or suspend them temporarily.
Q. Were any of those men who were suspended or not retained in the employ of the company among that crowd of twenty that you spoke of?
A. Not that I remember of seeing.
Q. That crowd of twenty was composed of men retained in the employ of the company?
A. Principally, but there might have been some others scattered among them.
Q. How are those men paid--the brakemen and conductors--by the hour, or the day, or the month?
A. They are paid by the day.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. What do you mean by the day?
A. In the yard a day of twelve hours constitutes a day--eleven hours--they get paid extra for the meal hour.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. And over hours?
A. In the yard. I simply sent a message again, telling them to await at Rochester, and to send an escort of men down the road to receive me.
Q. To whom did you direct it?
A. To Colonel Carpenter, at Rochester. I expected he would be at Rochester. He was the commanding officer of the troops. When I got to Rochester, I went up and found he had not arrived--that the division had not arrived. I immediately telegraphed for it to move immediately down. I found it was at Greenville, and I gave the direction again to the officer in charge, not specifying any person in particular. In about an hour, after several attempts to get messages or several attempts to get answers, I went again for an answer, and after the instrument fluttering for half a minute, and all communication being suspended for half an hour, I got a message saying that the troops were at dinner, and would move immediately after dinner.
Q. What time was that?
A. Twelve o'clock, on Sunday. In the meantime, I had communication with General Latta. He told me to address him again at Union Depot hotel, and in the next communication to address him at the Monongahela house. Up to three o'clock he remained, I believe, at Union Depot hotel. All the communications I had from him were at the Union Depot hotel. Hearing that the Philadelphia troops had left the round-house and left the city, and fearing for my own ammunition, which the mob around me threatened to burn----
Q. At Rochester?
A. Yes; but which I afterwards saved by going out and stating in a loud voice, that I had thrown it all in the river half an hour ago. I concluded to let the division remain at Greenville, and ordered it to remain there.
Q. What time did you give that order?
A. Probably about half past twelve, as near as I can remember.
Q. On Sunday?
A. Yes.
Q. To whom was it addressed?
A. I forget whether it was addressed to Colonel Carpenter or not. I think it was to the officer in command of the troops there.
Q. Did it reach Colonel Carpenter?
A. Yes; delivered by the agent there. Then I telegraphed to General Latta, that I was going to Greenville. At three o'clock I started for Greenville, but didn't reach there until ten o'clock the next morning, having to go to Ohio. I went to the troops, but I didn't have any communications from General Latta, and fearing that my ammunition would be entirely destroyed at Rochester, I thought it best to try to form the division at some other point, and so I ordered them home. Then I started to meet the Governor, knowing he was coming from Chicago, but not meeting him, I returned immediately to Greenville, and ordered Colonel Carpenter to re-assemble the whole division at Franklin, and by Friday night I had everybody and everything in camp, and in so fair a way, that I was confident I could handle them, and ordered a movement for Saturday morning to Pittsburgh, which no person knew. I had received a communication from the Governor on Saturday night, to know when I would move, which I answered, that he might expect me shortly, at any time. After starting at Franklin, on the way, I received a dispatch from him or from General Latta, who I don't remember, saying he didn't think it was safe for me to come to Pittsburgh with the small amount of ammunition I had. I answered back, I was on the way, and unless I received peremptory orders, I would be in Pittsburgh that night. I came there Saturday night; as soon as I came, the Governor came down--it was raining fearfully--and said he wanted me to open the road on Monday, and for me to select what troops I wanted to use, and that night or the next morning, I selected Colonel Carpenter's regiment for the work, and the Governor sent for me, and said he wanted all the stock trains moved out that day. The stock trains were moved out on Sunday, and the freight trains on Monday, without particular opposition.
Q. Will you give us the time when Colonel Carpenter's regiment reached Greenville?
A. All the regiment didn't reach Greenville. Some of the companies kept back in Meadville. Having only one train, one engine, and one engineer under our control, the officers decided very wisely, as I should have done, to remain there until the division should be concentrated, and then move down together. The whole division was not concentrated at Greenville. There was a company from Ridgway, one from Corry, one company from Union, two companies from Meadville, and there was one company from Clarion county, which was not ordered out, because it was so far away at the time.
Q. The order you sent for Colonel Carpenter to go to Rochester--do you know whether he received that order or not?
A. I didn't send it directly to Colonel Carpenter, for at no time was I certain Colonel Carpenter was there; but to the officer in charge of the troops. I was not certain my adjutant general was there.
Q. The North East company, and the Erie company, and the Conneautville company were at Greenville?
A. If I remember right, the North East company, under Captain Orton; Captains Riddle and Curtiss's company, of Erie; Captain Rupert, of Conneautville; Captain Kreps, of Greenville; Captain Fruit, of Jefferson; Captain Dight, of Pine Grove; and Captain Wright, of Mercer--eight or nine companies.
Q. What day did they assemble at Greenville?
A. They probably got there Sunday morning--possibly some of them Saturday night.
Q. Did Colonel Carpenter, who was in command there, receive your orders to move to Rochester?
A. He received the orders to move to Rochester, because he replied that the men were at dinner, and that as soon as dinner was over they would move.
