Part 30
A. I cannot say about the community, because I was at my home sick for six weeks before that time. I can only speak of the crowd that was there at the same time I was. So far as that was concerned, I suppose they felt about as I did, that as they were getting pretty good pay for their shipments, and everything of that kind, it seemed to be kind of rough, to cut down their wages so much. It was a kind of general feeling, that the railroad company had not done exactly what was right with their employés, but I found nobody who could give me a definite explanation of the reason why the people of Pittsburgh should be against the railroad company--that is, I could not find anybody who could give me any reason why there should be any strike between the people of the city and the railroad company, on account of the way the railroad company had treated their employés; but immediately after the fire was over, I did not hear any question of that kind raised. The prevailing question was how we were going to get out of the trouble we were in.
Q. In your judgment, would it not have been proper for the officer in command of the military force, at five o'clock on Saturday afternoon, to have given the command to fire?
A. I most undoubtedly think it would have been.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. There was sufficient provocation to justify the giving of that command?
A. Yes; my recollection is, I heard an order given by some officer, commanding either a company or a regiment of the Philadelphia soldiers up at the front of the line that was formed there--an order given to those men to disperse and go back, and I think he gave the order in this way: "Now," he says, "why don't you men go back?" It was half a minute after that when I heard the first pistol shot fired, and then from that the firing began. I think, that when the order was given to go back and clear the tracks, that he would have been justified in ordering the men to fire, although I heard no order to fire.
Q. And followed up the firing until he dispersed the crowd?
A. I believe that.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What troops were on the ground at that time?
A. I do not know. I simply know this. That certain troops or uniformed men came up the Pennsylvania railroad from the depot, and formed in line in front of the upper round-house, at the corner of Twenty-eighth street, and at that time some of our Pittsburgh soldiers were on the hill side above--some of our Allegheny county soldiers on the hill side above.
Q. But those on the railroad were Philadelphia troops?
A. I believed them to be from Philadelphia.
Q. Do you know anything about the conduct of the Pittsburgh troops called out here during that day, or any time during the riot?
A. No; except this far, that when I came up to Twenty-eighth street, and before the Philadelphia soldiers came up there, I walked across Twenty-eighth street, up the hill side, where there was part of a company--part of one of the western Pennsylvania companies, or a Pittsburgh company, I do not know which it was, and when I got to the top of the hill side I was a good deal out of breath----
Q. After the firing?
A. Before the firing--probably an hour before. There was one of the private soldiers belonging to some company--I do not know any thing about him. He had a uniform on, and I asked him the question: "How long have you been here?" and he said, "since last night." I said, "how long are you going to stay here?" and he says, "I don't know." I said, "you may likely be called upon to clear the tracks down there;" and he said, "they may call on me, and they may call pretty damn loud before they will clear the tracks." At the same time, I looked in the man's face, and I thought he might be called upon to all eternity before he would do anything reasonable. The company, at that time, was scattered--standing all around.
Q. Was this company far from the mob?
A. Probably one hundred feet--probably one hundred and fifty feet.
Q. Were their arms stacked?
A. Yes; I know that after the firing, one dead soldier was carried down from about the spot where I had been talking to this man, down to the Twenty-eighth street crossing.
Q. Were the men with their guns where they were stacked?
A. Some of them were down on the railroad track, and some were on the hill-side, and some were around their guns, and some were back towards the hospital.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Didn't you say those were Philadelphia troops up at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Yes; that is, I understood that.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. You spoke about those strange men you thought were strangers in Pittsburgh, that had come from a distance. Have you any knowledge of people coming to Pittsburgh at any time previous to the 19th of July?
A. I can say this in reference to that, but as a lawyer I would say that part of it is hearsay evidence, that is, I do not know it to be a fact myself. I live below Pittsburgh, about seven miles, on the Fort Wayne road, at Laurel station, and I know from the time I went down last spring, we had much trouble with tramps. Probably two or three, or four or five, or six or seven, would be there every day. But about four days before this trouble--it was on the Friday before this trouble--at that time I was not at home sick--I recollect my wife saying to me, that "we have had no tramps down here for the last few days," and I said, "they will come back again," and until after the rioting and the burning here, we had but one tramp at our house, until the third day after--that was on Sunday. Then they began to come back every day. I have heard others of my neighbors say the same thing. And almost every night, looking from my library towards the river, I could see along the river bank that these tramps would have fires, and I have seen, when I would come down to the train in the morning--I have seen as high as fifteen or twenty around these fires. But for two or three days before the riot--that is, before the burning here, and for one or two days after that time, I noticed very few of those fires, if any, and we were not troubled with these tramps at our house; and after the trouble was all over, it made such an impression on me, that I loaded a double-barreled shot gun, and told my wife how to use it, and told her if they came around not to do anything for them. I did not consider them fit subjects for charity.
