Part 39
A. By the time we had arrived at the private house, in Allegheny, the depot was in flames, and I think also the elevator. So that they answered in a word, that all the mischief had been done which they could sustain, and they had no proposition for a compromise to make, and it is just to say, that they would have said the same if they had other interests. They plead also the general interest of the community as a reason for not treating with those in rebellion against the authorities. I know nothing whatever in regard to the conduct of the city authorities, except what could be observed from the outside of the building--the city hall--the new city hall--from five to seven o'clock--the formation of the companies--they went up to the scene of the riot, and their return, which I witnessed, that was all.
Q. Companies of citizens?
A. Citizens--young men mainly. Mr. McCune, and myself, and some others were with the mayor at the time of the issuance of the first proclamation, reading, I think, in this way: "Veterans, to the rescue. Meet at city hall at ten o'clock," I think, "the citizens will follow you."
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Whose proclamation was that?
A. Written, I think, by myself, at the instance of the mayor. That was on Monday. There was no citizens' meeting then, that I knew of. This proclamation was designed to meet the necessity which came upon us, through the information of other persons coming from a distance--a boat load down the Monongahela, and the cars full from McKeesport. That was very soon afterward superceded by another notice, and General Negley took the whole charge from that. I was engaged in visiting the wounded. That is all I know in regard to it, except these expressions of opinion I heard here and there.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How many were actually engaged in the burning and riot, when you were out at the scene of the riot?
A. At the time we were there, before the firing of the depot, the multitude was in an elongated form, stretching up the railway, so that all were not visible at any one point. But those that were visible to us, would number anywhere from two to three hundred who seemed actually participating, while towards the city there was a large crowd.
Q. Bystanders and lookers on?
A. Yes; many of whom I recognized as our citizens, and persons of standing in the community. Many statements have been made with regard to the ease of checking the multitude at that point, which are certainly hard to prove. No small force could have stopped them at that time--that is, of course, in my judgment. I know very little about such things. Some boys were in the multitude, and several of them evidently under the influence of drink, and fainting from exhaustion and excitement. But the most of them were stalwart men, under most powerful excitement.
Q. Under the influence of spirits?
A. We could see that only in a few cases, of course, where it come to such evidence that they were overcome by it. It is evident, there were a number of boys who were on the point of falling, from exposure to the sun.
Q. Were these two or three hundred that you speak of armed, so far as you could see?
A. We saw no arms. The engine that was near us--there seemed to be an effort of some to move it; but, if I understood rightly, those who wished to remove the engine were pulled down from it, and not suffered to move it.
Q. Who had called the meeting that appointed you a committee?
A. The notice I received and read from the pulpit was signed J. I. Burnett, but his name was crossed out, as though he desired it to be impersonal--written hurriedly on a piece of paper with a pencil. I announced, at the time, that "this notice comes to me without signature, and I am unable to say in whose name it is."
Q. Was that read in the pulpit of the churches pretty generally?
A. I am not advised as to that.
Q. At what hour?
A. At the close of the service.
Q. Morning service--that would be about twelve o'clock?
A. Yes; about twelve o'clock.
Q. How large was the gathering of the citizens at the meeting?
A. I came just at its close, but I suppose, from the area they occupied in the street, that it was from one hundred and fifty to two hundred.
Q. This appointment of this committee was with a view of trying to stop the arson and riot by peaceable measures?
A. Conciliation--yes. Our effort with the railroad authorities was based upon previous efforts to dissociate the rioters from the strikers, and remove that cause of complaint, and the only proposition that was made was whether they could make any proposition.
Q. Did you report back to the citizens' meeting?
A. We started for the citizens' meeting. We arrived shortly before its close, but for what reason, I could not understand, our chairman made no report. Probably because there was nothing to report--nothing that had been done, or could be done.
Q. How soon after you came back was it before the citizens began to organize into companies for the purpose of protection?
A. Almost within half an hour. While we were standing on the verge of the assembled crowd, they began to form in line, and march to the city hall. I remember the person who headed the column.
Q. Were these companies armed that night?
A. They were armed when they reached the city hall.
Q. With what?
A. With muskets, as I understood, taken from the armory of the university, as I was afterwards told, without ammunition.
Q. How many citizens were there in arms that night do you think?
A. Do you mean at night or at that time?
Q. At that time?
A. At that time, I saw probably a hundred.
Q. Did it increase in number?
A. No; it seemed to diminish. Going down to the Duquesne depot, at nine o'clock, I was told that quite a large number had come originally to guard the depot, but all had dispersed, except six.
* * * * *
Frank Haymaker, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
Examined by Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Part of the time in the city and part of the time at Laurel station, four miles below the city.
