Part 77

A. I got to the round-house, I guess, about eight o'clock; stayed in there awhile. I was reading a dispatch containing an account of the riot in Martinsburg to three or four other fireman and engineers. There was a man came into the round-house and said the brakemen were on a strike. So a couple of us went down to the yard, and the brakemen said down there that they were not going out on any double-headers. There was a fellow tried to make a coupling, and a man hit him with a link, and a little while after that they took out the same train with a yard engine. They couldn't get any long road engines out--nobody would go. I went home to dinner and came back. They tried to take out this double-header. They coupled engine 775 and 473, and it was an understood thing between the engineers and conductors, that any person could go out ahead and make a signal to stop, they would stop and get off. As soon as 775 went down the yard and got the train of thirty-six cars, and came up into the yard, and 473 coupled ahead and pulled her out, there was four or five policemen got on each engine, and John Major, he was on 473, and the engineer of 473, pulled her out. She made about two exhausts, and a fellow got ahead on the track and threw up his hands. That stopped her. He reversed, and got off. Then the road foreman and civil engineer took the train back into the yard and ran the engines up to the round-house. I went home to supper that evening, and was going to Allegheny, and parties said, "You better stay around here at Twenty-eighth street." It was all very quiet. There was no disturbance or anything. About twelve o'clock, somebody says, there was a kind of collision in the crowd. Right at Twenty-eighth street, about three feet on to Twenty-eighth street, there was a car that they used in loading cinders, and directly a man stepped up--it was Sheriff Fife--and commenced talking, and said we had better go home, and leave the company do as they please. It was only making the thing worse. The company would come out ahead anyhow, and it was no use kicking about it. General Pearson and Davy Watt was along, and, I guess, they talked in the neighborhood of ten minutes, perhaps, and some person went to General Pearson, and asked him about the case of McCall, who had been arrested. Pearson said if they would be down at the lockup with all their witnesses, he would defend them, and would not want any money for it. They thought that was a magnificent offer of General Pearson, and they would accept it, and I do not know whether they went down or not. I went home--the sheriff was there--and went to bed and got up about six o'clock, went down street; bought a paper to read an account of the strike, and went down town; and going down, there was one hundred cars of stock that had come to Twenty-fifth street, and asked for them to have two engines, and some parties volunteered in the crowd that they could have a dozen if they wanted. I went down to the depot about nine o'clock, and the engineer requested me to fire one of these trains to East Liberty. I fired up twice for him. The first trip they had put up this proclamation purporting to be the Governor's. I read it myself. There was three of them, I believe, posted up round there somewhere. This was about eleven o'clock. There was nothing further occurred of any importance there that night. I heard of the First division being called out. Knew of the other troops being called out--I heard of it about eleven o'clock. The First division was called out, and was coming here at about two o'clock. I heard about the shooting in Baltimore, and was told that they came to do the same thing here. I stayed there until General Pearson came. I was acquainted with General Brown. Talked to Major McDonald, he said his men could not fire, that his men had no ammunition.

Q. Who told you that?

A. Major McDonald, of the Fourteenth regiment. I talked to General Pearson a while, and he got up and said there was no damn use of the boys going around there, he was going out with a double-header, and was going to ride on the pilot. Some of the boys allowed that he was not. I stayed there until ten o'clock, and I knew the Philadelphia troops ought to be there pretty soon. I left and went home; went to bed. I slept then until evening, and didn't know anything about the shooting, until I was awaked up about six o'clock. I went up to Twenty-eighth street. Didn't see any dead men. Seen some blood around. Stayed around Twenty-eighth street and Penn, and saw parties marching out with guns, flags, drums, &c. Went home and slept until half-past three o'clock that morning. I got awake by seeing the fire out of my bed. Waited until daylight. As I got to the Twelfth ward lockup the black maria came. They took down a whole gang for stealing up there that night. Just as I crossed Twenty-sixth street, an engineer of the road says, "The Philadelphia troops fired at us." I got up to Twenty-eighth street again, and was told they were going to leave the round-house. I stayed there at the corner of Twenty-eighth and Liberty, and I saw them marching down Twenty-fifth street. Then I stayed at Twenty eighth street until they passed. I saw they had all their arms cocked, and ready to fire.