* * * * *
James Bown, _sworn with the uplifted hand_.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What is your business, and where is your place of business?
A. Nos. 136 and 138 Wood street, Pittsburgh.
Q. What kind of business do you carry on?
A. It is the cutlery business--guns and sporting goods in general--manufacturing.
Q. I wish you to state what efforts you made to protect your store on the night of the 21st--Saturday night. You went to see the mayor. What efforts did you make?
A. I was absent from the city until about seven and a half o'clock that evening, and when I came to the store I found it was shut up. I met my second son there, and I asked him what the trouble was. Well, he said the mob had broken into some of the pawnbrokers, up in the Fifth ward, and also into one of our competitor's. I asked him where my other son was, and he said at the back end of the store. I got into the back yard and went into the store and found them there making preparations to take some of the valuable guns into the cellar--into the vault. It looked as if things were serious. I said, "I will go out and look around, and see what the trouble is." They commenced to put away the goods as fast as they could. Of course they had to use great judgment about taking the fine guns into the cellar. I was away perhaps half an hour. As soon as I went out into the alley, I met Mr. Follensbee and Mr. Myers. I said, "Things look serious around here." The mayor's clerk was there, Mr. Metzgar, and perhaps half a dozen people were congregated in the alley. He said, "Gentlemen, you had better disperse. We would rather not have anybody around here, so as not to excite anybody." I told him it was a good suggestion, and Mr. Myers and Mr. Follensbee and myself went into our yard. It was then pretty near dark. I said, "Let us go up to Smithfield street, and see what they are doing." I understood there was quite a crowd in front of Mr. Johnston's, another competitor of our's. We went up the alley and then turned to the left and went down towards Sixth avenue. An immense crowd was in front of this gun store, but had done no damage. Several policemen were in front of the store. In going through the crowd several sang out, "Let's go down to Bown's, and clean him out." I said, "That sounds pretty loud, and we had better go and see if the mayor won't send back some police." We came back to the mayor's office, and there the mayor was, standing outside. I went up to him, and addressed him as "Mac." I am rather familiar with him. I said, "We require some extra police down there, as they are going down to our store to clean us out." He said, "I will do all I can for you," and said that a good many police were up at Mr. Johnston's. I said, "It is necessary to act quick and prompt, as the crowd is now moving, and it won't take them long to come there." Mr. Follensbee spoke up, and said, "I will be one of fifty special police." I do not think he made any reply to that, but he said, "I will send some down." With that I left, and came down to the store again. Some people were in front of the store, and I think among them, perhaps, were two or three policemen--I think there were. I was more interested in securing the things just at that time, so I went into the store again, and the boys were still working, taking down the guns. They had got the pistols--the greater portion of them--into a safe we had, and Mr. Follensbee suggested to me to come around to Fifth avenue to his store. I went back through Mr. Carter's store, and went with him into his store. I was not in there two minutes until an immense rush of people came past the store, and they shoved the doors to. I said, "Open the doors, I want to see what the trouble is." I was running across the street when a friend of mine said, "There is no use in your going; they have got in." I knew a road coming through another gentleman's store and through Mr. Carter's store, and got into the back yard. The crowd was then in the store and securing all the things as fast as they could. Then Mr. Follensbee followed after me. Of course, he remonstrated outside as well he could. Everything was barricaded up so that we could not get in. I will tell you one thing that occurred there. A negro had got at my private desk and got open the drawers, and was pulling out the things, and had got among the postage stamps when we hallooed at him. The language we used was pretty severe, and he dropped everything and ran. In a few minutes, as soon as things were quieted down, we got a policeman--we tapped for him to come and open a window, and we got in. Of course, then the destruction had taken place.
Q. How long after you made that call on the mayor was it that they broke into the store?
A. Not over fifteen to twenty minutes.
Q. Did he send any policemen down?
A. Some were there in front, but I cannot say how many. Some came after the thing was over, but whether they were outside, I do not know.
Q. He made no reply when Mr. Follensbee offered to do special duty?
A. No reply at all.
Q. Nor did he make any demand on the citizens?
A. No.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Those parties took away general plunder, did they?
A. Yes.
Q. They did not come specially for guns?
A. They took everything--knives and pistols and spoons and forks and carving knives and fishing tackle, and everything they could.
Q. It was simply a party bent on plunder?
A. Yes; it was just a mob. I do not charge it on the strikers.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Did you ever get track of any of those guns.
A. We got four out of the lot--those were left by parties--men that came out with three or four and just handed them to us. They preserved them for us.
Q. You never got track where they went?
A. No; we had a good many guns with marks on them--numbers, and some guns--a special kind of guns--that there are very few of here.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. About four hundred of them?
