Part 96
A. No, sir; he was one that was with the rioters. He is a Welshman, a very bad character; had but one leg. He was with them, and he was shot through the arm. The ball passed through the fleshy part of the arm. I thought he was dead, but he recovered again and is now at work. Previous to the 1st of August, they had driven our men and sent our men out of the shops. My shops are on the other side, the car smith shop is on the other side of the engine-house--part of them went over and took them out. Before the day of the strike they had notified them several times that they should stop work. In fact, they had stopped pretty near all my men. There was not more than half a dozen to work at that time. Ordered them to stop work.
Q. Had you had any difficulty with your men previous to the 1st of August.
A. No, sir; I had not.
Q. Did they all continue to work?
A. No, sir. Our men came out--I forget the date. Our puddlers were the first men to strike in the city.
Q. What day did they strike?
A. They struck at noon. I think it was Tuesday night the engineers and railroads all stopped. That was on Tuesday night. I do not remember the date, but the engineers and firemen stopped. Our puddlers all came out that day at noon.
Q. What day do you think that was?
A. That was the day that the engineers stopped at night--at noon.
Q. On the railroads?
A. Yes. Our railroad stopped here at night.
Q. Was it the Tuesday after the fire at Pittsburg--the burning at Pittsburgh?
A. Really, I could not say, sir. It seems to me it was before that, but I won't be positive of that. I forget what day our railroad stopped.
Q. Tuesday, after the trouble at Pittsburgh, your railroad stopped?
A. Then it was that Tuesday noon our puddlers stopped. The puddlers stopped at noon as the men came out at night.
Q. How many of them?
A. I should judge there were near a hundred.
Q. What did they complain of?
A. They made no complaints. It was like a perfect panic among them. They said the first thing they knew, the whistle blew at the mill, and "now come on," and they all came down to the steel mills, took the men with them there, and went down to the machine shops and foundries and stopped the men there. They did not succeed in stopping the foundry. They stopped the men at the machine shops. They had not asked for anything prior to that time. Had not asked for any advance. Mr. Scranton went down as soon as he heard of it, and asked them what they wanted, or had some talk with them. Maybe he could tell more about it than I could.
Q. Had they complained of low wages prior to that time?
A. It has been a complaint all through about low wages. I had not heard anything from our men. I suppose I have probably one hundred or one hundred and fifty men under my employ.
Q. You had heard nothing from them?
A. They had made no complaints to me.
Q. In any way?
A. No, sir.
Q. What were you paying these men?
A. The puddlers?
Q. Yes?
A. I could not tell you. They work by the ton, do not know what it was. It is not in my department.
Q. Was this W. W. Scranton employed in the works in which you were superintendent?
A. Yes; he is general manager.
Q. Were any of those puddlers in the crowd that came up from the silk-works?
A. I do not know, sir. There was not a single face I knew. All the crowd that I saw, that I came in contact with, were strangers to me, and looked to me more like miners than laborers.
Q. What proportion of the number of men that you had employed, was at work on that day--the 1st day of August?
A. I should suppose, probably not more than--you mean in my department--probably one fourth.
Q. Take it in the whole shops--what proportion were at work?
A. Probably one fourth. The others had been intimidated by threats and some had been assaulted before that, because they had continued to work. They had been notified that they should not work.
Q. Had you heard of any discontent among the men, or had there been any discontent or any strike contemplated, so far as you learned, prior to the news of the strike at Pittsburgh reaching here?
A. There had not anything positive. I knew there was a very bad feeling among the men, I knew the men felt sore and uneasy, didn't seem contented or happy. I had not heard any threats of any strike.
Q. What about?
A. About low wages. The companies had been oppressive, and they ought to have more, and there seemed to be a general dissatisfaction and bad feeling.
Q. Had the wages been reduced any last year, during the summer?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. When were they reduced?
A. I think our reduction took effect the 1st of July--a general reduction among the mechanics, I think.
Q. How much did you reduce the wages?
A. I think it was ten per cent.
Q. Was that reduction general among the companies in Scranton?
A. I think it was, I would not be positive about that, I think it was.
Q. Did it extend to the miners--had there been any reduction in miners' wages?
A. No, sir; I think not. I think there had not been any since the 15th of last March.
Q. Simply applied to mechanics?
A. There had been a reduction in March of miners' wages--I think it was March there was a general reduction.
Q. How much of a reduction was made then?
A. I could not tell. That was something I had not anything to do with at all.
Q. Can you tell what the class of men were getting in the shops you had charge of?
A. How much they were getting?
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. About?
