REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE THE Railroad Riots IN JULY, 1877. (continued 7)
Reading edition
Q. Where was he on Saturday?
A. On Saturday he was in the office. In and out as usual. At the time we got the report of the firing he was in the office, I know, because he sent for me and asked me to take a couple of men out Penn avenue, and close all the saloons in the vicinity of this disturbance.
Q. What time was that?
A. I think along about four o'clock.
Q. Four o'clock on Saturday he asked you to take two men out and close all the saloons in what district?
A. You mean what police district?
Q. Yes.
A. The third police district.
Q. Extending over how much space?
A. Over the city in the vicinity of Twenty-eighth street. We closed all the saloons there from Thirtieth to Twenty-fourth street. We then came in and sent another squad out to close the balance.
Q. How far?
A. Down to Eleventh street.
Q. Had you received any instructions from him during the day, (Saturday before this,) in regard to the disturbance out there?
A. No.
Q. The saloons had been open out there until three or four o'clock on Saturday?
A. Yes; they were open at the time we went there.
Q. What time did you arrive there?
A. I can't tell. It was immediately after hearing of the firing. We walked up Liberty street as fast as we could.
Q. You went with the two men, and saw that your orders were executed?
A. We went in and asked these men, and told them it was the request of the mayor to have them close their saloons.
Q. Did they comply?
A. Most generally.
Q. During the day, Sunday, did you receive any orders from the mayor?
A. No; except I was out with him at the scene of action in the afternoon. The mayor was out there before daylight, and I was out there myself. I came in about six or seven o'clock, and got my breakfast, and went out at ten o'clock, and then I found the mayor there.
Q. Did you receive any orders during Sunday night from the mayor?
A. Nothing, except about handling the police, in trying to prevent the mob getting into those stores.
Q. What did you do to prevent that?
A. They called some of the south side police over, and had them doing duty around in places where they anticipated there might be a break made, but there was considerable damage done before the police arrived.
Q. What damage was done before the police arrived?
A. A couple of stores were gutted, on Penn avenue and on Liberty street.
Q. What kind of stores?
A. The one on Penn avenue was a pawnbroker's and the one on Liberty street was a gun shop.
Q. Do you know who broke open the stores?
A. Since then I know of one party that was a leader in it. But I do not know the others.
Q. Were any policemen in the vicinity at the time?
A. No; at that time there were no police on duty. They didn't go on duty until eight o'clock.
Q. Were any policemen on duty throughout the city during the day, Friday?
A. No.
Q. During the day, Saturday, throughout the city, I mean?
A. No.
Q. They were not on duty until eight o'clock, Saturday night?
A. No.
Q. Then these stores were broken open before eight o'clock?
A. Yes; that is, the first two.
Q. When there were no policemen on duty?
A. Yes.
Q. When did the mayor put on any day force, or was there any day force on Sunday?
A. On Saturday night I put a notice, by the order of the mayor, into two of the Sunday papers, to have all those ex-policemen report at eleven o'clock on Sunday, but got very few reports.
Q. How many reports did you get?
A. I do not remember now—not probably over fifteen or twenty reported in time.
Q. Were they placed on duty during Sunday?
A. Yes.
Q. Were there any policemen on duty throughout the city on Sunday?
A. Yes.
Q. How many?
A. Well, the third district had some of the south side police on duty on Sunday night, in the vicinity of Twenty-eighth street, and the police there I brought in on Sunday morning, and got their breakfasts, and sent them out again. Some of them strayed off, of course.
Q. As chief of police, can you not give us the number of policemen on duty during Sunday, in the whole city?
A. I do not think there were more than eighty. That is, we got more men on as it grew later in the day.
Q. This notice you placed in the papers was merely a request for the discharged police force to report at eleven o'clock?
A. Yes; I had the orders, and I think the mayor had consulted with the committee of safety, or some one who assured him they would be responsible for the pay of the police, and would see that the police stayed on.
Q. What time did you get that notice into the papers?
A. It was given to the papers on Saturday night.
Q. Was it published in the evening editions?
A. It was published in the Globe and Leader of Sunday morning.
Q. By whom was the notice signed?
A. By myself.
Q. As chief of police?
A. Yes.
Q. You say you got very few reports?
A. Very few; that is, at eleven o'clock.
Q. During Sunday night how many police did you have on duty?
A. I had all the old force, and I expect, perhaps, about forty or fifty of the discharged men.
Q. That would make about one hundred and forty or one hundred and fifty men during Sunday night?
A. Yes.
Q. How many did you have on duty during the day—Monday?
A. Well, those policemen came reporting in one after another from Sunday until Tuesday, and they never went off duty at anytime from Sunday night, from the time they went on, until about Wednesday, I guess.
Q. Where did the mayor spend the day—Sunday?
A. Along Liberty street, part of the day.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. About the scene of the riot?
A. Right there.
Q. What was he doing there?
A. All he could to prevent the depredations. He was with the police; but we could not do anything. He went to Union depot and made a speech to the mob; but that did not have any effect. They stoned him, and he had to get out.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What time was that?
A. I do not have any distinct recollection of any time that day. It was, perhaps, half an hour previous to the burning of Union depot.
