Part 26
A. There was considerable cheering.
Q. But were any answers sent?
A. No.
Q. Did those messages come in answer to messages that had been sent out?
A. I cannot answer that. I have given you about the purport of the messages. Probably if General Pearson shall be called he might recollect the purport a little distincter than I have.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were those telegrams?
A. I think not. I didn't so understand it.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. There appeared to be an organization?
A. It looked to me in that light very much.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You stated one was from Wilkes-Barre?
A. Yes, and one from the Monongahela valley, and there was also one from Mansfield--that the coal miners there would be in in the morning.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Had you knowledge of any organization prior to this time?
A. Nothing that I could assert with any distinctness--nothing only rumor--while I firmly believe there was. Now I will give you another fact or instance to corroborate my theory: Some five weeks after the riot I was in St. Paul, and the mayor of St. Paul had gathered up thirteen tramps in a cave on the bank of the Mississippi river. I was at the hearing, and each one had a traveling sack or satchel, and they examined these satchels and there were goods like silk handkerchiefs, and so forth, in them. The mayor asked them where they got them, and they said, at Pittsburgh at the time of the riot, "How did you know there was going to be a riot there." "Oh! we knew it, and we were there." If you will telegraph to the mayor at St. Paul he will substantiate the fact.
Q. In regard to the extent of this sympathy with the strikers that you spoke of, I would like you to explain a little more upon that subject as to the extent of it, and as to what classes of people sympathized with the strikers?
A. The whole laboring class, so far as I know, were with the strikers in their sympathy.
Q. The entire laboring class?
A. Yes; I think so. Do not understand me to say that they were in sympathy with the riot. They were in sympathy with the men on account of their wages being reduced.
By Mr. Yutzy:
Q. With the railroad strikers?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. But they were not opposed to the railroad company?
A. I do not know that, but it was just this way that the railroad men had their sympathy. Then there was another sympathy of the merchants to a certain extent with these men. They believed they were not paid right, and that the railroad company were not doing----
Q. Among what class of merchants?
A. Our better class.
Q. The entire classes?
A. No; but a portion of them.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was it sympathy with the strikers, or only prejudice against the railroad company?
A. I think they had sympathy and prejudice both.
Q. Do you think that any responsible portion of the people of Pittsburgh, whether laboring men or others, sympathized with the rioters after the difficulty had become a riot?
A. No; I think not. I would say here, that the responsible portion of the people of Pittsburgh were not in sympathy with the riot, but I would say, further, that it took a certain amount of riot to bring them to their senses. Something has been said in regard to seeing my solicitor. On Friday morning, I did see him at an early hour, and stated to him all I had done, and what I had done, and he advised me that I had done just exactly what he would have advised me to do. He stayed with me nearly all day Friday and Saturday. Before going up to Union depot in company with him, I walked down the street, looking for a posse to go along, and among other places we dropped in, was Air. Hampton's office. They two consulted, and both decided that I had acted in the right way. I am only satisfying you in regard to that. Those gentlemen, both, can be had at any time.
The following are the telegrams referred to in the foregoing testimony of Sheriff Fife:
PITTSBURGH, _July 19, '77_.
To Hon. JOHN LATTA, _Lieutenant Governor of Penn'a._:
I have forwarded the following dispatch to his Excellency Governor Hartranft, at Harrisburg. Learning that he is absent from the State, I forward it also to you for such action as you may deem your duty and powers render proper.
Signed
R. H. FIFE, _Sheriff of Allegheny county_.
* * * * *
Following is the dispatch above alluded to:
PITTSBURGH, _July 19, 1878_.
HON. JOHN F. HARTRANFT, _Governor of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg_:
A tumult, riot, and mob exist on the Pennsylvania railroad at East Liberty and in the Twelfth ward of Pittsburgh. Large assemblages of people are upon the railroad, and the movement of freight trains, either east or west, is prevented by intimidation and violence, molesting and obstructing the engineers and other employés of the railroad company in the discharge of their duties. As the sheriff of the county, I have endeavored to suppress the riot, and have not adequate means at my command to do so, and I, therefore, request you to exercise your authority in calling out the military to suppress the same.