Q. Did you see anybody fire?

A. No, sir. I went up to the hospital grounds with a lady friend of mine, stayed around Twenty-eighth street. She thought it would be the least danger. As soon as they got to Thirty-third street, I heard a volley. I guess it must have been a hundred pieces went off.

Q. You said it was understood that if any man came in front of the engines, any engineers and firemen were all to get off?

A. It was an understood thing between the crew of this train. The conductor, by the name of Franze--he formerly run from Pittsburgh to Connemaugh, and then from Derry to Altoona. He came from Johnstown that morning. He didn't want to go out, and he came to where there was a crowd standing, and he said if any person would tell me not to turn the switch, I wouldn't do it. He only wanted an excuse not to go out. He wanted to keep himself solid with the company, and keep his job. He went down to the transfer, and coupled up thirty-six cars, and Woodward, the engineer of 473, he said the same. All he wanted was some one to go and signal to stop, and then they would have an excuse that they couldn't go out. They would be solid with the company and men also. When they coupled these engines, 473 and 775, a man by the name of David Davis, he was the first man to swing, and they understood what he wanted, and he reversed, and stopped. That is what I say, it was an understood thing between the crowd and that train crew.

Q. Was there any understanding among the men generally?

A. No; there was no understanding among the men generally. I think every person said they wouldn't go out on double-headers.

Q. They had all agreed on that?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. What were the causes leading to the strike?

A. When the reduction become known it was decided on a strike. Then there was to be a strike, and they sent a committee of engineers to see Mr. Scott; but they couldn't get any satisfaction. I understood then that the 27th, I believe, was set for another strike, and that fell through; but this strike, it was not a pre-arranged thing, until it was known, until the first eight-forty train that morning. When I came to the round-house--everything was double-headers. On Monday there had been an order posted on the telegraph that all trains were double-headers, and a new line would ran to Altoona. That would have taken a great deal of work from some men. There would be a good many discharged. They suspended two or three of their oldest engineers. Every man refused to give up. They all talked of it, and went on with the strike, all the other roads striking. On Friday a telegram came from the Erie that all of them were on a strike.

Q. Telegraph came from the Erie?

A. Came from Hornersville, New York.

Q. To the Trainmen's Union.

A. It come to the master of the Firemen's Brotherhood of this division?

Q. It was an understood thing they were going to strike on Friday?

A. No, sir; you misunderstood me. It was an understood thing that a strike was to occur on the 19th of July, but after the Baltimore and Ohio went out first, and then, when the men on the Pennsylvania struck, then the rest of them followed suit. The Fort Wayne, Pan Handle, and all over the country, all followed after the B. and 0. and Pennsylvania.

Q. That was not double-headers?

A. The rest of them followed--that was going against their ten per cent.

Q. What was the cause?

A. The ten per cent. and abuse and double-headers was the main cause of the strike. If a man didn't make himself solid with these petty officials, they were abused.

By Senator Yutzy:

Q. Was it understood that there was to be a strike all over the country when the Pennsylvania Central men struck?

A. No; as far as I know I don't think it was. After the Pennsylvania went out, the other men had their cause to strike, too, and they followed suit, right after the Pennsylvania, because they had the two big trunk lines striking, and these other little roads, that they would follow suit.

Q. You were speaking of the Firemen's Brotherhood. Is that the same thing as the Trainmen's Union?

A. It is just the same as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

Q. That is separate from the Trainmen's Union?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Are you a member of the Firemen's Brotherhood?