Q. Was he out there on Sunday when the fire was going on?
A. Yes.
Q. The fire commenced out beyond Twenty-eighth street and worked down this way?
A. Yes.
Q. How many men were engaged in burning cars, or in the actual destruction of property there, during Sunday?
A. That is a hard matter for me to say. The track in some places—I suppose there are three or four or five rows—and the freight cars were packed in alongside of one another, and on the top of those cars and in between them, there was a crowd of people all the time. Some of them may not have had a hand in doing any damage, but I think that most everybody that was on the track—of course there were some spectators that didn't have any hand in it—but the majority of the people there would break open a car or gut a car whenever they could. I could not say how many, but a great many, three hundred or four hundred anyhow.
Q. Were those men armed? Had they weapons?
A. I didn't see any weapons except a few revolvers.
Q. As chief of police, I ask you if you do not think you could have taken one hundred policemen, with their maces, or the weapons that they usually carry, and have thrown them across the track there, and driven back that crowd?
A. No.
Q. Why not?
A. Because the crowd was on all sides, and I would not know how to form the men to do that to have a solid line. The crowd was along the track and in between the cars as much as five hundred or six hundred yards at a time, and they would come rushing in and yelling every way, from below and above.
Q. I ask you if, in your judgment, you do not think that you could have taken one hundred policemen and stationed them across the track in front of Union depot, from the hill down to the block of buildings, and have driven back the crowd as they came up?
A. If I had had one hundred men there that might have been accomplished. I did try it with what men I had.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. How many men did you have?
A. Not more than fifteen or sixteen together at one time. The policemen, of course, got around among the people, or the mob, and we could not find them.
Q. It was not possible to keep them together?
A. I could not keep them together. In order to get at the men, the policemen would have to divide, and it was such a big mob, we could not keep them together.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Could you not have formed at some cross street, say Fifteenth or Sixteenth street, and then have resisted the crowd and kept them back?
A. On the street?
Q. Yes?
A. Well, the crowd on the street was not so unruly as those on the railroad.
Q. But Sixteenth street runs up to the railroad. Now, could you not have formed the men at Sixteenth street and thrown them across the railroad, with one wing running out towards the hill, and then have kept the crowd back?
A. No; because you could not have got the mob together at any one point—because the mob most all the time extended five hundred or six hundred yards.
Q. To what point did the mob extend, coming towards the city?
A. Nearly into Union depot.
Q. Then could you not have formed at Union depot and kept them back?
A. It would have taken a great many more men than that.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Was any effort made at all to get control of this crowd at any time during the disturbance?
A. Yes.
Q. With your fifteen or sixteen men, you mean?
A. Sometimes we had twenty—all the men we had, or that could be got together—perhaps, sometimes, twenty-five or thirty men. They would be getting in among the mob and trying to drive them back.
Q. Had the police authorities no organization or no arrangement to keep the crowd from coming, or did they allow people to come from all directions when they knew a disturbance of this kind was going on—did you have any organization at all?
A. Not a very good organization. The men went out there in the morning, and they had been up all night, and they were tired, and it would have been impossible to keep the crowd back. They flocked in from all parts of the city, and from the country for miles around.
By Mr. Englebert:
Q. In other words, you really had not any organization of the police force?
A. When I went up there, our men were scattered. I took them on the railroad several times, but was unable to do any good. I took them on the railroad in a body, but they could not be kept there any time without being separated.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was any effort made to make any arrests, during this disturbance, of parties engaged in the riot?
A. On Sunday morning, we arrested about one hundred and thirty—that was the beginning of the fire—when they began to pillage the freight cars.
Q. Did you arrest any of the parties that were pillaging?
A. We arrested them coming away with goods.
Q. What did you do with them?
A. We brought them down in the morning, in the "black maria," to the Central station, but Deputy Mayor Butler, I believe, discharged most of them, and fined some of them.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Do you know how many were fined?
A. I cannot tell. I did not stay to the hearing myself.
Q. What is Mr. Butler's first name?
A. Joseph.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Your people took these men up, going away with goods?
A. Yes. We put them in the Twelfth Ward station, and then put them in the "black maria," and brought them to the Central station, and heard them there. Mayor McCarthy was up all night, and he was tired, and he deputized Deputy Mayor Butler to hear them.
Q. And he discharged them?
A. Yes; he discharged a good many of them.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. Do you know whether those people were citizens of Pittsburgh, or people that had just run in?
A. Some were citizens of Pittsburgh and some were strangers.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did the mayor or anybody else say to you, at any time, that it was necessary for the railroad officials to get out of town—that their lives were in jeopardy.
A. I never heard any such expression coming from the mayor.
Q. That it was necessary for the railroad officials to get out of town—that their lives were in jeopardy? Was that said to you by the mayor or by anybody else?
A. I am satisfied that I didn't hear any expression like that coming from the mayor, but I heard talk like that on the street.
Q. From whom?
A. Most any of the crowd that would be congregated together would be talking about this thing.
Q. Citizens of Pittsburgh?
A. Yes.
Q. Could you name any of them?
A. Not now. It was the general talk. General Pearson, I guess, was named in such talk more often than the railroad officers.
Q. But you heard that talk about the railroad officials?
A. Yes; that it would not be safe for them to show up.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. One question about this plundering and thieving: Were those parties discharged the same day that they were arrested—on Sunday?
A. The same day—Sunday.
Q. Then the arrests amounted virtually to nothing?
A. Yes; except in saving the property of the company, or whoever it belonged to.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was the mayor present when you offered protection to the firemen, at the fire engine, when they proposed to throw water on those burning cars?
