Part 71
A. I was standing immediately opposite the head of the column, and the sound of that command appeared to come directly opposite to me, down at the head of the column.
Q. Did you see any officers in advance of that command?
A. When the military marched up?
Q. At that time, when you heard this command, were any officers in advance of the column?
A. I seen several officers. The most of the officers were strangers. I don't know who they were. I could see they were officers, by their uniform.
Q. Were they in front of the men?
A. They were in front of them at the head of the column. The troops were formed in a hollow square. They marched up, and then got the command front. They marched to the side of the hill, to clear the track of any that might be there, and those who were standing on the track got up on the side of the hill. There were very few on that side. The rear rank got the command, To the rear, open order, march.
Q. You heard these commands?
A. Yes; very distinctly. They got the command to about, and then they marched to the north side, which left an interval of two or three tracks clear--formed a hollow square.
Q. This company marched down between these two lines?
A. This company appeared to be at the head of the column, and they marched through up the lines. There was a portion of them came away to let them in, and they marched up.
Q. Was there a company marched up between those two lines, after the open order?
A. The company appeared to come from the head of the column.
Q. Wheeled out from the head of the column?
A. I don't think--I am not positive, but I am under the impression it was separated from the column. I would not swear positively. They were dressed in blue.
Q. How did they march up--company front--in line of battle?
A. They marched up, I think, in sections of about four--I am not positive about that.
Q. Until they reached----
A. Nearly to Twenty-eighth street, then they halted.
Q. And saw them open order, and one rank faced about, and they took positions on two sides of the track, which left a place between?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Then was there a company marched up between these two?
A. I am not positive, but I think this company was taken from the head, or a portion of it--it was not a full company, it was what you might term a squad--there was not, I suppose, over twenty-five.
Q. It was taken from the head of the column?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was there a company marched up between those two ranks?
A. I think a battery. I think this company, as I said, was taken from the head of the column, and marched up to support the battery, in order to get through the crowd at Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Did this company turn around and face the crowd--how did they face? This crowd, you said, they marched up and tried to press the crowd back, and they wheeled out from the column and marched up against the crowd, or did they go down between the two lines, and march up against the crowd?
A. I stated that they appeared to be reserved for the purpose of supporting that battery, as they were not brought from the rear in front rank at all.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did you see the sheriff and his posse?
A. I did.
Q. Where were they?
A. They were at the head, coming up--the head of the column.
Q. All of them?
A. All of them. I recognized Sheriff Fife, Mr. Pitcairn, superintendent of the Pennsylvania railroad, and General Pearson at the head. When they came up, the sheriff attempted to say something to the crowd, and there was such jeering and hallooing, it was impossible to be heard from where I was standing.
Q. You are positive about hearing this command to fire--was not this jeering----
A. That jeering and hooting was not at that particular time. There appeared to be a little confusion when that portion of the company came up, the jeering only began during the speaking of the sheriff. I don't know whether he was reading the riot act or not. I don't know what he was doing; of course I could not hear it.
* * * * *
E. F. A. Hastings, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What is your full name?
A. E. F. A., not quite the whole alphabet.
Q. Where do you reside, Mr. Hastings?
A. I live between Twenty-second and Twenty-third now.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Machinist.
Q. Were you present during the disturbance last July?
A. Yes, I was.
Q. State what came under your observation?
A. I was there on Twenty-eighth street, on the side of the hill, when the troops were coming up, and I waited there until they came pretty well up the track, then I came down the hill, and I looked for my boy.
Q. What time was this?
A. On Saturday afternoon, when I seen the troops come up--and they came in regular--I think it was four deep. They came up and stopped and halted. They turned around in open order, formed in a hollow square, and I turned around and came away with the young man, and I took him off the track, and started him down towards Penn street. I turned around and looked for my boy, and I could not see him. Walked in towards the cars, and stood by the side of the sand-house--the cars extended up a little ways beyond the sand-house--and I got right in to the end of the car. Then came orders to charge bayonets. I turned to get back, and the crowd was behind, and I could not get back. I got a bayonet right in behind here. [Indicating.] Just at that time Pearson stood in about that direction.
Q. Who do you mean by Pearson?
A. General Pearson, or Pierson, or whatever you call him. He was looking in the direction towards the watch-box. There was some stones being thrown over there--it would fly all to pieces, it appeared to be like clay. There was only one stone I could distinguish, about that large, [indicating,] the shape of an oyster shell. It came from there. Then there was a couple of old shoes--I didn't see anybody struck with them. Pearson turned around, when he was standing there he was looking about this--he turned around towards the men, and his officer standing here--I don't know whether they belonged to Pittsburgh, or where they belonged, and I don't know whether they were officers. Monkey jackets it was, I think. He says, "Order your men to fire." He repeated the word fire louder than he did the others, and turned around, and walked right down the track after that. I did not see them commence firing, and I dropped right down. They fired on that corner, on the side of the hill first--these men in front with the black plumes in their hat. I don't know one from the other. They wheeled round, and fired down Twenty-eighth street. They walked over the top of me. I laid there. I don't know where Pearson or any of the rest went after that. I got up, and helped this man in front of me, that was killed--I helped him back.
