Part 72
Q. You went over Saturday night, and stayed home the balance of the night?
A. Balance of the night; yes, sir.
Q. What was the feelings in the crowd?
A. I don't know. I didn't ask, and I felt just as if I had no business there, and the quicker I got out the better.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say General Pearson wore a blouse and a cap?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he have any braid or anything of that kind about the uniform?
A. No; I don't think there was. I don't think there was anything to distinguish that he was a general or an officer of any kind.
Q. That is, to distinguish his rank?
A. No, sir; at least I didn't see it.
Q. Did he have brass buttons on his blouse?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you take particular notice of it?
A. I was talking to him a few minutes before. The way I came to speak to him, we had gone up to the road above the track, and I had got through the guard. There was a guard across the track, and I had come through, and the party that had come with me--there was three of us, the guard wouldn't let them through, and the general was standing there and I asked him to let them through, and he said certainly, and they let the party through--that is the way I came to speak to him.
Q. Was that soon after or before the firing?
A. That was just before.
Q. Did you see General Pearson after the firing?
A. I didn't stay there after the firing. I got out of that as quick as I could.
Q. How long before the fire began did you see General Pearson?
A. I saw him before, and I saw him just when the order was given.
Q. Have you any knowledge of the causes leading to this strike first?
A. I have not, indeed. I don't know anything about it. I knew there was a strike.
Q. Did you see them leaving the round-house?
A. No, sir; I was not there.
* * * * *
William J. Shaner, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. I board at 1145 Penn street.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Roll turner. Work for my brother-in-law.
Q. Were you present on the day of the firing on the troops, on Saturday, the 21st of July?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Describe where you were and what occurred, as near as you can recollect?
A. When the troops were coming up the track, I was up on the side of the hill, with a comrade of mine, Charles Bier. He and I went down a few steps, and waited until after they had got up and halted and formed two ranks. Before they formed a hollow square, I says to him, I am going down to see them, and to hear, if I can hear them read anything or say anything. He said, No, no, he says, you might get hurt. Says I, No, there is danger; so I left him standing, and went down and made my way in. There was a good many standing around at that time, and the watch-box which stood there--I put my foot up on the window, and held on to a bracket, a little above the rest of the crowd, and I stood there for a few moments, and I heard the command given to fire, and when it was given I tried to get down, but I couldn't on account of the crowd there, and when they had cleared away, I got down and ran up to the ravine there, and laid down the best I could. That was my position when the firing took place. When the firing ceased, I went and looked to see if I could see my comrade, and I couldn't find him. I went down the street, and found that he was shot. I didn't find him until I found him in the hospital. I got everything he had on his person, and carried them home to his folks.
Q. You heard the command given to fire?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What occurred--did the crowd stand still, or were they making a noise--and did they interfere with the soldiers?
A. There was no interference with the soldiers at all.
Q. Did you see anything thrown?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. What was thrown?
A. I saw one stone, to my knowledge, and that was all thrown--about as large as your hand--for it come from the corner of where the gate goes up to the hospital--the right hand corner as you face Twenty-eight street.
Q. Did you hear any firing by the crowd before the soldiers were ordered to fire?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you hear any firing from the watch-box there?
A. Yes, sir; the soldiers--not from the crowd.
Q. Not from the crowd?
A. Not at all.
Q. There was no firing at all from that part of the crowd?
A. No, sir.
Q. Could you have heard any firing?
A. Yes, I could have.
Q. It was quiet there?
A. So far as firing was concerned it was.
Q. I mean before this firing took place?
A. There was noise, talking, and hooting, and just when the military fired for a moment it ceased like.
Q. You could hear who gave the command?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Who was it--an officer?
A. Yes, it was an officer.
Q. Do you know him?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. Who was it?
A. General Pearson, or Albert Pearson.
Q. Do you know General Pearson?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. How long have you known him?
A. That is, I know him by sight, but never spoke to the man in my life.
Q. How was he dressed that day?
A. He was dressed in a white vest and blouse, with brass buttons on it, and the blouse was buttoned up middling close to the neck, and he had something similar to that. [Indicating.]