A. Yes; the mayor was present. One of the firemen asked him, if he would protect them, and he said yes, and the fireman said, that is what we want. Then they made the attachment, but did not throw any water afterward on the fire.
Q. Did they make any proposal to the mayor, to take an active part himself—to hold the nozzle?
A. No; I do not think they did.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Why did they not throw the water?
A. Because, I suppose, they were intimidated.
Q. But when you gave them the protection they asked, did they not make an effort to throw the water?
A. No.
Q. Did the mob make a rush?
A. No; no more than following the engine.
Q. What reason did they give for not throwing the water?
A. I do not know.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who had charge of the engine at that point?
A. I do not know; I do not know what engine it was.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. Did the firemen throw water on private property when it was burning?
A. All the time.
Q. But not on the railroad property?
A. No.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Do you know who the man was who asked protection from the mayor?
A. I do not know.
Q. Did the mob interfere with private property at any time?
A. Not during that day. They did attempt to during that night and also during Sunday night.
Q. What attempts were made on Sunday night?
A. The American house, I think, or some place near it, was gutted, but by that time we had a pretty good force, and we went there and drove them away and arrested some of them.
Q. Who had command there?
A. Lieutenant Coates.
Q. He had no trouble in beating the crowd away?
A. He had some trouble, but he did it.
Q. How many men had he?
A. I went there afterwards, and we had, I suppose, some forty men there.
Q. After the railroad property was destroyed—by that time you had a pretty good police force?
A. Yes; the men were reporting during the day.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. You stated you had sixteen policemen at Union depot?
A. I stated I had sixteen in line.
Q. Where were the balance of your police at that time?
A. They were scattered among the mob.
Q. The whole police of the city were there?
A. No, sir; all I could gather up at that time were there.
Q. Are you still the chief of police?
A. No, sir; there is another administration.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Have you a police commission or police committee, that have any special duty in taking charge of the police or in regulating the police?
A. No, sir; it is the mayor that has that power here.
Adjourned to meet at three o'clock, P.M.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Orphans' Court Room, Pittsburgh, Monday, February 11, 1878.
Pursuant to adjournment, the committee re-assembled at three o'clock, P.M., this day, and continued the taking of testimony.
The first witness examined was—
Henry Metzgar, sworn with the uplifted hand:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. In the Eighth ward, Pittsburgh.
Q. What official position did you hold in the city last July?
A. I was the mayor's clerk.
Q. What knowledge had you on Thursday of any disturbance among the railroad employés?
A. I think my first knowledge was on Wednesday, but to get at the data I would request to send for the information made against Thomas McCall.
[A paper exhibited to witness.]
Q. Is that a copy of the information?
A. Yes. On Thursday, the 19th, Mr. Watt came into the office, and asked for a number of policemen. As to the exact number I don't know, I didn't exactly hear the number, but I understood he wanted ten policemen to go out on the Pennsylvania railroad. The mayor went out with me to the chief of detectives, and they got a number of policemen, and arranged them up in line, and I think I asked Mr. Watt how many he wanted, and he said ten. One or more of them then stepped out of the ranks. Ten policemen went out, I believe, to the railroad. About twelve o'clock of that day we received a telegram, asking, I think, for fifty policemen additional.
Q. From whom?
A. To the best of my recollection the telegram was from Mr. Watt. I immediately went out and hunted some of the policemen who had been discharged—I hunted them up, and several of the officers went out and hunted them up. I notified a number myself to report at the office for duty at the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's depot. How many reported I don't know. It not being my special duty, I paid no attention to it. But I know a number of them reported. Where they went to I don't know personally. About four o'clock that evening, the mayor asked me if there was any news from the Twelfth ward. I told him I could telegraph to the Twelfth ward and see. We did so, and the report came from the station that all was quiet.
Q. The Twelfth ward takes in this district at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Yes; the mayor then left the office to go to Castle Shannon where his family is, as I believed, for the night. About that time—about five o'clock, Mr. Watt came in and asked for from fifty to a hundred additional policemen. I told him I didn't know where we could get them—that all we had for effective duty was ninety men, and, in the absence of the mayor, I couldn't take away the policemen from all portions of the city, for the purpose of protecting the property of the railroad company. Mr. Watt said to me, what will I do. I said, I don't know—the only thing—if you have a fear of any danger to your property—you had better call upon the sheriff, and the sheriff can call a posse comitatus to protect the property if there is any danger. Mr. Watt said he would do so. That is the last I saw of him until some time after the riot. No—the next morning—the morning of the 20th—he came in, and made this information against Thomas McCall. The mayor, at the time, said to him, that our police force was very limited, and in making those arrests we would have to make quiet arrests. The warrants were placed in the hands of the officers, for the purpose of ascertaining where those parties lived, and to find out who they were, and all about them. For the most part, they were strangers, as far as we knew. Officer McGovern had the warrants. The next morning Mr. Houseman, of the firm of Hampton & Dalzell, came into the office, and asked me how many of the parties had been arrested. I told him I didn't know that any were arrested. That the mayor's instructions were to proceed quietly. He said, can you give me this information. I said, no, it is part of the record, and cannot go out of our hands. He then asked for the names of the parties against whom the information was brought, and he copied the names, and as he was going out he said, I am instructed by Mr. Hampton to tell you folks not to execute these warrants. I said, very well—this is a matter entirely in your own hands. I went out with him to the officer, and told the officer to produce his warrants. He produced them, and I told him, you are instructed by Mr. Hampton, through Mr. Houseman, not to execute them. He said, that was all right. That is all I know, unless some special question may arise.
