REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE THE Railroad Riots IN JULY, 1877. (continued 27)
Reading edition
A. They were not able to find out. We were not allowed any access to what they were doing. It was all secret.
Q. Coroner's jury?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Warrants issued by the coroner?
A. By an alderman, acting as coroner.
Q. And placed in the hands of this constable?
A. To arrest. The constable told me that he had a warrant for my arrest that night, but refused to serve it.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you ascertain what force accompanied the constable to make these arrests?
A. No, sir. There was quite a crowd apparently hanging on, but the constable made the arrest alone. The idea was to hurry the men off quietly, without letting us know anything about it, and get them out of the reach of assistance.
Q. Who were the two men that were arrested?
A. T. T. Hunt and C. B. Chittenden.
Q. Were they part of your posse?
A. Hunt had nothing whatever to do with it.
Q. What was Hunt's business?
A. Hardware merchant.
Q. Was Chittenden a member of the posse?
A. He was a member of the posse.
Q. Did he participate in the conflict?
A. I am not certain whether he did or not.
Q. In endeavoring to suppress the riot?
A. I am not certain whether he was in the squad or not. I know he belonged to the general committee—the general posse. If he was not there, he probably would have been if he had had an opportunity.
Q. What class and character of men was that posse composed of?
A. The best men of the town. Merchants and lawyers, business men generally.
J. H. Powell, sworn:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. I reside in Hyde Park, this city.
Q. What is your business?
A. At present I am not doing anything. My last business was editor of the Industrial Advocate.
Q. In July last what were you?
A. At that time my occupation was a miner.
Q. And in August?
A. At that time my occupation was a miner.
Q. In whose employ were you?
A. D. L. and W. Co.
Q. Delaware, Lackawanna and Western?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. In what capacity were you employed?
A. Miner.
Q. As foreman, or as——
A. No, sir; miner.
Q. How far were you—was it from the city of Scranton where you worked in July?
A. We were not at work at the time. During that time they were on a strike.
Q. About the 20th of July—were you not at work at that time?
A. I presume not. I presume we were on a strike the 20th of July.
Q. Did all the miners——
A. I am not positive whether we commenced the strike——
Q. Did all the miners employed by the company strike?
A. It was a general strike. I presume it was a tidal wave that went through the country. The first commencement of the strike was the railroad men struck, and they blocked the mines to a stand still, and the miners at the meeting joined hands with the whole country.
Q. The miners struck?
A. They called a meeting, and decided to make a demand for higher wages.
Q. Had you stopped work before you called that meeting?
A. There was a meeting—a preliminary meeting—there was some of the mines idle for want of cars.
Q. Take the company that you were working for—the men that you were working with—did they strike, or were you stopped for want of work to do?
A. I could not state positive with regard to the whole mines. Part of the mines stopped for want of cars.
Q. I am asking whether yours stopped for want of cars?
A. At that time I was unable to attend to my work on account of sickness.
Q. Then you had not been at work for several weeks?
A. I was only working every other week. I could not work on account of sickness at the time.
Q. What day did they hold that meeting and agree to join hands with the railroad employés?
A. I am not positive of the date of that?
Q. Was it before or after the strike at Pittsburgh?
A. It was after the strike at Pittsburgh.
Q. Was anything done by the miners here about a strike before the strike at Pittsburgh?
A. No, sir.
Q. Had you held any meetings or contemplated a strike until after you heard of the strike at Pittsburgh?
A. No, sir; did not know of any meetings.
Q. Then that was the beginning of it?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. The railroad employés struck first, I understand you to say?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did they send any word or have any interviews with the miners to persuade the miners to strike?
A. Not to my knowledge.
Q. The miners held a meeting and resolved to strike also. Is that the way of it?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How long after the railroad employés struck?
A. I presume, if my memory serves me, it was about a week after the railroad strike, so far as I remember. I did not take any notice of it.
Q. Did the miners have any organization, any societies among themselves?
A. I presume that they had an organization. They used to have organizations. What they termed the W.B.A.
Q. Had they any in last summer—in 1877?
A. I presume they had.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Do you know the existence?
A. I may as well say that I knew of the existence of the W.B.A.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Workingmen's Benevolent Association?
A. No; it was the old organization.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What was the new organization?
A. The new organization, I presume, the title is the Knights of Labor?
Q. What were the objects of the organization?
A. The only object of the organization is men combined together to elevate labor?
Q. Are you a member of the organization?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was it secret?
A. There were secrets in it.
Q. Was it confined entirely to miners?
A. No, sir.
Q. Other classes of laboring men—did it take any?
A. Took in mechanics, and all that earn their living by the sweat of their brow.
Q. Took in railroad employés?
A. Any class in.
Q. Can you give us the extent of that organization?
A. I could not, sir.
Q. Do you know whether it extends throughout the State, or whether it is confined to the coal region?
A. I do not believe it is confined. I do not know that it is confined to any place.
Q. How many lodges do you know of, or did you, at that time?
A. I could not tell you, sir. I am not posted in the organization.
Q. Was there a lodge here in Scranton?
A. There was.
Q. More than one lodge?
A. There were several lodges. I could not state how many.
Q. Do you know whether there were any lodges in the vicinity of here, around in the townships?
A. I presume there were lodges throughout the county.
Q. All through the county?
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. Reyburn:
Q. Are those lodges composed of different trades—different branches of the trades? They are all organized—that is, for instance, miners into one——
Mr. Lindsey: No; he has just said, they took in all classes of laboring men, miners, and mechanics.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. I understand that. I want to understand whether he means a lodge, composed of those men generally, or whether they are lodges of each trade, and these lodges compose the organization or delegates from them?
A. I presume that there are lodges of different trades.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Under the same title?
A. The same title.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Take the lodge to which you belonged. Were they composed entirely of miners?
A. No, sir.
Q. What other classes of men belonged?
A. Mechanics, carpenters, engineers, miners.
Q. Were there any railroad employés?
A. I do not know of any.
Q. In your lodge?
A. I do not know of any. There may be.
Q. Carpenters?
A. Carpenters.
Q. Blacksmiths?
A. Blacksmiths.
Q. Miners?
A. Miners.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What class of engineers?
A. Stationary engineers; not railroad.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. You only include those employed in collieries and about collieries in your organization?
A. All employed around collieries.
Q. Can you give us the extent of the organization in the city?
A. I could not.
Q. Do you know how many members it has throughout the State?
A. I could not say.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Approximate about?
A. I have no "about" about it.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Have you not heard an estimate of the number in this vicinity or this county?
A. No, sir; I have not see anything official, more than it is stated somewhere, from thirteen thousand to fifteen thousand.
Q. In this vicinity?
A. In this county. That was the estimate. I have nothing official about it.
Q. The object is for the elevation of labor?
A. The object is the elevation of labor by honorable means and legal means.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Is it beneficial?
A. No, sir; only so far as helping a brother when he is in necessity.
Q. That is what I mean?
A. Yes; beneficial.
Q. If a man is sick or out of work or in distress, then he is helped?
A. Out of employment. In distress.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. Is it not more for assistance in case of a strike in distress than in case of sickness?
A. This labor organization, it is on account of distress; for instance, a man out of labor and in distress—a family in need; it is a matter of charity.
Q. You do not understand me, or if you do, you do not take it right. If a man strikes, he is helped quicker than if he is taken sick; was he not?
A. I don't know of any proviso with regard to men that strike. If a man is thrown out of employment, or deprived of employment, and in distress, and wants help to go somewhere where he can get employment, the object is to help him along, in order to sustain his family.
Q. Do they ever assist the miners of a colliery that are on a strike?
A. There is no proviso for strikes. Their funds would not afford them to.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. If a man loses his employment from any cause, he receives assistance?
A. Not any amount. A man, for instance, is deprived of employment, and wants to go somewhere in search of employment—just help him a few dollars to get employment elsewhere.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Is it a part of the objects of the association to organize in strikes case they think it is best in order to get their wages raised? If they are dissatisfied with regard to wages, is it a part of the intent of the society to organize?
A. No, sir.
Q. Or to help them on to arrange the machinery for a strike, so that it will all come off together?
A. There is nothing connected with that organization, only to elevate labor by legal means.
Q. I suppose they would not call striking, quitting work, illegal means?
A. No; my view of the question, a man has just as much right to quit work, and that is legal.
Q. But that is a question, whether this is a part of the objects of the association. Whether in case the men felt that they have been aggrieved by the reduction of wages—whether the association acts as a unit in forwarding a strike, in assisting the men, to all quit work simultaneously?
A. Oh, no; nothing of the kind.
Q. Nothing of the kind in the by-laws and constitution?
A. No; I do not know of anything that I could draw such an inference from.
Q. Is this association in existence now?
A. Yes, it is.
By Mr. Englebert:
Q. Were you working in the mines in 1876?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What wages were you getting then—average—you being a practical man of intelligence, of course, you know about the average price of miners and laborers in 1876?