Q. A soft hat?
A. Yes; as near as I could see.
Q. Did you know General Pearson before that?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. In all this confusion, you could see General Pearson give the command to fire?
A. Right at the moment the command to fire was given, it was kind of stopped--the confusion was--and I heard distinctly the command "fire" given by General Pearson.
Q. Where was he standing?
A. He was standing a little over half way through the square, towards the rear rank.
Q. Did the men fire as soon as he gave the command?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. They fired at his command?
A. They fired at his command.
Q. You are sure of that?
A. I am certain of it.
Q. Did you see any of the soldiers struck by any stones? You say you only saw one stone thrown?
A. I only saw one stone thrown, to my knowledge, that I could distinguish perfectly, and I didn't see any soldier struck at all.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. After General Pearson gave the command to fire, was it repeated by any other officers?
A. Not to my knowledge. I didn't pay any attention to it. I tried to get out of the ... and I couldn't. I was looking out for my head, then.
Q. How did you know the order was given by Pearson?
A. I saw it. I saw General Pearson, and saw his lips move.
Q. In what direction was he facing, then?
A. He was kind of facing toward the rear rank.
Q. Towards the hill-side?
A. No, sir.
Q. The other way down, towards Liberty street?
A. Kind of towards the sand-house.
Q. That is, on the left hand side, as you could see?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. He was facing in that direction?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the fire commence from that direction?
A. No, sir; it commenced from the corner, right at the watch-box.
Q. Did he turn his back to give the command?
A. He kind of turned round to the officers that were there, and who they were I don't know.
Q. He had his back towards the watch-box when the command was given to fire?
A. Not altogether, he didn't. [Witness illustrates the situation of affairs on paper.] That is Twenty-eighth street; here is the watch-box; there is the rear rank; and here is the front rank; and here is General Pearson, right in here; and here is where the firing commenced; and General Pearson was standing, with his face towards Twenty-eighth street, before he gave the command to fire; and when he turned, he turned right around this way, and his face was directed about towards me; I could look right into his face there. There was a man standing between me and General Pearson, up like from him, and that was an officer, and who that officer was I don't know.
Q. You say you heard no command from any of the other officers?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What did he do after the firing? Did you notice what became of him?
A. I took notice he disappeared very quickly. I don't know whether he was inspecting car wheels or not.
Q. All that I want to know is what occurred after the command to fire was given?
A. The firing commenced immediately.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You didn't tell them that General Pearson was inspecting car wheels, did you?
A. It was hard to say what he was doing, I know he got away.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say General Pearson had a blouse on?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. It was buttoned up close?
A. Buttoned up right across there. [Indicating.]
Q. That is, how far from his chin?
A. About there. [Indicating.]
Q. About six inches.
A. I suppose about that--six or seven inches, as near as I could see.
Q. How many rows of buttons had he on his coat?
A. That I don't know.
Q. What kind of a hat did he wear?
A. A soft hat, something similar to that.
Q. Had he any braid, or any thing else; a wreath, or anything on his hat?
A. Not as I took notice of.
Q. Had he any trimmings on his coat to distinguish him from the other officers?
A. No, sir; not that I saw.
Q. Had he any braid on his breast?
A. No, sir; it was brass buttoned.
Q. Buttoned clear up?
A. It was buttoned at the top. Buttoned, but I do not know whether it was buttoned below; it was a kind of a sack----
Q. You say he wore a white vest?
A. No, sir.
Q. How could you know that he wore a white vest?
A. I could see his white vest here. [Indicating.] His vest came up middling close.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. Did you hear General Pearson, or anybody else, notify the mob to disperse?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you hear anybody give orders to load?