Q. How many policemen had been discharged prior to Thursday?
A. One hundred and sixteen.
Q. How long had they been discharged before that?
A. They were discharged, I think, sometime about the latter part of June, or may be the 1st of July. I am not certain as to the date.
Q. Had you any knowledge of any anticipated outbreak or strike by the men before it was communicated to you by Mr. Watt?
A. Not the slightest. And at that time we had no idea there was going to be any such trouble at all, as we have had sometimes in this city.
Q. You were present when Mr. Watt asked the mayor to furnish him with the police?
A. I was in the office.
Q. You heard the mayor's reply?
A. He went out with Mr. Watt and instructed the chief of police to get the men.
Q. Did Mr. Watt have to promise to pay the men before the mayor gave that instruction?
A. I believe something was said about pay. These men, you see, were not on the pay-rolls of the city. The regular men were in bed or scattered all over the city. These men happened to be there that day, being paid off.
Q. Did the mayor require Mr. Watt to become responsible for their pay?
A. I believe something was said about the railroad company—that it would have to pay the men, as no provision was made by the city for their pay. I think very few of these men were on the regular force.
Q. Did the mayor make that a condition before he instructed you to send out for the men?
A. He never instructed me to send out for anybody.
Q. Who did he instruct?
A. Either the chief of detectives or the chief of police—I cannot remember which.
Q. Did he make any order at that time, calling out policemen?
A. Not as I know of.
Q. These men went out as volunteers?
A. Yes; in that sense. They were men who had been discharged. They went out under the control of Officer Charles McGovern.
Q. They volunteered to go?
A. We had no right to make a demand on them as a police force. They were not in the employ of the city.
Q. When the telegram came to you calling for fifty policemen, what effort did you make to get them?
A. We hunted them up as well as we could. A great many of these men wouldn't go because they were incensed at the city for discharging them, but a number of them did respond.
Q. You hunted up as many as you could get to go willingly?
A. Yes.
Q. How many?
A. About thirty-five. It not being my special business, I didn't pay much attention to it.
Q. Did you notify the mayor of that call for fifty additional police?
A. Yes; he sent us out, and says, go hunt them up.
Q. How many did you get?
A. I think about thirty-five. I never burdened my mind specially with that.
Q. Did you get another call from the railroad company?
A. I have no recollection of another call, except when Mr. Watt came and said he wanted from fifty to one hundred men additional.
Q. Did you communicate that to the mayor?
A. I did when he came into the city, at eight o'clock on that evening.
Q. What evening?
A. Thursday evening.
Q. What did the mayor say?
A. He said he didn't know where he could get the policemen. Our intention in calling the police was simply to protect property from getting stolen.
Q. Did he make a demand upon the citizens of the city to join the police force at any time?
A. We made a demand—certainly we did.
Q. When?
A. On Sunday night, for instance, when I made a call upon the citizens to volunteer to protect the water works of the city.
Q. Had you made any demand prior to that Sunday night?
A. I cannot say. I know of that for a fact.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What demand?
A. He said, how many people will volunteer to protect the water-works of the city, and I ask for volunteers. As I understood, they intended to burn them down. Out of some two hundred men, four responded, I think. He said he understood they were in danger.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. But he summoned no posse from the citizens of the city during the riots, did he?
A. I don't know that he did.
Q. How many of those discharged policemen were at the city hall on Thursday when those ten men went out?
A. I cannot say how many were there. They were in and out, being paid off. I cannot say how many. Quite a number of them, I know.
Q. How many could you have got to go out there at that time, do you think?
A. We got all we could.
Q. To go voluntarily?
A. Yes; I know, personally, I used every exertion I could, and I know Mr. Davis was out hunting up men.
Q. Were you out there during the riots at any time?
A. I was out on Friday.
Q. At what point?
A. At Twenty-eighth street.
Q. How large a crowd was there?
A. At the time I was there I suppose probably a thousand people were there.
Q. How many were engaged in the riotous proceedings?
A. None that I saw.
Q. What were they doing at that time?
A. They were assembled there listening to a speech made by Doctor Donnelly, counseling moderation, and advising those not connected with the railroad to go home and attend to their own business. Some other speeches were made by one or two more.
Q. What was the effect of the speech upon the crowd?
A. I don't know that it had any effect. It had no special effect particularly one way or another.
Q. Did they listen to it?
A. Yes.
Q. Did they make any response to it in any way?
A. Some response was made to Doctor Donnelly when he counseled those having no business there to go home. Some of them made some remarks from the outside of the crowd—that is enough now, you just stop there; and things of that kind.
Q. What time did the mayor return from Castle Shannon?
A. Shortly after eight o'clock. It may have been eight and a half o'clock.
Q. Where did he remain during the night?
A. In the office, I think.
Q. All night?
A. I can't say, for I didn't stay there.
Q. Where was the mayor Friday, during the day?
A. In and out the office all day, so far as I know. I know he was there.
Q. Was any effort made to increase the police force on Friday?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Nor on Saturday?