A. To be able to answer that question intelligently——
Q. As near as you can remember?
A. I ought to have prepared myself, by looking up the price of coal. I could not remember exactly what would be the price of a car in 1876. If I could remember that, I could find out about what it would be—the amount of money.
Q. What was the difference about in wages between 1875 and 1876, causing this dissatisfaction?
A. There was no difference.
Q. The same wages?
A. The price was the same in 1876 and 1877.
Q. Do you mean the pay for mining?
A. I do not remember of any reduction taking place.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was there any reduction in March, 1877, of ten per cent.?
A. I believe there was ten per cent. in March.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Did that take effect in the mines, or only in the machine shops?
A. There was one reduction that didn't take effect in the mines, but in the shops and among the mechanics.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. Not among the miners?
A. There was one reduction the mechanics had that didn't reach the miners.
Q. And are the wages of miners fixed by the price of coal at entirely the same scale?
A. They got so much a car. There is one grand mistake been made in the assessment of the car. It leaves the impression that the men get so much a ton instead of so much a car. When a man gets sixty-four cents a car, it is not sixty-four cents a ton, but sixty-four cents for two tons of clean coal.
Q. That would be thirty-one cents a ton?
A. Yes; for loading and mining and all the expenses in connection with it. The price of a car contained the price of mining coal, loading the coal, and all necessary expenses.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. Did not your mine wagons average more than two tons of clean coal?
A. I believe they average it so that a car carries about two and a half tons. There is half a ton allowed for breakage and culm, so it makes it about two tons of clean coal.
Q. Is that not a big average of loss?
A. It appears to me that it is, but it appears on the other side that it don't satisfy the corporation.
Q. About what I am speaking about is ordinary mining?
A. In my estimation, half a ton would be sufficient.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. How did this price range in 1877, as compared with 1873, at the time of the panic?
A. I could give you an estimate of what a miner would make in 1877 and 1876 as well.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Just state whether the wages were any lower in May, June, or July, of 1877, than they were in the same months of 1876? Make your own estimates to yourself.
A. I do not want to state anything but what I am positive of, and I cannot bring to memory with regard to the dates of this reduction.
Q. Had there been any reductions in 1877?
A. Up to that date I cannot remember whether there was a ten per cent. or not. There may be others that can remember these things.
Q. You cannot state whether there was any reduction in 1877 or not?
A. I am not positive. I am under the impression that there was a reduction; but I could not state positively—in the early part of 1877.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Will you please define the term strike?
A. The only definition I can give you is that it means suspension of work.
Q. You mean if just one man quits work, he is on a strike, or when there is a combination of men all quit at once?
A. Oh, no; a man may suspend work himself, but the term strike means a general suspension of work.
Q. Of all the men—then you call it a strike?
A. Yes; although the proper term is suspension.
Q. You know it is generally termed a strike?
A. So the railroad and everything of that kind call it a strike; but it is not termed a strike unless there is an arrangement or understanding that they all quit. A meeting is called, there is a delegation appointed to inform the officials of the corporations of the demand of the men, and that committee returns back and reports; and if that is accepted—sometimes it is decided by ballot—if they agree to suspend work until their demand is complied with—they go under the term strike.
Q. What is the object of the men, and what means would be resorted to, to prevent other men from working?
A. There is no provision to prevent anybody. I never knew of any proviso to prevent anybody from working.
Q. Then when there is any interference, it is unauthorized by your organization?
A. Oh, yes.
Q. When men go on a strike, and others will undertake to work in their stead, and they are interrupted by violence and threats of violence?
A. No organization could be accountable for that, and I wish to state here that the late strike was not under the auspices of that organization.
Q. That strike at that time was not under their auspices?
A. The strike was not inaugurated by the organization.
Q. Did the organization approve of it?
A. There was a meeting called. There was a mass meeting, and when that meeting—that meeting adjourned to meet at a mass meeting and take a vote of the committee, and in that second mass meeting they decided to suspend work and join hands.
Q. The second mass meeting was at the silk-works?
A. No, sir.
Q. Where was it?
A. Held in the Round woods.
Q. Where was the first one held?
A. "Fellows' Hall."
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did this organization—"Kights of Labor"—did they by any resolution or by-law discountenance any interference with men that wished to work?
A. There is no combination to resort to any violence whatever.
Q. Was there anything condemning anything by the men?
A. There was nothing under the organization. The constitution and by-laws is the one safe basis of any society, and from their constitution and by-laws there is nothing whatever but that it is a law-abiding organization.
Q. Do you know of any resolutions being passed by any of those lodges and by this association, condemning interference with men who wished to work?
A. I do not, neither do I know of any resolution that urged anything of that kind.
Q. Were you present at this meeting out here at the silk-works?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What resolutions were passed there?
A. I do not know but very little about the resolutions. I went there in company—at the time, I held the position of chairman of the county and central committee, and was secretary of the Hyde park executive committee, and we went there in company with others of that executive committee—over to the silk-works meeting, with the understanding that there were delegations there from all over the county.
Q. You are secretary of the executive committee of what?
A. Of the miners.
Q. Of those Knights of Labor?
A. Oh, no, sir; it was a committee appointed in this mass meeting of members and non-members. I went over there to that meeting, with the understanding that there were delegates to be there from all over the county. I do not know that our committee was notified officially of this meeting, only it was spoken all over the street, and I presume there was notice in the local press, that there was to be a meeting held. When I went there, there was a few thousand people there, and after a while the meeting was called to order by some gentleman, a stranger to me, and some gentleman, I forget his name, was elected chairman. He was also a stranger to me, and the meeting was orderly—there was a few disorderly men there, but the average of the meeting was an orderly meeting, with the exception of those few that may have been aggravated by seeing these men they termed blacklegs working in their places in the shops. I was told that the meeting was called by the Lackawanna Coal Company, to receive the report of some committee, but I never heard of any committee reporting. I did not take any part there, more so than going round, and when I would hear some one making remarks there, to try to quash him of all such remarks, until a letter was brought there by somebody and read—a letter purporting to be written, as I understood at the time, by W. W. Scranton, and in that letter, it was read there, that Scranton stated something, that the men should live on mush and milk, or something to that effect. I was so far off I could not hear the letter, and that drove these men around there to a rage.
Q. Did you understand that this letter had been written by Scranton?
A. I never thought that was the letter. That was my impression. The impression it left on me was that it was written by some men to accomplish their object—to inspire the men to violate the laws.
Q. Do you know of any resolutions passed at that meeting? Do you know the purport of those resolutions?
A. I do not know of any resolutions.
Q. When this meeting adjourned, what was the general understanding of what was to be done?
A. The meeting adjourned. There were a few that got up a cry to go and drive all the blacklegs out; and the meeting adjourned, and the men started and went up in the direction of the shops.
Q. What do you mean by the shops?
A. The manufactories, you know.
Q. Different manufactories?
A. Yes; and that is the last I saw of the meeting. I could see these men running. I saw these men running up the hill. I didn't follow them. I took the railroad up.
Q. You did not go up with the crowd to the shops?
A. No; I didn't see anything.
Q. How large a crowd ran in that direction, about?
A. I think, maybe, those that went up there might have been three or four thousand people there in the meeting, more or less. I could not make an estimate. There was a large crowd.
Q. What class of men were those that talked about driving the blacklegs out of the shops and mills? Were they men from these shops, formerly?
A. They were strangers to me. I was not much acquainted with this city.
Q. Did the miners join in with that crowd?
A. It was not a meeting of miners; it was a public meeting. You could not say it was miners or mechanics.
Q. You could not tell whether there was any miners joined that crowd or not?
A. Oh, no.
Q. A mass meeting of all classes of laboring men?
A. A general meeting.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Was there any liquor there, or anything to inflame—any drinking going on?
A. Oh, no; not to my knowledge.
Q. You didn't see anything of that kind?
A. Didn't see any man there under the influence of drink.
Q. Do I understand you to say you are a member of the executive committee of miners?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you go there in your official capacity?
A. No, sir; we just met, and agreed to go there together.
Q. To hear some report?
A. Yes, sir; we went over there as a matter of curiosity, being a member of the executive committee of the Hyde Park miners.
Q. What did you expect this report from?
A. We were informed there would be delegates from different places?
Q. They were to make a report?
A. Yes; to know the general situation of the men all over the different parts of the county.
Q. What were they to report about?
A. With regard to what was the condition of the standing of men in different places. That is what we expected they would report.
Q. The condition in what respect?
A. In regard to what was the condition of the lines that were striking, or any sign of a break, or anything of that kind.
Q. That is, whether they were all standing solid in the strike?
A. Yes; exactly.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did your committee intend to make a report at that meeting, also?
A. No, sir; but we could have made a report in behalf of the Hyde Park men, the men that we represented in committee. If there was any difficulty, we could see that the men at our side were all solid. That is the general phrase of a report, if the men are all solid—all solid.
Q. All stand united?
A. That meant united.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What wages did you get the last month that you worked?