A. No, sir.
Q. You heard nothing but the word, fire?
A. There was a command before that, to charge bayonets, but I do not know who it was that gave that. I did not see him.
Q. You were standing upon the window?
A. With my foot on the window, and holding on to the bracket above.
Q. Were there any officers about, except General Pearson?
A. Yes; there were other officers there, but I do not know who they were.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did General Pearson have on a belt and sword?
A. No, sir; not as I saw.
Q. He had nothing then by which you could distinguish him as an officer--he had no shoulder straps?
A. No, sir.
Q. No trimmings on his coat?
A. No, sir; not as I saw.
Q. Nor any sword. He was just simply dressed as a civilian, with the exception of his blouse and brass buttons?
A. Yes, sir; a blouse. I did not take notice to his dress, only in that way.
Q. Had he shoulder straps on?
A. No, sir; not as I saw.
Q. You are sure of that?
A. So far as I know. I did not see it.
Q. You would have noticed it if he had?
A. I should think so.
Q. Did you see the sheriff?
A. I did not know Sheriff Fife, but a man was pointed out to me as Sheriff Fife, and I would know him again if I was to see him. The man that was pointed out to me had a straw hat on.
Q. You are sure General Pearson was not pointed out to you?
A. No, sir; I am sure of that. No man need point out General Pearson to me.
Q. You are sure somebody did not say in that crowd, "There is General Pearson along with the sheriff's posse."
A. Not to my recollection. There was no one told me that. When they came up, General Pearson, Sheriff Fife, and some other man--and who this man was I did not know--was kind of together. They were at the head of the column, and came up the railroad just as they halted, and before they formed an open square.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You said you did not know Sheriff Fife. How do you know it was Sheriff Fife?
A. I said a man that was pointed out to me as Sheriff Fife. I did not know the man personally, only he was pointed out to me that day by a party that that was Sheriff Fife. I never saw the man before, to my recollection, or afterwards.
Q. Did you see any party of citizens in front of the military, as they came up?
A. As they came up the track?
Q. Yes?
A. No, sir; only those at Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Only the crowd that was at Twenty-eighth street?
A. That is all.
Q. You did not see any civilians in front of the military as they marched up?
A. Not to my recollection.
Q. You say you went down to hear the sheriff's proclamation?
A. I went down to hear if he would read any riot act, or anything like that.
Q. You did not see the sheriff at all?
A. Only when he was pointed out to me as the sheriff, as I stated before.
Q. Did not see the party with the man who was pointed out as the sheriff?
A. I said I saw General Pearson and some other gentleman with the sheriff.
Q. There were only three of them?
A. Those were together. There were a great many others alongside of them.
Q. When the military marched up the track, what led you to go down to hear the proclamation?
A. Nothing; only curiosity.
Q. Did you understand that the sheriff was coming there with a posse? That he was going to read the riot act, or something of that kind?
A. No, sir; I did not know that the sheriff was coming at all. I did not know who was coming until after they got up there.
Q. What did you go down--you said you went down to hear what the sheriff would say?
A. I went down there to hear whether there would be anything read, or what would be said, and that was after the sheriff was pointed out to me.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You went down there after the sheriff was pointed out to you?
A. I went down to the watch-box after the sheriff was pointed out to me.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. There were only three of them together, Sheriff Fife, General Pearson, and another man?
A. That other man, I do not know who it was.
Q. I mean in front of the soldiers.
A. There were other ones around them. There were other officers near them. Those three were pretty close together.
Q. When did you go there in the crowd?
A. I went up on the side of the hill among the boys before the Philadelphia troops came in at all; before I knew they were coming in--before the train came in, I went up among the boys. I know a great many of them among the military. Spoke to them and shook hands with them.
Q. Talked with them?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you witness any of the occurrences during the night after the firing?
A. The only thing I saw after the firing was a car that was fired, and I could see that plainly from the steps I was sitting on, with two other boarders that were sitting around the steps. The steps are very large, and one of the boarders drew attention to it. He says, "What is that lighting up there." I asked him, what. He says, "Don't you see it?" I said, "It is nothing more than a railroad man's lamp."