A. No.
Q. When were the discharged men placed back on the police force?
A. They were not placed back on the police force until Monday. I think Monday a number of them reported for duty. A committee of councils, or councils held a session on Sunday morning; but there was so much confusion that nothing was done. The police force was not replaced until Monday or Tuesday; that is, the additional men.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Where is the mayor at the present time?
A. In Philadelphia, I believe. He has left a note that he would be home to-morrow.
Q. What was said about these men being paid?
A. There was some conversation about the railroad company—that it would have to pay these men, because the men were not on the pay-rolls of the city at the time.
Q. Did the mayor make that inquiry of Mr. Watt, as to who would pay?
A. I know there was some conversation on that subject.
Q. Did or did not the mayor say to you that it was necessary for the officers of the railroad to go out of town, that their lives were in jeopardy?
A. No.
Q. Did anybody else say so?
A. No.
Q. Did you ever hear it said?
A. No; only after the riots. I understood they left town for fear of that, and I was rather astonished to find that some of them had been out of town.
Q. Did anybody there state to you that General Pearson had better go out of town?
A. No.
Q. Did you know of his being out of town?
A. No.
Q. Did you know of any of those railroad officers being out of town?
A. No; only subsequently.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did any of the citizens call upon the mayor, requesting him to put on an additional force?
A. Well, I guess—I do not know that. They did not up to Saturday afternoon, until the time of this firing.
Q. Didn't they do it on Friday?
A. No.
Q. On Saturday?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Did they offer to become responsible for the payment of the additional police?
A. When?
Q. Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?
A. I never heard of it at all. I never heard any such an offer made. The committee of public safety afterwards agreed to pay a certain number of men on the police force from that time until the end of the year.
Q. When did they make that proposition?
A. I think Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, but it was after all the trouble had occurred, so far as I know anything of it.
Q. You know nothing of any such offer having been made on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?
A. No.
Q. Were you with the mayor during those days?
A. Off and on, Friday and Saturday. On Sunday I was at the central station until twelve o'clock, noon. We had about one hundred and twenty-five prisoners there Sunday morning, and it took all my attention until noon that day to get through with the business.
Q. What were they arrested for?
A. For carrying away property, and stuff, and various things, and disorderly conduct. One thing and another of that kind.
Q. For larceny and disorderly conduct?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Before whom were they taken?
A. Before Deputy Mayor Butler.
Q. What was done with those persons?
A. Some were fined, and some were held for court, and some were discharged. A great many were discharged, as one of the officers came down with the report that the jailor said that he could not hold them or keep them.
Q. What persons were they who were arrested?
A. I cannot say. Most of those names are fictitious.
Q. Did you get their residences?
A. No; the residences were not taken.
Q. How many did you hold for court?
A. That I cannot say.
Q. Did you keep a record of it?
A. Yes; there is a record of it.
Q. Have you the record now in your office?
A. I do not know whether it is there now. I passed the record out of my hands to the comptroller of the city.
Q. How many were fined?
A. Quite a number.
Q. Did they pay their fines?
A. Some of them did and some went to jail.
Q. How many went to jail?
A. That I cannot say.
Q. Can't you make an estimate?
A. I really could not, because you can imagine that morning I had not much stomach for anything to keep facts and figures. It is just a general idea. Everything was in such terrible confusion.
Q. How large were the fines?
A. From three to five dollars.
Q. You say you cannot tell who those men were, or where they resided?
A. No; they were people I never saw before.
Q. Those who were committed to jail. Did you ever ascertain afterward who they were and where they came from?
A. I did not.
Q. Did you ever make any effort?
A. I never did. The police made efforts afterwards to try to ascertain, I believe, who they were, but I do not know what they did, or whether they did anything or not.
Q. Can't you tell something about what class of people they were from their dress?
A. They all looked to be of the poorer class of people, but what they were or who they were I cannot say.
Q. Can't you tell whether they were tramps or railroad men or people of the poorer class?
A. Some were tramps—I know that. I have a recollection of that. I don't think there were any railroad men. There may have been a few, but a very few, though. They were generally of the poorer class of people, picking up plunder.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were they Pittsburghers?
A. That I cannot say. I never saw them before, and have never seen them since.
By Mr. Means:
Q. When those policemen were sent out there, was there any arrangement made by Mr. Watt, or any other person, to keep the time of the men while in service?
A. I had nothing to do with that. That was a matter for the clerk of the chief of police to attend to. I know that Mr. Watt, or somebody, sent down a check to pay them.
Q. Have you any recollection of a party of eighty sent to the work-house?
A. I remember a party of forty-six sent there. They came here from Cumberland, and were arrested on the arrival of the train here.
Q. What train?
A. On the Connellsville railroad.
Q. Those were all sent up in a body?
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. When was that?
A. On the 23d or 24th of July.
R. H. Fife, sworn with the uplifted hand:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Were you sheriff of Allegheny county last July?
A. Yes.
Q. How long have you been sheriff?
A. Two years the first Monday of last January.
Q. State what knowledge you have of the disturbance of the peace that commenced on the 19th of July last?
A. On the 19th of July last I had been out of the city during a part of that day, and came home late in the evening. I went to my house, and remained there until sometime in the night. I had been sleeping, I think. About eleven o'clock, between that and twelve o'clock——
Q. Thursday night?
A. Yes. Mr. Scott—that is Mr. John Scott—Mr. Watt, and another gentleman—I do not recollect his name—came to the house. I came down and admitted them into the parlor. They told me of the trouble they had—that Mr. Watt had been assaulted, and that a large crowd was out there. They wished me to go out and see what I could do. I told them I would go, and I put my coat on, and called one of my deputies—Mr. Haymaker—and we started down to Union depot. There we met General Pearson, and he went with us out to one of the offices—I do not know just what office—and then General Pearson and Mr. Watt—I think Mr. Watt went along, or some other gentleman connected with the railroad—and I went up to Twenty-eighth street.