A. I presume that the men——
Q. I just asked you the question, how much did you get the last month that you worked? How much did you make?
A. The last month?
Q. Yes?
A. We generally work there——
Q. I ain't asking you that?
A. I could not tell you how much I made in the last month.
Q. How much could you make a day?
A. In the Diamond vein a man could make about $1 89 a day, figuring down the price of a car, and allowing for expenses, and the price for labor, loading the coal.
J. F. McNally, sworn:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Sixth ward, city of Scranton.
Q. What is your business? What was it in July last?
A. Boiler tender for the iron and coal company.
Q. Where is that located—the works of the company?
A. Down this side of Shanty hill a little ways.
Q. Were you at work on the 1st day of August?
A. No, sir.
Q. Go on and state why you were not, and give us the facts connected with the strike here, and all that you are acquainted with?
A. On the 8th day of July, I think it was, there was a reduction—it didn't say how much.
Q. A reduction of wages?
A. A notice put up to that effect.
Q. By that company?
A. Yes, sir. We didn't like it very well, and we appointed a committee to wait on Mr. Platt—he was outside foreman there—and see what the reduction was, and the committee went to Mr. Platt, and he was to go to Mr. Scranton. The answer was, that when we got paid we would find out what the reduction was. Mr. Platt stated that Mr. Scranton told him he didn't know it was any of his business to go there—something to that effect. So we worked along, and on the 20th they struck. I was on the night turn, and I worked Monday night, and Tuesday afternoon they struck.
Q. On the 20th of July?
A. Yes; about twelve o'clock. They stated here it was a puddlers'——
Q. It was either the 17th or the 24th—which was it now? Do you think Tuesday, 24th?
A. I could not say positively which it was. I know it was summer. The latter part of the month, or getting that way.
Q. Go on, then.
A. I was on the night turn, and I just got up about two o'clock, and I came over that afternoon a little early, and had a little work to do, and when I was going out mother said to me, "Where are you going? Going to work?" She said she heard they had struck. There was a meeting that night up on the hill. I left the dinner-pail in the house, and went up to the meeting, to see what was going on there. When I got there, Mr. Scranton came about the same time, and he asked what was the matter, and they told him. He said he could not do anything, and he drove away, and that is all there was about it until the 1st of August there was a meeting called to be held at the silk-works. So we went there to hear what it was. We understood it was a report from the miners and other different trades, in regard to what they were going to do, whether they were going to stay out or resume work, or what. After the meeting was called to order, before any committee had a chance to report, or anything of the kind, this letter was produced, and read there.
Q. That was at the silk-works?
A. Yes.
Q. State how the letter read. What the subject of it was. The subject matter, as near as you can remember.
A. The substance of the letter was, Mr. Scranton said he would have the men working if, I think, it was thirty-five cents a day and living on mush and molasses, or he would bury himself in a culm-dump. That was the statement of the letter.
Q. How was the letter signed?
A. Workingmen.
Q. These workingmen stated in the letter that that was what Mr. Scranton had said?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the letter state when and where Mr. Scranton had made that declaration?
A. No, sir; not to my recollection.
Q. What did the letter advise the meeting to do?
A. It didn't state. That was about the substance of the letter.
Q. Who read the letter?
A. I could not tell you what his name is. I wouldn't know him if I would see him.
Q. Did you come up, then, with the crowd that came up to the shop?
A. No, sir. After the meeting adjourned, part of us came up the railroad towards the L.S. crossing, and I stood there conversing about fifteen or twenty minutes. The crowd had gone towards Lackawanna avenue. After they had dispersed from there, I thought I would walk to town, and I went up, and when I got up to the top of the hill the crowd and I walked through the crowd, and I met the mayor coming down. He seemed to be quite excited. He was going to McKinney's office. I met him a little this side of there. I passed on to Lackawanna avenue, and stood there.
Q. Your recollection of it is the same as that given by Mr. Brown this morning as to what occurred there on Lackawanna avenue?
A. No, sir.
Q. Go on and state, then, how it was?
A. I walked first towards Lackawanna avenue and then I walked back again to Washington avenue and stood down there. The mayor came up, supported by two men, one on each side of him, and the crowd following up. A party says, What is this coming down the avenue? I stood up and I saw it was vigilantes, as they call them, coming down with rifles. They had just about passed about the time the crowd came there. The crowd filed in right behind them. Mr. Boltry stepped back and told them to keep back. With that they turned around again, and with that the first I heard was "crack," "crack," "crack" of the vigilants. They fired right into them.
Q. Was the crowd throwing stones?
A. I had not seen any.
Q. Did you hear any pistol shot from the crowd?
A. No, sir; not there, nor anywhere in that section.
Q. Whereabouts was the crowd when the vigilantes fired?
A. They were right on Washington avenue, from Lackawanna avenue.
Q. Going which direction?
A. They seemed to be facing down Lackawanna avenue.
Q. In this direction?
A. Yes.
Q. When the firing took place?
A. Yes; they were right abreast there.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. How large a crowd was that?
A. I should judge from five to six hundred.
Q. What wages were you getting at the time of the strike?
A. One dollar and twelve cents.
Q. As boiler tender?
A. Yes; I looked after boilers there.
Q. Was that what your wages were about the time of the reduction or before?
A. After the reduction.
Q. How was it before the reduction?
A. Before the reduction it was one dollar and a half.
Q. When was the first reduction?
A. I think it was in March.
Q. How much was it after the reduction in March?
A. One dollar and twenty-five cents.
Q. Then after the last reduction it was one dollar and twelve cents?
A. One dollar and twelve and a half cents.
Q. What were engineers getting in the works where you were at that time?
A. One dollar and a half they were getting before the last reduction. One dollar and thirty-five cents, then, after the last reduction. There is one of the engineers here, who can state that.
Q. What were the men, generally, getting? What wages in the shops?
A. Laboring men were getting eighty cents a day.
Q. What kind of work were they doing?
A. All kinds of work round there—that is, laborers.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You mean repairing men—truckmen?
A. Truckmen, such as that.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Get eighty cents a day after the first reduction?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How much were they getting before the last reduction?
A. I think it was either ninety cents or one dollar, or one dollar and five cents.
Q. How much were they getting before the reduction in March?
A. I could not say what they were getting. Puddlers were getting three dollars a ton.
Q. Three dollars a ton before the reduction?
A. Before the reduction.
Q. How much were they getting before the reduction?
A. Two dollars and seventy cents I think it was, and that had to be divided between two.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. They had a helper?
A. At this time two puddlermen were in together.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How much would they puddle per day, on an average?
A. A ton was about all they were allowed to puddle. Twenty-two hundred, about that—twenty-two hundred I think was allowed for a ton.
Q. What then did they make per day, on an average?
A. Between one dollar and thirty-five cents and one dollar and fifty cents.
Q. Was this reduction of wages that was made in July general?
A. Yes; it was a general reduction—stated so.
Q. Among all the men?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did it apply to you?
A. The notice read that it would be a general reduction.
Q. Did the reduction apply to officers of the company—book-keepers and so forth?
A. That is something I could not state.
Q. Is a ton a day all that two men can puddle?
A. Yes—about that.
Q. Don't they puddle more than that some days?
A. They may perhaps—two hundred over that.
Q. Two hundred over? They are paid for all they make over, are they not?
A. That is something I cannot state. They are only allowed a ton.
Q. Did other companies here reduce their wages also?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. At the same time?
A. Well, somewhere around there. This company was the first that struck here.
Q. In the meetings that you attended among the men who struck, was there anything said about interfering with those parties of men who were willing to work?
A. No, sir; they were committees appointed to go and wait on them, and ask them civilly whether they could work. There was no violence of any kind.
Q. Committees appointed to visit them, and ask them to quit work?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Until they got the wages they want?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did they fix upon any definite price per day that you would demand?
A. Yes; we asked them twenty-five per cent.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Twenty-five per cent. advance?
A. Yes; there was a committee appointed between boiler tenders and engineers of the company, to wait on the former and demand it.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were you on that committee?
A. No, sir.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Well, now do you know——
A. I was on after. We could not get no one over there after we met altogether. There was a committee appointed to wait on Mr. Scranton, and I was on that committee to ask Mr. Scranton.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What reason did Mr. Scranton give?
A. He said he could not do it. He was not getting price enough for his iron, and could not afford to give it. He said these were just as big a price as any other company. There was one witness stated here to-day, in regard to after the coroner's inquest was held, that they were to take them in carriages to Wilkes-Barre after the arrest. There was no such proposition made.
Q. Were you at the coroner's inquest?
A. Yes, I was there—a witness there. They were to make these arrests and put them in the lockup here, and take them to Wilkes-Barre. They were not to take them by night.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. How do you know?
A. Because I was there all the time.
Q. Have any conversation with the officers?
A. No, sir; it was somewhere about eight o'clock in the evening, or seven o'clock, when the verdict was given, and all the evidence was taken. Then the arrest was to be made immediately after that. He stated then, that there was an indictment in Wilkes-Barre, one for murder and one for manslaughter. There was not. There was only one indictment fetched against them. It was for manslaughter.