A. From $1 50 to $2 25.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What class of men were getting $1 50?
A. Ordinary carpenters and car-makers.
Q. What class getting $2 50?
A. Our best blacksmiths and some of our best carpenters.
Q. Some of the best carpenters getting $2 50?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What would the wages average? Take it on an average?
A. Among mechanics?
Q. Yes.
A. I think it would average, probably, $1 75.
By Senator Yutzy':
Q. This man that was wounded, is still here in the city working?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was he actively engaged in the riot?
A. I do not know.
Q. Never was arrested?
A. No, sir; his father is a very good mill hand, and through the influence of his father, and the sympathy with his family----
By Mr. Means:
Q. Had he been in your employ?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Is he in your employ now?
A. Yes, sir; he was a short time ago, and I think he is. His father is a boss heater. It was his father's influence--we had a good deal of sympathy for the family. They are poor.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Can you give us an estimate--an approximate estimate of the amount of loss sustained, by reason of the riot, in the works of the company?
A. I could not swear. The principal loss was the furnace. We had two furnaces in blast. They were filled up full. That was a complete loss. It is very expensive to cut them out.
Q. Chilled, were they?
A. Both chilled.
Q. Who can give us the probable loss?
A. W. W. Scranton.
Q. You said you were notified that there would be a meeting at the silk-works, and they were going to clean your shops out. How did you get your notice?
A. The superintendent of the blast furnace told me.
Q. Do you know where he got his information?
A. I do not. I presume he got it from some of his men there.
Q. Got it from some of the hands that heard it talked?
A. Yes; how he got it I do not know. We were doing some work at the old mine, and I came through the blast furnace; says he, "There is a big meeting this morning." Says I, "Where is it? I guess we had better go down." Says he, "They have a rousing meeting, and they are going to clean us all out to-day, and you had better be on the lookout." Says I, "I will keep my eye open." That is Carl McKinney, he is superintendent of the blast furnace.
Q. You do not know whether it was some of the men that wanted to notify him so that he would be on his guard or not who gave this information?
A. I do not. I rather mistrust so, though, thought it was some man he had put for that purpose. I imagine so, he seemed to know pretty well how it was going to be conducted.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Is he still here, this man, superintendent of the furnace?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What is his name?
A. Carl McKinney.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How long was it before your men resumed their work after the strike?
A. When our mechanics went to work after the strike?
Q. Yes?
A. There was not any general resumption of work until after the miners commenced working again. I do not recollect how long they were out, now.
Q. Was it a month?
A. Yes; it was more than a month, I think.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. Some time in September or October?
A. I think it was near the 1st of October.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Before your works started up again?
A. Yes; but I wouldn't be positive about that. I am a poor hand to remember dates.
Q. Where were the men during the time the works were standing?
A. They were around home scattered. They were some of them that wanted to work, who would go out in the country and get work. Some of them laid around--loafed around.
Q. Unemployed?
A. Unemployed principally. Our men--I could have worked a good many more men if they would have worked, but they were afraid; men were actually afraid, my men told me. I could not get enough hardly to do what work I had to do. Tried to prevail on them to work. They said they would like to work but were afraid. I had a few at work, and several of them as they were going home they were stoned. They said if they didn't stop work they would burn every building down.
Q. What class of men were those that made these threats?
A. They were German and Irish.
Q. Were any of them arrested?
A. I don't know that any of them were arrested. The men were actually afraid to work. There was a great many glad to work, but they didn't dare. I know it was the case with my men.
Q. Was any effort made by the civil authorities here to arrest the men that were threatening others and intimidating them?
A. All that I could hear of were arrested--that any one would complain of. These men that they had made the threats to daresn't report them, or it would not have been safe for them. They would have lost their property and their lives, undoubtedly. I had one man working that lived over in the Twelfth ward. He daresn't go to his dinner. He would have his dinner brought to him in the shop. He would go out early in the morning. Daresn't carry a dinner can. I never saw such a state of things among the men in my life. Never saw such a wild set of men as the men were that morning.
Q. Those men that threatened to stone those that wanted to work, were they men that had formerly been in your employ?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did your company take any means--adopt any plan--to bring those men to justice?
A. They did all they could, but they couldn't get the evidence without bringing these men they had made the threats to prosecute. The mayor told me once himself that any man that he could find out that had made any threats of that kind, that could be proved, to bring them right before him. I could get no man willing to go and swear to it.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did your company reëmploy any of those men that made threats?