R. H. FIFE, (Copy.) _Sheriff of Allegheny county_.
* * * * *
BEAVER, PA., _July 20, 3:35, A.M._
R. H. FIFE, _Sheriff_:
Your telegram received. I have telegraphed the Adjutant General.
M. S. QUAY, _Secretary Commonwealth_.
* * * * *
HARRISBURG, _July 20, 2:11, A.M._
R. H. FIFE, _Sheriff Allegheny county Pa._:
Gen. Latta will be here in an hour, and means taken to assist you if necessary.
C. N. FARR, JR., _Private Secretary_.
* * * * *
HARRISBURG, _July 20, 2:30, A.M._
R. H. FIFE, _Sheriff Allegheny county, Pa._:
The Constitution gives me no power to act in the matter. The Governor alone has the power. His law officer, Attorney General Lear, can be reached either at Harrisburg or Doylestown.
JOHN LATTA, _Lieut. Gov._
* * * * *
LANCASTER, PA., _3:17, A.M._
R. H. FIFE, _Sheriff Allegheny county, Pa._:
Have ordered General Pearson to place a regiment on duty to aid you in suppressing disorder.
JAMES W. LATTA, (Copy.) _Adjutant General_.
* * * * *
Hugh Y. Boyce, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You were a deputy sheriff in July last?
A. Yes.
Q. You reside where?
A. No. 551 Fifth avenue.
Q. State to us what knowledge you have of the disturbance, and when it commenced--give us a statement of the facts?
A. Coming in on Friday morning, from attending a sale, I met the sheriff and General Pearson, on Grant street or on Liberty street. I told the sheriff I was going to the office, and I asked where he was going, and he said he was going out the Pennsylvania railroad a short distance. I asked him if he wished me to go along, and he said he did. Then the sheriff and Mr. Pitcairn and General Pearson and myself went to Torrens station. The sheriff there addressed the crowd, as also did General Pearson. They gave some good advice, but they took no notice of it.
Q. How did you go out?
A. On a locomotive.
Q. How large a crowd was there?
A. Five or six hundred--I couldn't tell.
Q. What class of people were there?
A. A pretty hard class.
Q. Railroad men?
A. Some were railroad men, but they were not all railroad men.
Q. What were they doing?
A. Standing in groups talking, on the railroad track, and by the side of the railroad track.
Q. Were you interfered with in going out?
A. No; except the crowd hallooed at us as we went along.
Q. How large a crowd was at Twenty-eighth street?
A. I cannot say that--perhaps four or five hundred.
Q. What response did those men make to the sheriff's admonitions?
A. They said they would have bread or blood.
Q. Anything else?
A. Nothing; but they used very bad language.
Q. They refused to disperse, did they?
A. Yes; General Pearson made a neat, handsome little speech to them, but they paid no attention to it, nor to the sheriff either.
Q. Did you return without any interference?
A. Yes.
Q. What occurred next?
A. The next was on Saturday. In the morning, sometime, the sheriff called me into the office, and told me to get up some men to report at the Pennsylvania railroad depot.
Q. Did you go?
A. Yes.
Q. How many were with you?
A. I think about fifteen or sixteen; I am not certain about that.
Q. Tell us what took place?
A. This was on Friday afternoon. We went out that afternoon to the depot. They wanted some assistance in moving some trains. After I went there, they concluded not to move any, and I returned to the office; and on Saturday I went again, with Constable James Richardson, probably about one o'clock.
Q. With how many men?
A. Seventeen or eighteen men?
Q. Who collected the men?
A. The most of them belonged to the sheriff's office.
Q. Did you try to collect a posse?
A. Yes; but I found it very hard work.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say it was hard work. Why?
A. Because the men didn't seem to be willing to give us their assistance.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What did they say when they were asked to go?