A. No, sir; I don't belong.

Q. A member of the Trainmen's Union.

A. No, sir.

Q. Were you a member of any organization?

A. No, sir; I attended one meeting the firemen had. Engineers had their meeting, and firemen had their meeting, and trainmen had their meeting.

Q. Do you know whether there was a man selected to start this strike in any way?

A. To tell the truth, there was not one man in Pittsburgh knew this strike was to occur on the 19th of July.

Q. You believe the first man that left the train----

A. Was the cause of the rest following. This Rye, one of the men you had before you, his crew was to go out that morning at eight-forty. That would have been the second double-header on the road. Of course, there was a good many double-headers run over it, but it was to be general. There was to be no single trains. When his crew said they were not going out, we might as well quit this, as to be discharged after a while, then the rest of the men coming in, they would not go out, then, because the first fellows refused to go out on double-headers. If a man would have wanted to go out, he could have. There was nothing to prevent him, if he had a little courage.

Q. There would have been no bodily injury?

A. No, sir; if I had wanted to go out, I could have gone out or anything else. The strike was conducted by intimidation.

Q. I understand you one fellow got struck with a link?

A. That was done by a party who was not really responsible for what he was doing. He was a little the worse for his beer, or he would not have done it.

Q. We had testimony that links and pins were thrown at engineers on their engines--did you see anything of that kind?

A. There was one link thrown at this man that went to couple the caboose to the engines on the Thursday morning, and he had no business to couple a caboose, or they wouldn't have thrown any link. He belonged down to the transfer, and was not a long road man.

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. Every fellow has his work, and if he undertakes to do anything else, they don't allow him?

A. Just as affairs stood then, they didn't allow it. There was no threat made. Another fireman and me sat down on a track and talked to some of them--asked what they were going to do. They said nothing; only we are not going out on double-headers.

Q. How did they come and take possession of the switches, and stop trains from running?

A. They didn't stop any; they didn't have any men to go out with them. A good many men deny that they had anything to do with the strike, but they had at that time. They wanted their ten per cent. as much as anybody.

Q. Had the order cut their wages down below what they could have lived on, or could the men make fair wages enough to live on?

A. If the strike had not taken place that morning, there would have been twelve engineers to go off, about ten firemen, and forty trainmen, conductors, brakemen, and flagmen--that would have been fifty or sixty men. It would have been only a week or so until they would have run everything to Altoona, and that would have thrown out the east end of the division, and then there would be nothing left for the strikers at all, only when freight was a little heavy they would not have made anything. A man never made much money unless freights were very good, and he is running all the time, and is half dead--then he can make money. That is in regard to firemen or brakemen; of course engineers, with their big wages, they can make money.

Q. Was it your object, as strikers, to compel the railroad company to employ more men than they really needed?

A. The object of the strike was to do away with double-headers and get their ten per cent. back, if they could. If Mr. Watt would have come up there that morning and said, all right, let them run single trains, the thing would have been over in half a minute. No; they wouldn't do that. They didn't think about their ten per cent. that morning. All it was about was double-headers. After the strike was prolonged, then the ten per cent. was more thought of.

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. You informed the masters of those lodges that there was a strike here in Pennsylvania, on the Pennsylvania, and he telegraphed back that there would be strikes on all the roads?

A. No, sir.

Q. What was it?

A. There was a telegram came from Hornersville, on the Erie road, from a man by the name of Donahue, to the master of this division of the Firemen's Brotherhood, stating that they were all out, and wished the Pennsylvania railroad men success. I believe that was it.

Q. Was there any understanding among the men that they were safe here, in Pittsburgh, to strike, and not to be molested, and they wouldn't be if they were Philadelphia men?

A. No, sir.

Q. In other words, that if the Philadelphia men came here they had no sympathy with the strikers, and they would be apt to attempt to run trains out, and take possession of the tracks?

A. No, sir; I have never heard anything of that.

Q. You don't know that this point was selected, then?

A. No, sir; it was only accidental the strike came about, and it was through the double-headers. If the strike would have been to occur that day, every body would have known it.