A. Yes.
Q. And a great variety of other things?
A. Yes.
Q. You recovered none of the guns?
A. No.
* * * * *
B. K. Walton, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You were one of the deputy sheriffs in July last?
A. Yes.
Q. State whether you were in the city during Thursday, the 19th, and during Friday.
A. I cannot say as to Thursday or Friday--I do not think that I was. I was on Saturday.
Q. State to us just what connection you had with the riotous proceedings?
A. On Saturday I was one among the deputies instructed by the sheriff to get up a posse. I went along several of the streets and asked several parties to come up. Some said they would come and some said they would not. However, not more than one or two came. We went on up to Union depot to the railroad and from there went up with the military to Twenty-eighth street. There appeared to be a crowd on both sides of the railroad, and along the railroad, as we went up. There was a great deal of turmoil and noise. We were not up there more than a few minutes until the firing commenced. Stones and pieces of bricks were thrown before the firing commenced.
Q. Where did you try to raise a posse?
A. In the streets here.
Q. To what class of men did you go?
A. To most anybody that we could get hold of--citizens of Pittsburgh.
Q. What responses did you get usually?
A. Some said they would not go under any consideration and others promised to go, but did not come when the time came.
Q. How many did you succeed in getting?
A. Out of ten or fifteen that promised to come, I think only one or two came.
Q. Did you go outside of the city in trying to raise the posse?
A. No.
Q. How many did you say there were of you that went ahead of the military?
A. I think there were from twelve to eighteen of us ahead of the militia from Union depot up to Twenty-eighth street.
Q. When the crowd began to throw stones, was it at you or the militia?
A. It appeared to be at the militia altogether.
Q. Were any of the sheriff's posse hit?
A. Not to my own knowledge.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was not the sheriff struck himself?
A. Not that I saw.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Whereabouts did the sheriff's posse stand when the stones began to be thrown?
A. Some were on Twenty-eighth street, and part of the party were on this side a little piece, not more than ten or twelve feet apart.
Q. In front of the militia?
A. Yes.
Q. Where were you when the militia fired?
A. On the crossing at Twenty-eighth street. Part of the crowd had got in between me and most of the others and the militia. We got mixed up at that time.
Q. Did the militia fire towards you?
A. The first firing appeared to be up the hill, and the second up the railroad where we were standing.
Q. Where did you go then?
A. I got behind a car.
Q. Where did the balance of the party go to?
A. I do not know where they all went to. Some were where I was.
Q. Did you call on any of the constables to go out with you?
A. I do not believe I did myself.
Q. Were you out during Sunday?
A. Not in connection with the office; but I was out myself.
Q. Did you see the fire?
A. Yes; I was on the hill pretty much all day above the Union depot.
Q. What time did you get on the ground?
A. I came over in the morning about nine o'clock. I live just above the top of the hill.
Q. How far had the fire approached towards the city at that time?
A. A considerable distance below the round-house.
Q. How many men were engaged in burning and running down the cars then?
A. A great many of them.
Q. Two or three hundred?
A. Yes; more than that.
Q. How many policemen would it have taken to have driven them away at that time?
A. I do not think there were enough in the city at that time.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did the sheriff command the mob to disperse before the firing?
A. I believe he did; but I was not up with him the first time he was up.
Q. What effort was made by the sheriff and his posse, or deputies, to clear the track before the military came up?
A. They tried to get them off the track--they talked to some of them, but they appeared to want to get at the military. When we got to the crossing, part of the party got away, and that is how a part of the mob got in between us and the military.
Q. Were you close to the military when the firing commenced?
A. Within ten or twelve feet, I think.
Q. Did you hear any command given to fire?
A. None whatever.
Q. If there had been a command given you would have heard it?
A. I think so--I was close enough. There appeared to be a good deal of noise going on at the time.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You were not with the sheriff on Friday night when he went up to Twenty-eighth street?
A. No.
Q. Do you know whether he made any effort that night to raise a posse or not?
A. I do not know of my own knowledge. I was not in the city on Friday night?
Q. Did you see the crowd on Saturday morning?
A. Yes.
Q. How large was it on Saturday morning?
A. A great many people were there.
Q. Do you think a well organized police force would have been able to have driven away the crowd on Saturday morning?
A. I do not know about that. It would have depended on circumstances altogether. It would have taken a pretty good force to have driven them away.
Q. Do you think it would have been possible to have gathered a posse in and about the city--if the sheriff had started out on Saturday morning and made an effort, could he have collected a posse sufficiently large to have driven away the crowd?
A. The Saturday morning we were out?
Q. By sending out deputies through the county, do you think he could have collected a posse, or not?
A. If all were of the same opinion as the people in town, I do not think he could have got a posse. It would have been pretty hard work.