Q. You were not down in the crowd?
A. I was four or five squares away.
Q. I understood you to say you went to look for your friend?
A. That was after the firing commenced. It was before dark I had found him, but I had left him in the hospital just before dusk, and went to his home. I came back to the boarding-house and got my supper, and stayed there.
Q. Have you any knowledge of the causes?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What style of hat did General Pearson wear? You said he had a slouch hat. Of what color was it?
A. It appeared to me as soft. It was black.
Q. Broad brimmed hat?
A. I do not know. The rim was not broader than that [indicating]--it might have been.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. It was a straw hat?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you see any policemen there at the time of the fire?
A. When the Philadelphia soldiers fired?
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Yes.
A. Not to my knowledge, I did not.
Q. What do you mean by your knowledge. Do you mean you did not see it at all--you did not see any police officers?
A. That I did not see them to the best of my knowledge. They might have been there. I did not see them.
Q. Did you see the soldiers come out of the round-house, Sunday?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. Did you see them after they came out?
A. Yes; I did.
Q. As they marched along?
A. Yes; in order.
Q. Did you see any firing on them.
A. Yes; I did.
Q. Do you know who did that firing?
A. No, sir; I do not. The only one I saw firing was one man, and he was running the whole crowd of them out, as near as I could tell.
Q. One man was following them up?
A. That was the only man I saw have a shooting iron with him, and he had his coat off; but who he was I do not know, and I would not know him if I was to see him, for I was standing in the doorway of the boarding house when he went past, and he loaded his gun right ferninst the door. He had one of the guns the same as the military uses.
Q. Had a breech-loading musket?
A. Yes.
Q. And cartridges for it?
A. He had cartridges for it and a belt on--a cartridge-box.
Q. Did you see any firing from houses along the street?
A. No, sir; I did not go out for to see until after they had passed by. Then I went out along the street. After that, saw several of them that was shot--some killed dead--and helped pick them up and carry them in. One of the Philadelphia soldiers I helped up at Thirty-third street. A ball must have went in there [indicating] and come out through his wrist. At least the hole was through his wrist--through here and back here. [Indicating.]
Q. One man did all the shooting, you say?
A. That is the only man I saw--that is, right there where I live.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Where do you live?
A. 1145 Penn street--board there.
Q. Will you please describe that man that did that firing?
A. I cannot do it, sir. It is impossible. Only he was a tall man; but how he was dressed I could not tell, with the exception that he had a white shirt on, and whether it was an undershirt or a fine shirt I do not know, because I did not pay that much attention to it. He had his coat off.
Q. How close were you to him?
A. He passed along the pavement and I was standing out on the steps--the steps is five high, I think. I was standing in the doorway, and he was below me, and passed along the pavement.
Q. Was he an old or a young man?
A. Middle aged man, as far as I could judge.
Q. Did he wear whiskers?
A. That I could not say.
Q. Did he follow the troops up?
A. He followed them as far as the corner above. Then I did not take notice where he went to, because I come to the conclusion I was not going to interest myself in it.
Q. How many shots did you see him fire?
A. I only saw him fire one shot, and that he fired from the corner of Thirty-first street, and by the time he fired the shot I saw the troops he fired into stop and point down, and there was two balls came right past the door right over my head. I thought it was time to pass into the house.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did this man say anything?
A. He said something about spilling the blood of some of his friends, and he was going to have revenge, when he passed the door. That is all I know.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What kind of a breech-loading gun did he have?
A. The same as the military have.
Q. It was a military gun, you mean?
A. It was a military gun; yes, sir.
Q. Did you ever attend any meeting, during that excitement, of citizens or people, for the purpose of organizing to resist the soldiers?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you know of any meeting being held out Penn street or Butler street?
A. No, sir.
Q. Would you know this man that fired at the soldiers if you were to see him?
A. No, sir; I am certain of that.
Q. You say he had a cartridge-box--this man that fired?
A. Yes; and a white belt.
Q. Had it buckled around his body?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What kind of a looking cartridge-box was it?