Q. Are you working now?

A. No, sir.

Q. Discharged?

A. No; I never was discharged. I asked for my time twice, and it was refused me, and I never went to work one day. I went down to Pitcairn's office to get a letter of recommendation--I wanted to go on some other road--and all the letter he would give me was a note saying he discharged me on account of reduction of force.

* * * * *

Officer White, re-called:

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. State what action the police officers took on Sunday to put down the riot, and burn, and break into the stores?

A. I would state that on Saturday night, about the breaking in of stores, I was at the office, and word came there that they were going into Johnson's gun store. I was ordered up there, and went up there, and the mob was then there, and I believe Mr. Johnson had handed out two or three guns there, to keep the mob away until the police came there. As soon as we got there, we closed the doors, stood and guarded the gun-shop for a considerable time, until the mob went away, and stopped them from going in there.

Q. Did you have any encounter with the mob?

A. No; not a good deal to keep them away?

Q. You made a show of force, and they dispersed?

A. Yes. Then we had word they were up on Liberty, at a place kept by a man by the name of Shute. I found they had opened and cleaned it out. I came to the office again, and was ordered down to O'Mara and Bown's, and we found they had been in there.

Q. What did they take out--pretty much anything they could lay their hands on?

A. I do not think it was for arms, for the purpose of going out to kill the Philadelphians. I think it was plunder more than any thing else--a general cleaning out--anything they could get their hands on--scissors or anything else. There was a man came into the office with a couple of pair of scissors he had taken from some one. I did not think he wanted the scissors to kill any one with. They cleaned Bown's out completely--knives, pistols, scissors, anything that was in the store.

Q. Do you know where that crowd was from that broke into Bown's store?

A. I could not tell. I did not know whether it was the party that had stopped at Johnson's or not. There was a couple of hundred at Johnson's trying to get in, and we kept them from getting in there.

Q. Do you know where they were from?

A. No, sir.

Q. Do you know of an alderman that was with them, from the south side?

A. After I had left Bown's store, a company happened on Fifth street. I saw a gang of two or three hundred, and I saw an alderman with them.

Q. Anybody else you know?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Who?

A. A councilman.

Q. Did they appear to be leading this crowd?

A. The councilman did. The alderman did not seem to take much part in it. The councilman seemed to be at the head of it.

Q. What day was this?

A. Saturday night.

Q. Whereabouts does he live?

A. Fifth avenue. After the breaking in at Bown's----

Q. Do you know whether they were part of the crowd that broke into the stores or not?

A. I do not think they were.

Q. Do you know whether the property was destroyed at the Union depot?

A. I could not tell you. I would also state about the police, on Sunday afternoon, during the time the Pan-Handle depot was in their charge. The police drove the mob out of the Pan-Handle depot at the time they were setting fire there. I know that they were police stretched the ropes on the street and kept the mob out, so as not to interfere with the firemen when working there.

Q. Did they hold it for any length of time?

A. They did hold it and kept the fire from going any further--kept the mob outside of the ropes.

Q. Was it not burned?

A. It was burned; yes, sir.

By Mr. Means:

Q. As an officer, do you believe that had there not been any interference with the railroad employés that you could have kept the peace with the force of police you had?

A. I do not think it was the railroad employés that gave us the trouble. I think it was the outside rabble entirely.

Q. I asked a question. The question is this: Do you believe, as an officer, had you nothing to contend but the railroad employés, could you have kept the peace?

A. Yes, sir; I think the mayor could have kept the peace. I do not think there would have been any trouble at all if the military had not been called out at all. My experience on Thursday, with these men at Torrens station, was, I had not any trouble with them. These men were orderly, and when they were ordered off the track they went off the track, and I had no trouble at all, and I apprehended no trouble. The men said they only wanted their rights, and did not wish to interfere with us at all, while we thought they were.