Q. Against whom?
A. Against the vigilants.
Q. Do you know how much the miners made per day during May, June, and July, 1877?
A. The miners stated to me that they could make on an average about one dollar and fifty cents a day.
Q. During May, June, and July?
A. Yes, sir; they were not working on full time. Some days they would make half of that. They were paid by the car, and they would not get the cars.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What was your object in coming up Lackawanna avenue at that time? You say you came up and stood on the corner?
A. I most generally come up every day two or three times.
Q. You had no particular mission to go up there?
A. No, sir.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Expect to see any fun?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. Did you expect there was anything going on?
A. No, sir; never dreamed of anything.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you know there was a crowd of men driving the men out of the works.
A. No, sir; had not seen any.
Q. Did not know anything about that at all?
A. Did not see that at all. The men came out peaceably. I did not see any men around.
Q. Did you see the crowd going up to the works?
A. The place was on the road coming up.
Q. You were at the meeting at the silk-works, and came up?
A. No, sir; I took the railroad.
Q. Did the railroad lead you by the shops?
A. No, sir.
Q. Were you about the shops when the men were driving the workmen out—when the crowd was?
A. Yes. I just came there about the time the workmen were coming out. I did not see them driven out.
Q. Did you go inside the shops?
A. No, sir.
Q. You were along there just as the workmen were coming out?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was the crowd chasing any of them?
A. Not that I saw.
Q. The workmen came out peaceably and quiet? There seemed to be no trouble?
A. There did not seem to be any trouble.
Q. At what shops?
A. Delaware, Lackawanna and Western.
Q. At the lower shops?
A. At the first shops as you go down the hill.
Q. Did you see any men coming out of the lower works immediately in the vicinity of where the stables are?
A. No, sir; I did not. I met them after the crowd had passed.
Q. Passed them?
A. Yes; and I asked them what the difficulty was. They told me the men came there and ordered them out, so they went out. They stood all around the streets there.
Q. Have you any knowledge of some men being clubbed and beaten and injured?
A. No, sir. Did not see any clubbed, injured, or beaten in any way, shape, or manner.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Do you not know that such things did take place—that some were beaten and driven out violently?
A. It was talked so. I never heard a man say he was hit.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Did you see the mayor hit?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see the mayor bleeding as if he had been struck?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you see that crowd that came out of the shops with clubs in their hands?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. Did you see any men——
A. When the mayor got there I passed right on Lackawanna avenue.
Q. Did you see anybody in this crowd that came up Washington avenue with clubs?
A. I saw some boys had sticks—or laths, rather.
Q. What do you mean by boys?
A. Boys from twelve to fourteen.
Q. You did not see any attack made on the mayor at all?
A. No, sir; I did not. Not to my knowledge.
Q. Did you see Father Dunn?
A. I think I did see the mayor struck. I would not be positive though. I think I saw the mayor struck. I would not be positive.
Q. Who struck him? A boy?
A. No, sir. I think it was a man.
Q. What did he strike him with?
A. I could not see what he struck him with. I was quite a distance away. I was up on Washington avenue.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. At what point was it you saw the mayor struck?
A. Right below the culvert.
Q. The causeway under the railroad?
A. Yes, sir.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What did the crowd say when they came up Washington avenue? Did you hear any expressions from the crowd what they were going to do?
A. When I passed by I heard them ask who it was that was going towards McKinney's office. They said it was the mayor. Those were the only words I heard spoken.
Q. You say you came up Washington avenue, and sat down?
A. I sat down on the corner of Hunt's store, on Washington avenue.
Q. When the crowd came up—after the vigilants came up the street—did the crowd say what they were going to do?
A. No, sir; they walked right along up the streets.
Q. What did those boys say?
A. The boys were ahead of the men. I did not pay much attention to what was going on. I saw the crowd pass up.
Q. Was there much noise?
A. No, sir.
Q. Walking quietly, were they?
A. Yes; they were walking at a fair gait.
Q. Now, was there not some kind of a row when the mayor was struck; were they walking quietly then?
A. They were standing—the majority of the crowd were standing down around the shops at that time.
Q. Where did this man come from that struck the mayor—that you think struck the mayor?
A. I could not say where he came from.
Q. Did he not come out of the crowd?
A. That is something I could not say, either.
Q. You must, certainly, if you got an impression on your mind that you saw him struck—you must certainly know where the man came from—you say it was a man?
A. I think the first I saw of the man, was right in front of the mayor. Where he came from, I could not say anything of the kind.
Q. Was the crowd about the mayor trying to protect him?
A. Yes; some of them were.
Q. You did not see anything of this crowd that came out with clubs—out of the shops?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. You say you heard somebody asking who it was?
A. Yes, sir; that passed through the crowd.
Q. Where did the reply, "the mayor," come from?
A. From the crowd. About the center of the crowd.
Q. Did you not hear some expression from these men that came out of the shops?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. Such as, "go for him," or "kill him," or something of that kind. Did you hear any expression of that kind in the crowd?
A. No, sir; I did not stand there at all. I passed right through.
Q. After the crowd got to Lackawanna avenue, where did you go?
A. I stood right there.
Q. On the corner?
A. Yes; about a couple of yards back. I stood about four or five feet away from where one of the men was struck.
Q. Where were the vigilant placed?
A. The last one stood about the corner of Mr. Hunt's store.
Q. Were they drawn up in line across the street?
A. No, sir; they were in twos, going down the street.
Q. Not this way?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did they halt or march off down the street?
A. They halted right there.
Q. And faced about and faced the crowd?
A. They turned towards—facing the crowd; yes, sir.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. When the firing took place, were they facing?
A. Facing towards the crowd.
Q. Facing down this way?
A. No, sir; facing that way.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were they drawn across the street in a line, or how were they placed?
A. As near as I can recollect it, they turned, and faced around. Suppose they were going down this way, [illustrating,] and they faced that way. [Illustrating.]
Q. Were they faced in a straight line across this avenue?
A. Not that I saw.
Q. Were they up and down the street—I mean, for instance, facing that side—lengthwise?
A. Yes; that is about the position they stood.
Q. Lengthwise, down this street?
A. Yes; and then they turned right around, as near as I can recollect it. When I saw them facing, each man stood right behind the other, and they turned right around and faced.
Q. In what direction?
A. Towards Washington avenue, where the crowd was coming up.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Faced towards you?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. They fired pretty close to you?
A. Yes, sir. I did not know what was going on, for about a minute, until I heard one buzz pass my ear, and I thought it was time for me to get out. I ran back into Mr. Hunt's building after the fire was over, and they began to form a line across Washington—right on Washington avenue—began to form in line; then I came out.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. The position you describe is, that they formed across Washington avenue, facing towards the shop?
A. After the firing was done, they formed to go towards the company's store.
Q. When the firing was done, where were they formed?
A. Right about the center of the street, on the street car track, coming down this way.
Q. Did not reach Washington avenue?
A. Yes; it was past it.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. You say there was a man shot within four or five feet of you. What was he doing?
A. I could not say what he was doing. I saw him fall.
Q. You did not see what he was doing, before the shot was fired?
A. No, sir; I turned round just as he was falling, and one buzzed alongside of me, and I got.
Q. Was there any demonstration made by the crowd at all, before this firing?
A. No, sir; not that I heard.
Q. Did not see any stones thrown?
A. No, sir; the majority of the crowd was up past me, when the shots began to fire. There was one man came up, and he was talking with me, and he says, "What is this coming down the street?" and I looked around, and saw what was called the vigilants.
Q. Were you in position to see the stones when they were thrown?
A. Yes; I think I would, if there were any thrown. I stood right on a level with Lackawanna avenue.
Q. Had the crowd got across Lackawanna avenue?
A. There were some; I could not say exactly whether they crossed to the other side of the street or not.
Q. How many men were killed there?
A. Three.
Q. Whereabouts were they standing when they were killed?
A. One of them stood right at Hunt's corner, where I was standing, and as to where the others were, I could not say where they were, but after the firing was over one of them lay right in front of Monie & Pugh's bakery, and the other one lay right across from Hunt's.
Q. On this side of the street?
A. No, sir; on the other side. One of them lay on the street and one lay on the sidewalk on Washington avenue.
Q. Were they both on the right hand side of the street going up from here to Lackawanna avenue?
A. One of them was, and the other one was just outside of the side-walk.
Q. On the left hand side as you go up?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. If the firing was done in the other direction how could this man be shot upon that? You say they were facing down Washington avenue or in that direction—facing to the right up Lackawanna avenue?