Q. What man do you mean?
A. Some say it was Dearmot, I don't know his name.
Q. Killed by the cars?
A. No; killed by the firing. A gun was right up against his breast when he was shot.
Q. Where did this fire come from--those men standing by the cars?
A. The military all around that hollow-square, except the lower end. I laid there; I was right underneath them; could see the whole thing that was going on. Some of the men fired right up in the air. I don't know whether they belonged to Philadelphia or not.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. From what part of the line of this hollow-square did the firing commence?
A. I will show you in just about a minute.
[Witness illustrates on paper, the situation of the troops during the firing.]
Q. Just say where the first fire commenced in that hollow square, so that the reporter can take it down.
A. It was near the corner, on the side of the track next to the hill.
Q. Near the corner of the square of troops, next to the hill?
A. There was no square there. It was round.
Q. It came from the right, next towards the hill?
A. Next towards the hill.
Q. How many shots were fired at first?
A. They shot like a little fellow would throw a lot of shooting crackers out.
Q. How long after you heard the command to fire did this shooting commence?
A. It was right by those other fellows standing over on this side--right by them. I guess there was four or five of them repeated it. I took them to be officers.
Q. Dressed differently?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were they in front of their men when they gave the order?
A. They were in this hollow square.
Q. Did they turn round to fire?
A. They were facing the crowd to fire. Pearson turned and gave these men the command.
Q. It was General Pearson that gave the command?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You are positive it was General Pearson?
A. I am positive. I was standing close enough to hear him.
Q. Did he give the command to fire, or was he cautioning the men?
A. He gave the command to fire, and repeated the word fire louder than he did all the others.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were there any other officers in that hollow square, that you knew, besides General Pearson?
A. None to my knowledge, that I knew. There were some men that I knew, coming up ahead of them. Mr. Pitcairn and Mr. Watt came up ahead of them. I know some of them, beside, but don't know their names.
Q. Do you know Colonel Brown or Moore?
A. I don't know him by name.
Q. Did General Pearson give this command to an officer standing close by him?
A. Yes; called them officers.
Q. You saw him when he gave the command?
A. The men that had swords, I think.
Q. You saw General Pearson when he gave this order?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How close was he to the men he gave the order to?
A. He was standing looking towards the switch box, where these were coming from. Right in front there were some men had a bayonet in another, and he wanted to get it away. He wheeled round this way and gave the orders for these men to fire, and then walked right down the track, but wherever he went to I could not say.
Q. Was he standing close to where the men commenced firing when he gave the order to those men? You say he wheeled around; those he gave the command to must have been behind him?
A. Here is where he stood. [Illustrating.] He wheeled around to the officers to the rear, and they passed the command to the officers in front. They repeated the order to fire.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did the officers who repeated that command repeat it in a distinct, loud tone of voice?
A. Yes; they repeated it distinctly.
Q. How many of them?
A. There were some three or four, I could not say exactly. I am positive there was three or four, if not more--positive of three.
Q. And then the firing was done--it was not a volley of musketry--it was just done at random, was it?
A. The first squad that fired there, I don't believe there was more than about half a second between them, and the squads, as soon as this squad fired on this side first, then these other fellows here fired, [indicating,] and the crowd broke away and run down. I laid there. They wheeled right down over me, and fired down Twenty-eighth street.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did the crowd scatter when they fired?
A. The crowd scattered.
By Mr. Means:
Q. How many of the soldiers fired at that time--at the first command?
A. The first fire?
Q. When General Pearson gave the command to fire, then his officers under him repeated the command. Now how many soldiers fired when these officers repeated that command?
A. It looked about like a platoon--about twenty-five, I suppose, if not more.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were the crowd resisting these men? What were they doing when the soldiers came up?
A. They were on Twenty-eighth street crossing--the railroad crosses Twenty-eighth street--they were on there. They were talking and hollering. Some man called Pearson--that was the man I took away--called Pearson a son of a bitch, and these men took Pearson's part. Says he: "Don't call Al a son of a bitch; he is a friend of mine!" I thought there was going to be a fight between them, too, and a man called me over and told me to get him away. I took him away with me across the track towards the round-house, and he started on down. There was nobody in front of me at all, and I had hardly got in there until the crowd was right at my heels.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You say there was about twenty-five men fired? How many men fired after that?