Q. A deputy of Sheriff Fife's?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. State whether you accompanied Sheriff Fife to Twenty-eighth street, on the night of Thursday, the 19th of July last, and what took place there?
A. On the 18th of the month, I went to the country. On the 19th I got back. I heard they were striking in town here, and there were a good many men got on the cars coming in along, and they were talking considerably about it on the road coming in--talking that they were coming in to take part in the strike. That was on Thursday, the 19th of the month. I noticed men along the road, on the road coming in, and some of them yelled at those parties who got on the train to send them out grub--they had been out for some time, and hadn't had anything to eat. They were out at East Liberty. I came in town. Didn't notice much of a crowd in the city. That was late in the evening, and I went to bed that evening about nine o'clock. I think it was about two o'clock I was wakened by Sheriff Fife himself. He said they wished us to go to Twenty-eighth street. We got in a carriage and went to Mr. Pitcairn's office, and from there we went out to where there was a considerable of a crowd gathered.
Q. What occurred there--what was said by the sheriff and done.
A. The sheriff talked to them, and he told them what the result of it would be, and they would have to go away. If they did not, he would have to send for the military. He said he would use all the power that he could, but, he said, if they would not disperse he would have to send for the military. They hooted him and hissed him and gave him a great deal of bad language while I was there. I turned around and came back to Pitcairn's office, and he told me he would not need me any longer, I might go home. I went home and went to bed.
Q. Did he make any attempt to arrest anybody that night?
A. No, sir; not that I know. They were not doing anything at the time we went out there, any more than standing there.
Q. Were they interfering with the trains that were passing?
A. No, sir. I believe they said, though, that they would not--they were not going to let any more trains go out, or something to that effect.
Q. The sheriff made no attempt to disperse the crowd that night, did he?
A. No, sir; the two of us--I don't think there was much use of us making any attempt.
Q. Did he make any attempt to raise a posse?
A. He told me he could not find any other of his deputies--he had sent for several of them, but they were not at home, or something of that kind. He said I was all the one he could find.
Q. Did he call upon citizens to go out?
A. That night?
Q. Yes?
A. No, sir; not to my knowledge--he did not.
Q. Do you know when he sent to the Governor for troops?
A. These men that came for him, told him all they wanted of him, was to go out and make a demand of the crowd to disperse.
Q. Who told him that?
A. I believe it was Mr. Scott told him that.
Q. Did you hear him tell him that?
A. Yes, sir; I am not certain it was Mr. Scott, but I think it was.
Q. Was it one of the railroad officials?
A. It was one of the railroad officials and one of the men that came for the sheriff.
Q. When did the sheriff call on the Governor to furnish him with troops?
A. That night, sir.
Q. After he returned?
A. After he returned.
Q. And before morning?
A. And before morning; yes, sir.
Q. State whether you were with him at any other time?
A. On Friday I was out--Friday morning--to serve some writs, and didn't get back until pretty late in the morning. When I got in, he told me he wanted me to go along out to Twenty-eighth street.
Q. That was the next day?
A. Yes; that was on Friday. We two went down to the depot. The militia was gathered there. We stood there several hours. I think he came to the conclusion not to go out on that day. He told us we could go home again--would not go out before the next day. The next day I was out some place attending to some business in my district, and came back. He told me that the rest of the deputies were all out and they wanted men to go to Twenty-eighth street. That was the day before--that was on Friday, I think it was Friday--he attempted to raise a posse, I would not be certain. He said the rest of the deputies were all through town trying to get a posse to go and assist in making arrests, and told me he wanted me to go out and raise all the men I could--if I could find any, to bring them in. I went out and met a good many men that I knew, and some that I was not acquainted with, anymore than I knew their faces, and spoke to them about going out, and none of them would go.
Q. Where did you go to raise a posse?
A. I went around through the city.
Q. On what streets?
A. I believe all the time I was on Fifth street.
Q. What class of men did you ask to go?
A. Just any man at all that I thought there was any show of getting.
Q. Did you ask any of the business men?
A. I don't remember that I did.
Q. Who did you ask--anybody you met in the street?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You didn't ask strangers, did you?
A. There are a great many men in the city that their faces are familiar, but I don't know their names.
Q. Any citizens?
A. Yes, sir; any citizens I met.
Q. What replies did you get.
A. Some of them stated they didn't want to have anything to do with fighting against the workingmen, other men said, damned if they wanted to go out there to get killed, and such replies as that.
Q. Did you demand--make a demand on them to go?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And they absolutely refused?
