Part 29
A. My father went to see the mayor, with Mr. Follensbee. He went early in the day to Mt. Washington, to see a shooting match. We were not aware of any excitement in the city, but word came to me. In the afternoon I saw a telegraphic dispatch from some one about the mayor. It was the mayor's clerk that brought it down--setting forth that there was a mob organized to break into the different gun stores that evening. I judge between five and six o'clock that came down. He wanted me to remove all our arms. I said that it was so late in the day that I did not know where to place them--that we had a large number, but that, nevertheless, we would try to remove all we possibly could. I then got both the porters and took the arms out of the windows, and a lot of ammunition, cartridges, and cans of powder, and I got some paper and covered over it, to convey the impression to those passing along that we were about cleaning the window, and I left the paper there to disguise it. I had not commenced to take out the arms in the cases. We had two cases that run about sixty feet long. I went to supper, and about six o'clock, when I came back, I found six policemen at the store, but the mayor's clerk came down about seven o'clock, and said they were required at the Central station. Shortly after that father came. He could not get into the front, from the fact that we had the wire across and the screens put up, and I had also gone out and got a couple of scantlings, and put them against the doors, and braced them against the counters. I did not anticipate that they would break in the large glass windows. We had commenced to take down the arms and put them in the magazine, which we have in the cellar, where we keep the powder, and we got down, I should judge about forty, and were kept pretty busy in getting them down, when the large alarm bell struck and I heard the glass go. I came up the stairs, and when I got to the top I found they had knocked the lock off, and I immediately went down, but I could not find the key. I was in my shirt sleeves at the time, but I closed the bolt and put out the gas and came up stairs, and just as I came up I met two parties right at my desk--I had a desk where I do my correspondence--and one of them says, "why in the hell don't you turn up the gas?" I suppose he took me for one of the party who came in. I passed him and went on up stairs, and stayed there until after the racket was over.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Where was the mob?
A. On the lower floor; of course they came up stairs, and then I went up to the third floor.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What was their manner as to being boisterous or demonstrative?
A. When they came in there, I thought bedlam had broken loose.
Q. What class of men were they?
A. What we term from the south side--I judge workingmen. They would just come to the cases and break them in. A few of them had old muskets.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. That they brought with them?
A. Yes; and one party was very kind, and left his and took a new gun.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. After these policemen were taken up to the central station, did any of them return?
A. That I cannot say, but I understood from those that came in after the mob went away, that they were out there, but the mob was too large for them to handle.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. Did the mayor's clerk come down and order those policemen to report?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he take them away from your store?
A. Yes; at that time everything was quiet about the city.
Q. He had notified you that there would be an attempt made?
A. It was reported that there would be an attempt made on the different gun stores.
Q. Yet he took these policemen away?
A. Yes; because at that time there was no excitement at the lower end of the city.
Q. Did they return before you were driven out of the store by the mob?
A. I did not see them; but I cannot say.
Q. But were they ordered back for duty before this mob came?
A. I understood that, but I did not see them. I was in the store at the time, and did not come down, because I thought discretion was the better part of valor.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You saw that dispatch?
A. Yes.
Q. Who was it signed by?
A. I did not notice. I think a fictitious name was to it. I did not notice any name to it, particularly. It was the mayor's clerk. It was late, and all our help had gone off, and the boys had gone to supper, and I was alone, with the two porters.
By Mr. Yutzy:
Q. How many guns and pistols were taken out of your store?
A. Something over four hundred. They took everything--carving knives, butcher knives, and forks, and ammunition, and cutlery--everything they could take.
* * * * *
E. A. Myers, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. At No. 60 Liberty street.
Q. Where is your place of business?
A. No. 145 Wood street.
Q. You are connected with the office of----
A. I am connected with the of the _Post_.
Q. Relate what occurred when you went to the mayor?
A. I may say that Mr. Bown, senior, came over to my place, and he and Mr. Folensbee went with me up to the mayor, to notify him to send policemen down. After we went there, the mayor at first said he was unable to send any assistance, as the police were scattered through the city, but he would do the best he could. We went to Mr. Johnston's gun shop, a short distance above the mayor's office, and staid there awhile, and came down to the mayor's office, and then walked down to Mr. Bown's establishment, and remained there sometime, without the police coming. Then Mr. Bown and myself went back again, but on the way we met them coming up--we met them coming up--some six or eight of the police--coming; and there were at least six or eight policemen there during the disturbance. The crowd that came up, I don't think, at first numbered over seventy-five or eighty--half grown boys. There seemed to be half a dozen armed with muskets, but a large crowd was collected around the streets.
