Part 73
Q. They would not have reached you?
A. No; I do not think they could, unless they could throw them that far.
Q. Where was Pearson standing when he gave this command?
A. He was standing in the middle of the ranks--right up the middle.
Q. Did he give the command himself to fire, or did he give it to somebody else?
A. He did; he said "fire."
Q. That is all he said?
A. That is all, sir; he gave command to charge bayonets first.
Q. Charge bayonets and then fire?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the men that he ordered to charge bayonets, fire?
A. I could not see where the shots came from, they came from the gun some place, that I know. We were standing right in front. When these men fired, Johnny Long fell down. I helped to carry him in when the doctor was examining him there. I took him into the round-house.
Q. Do you know Pearson?
A. I do, sir.
Q. Did you know him by sight?
A. I had known Pearson for ten years.
Q. How was he dressed?
A. That is more than I can tell you.
Q. You did not notice?
A. I was just looking at his face, same as I am looking at you. I did not pay particular attention to his dress.
Q. You say you heard him give this command?
A. I did, sir.
Q. You are right certain of this?
A. I am positive.
Q. You are sure it was not "not to fire," and you only heard "fire."
A. He said fire, as loud as I am talking now. I was not sixteen feet away from him.
Q. Did you see the troops when they came out of the round-house?
A. When they came out, on Sunday morning, I saw them go up Penn avenue. I did not see them leave the round-house.
Q. How were they marching, in order?
A. Yes; in order.
Q. Was anybody firing on them?
A. I did see one man, just as I was coming down the hill. I went up there to see the burning from the top of the hill, near what they call the pest-house, and saw the soldiers between the round-house and the square shop.
Q. That was not where they marched out Penn street before the fire?
A. The fire was pretty close to the round-house when the cars were fired.
Q. That was after the troops had fired?
A. This was at five o'clock Sunday morning.
Q. When they came out?
A. The soldiers that were in there, they were firing away all night, and when I came out they were getting down off the hill on Twenty-eighth street, and the troops were getting out then, and I was coming down. The tail end of them were passing, and a man came down Twenty-eighth street in his shirt sleeves--a pretty good sized man, not too big--and he had a musket, and he was rolling up his shirt sleeves, and when he came to the drug store, corner of Twenty-eighth and Penn, I seen him raising his musket. I thought they would return back the fire up that street and I got down the alley and run into the house.
Q. Did you make any attempt to arrest this man?
A. No.
Q. Did you not think it was your duty, as constable, to stop that man from shooting?
A. If the whole police force could not stop him, I could not stop him.
Q. You did not try?
A. I was afraid of the gun.
Q. Did you see anybody else shoot?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you know this man?
A. No, sir; never saw him, to my knowledge. Could not describe him to you.
Q. What did he say when he was shooting?
A. I was not that close to him. I did not get that close.
Q. Were you over there on Thursday, when the strike first took place?
A. I was up there; yes, sir.
Q. Did you hear any of the men say why they struck?
A. No, sir.
Q. Do you know any of the causes that led them to strike?
A. It was putting on double-headers. I believe that was the cause I heard for it.
Q. Was there any disturbance there Thursday?
A. No, sir; there was very few there on Thursday.
Q. Were there on Friday?
A. Friday they commenced to gather a little; on Saturday, there was upwards of a thousand.
Q. Were you called upon at any time to exert your authority to keep the peace?
A. No, sir; the city did not pay me for that as a constable.
Q. Is not that part of your duties as a constable?
A. It is a part of my duty as constable to try to suppress or arrest anybody I would see acting disorderly on the street, but a constable among two or three hundred men is of very little use. We ain't paid by the city government as constable, to do anything----
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Could you not have arrested this man who was firing on the troops?
A. I do not know.
Q. Were you not armed?
A. I was not.
Q. Had no pistol?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you try to get somebody else to assist you in arresting this man?