A. They said they would sooner go out and help the rioters.
Q. Did you get that response from any considerable number?
A. A few would answer in that way; others said that they had enough to do to attend to their own business.
Q. What class of men did you call on?
A. I called on citizens and on constables.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did any constables refuse to go?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What excuse did they make?
A. They didn't wish to go out to get shot.
Q. What class of men said that they would sooner go out and help the rioters?
A. Well, laboring men.
Q. You say you called on constables and citizens. Citizens is a very broad term. Did you call on any professional men?
A. No.
Q. On business men?
A. Yes.
Q. What response did they make?
A. That they had to attend to their own business, and couldn't leave on account of it--it being a busy day on Saturday.
Q. You got to the depot about one o'clock?
A. I think so.
Q. Was any crowd about Union depot there?
A. Yes; and soldiers, too.
Q. Were there any riotous proceedings around the depot at that time?
A. Not at that time, but a crowd was there, but they didn't appear to be specially riotous at that time.
Q. Did you move down to Twenty-eighth street with the sheriff, ahead of the militia?
A. We did.
Q. You formed one of the sheriff's posse?
A. Yes.
Q. There were about sixteen of you?
A. About eighteen. There may have been more.
Q. Were you armed?
A. No; some of them had revolvers. I had one.
Q. You had no weapons in view?
A. No.
Q. What took place at Twenty-eighth street?
A. There was quite a large crowd of people there--rioters.
Q. What were they doing?
A. Talking, and hallooing, and making a great noise.
Q. Had they begun to destroy property in any way?
A. Not when we went there--at least not when I was there.
Q. What did the sheriff do?
A. The sheriff advised them to disperse and go home.
Q. Advised them or commanded them?
A. Commanded them.
Q. What response was made?
A. Nothing but vile language, and throwing stones, and brickbats, &c.
Q. Were those stones thrown at the sheriff's posse or at the militia?
A. Promiscuously--all around in that neighborhood.
Q. Did they hit any of the sheriffs posse?
A. Yes.
Q. Were any of them injured?
A. Not materially.
Q. Were any pistols fired?
A. Yes.
Q. How many shots were fired before the militia fired?
A. There may have been five or six.
Q. To what extent were the missiles thrown?
A. There was quite a shower of stones and brickbats.
Q. Was any command given to the militia to fire?
A. Not that I heard. I heard the command to charge bayonets, but no command to fire.
Q. Was the command to charge bayonets obeyed?
A. Yes.
Q. Did they drive back the crowd?
A. A very short distance.
Q. Did they drive them as long as they continued to charge?
A. Yes; they cleared the tracks.
Q. And drove them as far as they desired to?
A. I presume so, just at that time. Quite a number of the crowd--several of them--tried to take the muskets out of the hands of the soldiers.
Q. How did the firing by the militia commence--was it one shot--one shot or a volley?
A. One shot, and then another shot, and then two or three shots every second.
Q. A rattling volley?
A. Yes.
Q. Was it regular?
A. Yes.
Q. What effect did that have on the crowd?
A. It drove them away for the time being.
Q. Where did they assemble afterwards?
A. In different places down below Penn street and up on the hill.
Q. Did the crowd assemble between the depot and where the militia were then stationed?
A. I don't know.
Q. What became of you?
A. After the firing was over, probably three quarters of an hour, I came in Penn avenue.
Q. Did the posse remain together?
A. When the firing commenced we were standing immediately in front. It was too warm to stand there very long.
Q. Did the firing disperse the sheriff's posse, too?
A. Yes; it was a rather peculiar place to stand there.
Q. Do you know how many were killed there that evening?
A. I don't know the exact number now.
Q. Had you any knowledge of any pre-arranged purpose among those men to strike on that day?
A. I had not--only what you might judge from the crowds gathering there occasionally, at the corners, and on the railroad tracks, and different places.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was there any talk of striking among those men that gathered in crowds before the strike?
A. Yes; you could hear a great deal of talk about a strike, but nothing was said as to the time when it was going to take place.