Q. What effort did the policemen make to drive them back?
A. Nothing, whatever; but they staid there. I spoke to the mayor's clerk; I said there were not enough of them to do anything, but they staid there.
Q. Was the crowd armed when they came there?
A. They apparently had a few muskets and guns with them, as far as I could tell.
Q. Did you offer your services, as a policeman, to the mayor?
A. Not as policeman specially, but I offered to do anything that I could to defend the place--not to the mayor, but to Mr. Bown. Mr. Follensbee, I believe, did.
Q. Mr. Follensbee did?
A. Yes; my impression at that time was, that fifteen or twenty determined persons could have stopped the whole rumpus in front of Mr. Bown's place.
Q. Did the mayor make any demand on the citizens for help?
A. Not that I know of. The mayor told me that his police force was scattered around so that he was unable to get together enough to be of any special service. But they did, however, gather up six or eight of them, and they came down here.
* * * * *
Joseph S. Haymaker, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. At Laurel station, on the Fort Wayne railroad.
Q. State what you know of the riot that began on the 19th of July?
A. I believe it was on Saturday--I think that was the 20th of July--that I came up to the city. I had been home sick for almost two months before that time. I went out to Twenty-eighth street, and at the time I went there I found a very considerable crowd of men there. I knew a very few of them. The great majority of them seemed to be strangers. I say this from the fact that owing to my political knowledge in the city, having made many political speeches here, I had gotten to know a great many men. When I came to Twenty-eighth street that afternoon, about two o'clock, I found a large number of men--probably from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred--right across the railroad track at Twenty-eighth street. I met some men I knew, and we were talking over the probability of a difficulty between the troops and the strikers; and these men, or one of them, said there was no danger of the soldiers firing on them--that the people of the State of Pennsylvania were with the strikers in this matter. Whilst we were talking in that way, the Philadelphia soldiers came up the railroad. I was asked the question two or three time, whether or not I thought the soldiers would fire on the citizens, and I said I would not trust them, and, so far as I am concerned, I am going to get out of the road. They are strangers here, and if ordered to fire will fire. If they don't, they are not good soldiers. I was standing then right in front of what they called the sand-house. Three or four gentlemen were there at the time with me, and John Cluley, the painter. I said to them: now, I have had a little military experience during the last war, and I said we will get out of this and go down the hill-side. I got them to go with me. The Philadelphia men came up, and formed on both sides of the track, clearing the track by forming a square, open at the lower end. At this time I was on the hill-side, about eighty or ninety feet, probably one hundred feet, above where they had formed. In that formation of the square there was a portion of a company--I suppose about twenty or twenty-five men--that had yellow plumes in their hats--Philadelphia men--who were swung off from the left of the square, and tried to force back the mob from Twenty-eighth street. Failing in that, then a company was brought up from the lower end of the square--brought right up between the two lines in this way, [illustrating,] right past where the Gatling guns were stationed, and brought face to face with the mob. They marched up until they were within probably twenty-five or thirty feet of the mob, and then halted for about a second. At that time I noticed the sheriff's posse standing in front of where they were standing, trying to get the mob to move back. Then these men moved at a charge bayonet, and went right up to the mob, and I saw several of the mob catch the bayonets and push them down. Then I saw three or four stones thrown from the little watch-house. These stones were thrown right through into this company coming up. Then I heard a pistol shot fired, and probably two or three seconds after that three or four other pistols shots were fired just like that, [illustrating,] and then I saw two or three of the soldiers go down. Then the stones began to fly down along the line, in among the soldiers, and the firing first began right across the railroad track. I don't know what company or regiment it was, but they had black feathers. They were right in front of this square, and the first musket firing began there. I noticed that. Then I heard, probably a dozen of boys hallo shoot! shoot! down along the line, then the pistol shots began, and the musket shots began, and I got down in a ditch behind where I was, and staid there until it was all over.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. This call of shoot, shoot, where did it come from?
A. I won't be sure about that. I saw some of the officers strike up the guns with their swords, and I saw some pulling of the men backwards inside the square. Then, just right after that, there was a general volley right along the line.
Q. A volley or a scattering fire?
A. File firing--each man for himself.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did you hear any order given by any officer to fire?
A. No; nor do I believe any order was given. I say that, for the reason that, had there been an order or command given, there would have been simultaneous firing, but it seemed to me, when the fighting commenced, that everybody was taking care of himself.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. That is, they were protecting themselves from something that was going to injure them?
A. No; but as fast as a man got his gun loaded he would fire, and as fast as the others could get a brick they would throw it.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What effect did the firing of the soldiers produce on the crowd?