A. It was too early in the morning. There was nobody out of bed, hardly.
Q. You did not follow after the troops. You say you went home?
A. I went home. Yes, sir.
Q. Stayed there?
A. Stayed there.
Q. Did you see any police about the fire during Sunday--see them making any effort to put out the fire or prevent it?
A. I did not. I went to my mother-in-law's on Sunday.
Q. You were not about then on Sunday?
A. No, sir.
Q. Do not know anything about what occurred then, of your own observation?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see Mayor McCarthy about on Sunday?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. Saturday night?
A. No, sir; he might have been there. I did not see him.
* * * * *
C. G. Barnett, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What is your full name?
A. C. G. Barnett. They call me Neall for short.
Q. Where do you reside?
A. I live 296 Centre avenue.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. I am solicitor for the Consolidated Gas Company.
Q. Were you present on Saturday, the 21st of July?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. At Twenty-eighth street?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Be kind enough to describe what came under your observation?
A. I will tell you how I got there. I live on Centre avenue, and I came over the hill to our works. I went over there about dinner time, and stayed at the works until about three o'clock. I had nothing more to do that day, and I thought I would come up and see what the railroad men were doing. I stopped there, I suppose, until about half past three, and the train came in with the Philadelphia soldiers on, so I got talking, like the rest of the men around there, and I stayed there, and they finally commenced to holler, and they said, "There comes the Philadelphia soldiers." I knew a young fellow in the Philadelphia troops, by the name of Deal, and I thought I would get to see him. I looked along the line, and finally found him; he was at the lower part. As they came up they divided off.
Q. What is his name?
A. Willie Deal; he lives in Philadelphia. When the soldiers came up, the first I saw was Sheriff Fife, General Pearson, Captain Moore, and then the soldiers came up. I was talking with Deal awhile, and he says, "You had better get out of here," and I finally walked up towards the switch-house, at the corner of Twenty-eighth and the railroad track, and I got up, standing beside the switch-house, and I took notice of a few boys commencing to lift up some small stones that did not amount to much; of course it would hurt a person to be hit with them. I told the boys, "You had better quit that, you will get into trouble." They said they were having some fun. I said it was wrong kind of fun to have. Then there was a squad of about twenty-five soldiers came up in the center, and they commenced to shove the crowd back, and the first thing I saw I heard the command to fire given. I thought it was about time to get down, and I got around to the side. I could still see the soldiers, and the first thing I heard was General Pearson giving the command to fire.
Q. You heard General Pearson?
A. I heard him just as distinctly as you are speaking to me.
Q. Do you know General Pearson?
A. I do, sir; that is, I am acquainted with him to see him. I have lived in this town all my life, and I know him as well as my own brother to see him.
Q. How was he dressed that day?
A. He had a blouse on. I should judge it buttoned up to about there. [Indicating.] A plain blouse; I do not think there was any trimmings on it, except the buttons. It was buttoned up.
Q. Did he have a sword?
A. That I would not positively say. I did not pay that much attention to him.
Q. Did any of the officers have swords, or did you notice the other officers?
A. I noticed an officer that was pointed out to me as General Brinton.
Q. Did he have a sword?
A. He had a sword.
Q. The captains of the companies had swords?
A. The officers had, yes, sir.
Q. All had swords?
A. Yes; but I would not say positively that General Pearson had a sword on, because I did not take that particular notice of him. I did not think it was necessary. I did not know they would ever have any trouble.
Q. You are sure you heard Pearson give the command?
A. I did, sir.
Q. Where was he standing?
A. He was standing--there was a car between the sand-house and the round-house, and General Pearson was standing at the far end of the car, towards the Union depot, in the neighborhood of the sand-house.
Q. That is on the round-house side?
A. Yes; that is on the round-house side--that old sand-house.
Q. Where did the first fire come from?
A. The first fire was on the side that the round-house was on, about midway of the soldiers. Some of them fired up in the air, and after the first volley--there is a road runs up the hill, the way I came down--after the first volley I thought it was getting warm, and I would get out of that and get home. I run about half way, and there was a little boy that was shot right there, and I grabbed the boy as I was running. I just grabbed him and took him with me, and there was a little hollow there where the water runs, and I thought that was a safe place for myself and the boy both. After the firing there was a boy standing there, and I said, "You had better go and get Doctor McCandless." After the firing stopped, I carried the boy to a little shanty house, and laid him down there. This other boy went for the doctor.