Q. How was the feeling outside the city, so far as you know?
A. Outside I do not know. In the city, the feeling appeared to be with the strikers altogether.
Q. Here in the city?
A. Yes.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Do you say all the citizens?
A. No; I do not say that; but those I had any conversation with--those men I tried to get to go up there.
* * * * *
Soloman Coulson, _sworn with the uplifted hand_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What is your occupation?
A. I am doing nothing. At the time of this riot I was a police officer. My occupation is a brick-maker.
Q. What office did you fill at the time of the trouble?
A. I was what is called a roundsman here in this city--walking pretty much all over. I wore no uniform. I traveled into different places in the city.
Q. Where were you on Thursday morning?
A. I was at home in bed.
Q. When did you first learn of the disturbance?
A. About one o'clock in the afternoon.
Q. What took place?
A. I went to Twenty-eighth street where the disturbance was, and found detective McGovern there in charge of a posse of men. A great many railroaders were standing around, not doing anything. Along about three-forty o'clock, they made up a freight train to go out called a double-header--two engines attached to the train. Orders were given by somebody, I don't know who, that four policemen should go on each one of those locomotives. I was, myself, on one locomotive. The engine I was on, a reporter got on. He asked me if there was any danger, and I told him I thought there was, and he got off. They pulled out this train, I guess, about ten or twelve feet, and I didn't see anybody going to stop it. I thought they could very easily have taken it out at that time. I saw a man get on the track and throw his hands up, and with that they stopped, and the engineers and firemen jumped off. The police then on the engines insisted on going ahead. I did, for myself. The last man I saw getting off was a fireman. I said what are you getting off for, and he said he had got to do it.
Q. Did they refuse to go on when you insisted?
A. That man--he was a fireman or an engineer--I cannot tell which--he was doing both.
Q. It was when that man threw himself in front of the train?
A. One man did it. I think he is in jail now. That evening we had this man McCall in the Twelfth ward station, and there was a rumor that the mob was going to attack the Twelfth ward station and rescue him. I went to that station, and took that man McCall and marched down, putting twenty policemen behind us. We passed through the crowd, and nothing was said, and got down a few squares when there happened to be a friend of mine sitting in a car, and he hallooed at me and said, "For God's sake get in the car." The street was blocked. The car was stopped at the corner of Twenty-fourth and Penn, and we got in with our prisoner. Some of the crowd caught up with us. I had a revolver. One fellow put up a revolver at my ear when I struck him over the face with mine. We still kept on going, and we took our prisoner to the Central station. I didn't get back again that night. I was there again on the 21st, Saturday, and about eleven o'clock that night--Saturday night--I saw this burning. I was on Smithfield street at the time, and met a great many men coming down with goods. The feeling was not good towards me on account of this man McCall. I met a couple of parties with rolls of cloth, and we arrested them, and by morning we had more than a hundred in there for carrying off stuff. On Sunday morning, after the Philadelphia troops left--and before they did leave--we had that man in jail that I saw shooting into them with a breech-loading rifle. I went up to the round-house, and made a search there. I heard Chief Evans state that he saw whisky running into the cellar of the round-house. I don't know where there is a cellar to the round-house, but there is a cellar to the carpenter shop.
Q. Is the carpenter-shop not one part of the round-house?
A. The carpenter-shop is on the right, and there was a space of thirty or forty feet between them. The Philadelphia troops I saw leave the round-house. They came out and formed, and went off.
Q. How did they come out?
A. In a body, in regular marching order.
Q. Where was the crowd when they came out?
A. Very scarce.
Q. Where had the crowd gone to?
A. Dispersed and secreted themselves in buildings and every place. I went as far as Seventeenth street--the crowd had started, too--then the fire had not got that far. It was about the middle of the day. We stopped there, and during the time we were there undertook to prevent parties from breaking open the cars and setting them on fire, which we did succeed in stopping some. Afterwards I saw men dropping coal down below the track, and rolling barrels of oil down and setting them on fire. They were strangers to me. We couldn't get the force apparently together. If we had got them together at that time, a hundred men would have subdued the riot at that time, because it was apparently the work of boys. There were not as many men as boys, but the force had got scattered.
Q. What time did the troops come out of the round-house?
A. Near seven or eight o'clock.
Q. Not many of the crowd were there at that time?
A. No.
Q. Was any burning going on at that time?
A. I saw the first car fired to drive the Philadelphia troops out. It was a car on the Valley track. It was set on fire, and a wheel of it was chocked. They dropped other cars down against it, and they caught on fire, until it got pretty hot. But this carpenter-shop didn't take fire for some time. I helped to shove some cars away back from the entrance leading in between the round-house and the carpenter-shop. Those cars didn't catch on fire.
Q. They kept dropping those cars down all night?
A. Yes.
Q. Did they remain near the round-house?