A. Right by me, on my right hand an old man, and a little girl on my left hand, were shot dead. I got into the ditch, and I know it was full--the ditch.
By Mr. Means:
Q. It was not a regular volley of musketry?
A. No; it was every fellow for himself.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Do you know how many persons were killed there?
A. No; but when I came up from the ditch--it is not a regular ditch, but a wash down the hillside--when I raised up, somebody else was shot, and I got down again. When I raised up the second time everything was quiet. I looked down over the bank, and several men were lying there dead.
Q. You say that an old gentleman was killed?
A. Yes.
Q. And that a little girl was killed?
A. No; she was shot right through the knee, and I pulled her down into the ditch and tied a handkerchief around her leg. There was a physician there--I think Dr. Schnatterly, of Bellevue, and he took charge of her, and I heard she died that night.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. This crowd standing there--what business did they have there?
A. They had no business there.
By Mr. Yutzy:
Q. Had you any business there?
A. None at all; but I had never seen a strike before, and I went up to see what it looked like. Right down along the railroad there was probably ten feet of ground, or twelve feet--right along the railroad, in front of the troops, occupied by a class of men that I had never seen in the city of Pittsburgh before--ragged looking and dirty looking. There is one thing about Pittsburgh people, that you can tell them on the street--at least, I think, I can. I walking along the street, if a man comes from Philadelphia or any other place, I think I can tell him. In other words, I know he don't belong here. I don't know the reason why, but we get to notice our own people, and I say that that crowd of people along there I never saw before. They looked here [illustrating] like people that I never saw before. I believe them to be strangers not only to Pittsburgh and Allegheny county, but to Western Pennsylvania, and, in fact, to the State of Pennsylvania.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How large was that crowd?
A. There were five hundred or more of them fronting the railroad.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. There is a kind of a platform there?
A. The road runs along six feet below the bank, and then the bank runs back about fifty feet, and then the hill commences for one hundred or one and fifty feet above that.
Q. Did this crowd throw stones?
A. Yes; and just here I will give another reason why I believe that crowd to be strangers in the city of Pittsburgh. The most of our men here--our laboring men--wear dark clothes, but I saw men in that crowd with light pantaloons, and yellow pantaloons, and two men with velveteen coats, and those men seemed to me to be making the most noise down in front of the soldiers. At that time, in my mind, I thought they were tramps. Of course, I can't say that of the whole crowd, but I say that the men making the demonstrations were men of that class.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did that fire from the militia disperse the crowd?
A. Yes; in firing, very unfortunately, they fired over the heads of the people there, and killed the people above. If they had lowered their guns eight inches they would have killed a class of men that we could very well get rid of.
Q. Did they disperse?
A. Yes.
Q. In what direction?
A. Some went up the hill-side, and the mob in front of Twenty-eighth street, ran down Twenty-eighth street to Penn.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did the soldiers attempt to shoot at them as they ran up the bank?
A. Yes; I suppose the firing lasted a minute and a half. The soldiers began firing right down the line, and probably some of them fired four or five shots. When the crowd broke, they ran up among the people on the hill-side, and some of them ran into the ditch where I was. The rest of them went on up the hill-side. I noticed one thing, that the old soldiers dropped flat down when the firing commenced, while the others ran.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You mean the old soldiers in the crowd?
A. I mean that.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Do you think that force of soldiers, with twenty rounds of ammunition, could have held their position and kept the crowd off during the night?
A. Not as strangers, they could not do it. I mean this--had that force been posted as to the situation here, they could have done that--they could have kept the mob off with half their number; but not being acquainted, I think they did about the only thing they could do. The only thing lacking under the circumstances--I have had my own opinion since that time as to what I think I would have done, without any more knowledge of military affairs than I learned in the army, and I would have taken charge of this ditch that I was in, and have put the men in there for the purpose of controlling the round-house and the tracks below. But then there was a danger to be taken into consideration, that along the hill above this ditch, there were houses on the hill-side occupied by railroad men and by strikers, and by men in sympathy with them, so there would have been a danger there, because there would have been firing from the rear--in other words, if people had gone on the hill-side, and opened fire down from the hill-side, they would have had to abandon the ditch--or, on the other hand--my idea of the matter would have been to have picketed Penn avenue and Liberty street very heavily, and have kept those streets clear, from Twenty-eighth street clear down. When you consider that a crowd or a mob is always cowardly, so that the firing of eight or ten men into it will break it, I really believe that the best plan would have been to have picketed Penn avenue and Liberty street--to have kept these streets clear, and then if necessary, to have picketed the upper side of the railroad track, which would have formed a square of pickets, whereby to preserve the cars. Yet, at the same time, I will say that these picket lines would have been subjected to a fire from both sides--from the hill-side above, and from the houses below. I went home on the six o'clock train that evening.