Q. When Pearson gave the command, what became of him?
A. I did not notice.
Q. You are right sure he gave the command "fire?" He did not say not to fire?
A. No; he gave the order to fire. I heard it distinctly.
Q. You are sure it was Pearson--you could distinguish Pearson among the crowd of officers?
A. As a military man, I have heard him give orders. Have heard him time and time and time again, and I know a man's voice when I hear it very often.
Q. What did he have on--a hat?
A. I think he had a soft hat--black soft hat, with a rim about that wide [indicating]--it may have been wider, but I did not pay particular attention to it--did not pay enough attention to him to know that he had a sword, because I did not think it was necessary.
Q. Did you see the troops come out of the round-house the next day?
A. After the firing was over, about five o'clock, I went home, and a gentleman by the name of Root, that boards in the house with me--after supper I says, "Suppose we go over and see what is going on over the hill." We went over and stayed there awhile--did not go down. The next Sunday morning, about one o'clock, I heard an alarm, and I got out of my room and went through the hall and rapped at the door. Says I, "There is an alarm of fire. I bet that's the railroad property." Says he, "Oh, no." I went back to bed, and stayed there until the next morning about seven o'clock. I got up and went over the hill, and about eight o'clock--I think it was eight o'clock, I would not say for certain--the Philadelphia soldiers went out of the round-house. I was away up on the hill.
Q. Did you see them come out?
A. I saw a crowd. I could not distinguish. I was five or six hundred yards away from them.
Q. You were up on the hill?
A. You can't see very well, because of the smoke and one thing or other--I would not say for certain it was them.
Q. You do not know anything that occurred. Did you see any police in this crowd when you went there Saturday--when you went to see this friend of yours?
A. I think I saw one or two police--I think I saw two police.
Q. Were they making an effort to keep the crowd back, and keep them orderly?
A. One of these police talked to a man on the corner of Liberty and Twenty-eighth street, right at the end of the Pennsylvania shops. I judged, from the way he was talking to him, that he wanted him to go home. I was not near enough to him to tell.
Q. There was no force there sufficient to make any impression on the crowd?
A. There was nothing necessary for force. The men were quiet. Of course they were standing on the railroad track, but there was no noise. They were quiet, peaceable men. There was nothing until the Philadelphia soldiers came. That was the commencement of it.
Q. When the sheriff came up, what did the crowd--did they say anything or do anything?
A. Not until the squad of about twenty-five soldiers came up in the center. Then they commenced to shove, and they had not room to get out. I suppose if they had given them five minutes, they could have got away.
Q. Did the sheriff make any call upon the crowd to disperse?
A. Not that I saw.
Q. You were talking with this friend of yours?
A. He told me to get out, and I walked toward the switch-house. Says he, "Neall, go away; if there is anything happens here you will get hurt," and I took his advice.
Q. What led him to say that?
A. I do not know. That is exactly what he told me.
Q. Were there not stones being thrown, that led this man to think there would be trouble?
A. No; he was at the lower end, towards the Union depot.
Q. Could he not see?
A. Not where he was standing.
Q. Was there not a crowd making an attack upon the soldiers, and that there was likely to be trouble?
A. Not at that time. They were not throwing any stones until I got to the switch-house, and then I saw the boys throwing stones.
Q. Was the crowd resisting the soldiers?
A. Not at that time. This middle division had not gone up. Just as they started, he told me to get out of there.
Q. When they got up, didn't the crowd resist them?
A. I think if they had given them five minutes there would have been no trouble. There was a great many men tried to get away, and the crowd held them back.