Q. What time did you arrive at Twenty-eighth street?
A. It was after the middle of the night—between twelve and one o'clock. There was a large crowd of rough people there. But probably I am a little ahead of my story when I speak of Twenty-eighth street. On my road up from the depot to Twenty-eighth street, the cars on the siding there, and on the tracks that were not filled with merchandise, appeared to be all filled with people. A number of them were in there sleeping, and others were in there carousing. All the cars appeared to be full. At Twenty-eighth street, I asked why that assemblage of people were there, and they said they were on a strike, and that they proposed to stop the freight trains from going out, and that they had stopped them. I told them they were acting contrary to the law, and that they must disperse. The reply was, "go to hell you gray-headed old son of a bitch," that and other pet names of similar character. I then repeated the order that they must disperse, and that if I had not the power to do it, that I would have to try to get power sufficient to do it. They then replied, that General Pearson and I both might go to hell, that they had the mayor and his force on their side, and that Mr. T. C. Jenkins had agreed to give them one thousand barrels of flour to stand out, and that Mr. Alexander King had agreed to give them a thousand dollars. I told them they did not know those gentlemen as well as I did, or they would not talk that way. They said they knew them, and that we had better take a walk. About this time there was a diversion in the crowd. A courier came with a piece of paper—I did not have it in my hand, I did not get to see it—but a large number of them ran across, and they read the communication aloud. It read something in this way: "Hold your position until to-morrow morning, and we will send five hundred coal miners to assist you." It purported to come from the Monongahela Valley. They then assembled back. I was up on a pile of lumber talking to them, and I commenced to talk again, but, after this, they were far more abusive than before. The language would not do to repeat. In a short time another courier came with another communication, representing to come from Wilkes-Barre, that parties there would be here to assist them as soon as they could.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Were these people you spoke of, railroad men?
A. Not many of them. A portion of them were, but not many. They were the bad elements of society from all parts of the city, and from some parts of the county, in connection with thieves and blackguards from other parts of the country. A great many strangers were there. I made that remark to one of the railroad officials, that the crowd was not composed entirely of our people, and he differed with me, and I gave this answer at the time—I said "These are not our people, for I claim to know as many men in Allegheny county as any other man in it, and they are strangers here that I never saw." Some females were there, or ladies, the worst I ever saw.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You speak now of Thursday night?
A. Yes; my first introduction to the crowd. I remained some time, trying to get them to disperse. They did not offer me any violence, but refused to go, and said they would die there sooner than they would be driven off. One man there, who appeared to be a leader, had served two terms in the penitentiary. I knew him by sight. He appeared to be a leader. He was not a railroad man, and I do not think ever had been.
Q. What was his name?
A. He was killed on Saturday morning, by the Philadelphia soldiers, and, probably, I had better not name him. He amused himself up to Saturday morning annoying everybody, and was shot on Saturday morning. I became satisfied, that no force I had or could convene could hold that crowd there then, or the crowd that would likely be there in the morning. So I telegraphed to the Governor.
Q. What time was that?
A. It was after midnight. I suppose, about two o'clock.
Q. Friday morning?
A. Yes; I suppose so. I cannot give the exact time.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. It was during that night?
A. Yes; about two o'clock. I telegraphed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth and to the Adjutant General.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Have you copies of those telegrams?
A. I think I have in my safe.
Q. I wish you would give us copies of them?
A. I will do so. I received an answer sometime after that that he had ordered General Pearson to call out one regiment of volunteers to assist in putting down the riot.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Who was this from?