A. Not if they knew it. I don't think they did. They would send squads around, half dozen in a squad, and wherever they found a company man at work, they would want to know who they were at work for. If they were at work for the company, they must quit--if they work individually, they could go on. I had some men at work about five miles out, and there were a party of men went out, and wanted to know if they were working for the company. They told them a lie, and said they were working for men that lived out there. They said, "If you are working for the company you have got to stop."
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. I would like to ask the gentleman whether those were men or boys, or what aged men they were?
A. I think it run from fifteen to forty.
Q. They were men most of them, were they?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Men of mature years?
A. Yes; they were men. I should judge the majority of them were between twenty and thirty, by their looks.
Q. Do you know the men composing the mayor's posse? Were you acquainted with them?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What character of men were they?
A. They were some of our best men--most of them. They were of good standing.
Q. And character?
A. Yes, sir. I would say nearly all. There might have been one or two that wouldn't bear sifting; but they were composed of our best men. They were headed by W. W. Scranton, and Chittenden up here, and that class of men. They were all young men of good standing.
* * * * *
James E. Brown, _sworn_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State where you reside.
A. Ninth ward, city of Scranton.
Q. What is your business?
A. Hardware.
Q. Hardware merchant?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. If you will just give us a statement of the facts that came under your observation of the riots here?
A. How far back do you want I should go? I was one of the officers of the posse before the riot, and was with the mayor all through the crowd down there.
Q. Commence with the origin of it?
A. There was a great deal of excitement among all the laboring classes here, and a great many threats and rumors were current that property was going to be destroyed. After they had been current several days, a large number of young men here in the city, in talking over matters, made up our minds that something ought to be done to protect property, and it resulted in a meeting being called, and a paper circulated and largely signed, and the meeting was held at the club room of the Forest and Stream Club, to organize and decide what course we would take. We met and decided that we would organize in a sort of a military style, with the express intention of protecting property; but not interfering in any way between the laboring men and their employers. We had nothing to do with their quarrels, but we must protect our own property and the property of the citizens.
Q. When was that meeting called?
A. I cannot tell you the date. I could get it. It was near about the time, I think--immediately after the Pittsburgh riots.
Q. Had these rumors of difficulty and of attack upon property and destruction of property existed here before the Pittsburgh riots?
A. I cannot say just the dates. I didn't pay much attention to it. I thought, like a good many others, it was doubtful that there would be any trouble. We organized as fully as we could, and were careful who we allowed to belong to the party, and after the organization, who we elected went down to the mayor. Of course, we proposed to act through him and under his authority, and in no other way. He welcomed us and took proper steps to give us a legal standing. It was understood that we were to turn out only at the call of one of the officers, and a proper signal was agreed upon to be given, and that signal was only to be given by one of the other officers, and by no other persons; and as I happened to live nearer to the bell than any one else, it was understood that I was the only one to go out at night. A person was on duty all the time at the mayor's office to give me notice if that signal was to be rung if there had been any trouble. Things went on that way--rumors were constantly flying about--until, I think it was, the first Monday in August, when we met as usual at night. There was reports they were going to make an attack that night on the company's store I think, and we met, when I had a long talk with the mayor, as well as a great many others of the posse, and he told us of this meeting to be held at the silk factory on Wednesday. That he was perfectly certain there was going to be no more trouble; that everything was in a very satisfactory condition, and the same story again on Tuesday. That night word came to us they were going to throw a train off the track above the iron company's store, and they wished us to be on hand and see that if that was done there would be a force there to preserve order. We stayed there until a little after twelve, and in view of what the mayor told us of the train coming in all right, peaceable, and quiet, we made up our minds we had fooled with this thing long enough, and I saw Captain Ripple in the morning, and we agreed it was time to stop all that performance, and we would have nothing to do with it unless news came somewhat different from what we had. I went to the store as usual, and was around there. Knew of the meeting at the silk factory. Saw a crowd coming down there--from the upper stories I could see the crowd coming down there. I came down the street, and was talking with several members of the posse. The streets were very crowded. A great many strangers here--strange faces. Along towards eleven o'clock--between ten and eleven--members of the posse commenced to come to me and say they didn't like the looks of the meeting down here, and they wanted me to act--to do something. Captain Riddle was at his works, and was not expected to be here all day, and I was the only one that was here that had any authority to give the signal.