* * * * *

Colonel J. B. Moore, re-called.

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. I believe you testified to being at the firing, and so forth. Did you see General Pearson that afternoon?

A. I saw General Pearson continuously, sir, from Friday at eleven o'clock until eleven o'clock Saturday, except----

Q. How was General Pearson dressed that afternoon?

A. Full major general's undress uniform.

Q. What was that?

A. Fatigue cap, with velvet band and wreath, and the letters "U.S." in front of it; shoulder straps, with two stars; dark blue blouse and pants, and blouse braided, as worn by officers usually.

Q. Gold braid?

A. No, sir; it is black braid. Major general's belt on, very rare workmanship.

Q. Was it something that would attract attention--conspicuous?

A. Yes; it was one of those gotten up for a present, very elaborately embroidered.

By Senator Yutzy:

Q. What color was it?

A. Red, marked with gold braid.

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. General Pearson, then, had a fatigue cap?

A. Yes; such as prescribed for major generals to wear.

Q. What was it made of--the blue cap?

A. Dark blue cloth, with a velvet band.

Q. Gold wreath, with the letters U.S. in front?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Did he wear this cap up there, just prior to the firing of the military on the mob?

A. No, sir; not just prior. On Friday, when I reported to him, he had on a straw hat, a white vest, and a blouse, before he and I came down from the Union depot, and we put on our uniforms in the evening. I suppose between eight and nine o'clock. It was not dark.

Q. On Saturday he wore this uniform?

A. Yes; he wore a uniform continuously from that up.

Q. Insignia of rank on shoulders?

A. Yes; and his sword. He had a sword with a gold scabbard. All the officers of his staff that were there were in full uniform, except Colonel Hays.

Q. Was he there with the military or with the Philadelphia troops when the firing took place?

A. No, sir; there was no officer near the Philadelphia troops except myself, that is, at the point when the firing took place at Twenty-eighth street. Mr. George Steen, Major Stouts, and Major Fife were at the cars taken out, one hundred and fifty feet below the street. They were down at that flank of the troops.

Q. Were you inside of this hollow-square?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Did you wear a cap?

A. I wore a cap.

Q. Wear a belt?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Sword?

A. Sword and blouse, precisely like the one General Pearson had on, except the shoulder straps.

Q. Did you know where General Pearson was, about the time the firing took place?

A. I knew where he started off. He gave me orders to remain with General Brinton, while he would go to the telegraph office.

Q. How long before the firing?

A. I should judge five or seven minutes.

Q. And started, did he?

A. Yes, started; I judge that from the fact that General Brinton went down the Weccacoe Legion and the Gatling guns, and go through the two lines that had been formed on each side of the track. Just as he had sent down that order, General Pearson started, and I should judge it would take time to get the guns up. I have no distinct knowledge of the time at all. It was quite a little time before they were able to get the guns up over the ties.

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. Then General Pearson left before these troops marched down? That is the Weccacoe Legion, with the Gatling guns--he left before that?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And it was before the firing took place?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. That was the detachment that attempted to put the crowd back off Twenty-eighth street?

A. I cannot say whether it was the Weccacoe Legion or Washington Grays. I understood they were both there, but I could not distinguish them, they were all, as a matter of course, strangers to me. I saw "W.L." on their knapsacks, of either the front or rear rank. I could not see which it was.

Q. General Pearson could not have been there at the time of the firing?

A. No, sir; it was impossible for him to be there without my knowing, for he gave me orders to remain with General Brinton, while he went to the telegraph office, and I know there was no officer there except myself. When a man is alone, he generally knows it.

Q. No officer of your division there--that is, General Brinton and his command were there?

A. General Brinton was about as close to me as you are.

* * * * *

Captain E. Y. Breck, _sworn_:

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. Where is your residence?

A. Pittsburgh.

Q. What is your occupation?

A. I am a stenographer of court of common pleas, No. 1.