A. Yes, sir; when the shots began to fire.
Q. You do not know whether this other man on the left or rear was shot at the same time or not?
A. He was shot with that volley.
Q. Did you hear any command given to fire?
A. Yes; as near as I can recollect, there was some one gave a command to fire, but who it was, I could not say.
Q. Give us the exact words if you can?
A. They said, "fire."
Q. They were all facing in the one direction when that command was given?
A. The men that were back, I could not say which way they were facing. The front were facing towards Washington avenue.
Q. And in one line?
A. Yes; all but Mr. Bolser. He was behind the crowd. I do not know whether he got as far as the crowd when the shots were fired. He stood somewhere about two or three yards back of the crowd.
Q. Was the volley fired by the whole command?
A. There were three or four shots fired, then there was a couple of seconds between, and then there was, "crack, crack, crack," right along.
Q. Was there any firing after that?
A. No, sir; not that I know of.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You said, awhile ago, that you were a member of that committee that waited upon Mr. Scranton?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you chairman of the committee?
A. No, sir; I was secretary of that committee.
Q. How did Mr. Scranton treat you. Gentlemanly?
A. Yes; he did.
Q. Treated you gentlemanly and kindly?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Just merely stated that he could not advance that twenty-five per cent.
A. Said he could not afford to advance a cent the way they were getting paid for what they sold.
F. L. Hitchcock, sworn:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State your residence and business?
A. Residence Scranton; practicing law.
Q. Please give us a statement of the difficulty as it occurred in the city—as it came under your observation—in July last and the 1st day of August?
A. You want the transaction of the 1st of August?
Q. We would like to have the origin of it—as much as you can give us—the origin and causes that produced it?
A. You have had that all in detail in regard to the causes. I have nothing in addition to that. The only thing I can give you additional would be what I know of the organization of this posse and its work. While this strike was in progress and trouble became apprehended, the mayor called together an advisory committee, of which I was a member. This committee were devising ways and means for protection, and it was deemed best to organize this posse. I suggested, among other things—and we immediately proceeded to organize—this force comprising a good many of the old soldiers of the town, and got together a force of some one hundred and twenty or one hundred and thirty men, I think. We gathered together what arms we could find, and we commenced to drill. In the meantime we were sworn in as special policemen by the mayor, and we held ourselves in readiness constantly to protect the city and preserve the peace. Our head-quarters were established at the iron company's store, and for several evenings prior to the 1st of August we had been there—most of us—during the evening until twelve o'clock, and a large force all night, apprehending trouble. On the evening before the 1st of August we had resolved not to stay up there any longer, considering it unnecessary. I was sitting in my office, about ten o'clock, when the superintendent came down and told me he apprehended further trouble that night, and he wished us to get our posse together and go there that night. I immediately went up to Doud's store, where Captain Ripple said he would be, to communicate with him.
Q. Where is Doud's store?
A. Just above the corner of Washington avenue.
Q. State where the iron-works store is.
A. Still further up—at the corner—clear up. The iron company's store is at the corner of Jefferson avenue and Lackawanna. On my way up there, crossing Washington avenue, I noticed a number of persons looking down the avenue, and I stopped to see what they were looking at, and then for the first time saw this crowd approaching. I knew nothing of the meeting at the silk-works, and I was very apprehensive at the appearance of things. I went to the mayor's office and asked him if he could explain the meaning of that vast crowd coming towards the city. He said he did not know. He thought a moment, and said it was the meeting at the silk-works breaking up, and I said it does not look like breaking up; it is coming to town. "Very well," he says, "you get the posse together at the head-quarters, and await my orders." I immediately gathered together as many of the men as I could, and there we remained until we saw them driving the men out of the shops, clubbing and stoning people. They drove the men out of the furnaces, and they came out on to the track, frightened like a flock of sheep, fleeing for their lives. Mr. Scranton came up and said "What will we do?" I suggested we go down and protect them; we had a right to protect people in their work. "Very well," he said, "I would do that;" and he immediately communicated to Superintendent McKinney, and he said, the men had gone home, and were afraid to work; there was no use. I said our duty was to wait until we were called upon by the mayor. Very soon afterwards we received a summons that there was trouble below. We immediately formed in line and marched down the avenue two and two. We had, I suppose—we counted off before we started—thirty-eight men; but our force received some additions, so we must have had in the neighborhood of fifty.
Q. When you got to Washington avenue?
A. When we got to Lackawanna avenue, coming down. I was unable to find any one of the officers of the posse, when I notified the men, and acting First Sergeant Bartholomew was in command. He came to me and said I must act as second lieutenant. I was acting then as second lieutenant near the rear of the column. As we approached Washington avenue, we noticed there was a large crowd there, whooping and yelling. There was some stones thrown as we approached, and quite a number of those missiles came in behind us very thick. The crowd parted and let us through. We came down on the street car track. As we passed the avenue—the rear of the line passed the avenue—these missiles became thicker, and some pistol shots were fired, and a number of our guns, I noticed, were leveled. I turned around, and two or three of the men had their guns down to shoot. I yelled to them not to shoot, and they raised their guns again. This attack became much more furious, and we appeared to be in danger of being swallowed up, destroyed, and the whole line fired. I supposed three or four shots fired first, and then the whole line fired. A number of the guns—two of the guns, I think—were seized by the rioters and attempted to be wrested from the men before any firing took place—tried to be taken from the men. Several of the men were hit—several pistol shots were fired. This was all done before our men fired a gun. Then, I suppose, there were about fifty or sixty shots fired. Immediately the whole field was clear, and everything was stopped. We marched back to head-quarters, and after we marched back there, our force was gathered in until we had about two hundred men on duty—two hundred men altogether. We formed a line across the avenue, picketed the streets at the head-quarters, and remained in that position all day and all night. Three men were killed by the volleys. Two of the men fell near that corner on the right side, and one on the left.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. In the first place, where did the stones appear to come from and the pistol shots, before your men fired?
A. Came from the crowd. Came from both sides.
Q. From Washington street?
A. Yes, sir; and some from the other side also.
Q. Both sides of Lackawanna?
A. They were at the junction of Washington avenue and Lackawanna. These men came up Washington avenue, and they divided and let us through, so that there was a large force back of us on Washington avenue. As we came down we went right through them, and they attacked us on both sides.
Q. What position were the men in when the firing took place?
A. They were faced this way, in column of twos—facing this way, and they simply faced about and fired both ways in the crowd.
Q. Faced outwards, both ranks?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What position did you take next?
A. After the fire?
Q. Yes?
A. After the firing—after a few moments—we marched back to head-quarters, and formed a line right across Lackawanna avenue, at the company's store.
Q. Had you, at any time, formed across Lackawanna avenue during the time you were at Washington avenue?
A. No; we just remained along the line of the street car track.
Q. Parallel with Lackawanna?
A. Yes, sir. We were on our way down to the mayor's office, and the attack stopped us, and compelled us to fire.
Q. About how many pistol shots did you hear before your men fired?
A. There was a great deal of noise and disturbance, and I could not tell how—exactly how many. There was one or two reports heard. How many I could not tell. There was a great deal of stones thrown, and a very excited time.
Q. Was the mob very demonstrative?
A. Yes; fearfully so—most terrible sight I ever saw. They seemed to be perfectly infuriated. I never saw men more like devils in my life.
Q. Hear any expressions from any of them?
A. Oh, yes; all kinds of expressions. "Kill the sons of bitches," "Take their guns," and all that kind of thing.
Q. Did you see the mayor in the vicinity of the firing?
A. No, sir; I did not see the mayor until after the firing was over. Just as the firing ceased the mayor came to us on the pavement.
Q. The man that was killed on the south side of Lackawanna avenue, was he near the corner?
A. I think there was one right near the corner.
Q. Did you see him shot?
A. I recollect seeing the two men fall—yes, I saw them as they fell, drop on to the ground.
Q. Was he making any demonstration towards the posse?
A. I do not know as to any individual, nor I could not pick out any individual. A large man there swung a club and was very demonstrative. Whether he was shot or not, I do not know. The man I did not know at all personally.
Q. On what day was this posse organized?
A. That I am not able to give you—the exact date from memory. We have got a record.
Q. Was it before or after the Pittsburgh riots?
A. I am unable to say. I judge it was—perhaps it was a little after that—what was the date of that?
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. It commenced the 19th, but the destruction of property was on the 22d?
A. This was after that, I think. I think it was one of the reasons why we were supposed to take care of ourselves if we could. I think that was one of the reasons that actuated the advisory board. The idea was that we were isolated from all, and that we either had to take care of ourselves or take the chances of being stamped out.
Q. And this vigilance committee was organized for the purpose of protecting property?
A. Nothing else, sir. Preserving peace and protecting property, and for no special property. Protecting the public peace. I might say the reason why we had our head-quarters at the company's store, was simply because we were unable to get any other place. We were unable to get the Second National Bank and other halls—the board of directors refused us admission. Said that would bring the fury of the mob down upon them. Mr. Scranton came forward and said we could occupy their store. We offered to pay for these other places. We were some three days trying to get a place.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Could you see the men being driven out of the shops or any of the works from this store?