Q. You were one of the three officers?
A. Yes, sir; I laughed at the notion of there being any trouble, and was so confident that the meeting with the railroad men had been so satisfactory, that I thought there was no danger whatever. Along just about eleven o'clock, near that, a man came to me and was very excited, and told me that the meeting had broken up and were coming up this way, and it was time to act. I told him, well, if you are afraid, go into the company's store--tell everybody you see to go to the company's store--I shall stay here until something more occurs. I went back to the store, saw that the crowd was getting more excited, and I commenced telling every man I saw to go to the company's store. I stayed in front of the store two or three minutes--the store is on the corner where the riot took place, and one of the Logan boys came over and said they wanted the signal given from the company's store. I told him we must have the mayor's order first, and to go down and tell the mayor I was there at the store, and if he wanted the signal given I would give it immediately. He went down and reported to the mayor, and his brother, at the time, standing there over the bell that nobody should ring it, and he had not been gone long before the messenger came then at the company's store who had been sent down to ring the bell, and I could not do it. I sent back word I would get the mayor's order and ring it immediately. I met the chief of police, and said they had sent down to have the signal rung, and they were driving the men out of the blast furnaces, and he said, don't give the signal. He said, send every man you see to the company's store. We went down Washington avenue, and went under the arch. There was a great many saw him going into the crowd where the disturbance was. They were then driving the men out of the car shops--cheering, and others hissing. He made a remark something like this: "Boys you better go home; you better get away from here;" and went on through the crowd. Some spoke and looked, and some started as if they were going to leave. There was no perceptible difference. We went as closely as we could, until we got to Mr. McKinney's office. He went up about to the door. Just as he got to the door the crowds were coming out of the shops. The crowds seemed to strike there--the lookers-on and the rioters. Some that came out of the shops were very much excited, brandishing their sticks around. The mayor started to come back. Just as he turned around and got a little back, I saw him struck over the head with a club. He turned around and went to see who struck him, and started off again. There was a movement made in the crowd as if to protect him, and I was separate from him, I believe, five or six feet. I kept as close to him as I could. Neither of us were armed. Both of us were perfectly helpless, that is, we had not even a stick, and he was struck again. Meanwhile, the crowd as they came out of the shops, didn't seem to recognize him, and they said, "Who is he?" and I guess a dozen voices answered, "The mayor. Protect him." Some said--a great many said, "God damn him, kill him. What is he doing there?" Just then a pistol was fired. I saw the smoke of it. He evidently had it in his hand, and in getting it up the crowd was so thick it went off. Two or three rushed to strike him, and two or three rushed to protect him. The crowd was very thick just then. Father Dunn came along, and took hold of the mayor's arm, and marched him off. Another effort was made by the crowd to protect Father Dunn and the mayor, but especially Father Dunn. A great many more tried to protect him. When I speak of the crowd, I mean the men who had been driving the men out of the car shops. They says, "Who is he--Father Dunn--God damn him, kill him. What is he doing here?" That cry was repeated. After I got out of the crowd, I would have sworn that I saw Father Dunn struck, although he denies it, but I still believe, in my mind, that he was struck. After we got a little further, a man jumped from my side and struck the mayor on the cheek, with either a billy or a slung shot. That was the blow that broke his jaw. That man I wouldn't recognize again. I never saw him before, but from the view I had of the men who were killed, I think he was one of the men who were killed. As we got further along towards the arch--after we got out under the arch--towards Lackawanna avenue on to Railroad alley, the police took hold of the mayor, and helped him on to the street. I saw the rear of our store was open, and I knew what threats had been made, and I jumped into the store and told them to close the front up. I thought that might be a very good place to start a fire. At the same time, I went to get a pistol. I tried to lock the front door, and as I looked over my shoulder, I saw the posse coming down the street. I jumped for the head of the posse. Stones were thrown, pistols were fired, and I heard one shot, I think it was, and I immediately turned around and yelled, "Don't fire!" My impression was they were not in any position, and they wanted to avoid a conflict with the crowd, if possible; but immediately after that, stones came from the other track parties by us, and there was another pistol shot or two--I couldn't say how many--and I saw a crowd throwing stones, and I turned around and I said, "Give it to them boys." Then the volley was fired, and immediately from that side between Colson's store and the next--the crowd over there--and I told them to give it to them, and they turned the guns that way; and by that time the crowd had got so thoroughly panic stricken that the riot was over.
Q. How many were there in your posse that were firing?
A. There was just fifty-one men with myself. As they came down the street they counted thirty-eight. I had the names of the whole posse, and from evidence I know--positive evidence--I know there was just fifty-one men.
Q. They were all present at that time?
A. Our whole posse was over a hundred.
Q. Was the signal given?