A. The same as the military used--a black one.
Q. A square box?
A. Yes; kind of square.
* * * * *
P. M. Stack, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. I reside in Spring alley, near Twenty-eighth street.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Constable, Twelfth ward.
Q. Were you present at Twenty-eighth street on Saturday, 21st July?
A. At the time of the shooting?
Q. Yes?
A. I was.
Q. Will you be kind enough to state what you observed?
A. I was in town that afternoon. I think it was about half past two o'clock, and I went up, and I saw a large crowd up there--went as far as Twenty-eighth street crossing--saw a lot of men right across the railroad, and went up there, and seen some men that I know--seen some Philadelphia soldiers come up. Seen General Pearson there. I stayed up two or three minutes, and they opened ranks, and Pearson came right up the middle, and stayed there for a few minutes, and Sheriff Fife was on the right hand side next to the hill. The crowd was hollering "Hold the fort," or something to that effect. I think it was "Hold the fort" they were hollering, and General Pearson was there and he said, "Charge bayonets," and they commenced to charge. As soon as they commenced to charge the crowd behind shoved up. I was one of the front and could not get back. The first thing I knew they commenced to fire. I thought they were firing blank cartridges, until I saw a man by the name of John Long fall, and saw they was not firing blank cartridges, and I turned around and ran away as fast as I could. That is all I knew about it.
Q. Where was Pearson?
A. Pearson was about in the middle. They came up about sixteen abreast, or something like that. I could not exactly tell. He was in the middle, anyhow. They opened order and came right up.
Q. About sixteen of them?
A. About sixteen abreast, right across the track.
Q. The sheriff, you mean?
A. What they call the Philadelphia soldiers. I do not know whether they were Philadelphia soldiers or not.
Q. Was not anybody in front of the soldiers when they marched up the railroad track?
A. There was a crowd in front of them. Sheriff Fife--there is a board walk where you get off the train, a platform where you get on the train--he was marching right up at the right hand side as you come up the railroad track, as far as Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Anybody with him?
A. That I could not say; he was right with the soldiers, and you could not see right over their heads.
Q. Was not he in front of the soldiers?
A. He was right on abreast with them.
Q. Could not you see Fife and who was with him?
A. I could not see who was behind me. I could see the front. I could not discern the men who was behind the front men.
Q. You heard Pearson give the command to fire?
A. Charge bayonets first. I was one of the fellows that was sticking around.
Q. What were you doing, trying to keep it off?
A. I went up there--I was a sworn officer of the railroad--and I thought I would try to do what I could.
Q. Had you tried to quell it?
A. Yes, I had, so far as I knew how. I assisted Mayor McCarthy's police when I went up there.
Q. Were the police there?
A. They were; eight or ten police there during the day and at night.
Q. What did they do?
A. The boys were around there playing with the cars--wherever there is excitement the boys are always there--they were trying to put the boys away, and the men were not doing any harm, it was the boys.
Q. You could not put the boys away then?
A. No; they were little boys.
Q. When the soldiers marched up, what did the crowd do? Did they fall back?
A. At the time they charged bayonets, the rear crowd shoved the front up--they were shoving them up. That is all I seen about it.
Q. Did you see any stones thrown?
A. I did; there was some little boys threw a couple of stones, and I says, "Quit that, boy, there will be trouble here."
Q. A couple of stones?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you hear any firing? Did you hear anybody shoot before the soldiers shot?
A. No, sir.
Q. You didn't see but a couple of stones thrown at all?
A. It was thrown from a couple of boys from the sand-house. They were in the sand-house, and there was some stones in the sand, and they threw them over our heads. I seen the boys that threw them--little boys about eight or ten years of age. There is a sand-house where they dry sand for the engines, and they were in the sand-house at the time.
Q. You did not see any stones come from the side of the hill?
A. No, sir; I was on this side of the railroad, nearer to Penn street than I was to the hillside.