A. Yes. We could see them. I saw them before I got to the store. I saw them driving them out of the railroad shop and the furnaces before I went into the store.
Q. The mob following the men?
A. I saw men following them. Stones thrown at them. Following them with clubs, and the men fleeing for their lives. I saw them at all these places.
Q. The mob following these men. What was it composed of—boys?
A. I suppose boys sixteen to eighteen years old. Some of them were men. I noticed quite a number of those were young fellows—eighteen, twenty, to twenty-five years old.
Q. Was information made against you, as one of the posse, for murder?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. For manslaughter?
A. I think the indictment was murder.
Q. Were you arrested?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. By whom?
A. We went down and gave ourselves up. I was not one of those arrested by the constable.
Q. Not formally?
A. I went down before the court, and entered bail before the court—the whole of our posse—some fifty altogether.
Q. How many of your posse were tried?
A. The whole number, I think. Of those, there were some three or four that were proven not to have been present; that were arraigned as part of our posse.
Q. At the preliminary hearing were dismissed?
A. Yes, sir. Dismissed by the court.
Q. Had you a preliminary hearing before the court?
A. We gave bail, and on the trial a number of those persons were proven not to have been present. They were all tried. The judge directed a verdict of acquittal before it went to the jury.
Q. Then you had no preliminary hearing at all?
A. No, sir.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. How many were indicted for murder?
A. Some fifty.
Q. Some for murder, and some for manslaughter?
A. I think they were all on the same indictment of murder—all in one indictment, sir.
Q. And all tried?
A. Yes; all tried. There were three cases, but we were all on them. There were three different indictments. One case was made a test case for them all, and the other two the verdict was taken without any evidence at all, following the first one.
Q. One case was made a test case?
A. There were indictments in each of the three cases of Mr. Langon, Lane, and Dunledin. I think the case that was tried was for the murder of Langon. That was the one that was actually contested.
Q. The case that was contested—was that submitted to a jury?
A. Oh, yes; with the exception of those parties who were proved not present.
Carlos W. McKinney, sworn:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State where you reside?
A. The corner of Adams avenue and Spruce street, Ninth ward.
Q. What is your business?
A. Superintendent blast furnace, Lackawanna Iron Company.
Q. On the 1st day of August, state where you were?
A. The morning of the first day of August, I went to the furnaces as usual. The furnaces had been idle for sometime before; that they had banked them up, and I got the men to go out and commence operations again. After working two or three days, on the 1st day of August there was a party assembled at the silk-works, while my men were at work at the furnaces. I was notified that there was a party down there, and there would probably be trouble. I went up about nine o'clock in the morning, at the top of the iron company's store, took a field glass and saw a large crowd at the silk-works. I saw the party start up Washington avenue from the silk-works, and I then went down near the steel-works, on an embankment, so that I could have a good view. I didn't know but that they were just going to make a parade through the streets, but when they arrived up as far as the iron company's machine shops—boiler shops—a large party of them left the main line, and passed off into the machine shops and drove the machine shop hands out. I saw them stoning them, and throwing clubs at them, from where I stood. After that a large number of them came up towards the blast furnaces. A small track led in down to the machine shops. I then went down to the blast furnaces, and made arrangements to cast. I told the men it looked like trouble, and I thought we better get out what iron there was in the furnace, and in case the men came upon us we would throw the blast out. I looked around, and saw the crowd coming up, right at the foot of the furnace, probably a thousand of them; we were just then about done casting. I saw the men could not stop long enough to stop the furnace, and told them to run, and I threw the blast off myself. I passed then, off to the engine-house, told the engineer to stop the engine and take the blast off, which he did. By this time the crowd had followed me, and I went up to the iron company's store, and met the general manager there, Mr. Scranton, and told him what had occurred at the furnace, and asked him what should be done. He said, we would wait and see. At that time nearly all the superintendents and foremen had come to the office, and reported that they had been stopped, and their men had been driven off. Then we had collected citizens and people working for the iron company, some forty-four men, that were up in the store. Mr. Scranton, after waiting awhile, said we had better fall in and go down and offer our services to the mayor, as we had already been appointed special policemen for the protection of iron property, and the property in general. And he headed the line—got them in column of two, and made the remark that we might as well die as any other time, and told them to follow. We marched out of the company's store, came down Lackawanna avenue to the corner of Washington here, and we met the crowd which had left the blast furnace, and passed to the shops of the D., L. and W. Quite a number were already on Lackawanna avenue, probably half a block up. We passed them, and they said nothing particular until we got past Washington avenue. I was on the rear end of the line with Bartry, and Mr. Scranton was at the head. After passing Washington avenue, the main body of the mob that came from below, came around rushing into Lackawanna avenue, and there was one man, I don't know who he was—they said his name was Langon—who came up to the line on the side where I was, and he had a stick about that long, [indicating,] and as I came by he shook his fist. I made no reply or anything. Then he turned to the crowd and says, "Fall in, boys, fall in, boys." They were rushing up. Then somebody hollered out, Take the guns away from them, they have blank cartridges. They were probably twenty-five feet from us, and Bartry and myself motioned them to stay back. At that time somebody fired a gun down the line, and when the first gun was fired a general fire commenced. After the crowd dispersed, we formed up in column of twos again, faced the other way, and marched back to the store.
Q. How many persons were killed?
A. There were three killed.
Q. How many wounded?
A. I don't know, sir; we have never been able to find out.
Q. Were any of the posse wounded?
A. Yes; I was wounded. A pistol ball in my knee, shot by a man who was on the corner, next to Jack Slagle.
Q. On the left hand side going up Lackawanna?
A. At the corner of Lackawanna and Washington. The first time these men shot, he hit my gun, and knocked a piece of the wood off. I have the gun yet. The next time he took me about four or five feet from the corner. I felt the ball strike by my knee. I felt down, and saw I was shot; felt the blood running down my leg, and right after that there was firing. Just at that time there was a man, probably about a head taller than the other man, who shot two men at the rear end of the column. I heard those balls come by, and I saw both shots.
Q. Were those shots fired before there was any firing?
A. Yes; they were firing before any shots were fired.
Q. Were you struck before any firing?
A. No, sir; I was struck after the general engagement commenced.
Q. Any stones thrown at the posse by the crowd?
A. Yes; there were stones thrown. I dodged one stone that struck a man by the name of John Stanton in the back.
Q. Was that before any firing?
A. That was before any firing.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. I understood you to say that the first pistol shot fired at you was before your posse fired?
A. I was not shot until after.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. I understood you there was a shot that hit your gun?
A. My gun and myself was shot after the firing.
Q. You say that the two shots fired by the tall man was before any firing done by the posse?
A. Before any firing in the line.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. You don't know who that was that fired, do you?
A. No, sir.
Q. Ever know what became of him?
A. No, sir.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Were you one of the men that were indicted for murder?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you arrested?
A. I was arrested.
Q. By the constable?
A. No, sir. I went to Wilkes-Barre, and gave myself up with the posse.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did you receive any information that this crowd were about to drive your men out of these furnaces?
A. My men told me at the blast furnace that some men had told them they had better get out. My foreman, as well as the men who were at work there, told me. That is the reason I went up on to the store so as to get a good view of the crowd, and be in readiness.
Q. Were you up in the store when you saw the crowd coming up?
A. I was on top of the store.
Q. Could you see any demonstrations they made in the furnace and work-shops below?
A. After we commenced moving, I left that position, and passed down to the steel-mill, which is on a high embankment, I did not see what the crowd were going to do for certain. I supposed they were going to just have a parade. When I saw them make this demonstration at the lower shops, then I immediately went to the furnaces, and got out whatever iron there was in the furnaces, because I supposed that would be the next point of attack.
Q. You were close enough to those shops below the steel-works to see distinctly that the men were being driven out?
A. Yes. Saw them throwing stones at them. Saw the men who fired the boiler-house, and they threw stones at them at the same time. Saw two or three men running up the embankment on the opposite side they were stoning them.
Q. Did you see any of them hurt?
A. I could not tell whether the stones hit them or not.
Q. Do you know anything else that would be of interest to our committee, any information that you have not already stated?
A. These are just about the facts, so far as the riot is concerned.
At this point the committee adjourned to meet at four o'clock, this afternoon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Scranton, March 30, 1878.
The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at four, P.M. All members present except Mr. Dewees.
John Mucklow, sworn:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Down at Greenwood.
Q. How far from here?
A. They call it three miles.
Q. What is your business?
A. Working in the mines.
Q. Were you at home on the 1st day of August last.
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Had the miners been at work up to that time?
A. I believe not, sir.
Q. What time did they quit work?
A. I could not tell exactly. They had not worked for a week or so—nearly a couple of weeks, for all I know.
Q. Were they on a strike?
A. Our men did not strike at all. Our men were all working, and stopped for want of cars.
Q. Stopped because there were no cars to carry the coal away?
A. Yes. Our men did not strike at all. Did not hear a word about striking among our men.
Q. Do you know where Isaac B. Felts lives?
A. I guess he lives over in Taylorville.
Q. Do you know where his store is?
A. Yes, sir; his store is right opposite my house.
Q. Opposite your house?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know anything about its being broken into on the morning of the 1st of August—some time after midnight, or before daylight?