A. They appeared to be firing in squads all over the line.
Q. How long did this firing last?
A. I don't suppose it lasted more than about two and a half or three minutes--could not have lasted any longer, I think.
Q. What were the officers doing?
A. Some of them went down the track flying--running over the other side.
Q. They were hunting their quarters?
A. They were hunting their quarters.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. Did you hear the order to load?
A. No, sir; they were all loaded before they got there. They could not have loaded in that time. After the first volley was fired, then I seen them loading--those men in front.
Q. Don't you know who gave the order to load?
A. I didn't hear anybody give the order to load.
Q. They loaded without orders?
A. I suppose so, after the first fire.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did you see them load afterwards?
A. Yes; breech loaders.
Q. Did you see the operation?
A. I saw them pull the cock back--that part that turns back--and put in a cartridge. I was lying right underneath them when they were doing it. The parties in front fired the last shot down Twenty-eighth street. I don't know who they were. They were men with black plumes in their hats.
Q. You say the parties next to Twenty-eighth street were the last to fire?
A. They wheeled right round----
Q. That was the party that fired first?
A. No; the party that fired first was over here. [Illustrating.]
Q. The party facing down Liberty street?
A. Yes; they fired. There was some that was against a car that could not do anything.
Q. Did they fire before the front line fired?
A. They fired about the same time. There was a car stood in here when they fired, so that you could do nothing. Some of them fired up like.
Q. Fired in the air, did they?
A. They appeared to fire in the air.
Q. How did these men of this side? You say they turned and fired the other way?
A. No, sir; those men in front wheeled round this way, and fired down Twenty-eighth. Fired up first and then----
Q. Where did they deliver their first fire--the men on that north side of the track?
A. They fired some of them right up square--down below the car. I could not see on account of the cars.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You are positive that the firing did not come from that side of the line next towards Liberty street first?
A. I am positive it did not, for the first firing commenced along the side of the hill--that part I saw.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. How far was General Pearson out from the military when this command to fire was given?
A. He was in the hollow square.
Q. How far from the men?
A. It would appear to be in the center, about Twenty-eighth street. You know this line went round on Twenty-eighth, and covered over part of Twenty-eighth street towards the hill.
Q. Did you see the fire during the night?
A. I was down on Penn street when the fire started. I do not know anything about that. I went up there to see it, and stood on Liberty street, watching the fire.
Q. Did you see the troops come out of the round-house?
A. No, sir; I did not. I was not there at that time.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You said General Pearson--he repeated the word fire louder than the balance of his order. Are you right positive what the balance of the order was?
A. Order your men to fire.
Q. That was the exact language?
A. That is the very words.
Q. You are positive you heard the words, "order your men?"
A. Right in that way: "Order your men to fire."
Q. Were any of the soldiers struck?
A. I did not see anybody struck. There was a man carried away. They say he got sun struck. I seen him carried away. I didn't see anybody hit.
Q. Did you hear any pistol shots, or any shots fired from the crowd, or in the crowd, before the firing of the soldiery?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you hear any?
A. One appeared to be like a cap--it was right in that corner. [Indicating.]
Q. In the crowd?
A. That was the first shot I heard fired. That soldier fired it. He didn't fire straight out. His gun went off up in that way.
Q. You heard a noise like a cap before the firing of the troops?
A. I couldn't tell exactly where that come from. It appeared to be round the watch-box.
Q. About the switch-box?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. That is, the watch-box on the corner of the street, and the railroad toward the hill?
A. That was on the side of the hill. It was right here. [Indicating.]
Q. It appeared to come from that direction?
A. From that direction.
Q. Didn't it sound like a pistol shot?
A. No; like a cap.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Then you heard no firing from the crowd until after the military fired?
A. There was no firing done until the military.
Q. Was there any firing done from the crowd at all that you heard?
A. Yes; I seen the firing. Parties were firing from the side of the hill after that fire. A man on a car fired a revolver. He was laying right down at the end of the car. This man pulled out his revolver and fired at the crowd.
Q. There was no firing from the crowd or mob until after General Pearson had given the command to fire, and they had obeyed that command?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. There was a man fired from a car?
A. That was after the firing was done.
Q. Do you know that man?
A. I would know him if I would see him. Don't know him by name. I have met him a dozen times on the street since. I didn't want to go and ask his name, for fear they would ask me what my name was.
Q. Do you know where he lives?
A. No, sir. I know he lives in the city somewhere.
Q. Do you know General Pearson well?
A. I know him just by seeing him, and that is about all. Never spoke to the man at all. I don't know whether he spoke to me that time in the car or not. I won't say positively.