A. They absolutely refused.
Q. What was done with those men that refused?
A. I never knew of anything being done to them.
Q. Was any report of it made to the court?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Nor no arrests made?
A. No.
Q. State in what way the demand was made?
A. Well, sir, I just made a verbal demand.
Q. In what words?
A. I asked if they would go out, and assist in making arrests at Twenty-eighth street.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Did you say to any of them that you commanded them as a peace officer--you demanded their assistance as a posse to assist in suppressing the riot?
A. No, sir; I believe I didn't.
Q. It was a mere request, then, and not a command?
A. I suppose it was.
Q. And they declined?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you go outside of the city in search of men?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you call upon professional men?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What class of professional men?
A. Attorneys.
Q. Did you succeed in getting any?
A. They just laughed at me.
Q. Did you call on any physicians?
A. I believe not.
Q. Any dentists?
A. Not that I know of. We don't go to that class of men.
Q. I believe you cannot state anything but what has already been stated?
A. I believe not, sir. I have not heard----
Q. We have had a great many witnesses on that subject?
A. I don't think I can enlighten you any on that subject.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. The sheriff issued no proclamation?
A. Not that I know of.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did the sheriff go out himself, and command men to join him in putting down the riot?
A. I couldn't state that, whether he did or didn't. I was not in the office much. I was away in the morning, and when I came back, he requested me to go out.
Q. What were his directions to you?
A. His directions were to go out in town, and get all the men I could to assist in making arrests in Twenty-eighth street. He said there was three or four men there they had warrants for, and they expected trouble, and wanted a posse.
Q. Didn't tell you to make your demands, or what language to use, nor gave you no written summons.
A. Nothing more than what I have told you.
* * * * *
James H. Fife, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Allegheny City.
Q. Brother of Sheriff Fife, of Allegheny county?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you with your brother at any time during the riots of July last?
A. I was with him on Saturday.
Q. With him on Saturday?
A. Yes, sir; went with him from the Union depot up to Twenty-eighth street.
Q. What time did you meet him at the Union depot?
A. I think about two o'clock, as near as I can recollect.
Q. Go on and state what took place from that time on.
A. There was considerable delay, at least I thought so, before we made a start to go from the depot to Twenty-eighth street. There appeared to be a delay with the military. They had not all arrived at the one time, and those that had, had to have something to eat, before they were ready to go on. There appeared to be considerable delay. I think it was near four o'clock before a start was made from the depot--somewheres between three and four o'clock. The sheriff and I think seventeen assistants were in advance of the military, and marched up the railroad street in that way. I understood the object that we were taken for was to assist Constable Richardson in making some arrests. I understood that there was an order issued from court to arrest some ten or eleven of the ring-leaders of the strikers, and we were to assist Richardson in making the rescue, and the military, as I understood it at the time, was to protect us. I walked with my brother the greater part of the way. We went two by two, in advance of the military. We reached the neighborhood of Twenty-eighth street, and the crowd was so dense it was with difficulty that we could get through it. We worked our way on up to Twenty-eighth street. I stood about the center of the street for a considerable length of time, at Twenty-eighth street, where the railroad crosses. You have heard the statements made in regard to the disposition that was made of the military there, and my own views are just the same. They were put into what is termed a hollow square, and then what followed after that----
Q. Did you find any of the men you went to arrest?
A. No, sir; my understanding before we started, and on the way there, and afterwards, was, that Mr. Pitcairn was to point out the men to this Constable Richardson, but I have never seen Mr. Pitcairn but once since, and that was before your honorable body, and I saw no men pointed out. There was no attempt made to arrest that I know of, and I think it was very well that it was so.
Q. When you got to a certain point, the crowd resisted your further progress?
A. It was an impossibility to get through, that was just about it. They were there in large numbers. In front of us appeared to be one dense mass of people, for a square or more, and on either side. Of course they gave away to the military, to a certain extent, up to Twenty-eighth street, and there the military halted, and appeared not able to go any further.
Q. When the hollow square was formed, where was the sheriff's posse?
A. The sheriff was just--the last place I saw him was just at what we would call the corner of this hollow square, on the left hand side as you go up. His posse was--the principal part of them--right in front among the crowd--immediately in front. I know that was my position, and there was several others, I noticed, that went with us, that were within a few feet of me at the time the order to charge bayonets was made. I was, perhaps, no further than to that wall, [indicating about fifteen feet,] from where I am sitting to where the charge was made.
Q. Was any attack made upon the sheriff's posse?
A. None that I know of. I was looking for it; but there was nothing of the kind made. We were distinguished by a badge, so that we could have been known by any person.
Q. Did the sheriff say anything to the crowd?
A. He tried to; but the noise was so great I don't think he was heard, only by a very few in the immediate neighborhood.
Q. What did he say?
A. I don't know really what he did say. I could see that he was talking; but I don't know what he did say. He was perhaps twenty (20) feet from me.