Q. Was it men there like yourself, or was it men there to resist the soldiers?
A. There was a great many men I knew had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania. They were there just standing looking on.
Q. If you went through a crowd like that, you could judge whether there were men there to resist the soldiers, or whether they were there out of curiosity?
A. I should judge that the most of them were there out of curiosity, and I did not know the feeling of the men. I never go up that direction, unless I am on business.
Q. Did you see any efforts made by the police during Sunday to stop the burning?
A. I was not near the railroad track on Sunday. I stood away up on the hill--not until Sunday evening, until half past seven, and then came down by the car way, and came down to the Union depot. There I saw a lot of police stopping the men from carrying away ale. I should judge--from the looks of the barrels--what they call Milwaukee ale or beer.
Q. Milwaukee ale or beer?
A. Beer, I suppose. It is not our style of keg that is made in Pittsburgh here. I do not drink enough for to know that. I know it was beer or ale.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Had you any trouble getting through the crowd when you wanted to get away on Saturday?
A. No, sir. I ran alongside of the hill, while there was very few people.
Q. You were right down the railroad among the soldiers?
A. I did see a lot of guns there, said to be Knapp's battery, lying at the watch-house--that was all the trouble. Just as I got away from the mob, I had no trouble at all--I could run away along the hill.
Q. Would it have been any trouble for the crowd to get away when the soldiers came up to ask them to fall back?
A. I think some of them could get away--not all the crowd, because there was cars on the other side of Twenty-eighth street, lying in there, and they got in round the cars, and could not get out.
Q. You said three fourths of the men there were spectators?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did the other fourth come there for?
A. I have not the least idea, I never go there unless going to the works.
Q. I suppose three fourths went there from mere curiosity, and that the other fourth went for some purpose?
A. Most likely they did, but I could not see that.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. Did you hear General Pearson say anything else but "fire!"?
A. No, sir; and it was not a minute or a minute and a half after he gave the order to fire, until they did fire.
Q. How far were you from him?
A. I was standing about fifteen or twenty feet up off the railroad track right out to the switch-house.
Q. Would not a man have to have said something before he could have given the word "fire!"--you heard nothing before the word "fire!"?
A. They did not get away fast enough than was given to fire, and just about a minute afterward the firing took place.
* * * * *
William Black, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What is your full name?
A. William Black.
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Out at Millvale borough.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Boiler-puddler.
Q. Were you present at Twenty-eighth street on the 21st of July, Saturday, at the time of the firing?
A. I was a little while, about the time I seen the Philadelphia troops marching up the railroad four abreast, and they came to a halt just before they got to Twenty-eighth street. Came to a front and open order--rear open order, then the front rank came to about face, and they faced the rear rank. Then a company marched up through the center, right up front to Twenty-eighth street. I was standing outside then and heard the order given to fire.
Q. You were standing where?
A. Just across from Twenty-eighth street, outside the crowd.
Q. You were out behind the crowd?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You say you heard the command to fire?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know who gave the command?
A. No, sir; I do not know who it was gave it.
Q. You just heard the word?
A. The minute the word was given to fire I left.
Q. Did you see anything of the firing? You left then--saw nothing of it?
A. No, sir; I left the place then after they started to fire.
Q. Then you know nothing about the firing, any more than you heard the command given--did it come from an officer?
A. I could not say that.
Q. Or was it from the crowd--did you hear the crowd talk about firing?
A. Not while I was there.
Q. Did you see anything thrown?
A. No, sir.
Q. Was there any disturbance there, any noise or resisting of the soldiers?
A. There was some noise there.
Q. What do you mean by some noise?
A. Some of them hollering "Hold the fort."
Q. What did they mean by holding the fort--holding Twenty-eighth street?
A. I suppose so.
Q. They meant to stay there in spite of the soldiers, was that the idea that you had--to stay there in spite of the soldiers?
A. I suppose that was their idea.
Q. Had you been there any time previous to the firing?
A. No, sir.
Q. You know nothing whatever of the events occurring before that?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see the soldiers afterwards?