Q. Why were you afraid to ask this man his name?
A. I will tell you just the reason why. I didn't want to be called up as a witness. I have had enough trouble running round with this thing. I don't want to go against a man.
Q. You prefer that he should go scot-free?
A. I don't think he done anything.
* * * * *
R. S. Jones, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What is your full name?
A. R. S. Jones.
Q. Where is your residence?
A. No. 337 Chestnut alley, south side.
Q. What is your occupation, Mr. Jones?
A. I am a boiler--puddler.
Q. Were you present at the fire that occurred by the troops on the Saturday, the 21st of July?
A. I was.
Q. Will you be kind enough to tell what you saw?
A. I went out there about quarter to four o'clock--near that time--got there just about half an hour before the troops came up--the Philadelphia troops. I was there when the command was given to fire. They marched up the track. I saw General Pearson there, and Sheriff Fife and his deputies, some of them I don't know.
Q. State the movements of the troops, and what you saw?
A. They marched up the track to the corner of Twenty-eighth street. They came to a front to the round-house--fronted to the round-house. The rear rank came to about face and charged bayonets. They marched across the track--the opposite side--and that left a space there of about thirty feet; and there was a company behind that, formed in two sections, and one section marched up the track--they charged bayonets--and the Gatling guns came right along after them. They came to the head of the column and stopped, and they about faced and formed a square. I heard the command given to fire. I was standing right alongside of one of the soldiers, talking to him at the time, from Philadelphia. I never thought they were going to fire, or I would not have been there.
Q. You heard the command given to fire?
A. Yes, sir; when they came by the officer that was at the head of the column, turned around and stepped right into the square, and the sheriff and his deputies stepped in.
Q. Did they fire in a volley?
A. They fired just about the same as a new recruited regiment--you can pick them out in the field--you give them orders to fire, and they wouldn't fire as one. I guess it was just about as near as they could fire under the circumstances. I suppose they were a little scared.
Q. Did the crowd resist these men?
A. I didn't see any disturbance whatever when I was there. I didn't stay there after the firing.
Q. Did you see anything thrown, or any disturbance in the crowd?
A. No, sir.
Q. The crowd just stood there?
A. They were all standing there before the firing. I guess there was not many there after the firing. I didn't stay there to see.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you see any stone thrown from the crowd at the soldiers before the firing?
A. I didn't, sir.
Q. Did you hear any firing from any one in the crowd?
A. I didn't.
Q. How long after you heard the command given to fire did the firing take place?
A. Instantly.
Q. Did you hear that command given by more than one officer?
A. I did not.
Q. Was it a simultaneous discharge of a good many pieces?
A. As I said before, it was just something like a new regiment.
Q. Have you had any experience in active service in the army?
A. I was in the army three years, sir.
Q. What is the difference between the firing in a new regiment and an old one?
A. They don't fire together--they will in time. Time makes everything perfect.
Q. The firing is somewhat like the firing in a battle, after the first volley is fired?
A. Yes; I suppose there was about a dozen guns went off, and then the rest followed, the same as a new regiment.
Q. What the boys used to call a rattling fire in the army?
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. Means:
Q. How near were you to where General Pearson stood when this command was given?
A. I guess they were about the center of the square, and I was standing three men from the end, at the head of the column--that is, the right of the square towards the round-house.
Q. What distance would you suppose?
A. About fifteen feet, I guess.
Q. From where General Pearson was standing to where you were?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You cannot tell whether General Pearson gave that command?
A. I don't know.
Q. Was the command given as though it was peremptory?
A. It was given in a clear, distinct voice.
Q. Give us the exact language of the command?
A. The first thing I heard was, "fire!" just about that loud.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. Did it come from the officers or the crowd?
A. It came from the inside of the square.
Q. You don't know who gave it?
A. I don't know. I was looking right in at the soldiers, too, but I could not swear who gave the order.
Q. Wouldn't you have been apt to notice? How were they dressed?
A. Pearson had a blouse.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. A military blouse?
A. A military blouse. The rest of the officers had their swords on, the general, I don't think he had a sword on.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did he have on a hat?
A. He had a cap on.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Might not that command have come from one of the men in the ranks?
A. I don't think so--I never heard an order given from a soldier in the ranks?
Q. Might not that command have come from one in the line, and not from the officer in command?
A. From where I was standing, I thought it came from right in the center. They were not standing in the center, they were standing about five feet from the head of this square. It came from that direction.
Q. You don't know whether it came from an officer or who it came from?
A. I couldn't state--I judge it did.
Q. You supposed it would, but you really don't know that it did?
A. No; I didn't see his mouth open at the time.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were you present at the disturbance that night?
A. No, sir; I went home, and stayed there. I went out Sunday, and I guess half the cars were burned when I went out.