A. Broken open between twelve and one o'clock that night—that morning.
Q. Did you hear the disturbance?
A. Yes, sir; saw it, too.
Q. Were you up?
A. I was up laying on my porch.
Q. How many men were there that broke into the store?
A. I could not tell. There might have been some twenty; may be thirty, more or less. I could not say. It was moonlight.
Q. How did they get in. How did they break in. Give us a description?
A. I heard the first noise in the store. There was a crowd outside, and the first noise I heard in the store, and then they opened the front door to the store-room, and they went in there. There were some in the store before that, because they opened the door.
Q. Did they break in the door or unlock it?
A. The door was broke in—shoved in.
Q. Did you hear them when they first came there?
A. Yes; I was lying on the porch.
Q. What class of men were they?
A. I could not tell anything about that.
Q. Where did they come from?
A. I could not tell. They came up the road. That is, going down towards Pittston. They came up that way.
Q. Towards Scranton?
A. Came from towards Scranton. Towards Taylorville, the opposite side.
Q. What did they say?
A. Did not hear anything said, sir.
Q. Were they noisy?
A. No noise at all.
Q. Done quietly, was it?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What damage did they do?
A. I could not state. I know they took goods away. I saw them carrying goods away. Could not tell how much or how little.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What kind of goods?
A. I saw them carry boxes away, blue boxes, and other things.
Q. Was it store goods, groceries, or was it iron?
A. Carried every sort away. I guess we found everything of every kind lying along through the woods and places afterwards.
Q. In what direction?
A. Right down towards the Lackawanna.
Q. In this direction, [indicating?]
A. No; more towards north.
Q. Would it be on the road toward the silk-works?
A. No, sir; it was down kind of katty-cornered from that; north-west.
Q. Did you go over to the store to see who it was?
A. No, sir; I did not. I knew better than that. Did not want to get my head broke.
Q. Did you consider it dangerous to have gone there?
A. I would consider it, and I had a pair of revolvers with me, too.
Q. Pair of revolvers?
A. I had a pair.
Q. And you would not want to risk it?
A. No; I would not want to risk it at all.
Q. Did you know any of the men?
A. No, sir; I did not know a man—had no knowledge of any man that was there.
Q. No knowledge?
A. No knowledge.
Q. Do you know whether those men came from the silk-works?
A. No, sir; I did not.
Q. Was there a meeting at the silk-works that same morning?
A. I heard there was afterwards, but I did not hear nothing of that until it was over. The first I heard of that was Langon and Dunledin was shot at Scranton. We heard out there, there was four men shot. That was all I know about it. The news was carried up there in the afternoon.
Q. Did you know those two men, Langon and Dunledin?
A. I knew Dunledin when he was a boy, and I knew Langon because he worked in our works.
Q. Last summer?
A. Yes. He worked there when he was killed.
Q. What kind of a man was this Langon?
A. I never saw anything wrong about him. He was assessor of our township.
Q. Assessor of the township?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Had he been instrumental in instigating the strike?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. How was the other man—what kind of a character or reputation had he?
A. I do not know anything about him from the time he was a young boy.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. How old a man was he?
A. Langon? I could not state.
Q. The other one.
A. He might have been, may be twenty—from twenty to twenty-five.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did Langon say anything to you about going to the silk-works?
A. Not a word.
Q. Did you know anything about the meeting before.
A. Not a word. Did not know until about three o'clock, in the afternoon.
Q. Had there been any talk among the men where you work about striking?
A. Not that I ever heard. Our men were all at work.
Q. What company were you working for?
A. Messrs. Correy & Co.
Q. Had your wages been reduced any during the spring?
A. Not from the fifteen cent drop, or whatever time the drop was.
Q. When was that?
A. I could not tell exactly what month it was in.
Q. What year?
A. I guess it must have been 1856 or 1857.
Q. 1876, you mean?
A. 1876 or 1877.
Q. How much were you making per day at the time you had to quit work?
A. We had to work pretty hard long hours if we could make one dollar and ninety cents a day as a miner.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. One dollar and ninety cents?
A. That was all we made that month.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were you paid by the ton?
A. We were paid by the car.
Q. How much were you paid by the car?
A. Sixty-six cents. I think our vein is small—three foot thick and about three or four inches——
Q. How many cars can you put out to-day?
A. Six are our day's work. We had too much work. We could not do it.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. For how many men?
A. Two.
Q. You don't know of any reduction in the price for mining than that of last year?
A. Not from the fifteen cent drop.
Q. What was the grievance of the miners then?
A. Didn't seem to be any grievance at our place at all. I didn't hear them say anything, only they couldn't get cars enough to load the coal.
Q. Was there any demand for coal?
A. The cars didn't come for taking away.
Q. It was not so much then the price that was paid per ton as it was as to the number of cars furnished?
A. They had the same price, but they could not get as much as they could do.
Q. It was the want of work?
A. It was the want of work.
Q. Not the amount paid?
A. The amount of work, that was what it was for.
Q. What was the cause of this want of cars?
A. I could not tell that. It seems like this: we did not get the cars because the engineers and firemen stopped for wages. That was what I understood it was for.
Q. What?
A. The firemen and the engineers struck. That was the reason we could not get cars.
Q. For how long did this last, that you didn't have cars enough?
A. I could not say how long it was we could not get cars enough; and we don't get enough yet.
Q. Was there any plan before that time that the engineers should refuse to work and run the cars?
A. I did not hear anything before that.
Q. Was these grievances complained of?
A. No, sir; but there was not enough cars then.
Q. Have there been cars enough since?
A. In our place I only make six days a month now.
Q. What is the cause of the want of cars now?
A. Can't tell anything about it.
Q. Is it the want of demand for coal?
A. They say so. I don't know what it was.
Q. Was there a general understanding of the miners throughout this region, before the strike took place, that there would be a strike?
A. I never heard anything about it.
Q. Was there a strike among the other miners for higher pay?
A. Not as I know of.
Q. How much damage was done to Mr. Felt's store?
A. I could not say.
Q. You don't know the value of the goods they took?
A. No, sir.
John Jones, sworn.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Greenwood.
Q. What is your business?
A. Stationary engineer.
Q. Were you at home in July last, or August the 1st?
A. I was at home on the day of August 1st.
Q. How far from Mr. Felt's store do you live?
A. About fifty feet, or seventy-five feet. Just opposite the store—nearly opposite.
Q. Did you hear anybody breaking into the store during the night, and if so, at what time?
A. I was not home that night. I was working.
Q. Where were you working?
A. At the Greenwood slope.
Q. Running an engine?
A. Running an engine.
Q. At what time did you come off?
A. Seven o'clock in the morning.
Q. You heard nothing of what took place at the store during the night?
A. No.
Q. Do you know who the parties were that were at the store?
A. No, sir; I do not.
Q. Do you know from where they came?
A. No, sir.
Q. Or what class of men they were?
A. No, sir.
Q. When did you learn of the store being broken open?
A. Learned of it when I came home in the morning—when I reached home.
Q. Who told you?
A. My wife.
Q. Did she hear any of the parties?
A. She did not say she heard any of the parties that were at the store. She heard from the neighbors. The neighbors told her of it.
Q. Did you know anything about the meeting at the silk-works?
A. Not until the day they had the meeting.
Q. What time did you learn of that?
A. I learned of it after the shooting.
Q. Where were you when you heard of it?
A. Sitting on the store porch.
Q. At Greenwood?
A. At my home; yes, sir.
Q. For what company were you working at the time?
A. The Pennsylvania Anthracite Coal Company.
Q. What wages were you getting, running the engine?
A. One dollar and eighty-five cents a day.
Q. Had there been any reduction made?
A. Not for six months previous to that, there had not been from that time on. There had not been, not very lately.
Q. When was the last reduction?
A. I think it was in December.
Q. Of 1876?
A. Of 1876.
Q. How much was that reduction?
A. Fifteen cents.
Q. There had been none since?
A. None since that.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Fifteen cents a day?
A. Fifteen cents on a dollar—fifteen per cent.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Were you working for the same company that John Mucklow was?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was there any strike of the men that were working for that company?
A. No, sir; not that I know of. Would not call it a strike, anyhow.
Q. What do you call a strike?
A. I don't know what to call it. When men turn out for wages, for their rights, that is what they term a strike—stick out for their rights.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Tell what they propose to do when they go out for their rights—propose to simply quit?
A. Simply quit, and stand out until they get their rights.
Q. And prevent others from working, at the same time?
A. I don't know. I should not prevent any man, if I was striking. I should not prevent any man from work.
Q. Is not that generally done?
A. It seems so.
Q. Is not that the rule?
A. I don't know whether that is the rule or not. I could not say.
Q. What has been the custom, generally, when they went out on a strike? Would they permit anybody to work?
A. It has been a custom not to let them work.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Were you one of the strikers?