Q. Did he receive any orders from you before that?
A. No; I don't think I sent him direct orders before that. The orders I sent before were from Chicago to Colonel Clarke to move the division to Rochester.
Q. Then it was three or four o'clock on Sunday afternoon when you sent the order to him to form?
A. No; about twelve and a half o'clock.
Q. Then he had no time to start?
A. No; they were about starting out the depot when I got my order not to start.
Q. Did you approve of his course in remaining at Greenville?
A. I did. Captain Riddle wanted to move down right away with all the men they had, but some of the rest didn't want to go, and Colonel Carpenter said to me that he had got into somewhat of a trouble about moving, and asked if I approved of his action, and I said perfectly--I didn't expect the division to move until it was in shape to take care of itself, and I entirely approve of your course. I went to Riddle, and called him to one side, and said this thing has gone further than I expected, and I don't want any more trouble. I didn't want the division to move down without being strong enough, although we had men enough I am confident, if we had ammunition, to wipe the whole city of Pittsburgh right out.
Q. Would it have been proper for him, with the nine companies he had, in case they were there early on Sunday morning, at Greenville--would it have been proper for him, as a military officer, to have gone on with them to Rochester?
A. No. If the division had got into a fight, he would have been the officer to handle the division, if I was not present. He never got the orders from me until I ordered him at twelve o'clock, and then I had reason to believe he was going to move immediately. The troops had been in Greenville for a day, and they were scattered around, and visiting in saloons and hotels. The men had to support themselves the best they could, and they could not keep them together, even by companies.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How do the brakemen get paid, and the conductors?
A. They get paid by the trip.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. In case they are delayed on the trip, are the men not paid extra for the time they are delayed?
A. Generally, when they are delayed any ways long, the conductor refers his case to the train master, and if he approves of it, they get paid extra.
Q. Did the men retained in the employ of the company and the discharged men have any communication with each other on the morning of Thursday, that you know of?
A. Not that I have any knowledge of.
Q. Did they not have a secret organization?
A. I believe they have an order called the Train Men's Union.
Q. Do you know the object of that organization?
A. No; I do not.
Q. Do you know whether those twenty men assembled there were members of that organization or not?
A. I don't know. I have an idea that they were.
Q. Were there any double-headers that succeeded in starting that morning of Thursday?
A. No; not from Pittsburgh.
Q. What time was the first train regularly to start?
A. Eight-forty.
Q. Can you tell us whether between the hour of twelve, midnight, and eight-forty, any double-headers left on Thursday morning.
A. The four o'clock trains went out double.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How many went out at four o'clock?
A. All, I believe.
Q. Were you on the ground on Friday?
A. Yes; I was around there.
Q. How was the crowd on Friday morning?
A. It appeared to increase all the time.
Q. How large was it on Friday morning?
A. I can't exactly say how large. They were coming and going all the time.
Q. Give us an estimate?
A. In the neighborhood of a couple of thousand.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were they noisy?
A. Some of them were and some of them were not.
Q. Were they making threats?
A. I just occasionally heard them making threats.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How had it been there during the night?
A. Some of them were there all night stopping everything, so that we could not get along. The engines would stop.
Q. Were they noisy and boisterous?
A. The western engines coming up with the live stock were stopped and sent back on the same track.
Q. Was the crowd on Friday morning composed of the same men as on Thursday--were the same men leading the crowd?
A. I cannot say whether they were leading it or not; the crowd was so big they were all mixed up through it.
Q. Did you see any of the same men in the crowd on Friday?
A. I don't remember that I did. Some of the leaders of the crowd there on Thursday night had gone to Lawrenceville on Friday.
Q. Did you have any conversation with the train men on Friday about starting the trains.
A. No.
Q. Did you try to raise any crew on Friday?
A. We had a yard crew still there and two or three crews already to go out, provided they would let them go.
Q. Were you able to take any trains out on Friday, or if not, what hindered them from going out?
A. The mob at Twenty-eighth street----
Q. Were you able to take any trains out on Friday?
A. No; on account of the crowd at Twenty-eighth street making threats to the men--what they would do.
Q. State the condition of the crowd during the day, whether it was increasing or not, and whether it was demonstrative and boisterous or not?
A. Later in the day it appeared to increase.
Q. Did they allow the passenger cars to pass?
A. They allowed them to go. Some of them were stopped, but they let them pass afterwards.
Q. What means did they take to stop those trains?
A. Some of them would halloo and make threats, and others would get up and spring on the engines, and the engineers would have to stop to see what was the matter.
Q. Did they turn any of the switches?
A. Not that I remember of.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. They just piled on the trains?
A. Yes; they filled the engines and cars.
Q. Did they attempt any violence on the men running the trains during the day of Friday by throwing stones or clubs?
A. Not there, they didn't.
Q. Did they anywhere along the road?
A. I don't know whether they did outside of Pittsburgh or not. We didn't move anything on Friday except live stock. They agreed that we might move that, but nothing else.
Q. You say the live stock was moved?