A. No, sir; never saw them any more after that. I never crossed the river again until Monday, I came down to the city again.
Q. Do you know anything about any organization formed to resist the soldiers?
A. No, sir.
Q. Who went with you to the scene of the riot?
A. Saturday?
Q. Yes.
A. There was a friend of mine lives right over here.
Q. Was not there a large crowd of you went over there together?
A. No, sir; there was no crowd.
Q. What mill are you working at?
A. Graff & Bennett's.
Q. Was not there a large number of men from your mill went over there on Saturday just before the firing?
A. If they went over there I didn't know anything about it.
Q. Were the men working at that time--that afternoon?
A. Saturday they generally shut down about two o'clock or three o'clock.
Q. You were not working that day on Saturday?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What time did you leave the mill?
A. We shut down work about one o'clock at the upper end of the mill.
Q. About one o'clock?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Didn't most of the men who were at work in the forenoon come over to Twenty-eighth street?
A. I couldn't say anything about that at all.
Q. Didn't see a great many of them?
A. No, sir; there might have been a good many there, but I didn't see them, the crowd was so big.
Q. Was there any talk about there in the crowd when you were standing there. Did you hear any talk about resisting the soldiers, and not allow them to clear the track?
A. No, sir; I didn't hear anything of the kind.
Q. Was it people there just out of curiosity?
A. I couldn't say what they were there for.
Q. You were there out of curiosity, were you?
A. Yes; just come over to see the soldiers.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you hear any abusive or threatening language on the part of the crowd towards the soldiers?
A. No, sir; not at the time I remained there.
By Mr. Means:
Q. In the forenoon of Saturday, while at work, did you hear any of the men say that they were going over there in the afternoon after they quit work?
A. No, sir; I didn't hear the men say anything.
Q. Didn't have any talk about going over to the scene of this riot?
A. No, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were you there on Sunday?
A. No, sir. Didn't come over this side of the river on Sunday.
Q. Do you know of quite a number of citizens carrying away goods and bringing them over to near your works, in that vicinity?
A. No, sir.
Q. On Sunday?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Did you see anybody carrying any plunder from the cars?
A. They didn't fetch it across there in the day time. I thought they were watching pretty sharp around there over the other side.
* * * * *
Charles P. Wall, _sworn_:
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What is your first name?
A. Charles P.
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Fourteenth ward.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Plumber.
Q. Were you at Twenty-eighth street on Saturday, the 21st July, the time of the firing?
A. Yes, sir; I was.
Q. Will you be kind enough to state what you saw?
A. I went there out of curiosity, to see what was going on, on Saturday afternoon, and shortly after I was there the Philadelphia soldiers came up with their posse, the sheriff at the head. I was standing on the track and toward the round-house, and General Pearson came round and said he was ordered to clear the track, so I got around and walked up Twenty-eighth and come around on the hill which looks down on the track, and the soldiers formed a hollow square--the soldiers facing the hill as well as facing the round-house--and then the soldiers marched towards Twenty-eighth street, and the command was given to charge bayonets. They charged, I think, but the men there could not or would not move away from Twenty-eighth street. The soldiers came up to them with their bayonets, and they grabbed the guns, and pushed them away from them. Then the order was given to fire. The men, after the order was given them, started to run down Twenty-eighth street. The men that were charging--that were facing Twenty-eighth street--could not fire because they were so close. The moment they started to run they brought their guns to bear on them, and fired on the crowd as they were running. The men facing the hill fired into the party standing on the hill, and I seen them commence to fire, and stayed there for some moments, and thought they were firing blank cartridges, until a party along side of me was shot in the head and dropped down, and I thought it was time to get, and I started.
Q. Where were you standing?
A. Standing right on the hill, looking down on the soldiers.
Q. How far from them?
A. I suppose between twenty and thirty feet.
Q. There is a road that runs up there?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How far were you from that watch-house?
A. I was about thirty feet from the watch-house, I guess.