Q. Could General Brinton have taken his troops then, and marched them down towards the Union depot, and kept the crowd back, or kept the crowd above?
A. No; but the mistake that General Brinton made was this, that when he began firing he should have kept it up.
Q. How long?
A. Until every man in the city of Pittsburgh was willing to stop.
Q. Do you think, in your judgment, with the number of men they had, with twenty rounds of ammunition, and with more ammunition over in the Union depot, that they could have maintained their ground there and kept up the firing, and kept the mob back, and kept up communications with Union depot, in order to replenish their ammunition?
A. If he had continued his firing from the time the firing began at Twenty-eighth street, most undoubtedly he could. But after that, when General Brinton got into the round-house, where there are open windows--the house is perfectly round--at that time he was at the mercy of every building.
Q. But I am speaking of the time before he went into the round-house, and after the crowd had dispersed--at that time had he continued firing, could he have maintained his position and kept the crowd away?
A. Yes; fifty men armed as those men were armed--because I noticed that every time a gun struck, it tore a hole like that. [Illustrating.] Following that mob would have dispersed them.
By Mr. Yutzy:
Q. Would not that have caused great loss of life?
A. Undoubtedly--if they had fired low.
Q. What is your avocation now?
A. I am a lawyer by profession.
Q. You practice at the bar here in this city?
A. Yes.
Q. From your experience in the army, and from what you saw of the conduct of the troops at Twenty-eighth street, would you say that their conduct was good as military men?
A. No, sir; not a bit of it. Every man that fired first should have been taken out and shot. In other words, I mean that there was not a particle of discipline. I say that for this reason: There was no order given to fire by any officer. I believe that to be the fact, because I was on the hill side not more than sixty or eighty feet away from where the firing began, and I had been there some two hours before the firing did begin. I was standing there wondering how the men were going to clear the tracks, and when the fight began I was listening very closely in order to hear what command would be given by the officer in command. Then this fuss began with three or four pistol shots, and then the bricks and stones were thrown, and then more pistol shots, and then it was every man for himself. So far as those soldiers were concerned, I have said since, and believe it to be a fact, that it was one mob armed against another mob not armed.
Q. Was not the conduct of those soldiers as good as could be expected from militia men?
A. I do not know that. I have seen militia men during the war that would walk up to the scratch, and stay there. The great trouble with militia men is that they fire too high.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Do you think there was any real necessity for calling on the militia for assistance here?
A. I would not like to give any opinion about that. I know that the sheriff started out a lot of his deputies to get a lot of lawyers out here, and the lawyers went out--of the back windows, and every other way they could get out. I never believed that the sheriff exhausted all his power.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. You believe, then, it was necessary to call out the military--that the difficulty had got beyond the control of the civil authorities?
A. I believe that. I believe it was necessary to call out the military--but to use them. In explanation of that, I would say this: that even after the military were here, that the city of Pittsburgh was panic struck, and that young men were taken up on the streets and were furnished with arms, privately by the different banks, to go in and guard the banks, because, on the Monday night following the burning, it was rumored on the streets--on Fifth avenue, and on Wood, and on Smithfield streets--that the banks were to be attacked that night, and I know of several banks in the city that were guarded by young men picked up throughout the city. I believe it to be a fact, that, had the trouble lasted two days longer, there would have been a vacation of the city by the women and the children in the city of Pittsburgh. I believe they would have gotten out of town.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. You state you spoke to some people about the probability of the troops firing on the crowd. Who were those people?
A. I cannot recollect.
Q. Were they part of the crowd--the strikers?
A. No.
At this point the committee adjourned to meet at three o'clock this afternoon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
ORPHANS' COURT ROOM. PITTSBURGH, _Tuesday, February 12, 1878_.
Pursuant to adjournment the committee re-assembled at three o'clock, P.M., this day, and continued the taking of testimony.
* * * * *
Joseph S. Haymaker, _recalled_.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What sympathy did the rioters seem to get from the surrounding crowds of spectators?
A. Do you mean on Saturday?
Q. Yes.
A. I can hardly say; I was one of the party myself. Do you mean after they were fired into?
Q. From that time until Monday.
A. On Saturday, the 20th of July, the general feeling seemed to be, up to the time of the firing, that the Pennsylvania Railroad Company had not done exactly what was right with their employés.
Q. To what extent did that feeling exist in the community?