Q. How long before this strike?
A. On Tuesday and Wednesday.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who was the talk among?
A. Among the laboring classes--among the men that worked in the mills, and the glass houses, &c., and railroad men.
Q. Did you hear it before the news of the strike on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad?
A. No.
Q. It was not until after that that you heard talk of striking?
A. No.
Q. Prior to that you had heard nothing that would lead you to believe there was an organization for the purpose?
A. No.
Q. That was the subject of conversation, I suppose, among all classes--to some extent?
A. Yes; it was.
* * * * *
Conrad Upperman, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. In Penn avenue, between Thirty-third and Thirty-fourth streets.
Q. What was your occupation?
A. I was night foreman in the round-house.
Q. Were you on duty on Thursday night?
A. I was.
Q. State whether there was any disturbance about the round-house on that night.
A. There was none about the round-house at all. The only disturbances there were, took place out on the track, about Twenty-eighth street.
Q. What kind of a disturbance was it?
A. The railroad men and the others were combined--but they were not doing anything, except standing there in groups.
Q. During the night was the crowd noisy and boisterous?
A. Somewhat.
Q. You were in sight of them?
A. I was among them nearly all the time. On Thursday night, between eight and nine o'clock, I attempted to get out an engine to haul some stock, and I thought it was useless to attempt it without first seeing whether they would allow us to haul it. Mr. Watt told me in the office that they would allow us to haul the stock; but when I got among them they didn't seem very favorable to allowing it. So we talked to them some time, and at last they agreed that we could haul the stock. I brought the engine out myself; but before I could get her across Twenty-eighth street four or five hundred called out to me and hallowed--called out to me to take her back; but I got her across Twenty-eighth street, and, after talking to them, they got quiet, and agreed that I could haul the stock, provided a committee could go on the engine to see that we would not haul anything else. I then got two engineers, one to fire the engine, and one to run it, and they took the stock up that night; but a little later in the night a Pan Handle train came along, and that raised a terrible howl there about the stock, and they cut the engine loose; but at last they let the stock go as far as Lawrenceville, and then we got an engine to haul it away. In fact, they went along on the train.
Q. What complaints did the men make in your conversations with them?
A. They complained about the double-headers; that they would take a great many of them off; that it would take their work away at any rate, and they thought they might as well fight it.
Q. Were you in the round-house on Saturday night?
A. I was.
Q. Were you present when the firing occurred on Saturday afternoon?
A. No; I went home at six o'clock in the morning to take some sleep. I then went to the round-house between seven and eight o'clock. When I got there the soldiers were just entering. After they had got themselves stationed there, it was not long until the outside parties commenced firing into the round-house.
Q. With what?
A. With musketry.
Q. The rioters?
A. Yes; between eleven and twelve o'clock that night. There was a board pile between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh streets, and a good many of them got in behind that, and they just rattled volley after volley into the round-house. I was standing there; but I thought it was too hot, and went to the other side. I then remained in the round-house until about twelve o'clock, and then told an officer that I would go out. He said I had better see General Brinton first, that I might do him some good. I saw General Brinton; but he had nothing to say, and I said nothing to him. I started to go out the back way of the carpenter shop; but there was a lot of rioters there, and we thought that it would not be safe, so we came on back to where the superintendent's office stood, and he proposed that I might go out the gate at Twenty-sixth street, and that he would tell his soldiers not to fire on me. The firing was going on at Twenty-sixth street. I got out then and went on home.
Q. Were you molested by the rioters?
A. Not then; but on Friday night or Saturday morning, between twelve and one o'clock, we were getting out two passenger engines to go east. It was not my business to know what the engines were going to haul. I got orders to get them out, and I went out in the street then and got two engineers and firemen, but a man came in and gave us to understand that the engines couldn't go, and I knew it was no use to argue the point with them, because there were four or five hundred of them there on Twenty-eighth street.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was that man a railroader?