A. No, sir; I was not.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You had charge of an engine?
A. Pumping engine and hoist.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were you interfered with in your pumping?
A. No, sir.
Q. Not asked to quit pumping?
A. Not asked to quit pumping.
Q. Do you know of any other places where they were requested to quit pumping?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you quit?
A. No, sir.
Q. Tended your engine?
A. Worked right along.
Q. Is there anything else you wish to state to this committee?
A. No, sir; nothing at all.
Q. We want to give a full hearing to all sides?
A. I am one of those kind of men that I don't go around much, and I don't know much; therefore, I can't tell you much of anything.
By Mr. Means:
Q. You are taking care of No. 1?
A. I am taking care of No. 1.
W. W. Scranton, sworn:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State where you reside and your business, if you please?
A. I live here in Scranton. General manager of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company.
Q. I wish you would give us a statement of what took place prior to the 1st of August, in the way of organization for protection, and what you learned about the strike, and causes that induced it, &c., in brief?
A. It was Tuesday, July 24, I think, that our iron company men struck. The strike started in the old mill. A few men run out and shouted, "We have struck!" and blew the big whistle, and as the men came out to hear what was the matter, they said, "We have struck—all turn out!" and they all turned out. That was about noon time—between twelve and one o'clock. Those that had gone home, and who knew nothing about it, came back, and were told that the men had struck, and that they must not go back. Whereupon the leaders of them marched the men in a body down to our new mill, where we had some puddlers at work, and got them out there, and from there down to the machine shop. I heard of it then, and drove down and asked them what was the matter. I reproached them for striking without saying anything to me or making any complaint. Inquired what reasons they had, &c., and they said they struck because they were not getting pay enough; and I asked them what they wanted, and they said they wanted thirty-five per cent. advance. Of course I pooh-poohed it; it was ridiculous—such an advance as that in such times as these. Told them that was out of the question. Of course, we could not afford it. I would be glad to pay them better wages if we could; there was nothing to warrant it. They separated, and I went back. Our shop hands still stayed in—the machine shop men, and foundry men, and our furnace men. Of course we did not want to have our furnace go out, if possible, and I went out and talked to these men in the afternoon and evening both. They said that they were perfectly willing to work—were satisfied with their pay, but that they were afraid, that there had been so many threats made that they had not dare stay. They would stay that night, but they must go out the next morning, because their lives were not safe. They said people had been to their wives and children, and they had been told that if their fathers, and brothers, &c., would not stop they would be killed. The long and short of the matter is, our furnace men were afraid. They said they were willing to work, and were satisfied to work, but they did not dare. Of course, judging from the temper of the times, I thought there might possibly be trouble, and I at once proceeded to organize a body of men to protect our property. I called in all our foremen, and a number of men I had confidence in—about thirty—armed them with rifles, kept them in the store that night, ready for anything that might happen. There was a good deal of talk about fire, &c. The next morning the furnace men went out. They said they could not stay. I went down and talked to them. They said they were willing to stay, but were afraid. Our teamsters—I did not think anybody would touch them—they were satisfied—and word came up while I was at breakfast that they had been scared away, and even our store teamster was notified that he would be shot it he went out. I went down, and got him out, and got some others out. That day the police sent us word, notifying us that without doubt our store was to be sacked that night, and that they knew of two wagons or one wagon which had been hired to carry off anything that might be taken out. Of course I listened to it, and got ready for it. That same day—I think it was that day or the next—the mayor sent word that the general of the division here was afraid of his own men with guns, and wanted me to take them and put them in our vaults. We took in about all the guns there were around there—probably five hundred or six hundred, and had them stored in our vaults, because these officers were afraid to trust their people. There was a sort of general panic. The next day I got our teamsters out. Our farm hands had been frightened away, but I talked with them, and reasoned with them, and finally went along with them myself. We took a few rifles along, and cheered them up, and they went to work, and worked on. About Saturday word came round from all quarters that our iron company men, with the exception, perhaps, of a few—that there was no dissatisfaction—the feeling of fear was passing away; they were willing to come back. They said they wanted to be sure of protection—that was the first thing—they must be sure of protection, and they had been threatened, and all that kind of thing. I told them we would protect them from all that danger, so far as I could. I told them that we would protect them—that the government was bound to protect them, and if they wanted to work they could work, and the government must protect them, and we would protect them—do what we could. They asked me to put some such notice as that in the paper. I told them I would do so. Previous to that, on Saturday night, it looked as if the Pennsylvania coal companies might go to work. The head-house, at No. 5, was burned. Of course that blocked all the transportation on that side. The head-house was repaired, and on Monday I was satisfied our men were willing to go to work—only a few that wanted to stay out. I put a notice in the evening paper—the Star I think it was, and I stated that anybody that was willing to go to work for us, we would protect—the government was bound to protect them, and they should be protected if the whole power of the United States came there; otherwise law would amount to nothing, and I re-assured them the best way I could. The next morning, Tuesday morning, they went to work—our machinists and founders. Our farm hands had gone to work, and our furnace men went to work. We had banked our furnaces; we thought we could save them both, so our furnace men went to work again. We took only enough for one furnace, so as to make sure of one; thought we might have to let the other slide until we saved the first, and they went to work, day turn and night turn both. There had been a great deal of talk of trouble, and all that kind of thing, but of course you hear all kinds of rumors at a time like that. I did not take any too much stock in them. Still, we kept our forces in the store all the time. By that time a number of citizens had come in—Colonel Hitchcock, Mr. Ripple, and a number of other gentlemen—and we had signals arranged, and all that kind of thing, in case of trouble, to come out immediately. We had notified the mayor, in case of anything happening to our property, that we should hold the city responsible for damages. Wednesday morning I was down town on some business, and I heard of this meeting at the silk-works. I did not think it would amount to very much more, but while I was down town I heard on all sides that the men had heard that the machine shops were being driven out. I hurried right back to the office, and got there just as the men from the tops of our furnaces were being driven out. I saw the men running. I saw a very large crowd, with sticks and stones, and gesticulation, and those men running and others chasing them, and I knew then it meant business. We had not many men in the store then. Our foremen came in one after another, and stated that the machine shops men there had been driven away and beaten. They came in from the blast furnaces and stated the same thing. Came from the engine-house and stated that it had been set fire to in three places. And I might say, by the way, before this—the very first night I got my foremen together—I took the precaution to have them sworn in as special police, and while we were there my own people came in—probably about thirty or so—and a number of citizens. At that time the mob had got to the railroad shops, and a message came from the mayor stating, for God's sake come down and help him. He was in a sore pass. So 1 made these men a little speech, that we might as well die now as any other time. Come down and do what we could for the mayor. I told them I did not want any fooling. I did not want any man who was not willing to be killed if it was necessary, and did not want any man who was not willing to shoot to kill, and said if there was any man who fired, I wanted him to shoot to kill, that we meant no nonsense. There was only thirty or forty of us. There were three or four thousand of the others, and we wanted no fooling. We wanted them to obey orders to the last degree, and when they received orders to fire, to fire to kill. Nothing else would stop the thing. The thing must be squelched, and the only way to squelch it, when they fired they must fire to kill. That was the only way to save the town. While we were getting ready to go more messages came up, and stated that those men were going from the railroad shops for Pine Grove breaker. I might say that our miners have got an agreement with us. It has been so for some years. They agree to work on, in case of a strike, and we agreed, on our part, to give them, dating from the commencement of the strike, any advance of wages which the railroad company might give their men whenever they settled. If the railroad company gave them ten or fifteen or any per cent. advance, we agreed to give our men the same advance, dating from the start. Our Pine Brook men went in that morning. Understand that our entire force, so far as we had workmen, with the exception of two of our iron rolling men—and we had every reason to believe they would be in the next morning—our miners were at work, and were at work by virtue of agreement with us to work on in case of a strike. I have one of the agreements now in my pocket—a new one, similar to the old one. By that time, we started out. 1 went to the head of them. I did not myself know anything about military matters, beyond keeping the men in line, and that kind of thing, and I gave charge of it to young Bartholomew, who knew something of that sort of thing, and kept them in line and went down. I had seen some riots before, and knew pretty well about how that sort of thing was. We got down street, pretty near the corner of Washington avenue, and this crowd were coming up Washington avenue, and closed in behind our men, and I felt that the time was coming very close, and that it would be necessary to act very quick. They closed in behind us, coming up on each side of the avenue, leaving only the front clear. There were some in front. Not many. They were hooting and yelling, and finally I saw a movement of one or two, apparently leaders, looking at me as though there were getting ready for a rush. I had no doubt of it, and I was just waiting. I heard shouts: "Now, then, come along boys. They won't fire. They have blank cartridges," or something of that sort. There were sticks thrown, and just about as I was going to give the order to fire, I heard a shot fired, and almost simultaneously with that, every man stopped and fired.