A. I think from Secretary Quay or the Adjutant General. General Pearson then was ordered to call out the regiment here—the Duquesne Greys. They were called out to be in readiness at a certain hour in the morning. Afterwards I walked down to the city hall, and found about thirty men there, and a number of them were trying to get home as fast as they could. About thirty of them I saw in uniform at the city hall. During the forenoon of Friday, I went with General Pearson and some others, out through the mob or crowd at Twenty-eighth street, and along the line up to Twenty-eighth street, and up to Torrens station. There was a large crowd also, and very boisterous, and apparently very determined. I talked to them, and urged them to disperse, but they hooted and jeered. They did not use quite so bad language, but there was plenty of it, as they had done the night before. They told me they would wade in blood to their knees before they would disperse, and that it was blood or bread with them. I also read a proclamation to them, purporting to come from the Governor, and they hooted and jeered at that, and said they did not care, that they were going to stop those trains and had stopped them. It was then about eleven o'clock, and they said at that hour the railroads over the whole country are stopped. General Pearson attempted to address them, but they hooted and jeered at him. I believe he offered to buy a car load of bread and bring it out to them if they would disperse, but they said it was blood or bread with them, and they would not disperse. One young man that appeared to act as spokesman of the crowd while General Pearson was talking to them—I went to him, and asked him why he was acting in the way he was, and why this crowd was here. I am going to give you his answer: He said the Pennsylvania Railroad Company has two ends, one in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh. We have determined on a strike, and in Philadelphia they have a strong police force, and they are with the railroad, but in Pittsburgh they have a weak force, and it is a mining and manufacturing district, and we can get all the help we want from the laboring elements, and we have determined to make the strike here. I said to him: "Are you a railroader?" he said "No. I am a laboring man and not a railroader." I then asked him his name. He said: "It might be John Smith and might be John Jones, but I am not here to tell you what it is." I said: "Where do you live?" He said "In the eastern part of the State." I advised him to go home, and not engage in this bad business, but he said he intended to see it through or leave his corpse here. I might say, at East Liberty I warned them to disperse, the crowd, and when they refused to disperse, I warned the women and children to disperse—that the military would be there in a short time, and probably somebody would be hurt. I warned all having no part in the riot to get out of the road. The women answered me that they were there to urge the men on to do what they wanted. Who the women were I do not know, but they answered me in that way. That was in the forenoon of Friday. About noon there was a request sent to me to send some of my deputies with the railroad officials. I understood they were going to try to move the trains on Friday afternoon. I detached Major Boyce, and told him to take as many of my deputies as were necessary, and go down to Union depot. He started after a while, and came back, and it was reported to me that they had decided not to move any trains that afternoon. Consequently, he was not needed, he said. On Saturday—the forenoon of Saturday—I was called on by James Richardson, a constable—I do not know in what ward he is constable—I generally see him here in the Second ward—he is an old constable for many years in the city—he called on me and said that he had some warrants to arrest some parties who were leaders of the riot, issued by Judge Ewing, president judge of our court of common pleas No. 2, and that he wished me to go with him and take what assistance I could, to assist him in arresting some of the leaders of the mob. I immediately detailed ten of my deputies to go out and try to raise a posse. They started out and reported to me about one o'clock, and they had some eight or ten men with them.
Q. On Saturday?
A. Yes; some of them appeared willing to go provided they were paid in advance, and others were willing to go—that is, appeared willing to go—under any consideration. We started and went down as far as Union depot, and I think by the time I got there with this posse my deputies had got up; they had all forsaken me and escaped except about six. We met Mr. Pitcairn there, and some of the other railroad officers. They told me they wished me to assist Mr. Richardson in arresting those parties, and that a division or a regiment, I do not know which they called it, of soldiers from Philadelphia would protect me. I went up with Mr. Richardson and Mr. Pitcairn, and another gentleman whom I saw giving his testimony here the other day; I do not know his name. We went up to Twenty-eighth street, and Mr. Pitcairn told me when we got to Twenty-eighth street, that he could not see the parties for whom the warrants were issued. I replied to him, that then my duty in that respect was ended. If he could not point them out that I could not arrest them; that I did not know them. I had seen the list of names, and I did not know any of them. I passed through the crowd, and they hooted and jeered at me for a mile, I suppose, but they offered me no violence. I went clear through the crowd and came and turned back through a portion of it. The military were bringing up a Gatling gun and placing it in position. I came back to the side of the Gatling gun. The military were formed into what I would call three sides of a hollow square. Shortly after that, or previous to that I might say, as we passed up, General Pearson was at my side, and a man who appeared to be a kind of leader of the crowd was on our right. He was very noisy and very boisterous, and God damning Pearson for bringing out his double-headers, and General Pearson just pointed at him and said, "That man will cause trouble after a little, I am afraid." The man saw him pointing. In some little time he came me—he forced himself through the lines of the military and came to me—and said, what had I against him? I said I had nothing against him, so long as he behaved himself. He asked what General Pearson had against him. I said I did not know. I did not hear him say anything against him. He said he was a friend of Pearson's, and had nothing against him, but that he was God damned if he was going to be pointed out that way in the crowd, that he had friends enough there to wipe us both out. I told him to get out. He said he would not go. I put my hands on his shoulders, and he was then thrown through to the crowd by one of the officers, He there became very noisy.
The military came up through the crowd in front with arms apart, and the crowd stood still, refusing to get back. The soldiers were then ordered to charge bayonets. Then somebody cried out in the crowd to hold their position. They came up at a charge bayonets; but a number of their guns were seized by the mob, as you might call it, and at this time, any number of stones were thrown. I saw one soldier get struck with a piece of coal on the forehead, just peeling his forehead, and he fell to his knees. About the same time there were three or four pistol shots fired from the crowd into the ranks of the soldiers, and, as I said before, any quantity of stones and clubs were thrown. Then the firing commenced by the soldiers, and it ran along around two sides of the square. It was a kind of running fire without an order to fire. It put me in mind of a pack of shooting crackers, when you set one end on fire one report would follow another. Some parties were killed and a great many ran away. I waited some half hour or more there. The soldiers then retired towards the round-house, and I returned to my home.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What time did this firing occur?
A. In the afternoon about I should judge between four and five o'clock. I think it was near five o'clock.
Q. Did you remain home during the night?
A. I did not. I came down to my office, and remained there.
Q. Go on and relate your movements during the balance of the night, and Sunday and Sunday night.
A. All that night, and Sunday and Sunday night, I remained in the court-house here. I was useless and powerless, and they were hunting me to murder me. On Monday morning, I went to my office door, and a drunken creature was leaning there, with a revolver in his right hand, hunting for the sheriff. I asked him what he wanted with him. He said, I want to see him. I said you can take a good look at him now, and, with that, I took him by the collar, and kicked him down the steps. I have not seen him since. I might have stated, that on Thursday night, (the first night I went out into the crowd,) there were shots fired when General Pearson and I went out there first. I do not know whether they were fired at any person in particular. I think that they were intended to alarm more than anything else.