Q. Was any attack made on the military by the crowd?
A. Yes; I presume you gentlemen were up there and can understand me. Just where Twenty-eighth street crosses the railroad there is a road which leads diagonally up the hill to the hospital. Just where that road connects with Twenty-eighth street there was a gate that was hung to close up that road. That gate was swung back, about two parts that way, and here was a pile of stones behind it--between it and this fence. There were two men standing behind that gate, and from the time that these men attempted to make a charge, these men commenced throwing stones at the military.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. The stones came from the right and front of the military?
A. Yes; and there was quite a number of pieces of coal and other missiles thrown from the front or from this side here. These two men that throwed them were behind this gate.
Q. This gate is east of the street, isn't it--Twenty-eighth street?
A. East of the street; it is to close that road that runs up the hill to the hospital.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. They commenced throwing when the military got in reach?
A. No, sir; not until the time the charge of bayonets was made.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Where was it on Twenty-eighth street?
A. Just at the edge of it.
Q. Just reaching the street?
A. Yes, sir. I saw the two soldiers that were struck with missiles. One of them was knocked down. He got up in a minute. When he dropped his cap had dropped off, and when he got up he held his gun in his left hand this way, butt on the street, and he was wiping his face so, [indicating] it was bleeding very profusely. The other one didn't fall; he was struck some place about the shoulder. These are the only two that I saw that I knew to be struck, and it was over in that neighborhood where these two were struck that the firing commenced, the firing was in that direction, over towards the hill. I didn't see any stone thrown immediately in front, but there was coal and other missiles--pieces of sticks and things of that kind.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Have you any new facts to communicate to us that have not been gone through?
A. I don't know that I have, unless there will be some question occurring to you.
Q. Do you know what efforts were made by the mayor to suppress the riots?
A. I know nothing about that, only from hearsay.
Q. You live in Allegheny City?
A. Yes; I live in Allegheny City. I live on Anderson street--that is, at the far end of the bridge.
Q. Was there any riot over there?
A. We didn't permit it over there.
Q. Was there any strike?
A. Yes; there was a strike, and the railroad, as I understood it, and to all appearance, was in the possession of the strikers. There was no destruction of property.
Q. How large a crowd of strikers was together at any one time?
A. At one time, I suppose, I saw two or three or four hundred together at the outer depot.
Q. What day was that?
A. That was on Sunday. They didn't appear to destroy any property, everything appeared to be just at a stand-still. There was men standing talking, and didn't appear to molest anybody.
Q. What preparations were made by the city authorities of Allegheny City, to protect themselves and to keep down the riot?
A. Meetings of the citizens were called at the public square--the mayor's office--and of course there was a great deal of talk like there is at all these kind of meetings, and a good many propositions made, but the one that was adopted, was, that they should organize the citizens into a military force, and did it, so that General Lesieur--General Lesieur was the colonel of the round-head regiment during the late trouble. He is now a practicing physician in Allegheny City.
Q. What time was it organized?
A. Sunday afternoon or Monday afternoon, the time of the troublest times, anyhow.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Go on?
A. To let you know a part of what was done, I live adjacent to the bridge. There was a piece of artillery planted there, and sixteen men, armed with muskets, stood there as a guard for a week, every night, and I was informed it was so down at the other bridges, and the street cars that run over that line, many of them, were stopped just at the end of the bridge, and one of these military would look in to see who was in. There was persons coming, as I understood, from a distance here, roughs and rowdies, &c., and the object was that they shouldn't come in Allegheny City--they had to go back on this side.
Q. How long did that crowd continue there at the outer depot--of strikers?
A. I don't know the length of time it continued; there was more or less of them there for several days, until the thing got settled.
Q. What was done by the mayor and his subordinates prior to the citizens' meeting in Allegheny City--Mayor Philips?
A. Well, I don't know precisely what was done, it is only from hearsay, and that, of course, is not evidence.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was this meeting called by the mayor?
A. Called by the mayor, as I understood.
Q. Organized a force?
A. Yes, sir. I don't know the number, but the number is quite small, compared with this city. I saw myself, on Sabbath day, a policeman stop two persons that were carrying stuff away, that afternoon, they had got from some of the cars here. It was plunder. They stopped them and took them with them, I presume to the lock-up. I don't know, but I suppose so.
Q. Plunder and all?
A. Plunder and all. A question has been raised here frequently about who gave orders to fire up there. I think I was in a position that I would have known.
Q. That is, at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Yes; I heard no order given by any one, and during the time the firing was in progress, I saw a man that was represented, that I understood to be General Brinton, trying, apparently, to stop it. He was using his sword this way, [indicating,] under their guns, to get them to shoot up or quit. That was the idea conveyed to my mind.