A. Not at that time. I believe he had been suspended. He is in the work-house now. Then we had two engines coming west on the fast line that same night, and we cut one engine off and took the accommodation engine at Wall's, and let the accommodation engine bring the train in, and let the other engine go back to Altoona; but we found they had her blocked. I went to Twenty-eighth street, and they were pretty noisy at that time. Some of them came to me, and asked what kind of a hand I was taking in the matter. I told them I was not taking any more hand in it than I ought to, and they told me if I didn't get out right quick they would shoot me so full of holes that I couldn't get away. I found it was pretty hot, and I got away. On Friday morning, when the troops came there, there was not over twenty or thirty men at Twenty-eighth street. They seemed to go away, but after that, of course, they commenced gathering in groups, and I noticed the troops were not there very long until they were among them themselves. I noticed that morning, before I went home, that they were walking together in the street, our own men and the soldiers. I thought there was no use for those soldiers there.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What morning was that?
A. Saturday morning.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What troops were those?
A. The Pittsburgh troops. I was there Thursday night and Friday night and Saturday night until one o'clock.
Q. At Twenty-eighth street, were the same men there all the time from Thursday until Saturday--until the firing of the troops?
A. Yes; they were nearly about the same crowd. Of course, the crowd increased. On Friday night four or five thousand of them were there, but the crowd was orderly, and I never saw them molest anybody unless you wanted to do something--then they would drive you back.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Would it have been possible for the police to have made any arrests at that time?
A. I went out and looked at the crowd. I looked over the crowd and I thought if there were any police there they could have arrested the whole of them.
Q. Could a force of fifty good police have dispersed the mob?
A. They could on Thursday afternoon, when the first double-header was stopped. I think only about from twenty to twenty-five men were interfering with that train at all. It was just this way: I stood and looked on, but I had nothing to do with it. It was daylight, and I was on at night. There were four police on each engine, and a road foreman was on an engine, and the engineers and firemen, but they didn't seem to pull her out. I didn't see anybody with anything in their hands, but was informed that there were parties with links and pins in their hands, ready to throw in case they did start.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Do you know of any engineers or firemen being driven off their engines when there were policemen with them on the train?
A. I cannot say that I do. They got off, though.
Q. Did the police get off too?
A. They did, yes.
Q. You didn't see them driven off?
A. No, they hooted and hallooed a good bit.
Q. They got off--no links were thrown and no assaults were made?
A. Not when I was looking.
Q. How many police were on the engines?
A. Four on the first, and I think four on the second.
Q. They got off on account of the threats?
A. That is the only reason I would know for their getting off.
* * * * *
C. A. Fife, _sworn with uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You are the son of Sheriff Fife?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you in the sheriff's office on Thursday, the 19th of July?
A. Yes.
Q. Was there any call upon the sheriff during that day for assistance in putting down the disturbance at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Not during that day, I do not think.
Q. During the evening?
A. I believe so, but I was not home.
Q. You were not out with him?
A. No.
Q. Were you out with him on Friday?
A. I was at Union depot on Friday.
Q. Was there any disturbance there?
A. No, sir.
Q. Were you out on Saturday?
A. Yes.
Q. At what time?
A. I was there when the militia went out, in the afternoon.
Q. Were you a member of the sheriff's posse?
A. Yes.
Q. Tell us what occurred there?
A. We walked into the crowd. The crowd would open for us to walk in, and then close around us.
Q. At what point was that?
A. Twenty-eighth street.
Q. The militia were immediately in your rear.
A. Yes.
Q. What did the sheriff say to the crowd?
A. He asked them to disperse.
Q. What response did they make?
A. I cannot say that. They hooted, and hallooed, and used vile language, and threw stones.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. They did not disperse?
A. No.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who were the stones thrown at?
A. Both at the militia and us, but I cannot say exactly.
Q. Were any guns or pistols fired at you?
A. I heard pistol shots, but cannot say who they were fired at.
Q. Before the firing from the soldiers?
A. Yes.
Q. Was there any command given to fire?
A. Not that I heard.
Q. Where were you during Saturday night, after the shooting?
A. I was around through town here--no place in particular.
Q. Were you at your home?
A. Yes; then I was out on the hill above Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Was there anybody that offered violence to you?
A. No.
Q. Was any attempt made to burn the house of the sheriff?