Q. When Mr. Scott came to your house, on Thursday night, to inform you of the riotous proceedings, did he advise you to consult with your counsel before going out?
A. No; he said it probably would be necessary, before I got through, to see my counsel. I told him that I could not see him then, that he had returned to his home, in the Nineteenth ward, Pittsburgh, and it would be impossible for me to see him at that hour of the night. I told him I would see him at an early hour in the morning.
Q. Did he tell you why it would be necessary?
A. No; I do not think he did, particularly—not to my recollection. He said if I became satisfied, in my own mind, that I had not sufficient force to remove the crowd, that it would be my duty to call on the Governor for aid, and he wished me to be satisfied in my own mind.
Q. How many of your deputies did you take with you that night?
A. Only one—Mr. Haymaker.
Q. Did you call for any posse that night?
A. Not that night.
Q. You did not call for any posse before telegraphing to the Governor?
A. No; I did not. I will say this here, that although I was called on that night, I was aware pretty generally what was going on in regard to the strike previous to that. It could be heard on the street—parties were saying—the strike before this had occurred in other parts of the United States—and they would say it will be here—it will be here in a day or two. I could hear the remarks passed. Not only that, but every avenue of the city, for a week before, had been crowded. There was a very considerable travel by strangers coming to the city. The city was full of strangers at the time. There was no railroad or wagon road but what you could find on it a class of people traveling that you had never seen or heard of at all before, and they were coming into the city. The city was full of them. This I have not heard any other person remark but myself, but it is the fact of the case. On all the railroad trains you could see men coming in, riding on the tenders, or on the cow-catchers, or any way at all—on the steps, or any way.
Q. What days?
A. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I will give another little fact. This morning a lady came to my office, asking me to solicit transportation for her over the Pennsylvania railroad to Philadelphia. She wished to get a pass. I asked her why, and she said that she had a son living in Chester county who had come here and mixed himself in with the riots, and had laid out and slept out until he had got a cold, and that he now was dying with consumption, and she was poor, and wished me to solicit the Pennsylvania railroad company to give her a pass to go and see him before he died. She lives here, and her son is married and lives in Chester county. She lives nearly across the street from where I do. But I didn't know she had this son, though.
Q. As soon as you returned on Thursday night from Twenty-eighth street, you telegraphed to the Governor?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Had you become satisfied, then, that it was necessary to call out the troops?
A. Yes, sir; I had. The riot had assumed—although there had been no actual outbreak, except the striking of Mr. Watt—had assumed such proportions then, that it would have been folly for me to attempt in this city to have got a posse to remove the crowd. I might, if I had had time, have got the rural districts of this county to assist me—I might have got a force there, but then it would have been a worse slaughter than what it was. But in this city it would have been folly for me to try it. I knew the feeling of the people.
Q. Did you make any effort on Friday forenoon to raise a posse?
A. I did not. I viewed it in this way. That, when I had called on the State authorities, and the State authorities had responded, that that relieved me of that responsibility of calling a posse. In fact, I considered the idea of a sheriff of any county calling out a posse almost as an obsolete piece of law to-day. The time was, when the military were under the control of the sheriff, but it is not so now.
Q. Do you know what the law is in regard to calling out the militia to suppress a riot?
A. I have read the acts of assembly.
Q. You knew what they were?
A. Yes.
Q. You knew what was necessary for you, as sheriff, to do before calling the militia?
A. Well, any citizen can call on the Governor for aid—any responsible party.
Q. But you knew what was necessary for you to do as sheriff?
A. I think I did. I might have been mistaken.
Q. You thought that you laid sufficient ground for calling on the Governor, did you?
A. Yes; this riot had assumed such proportions at that time—it had gone so far, and such a crowd was there, of all the rough elements of society, that no posse, raised inside of three or four days—and then it would have had to be collected from all parts of the county—could have removed it.
Q. How large was the crowd that night?
A. Well, I cannot tell you that, because the cars not loaded with freight, as I said before, were all occupied. Some had four or five in, and some ten or twelve in. I cannot tell how many cars were full. At Twenty-eighth street, I judge that a thousand persons were there at that time, and all along, from Union depot to Twenty-eighth street, they were scattered.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Those cars you saw the men in, were they regular freight cars or caboose cars?
A. I saw them in both. One thing other I wish to impress on the committee, and that is this: I see that other evidence—by reading it in the papers—places those warrants for the arrest of those parties on Saturday, in my hands. It is not the case. They were in the hands of James Richardson, the constable, and I was only acting as a guard to assist him.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was he not appointed as one of your deputies?
A. No; I told him I would go myself, and give him some of my men to assist him. I took thirteen of my regular deputies and myself to assist him, and some other men not regularly connected with the office. The names of some of them I cannot recollect.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Would it then have been possible to have arrested those men?
A. No, sir; not unless the military had done it. Probably, General Brinton might have been able, but I do not know. There was about a mile of a solid packed mob.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. On Saturday?
A. Yes; the day we had the warrants.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Friday?
A. On Friday there was a large crowd. It was continually increasing. It increased from Thursday, and kept on increasing all the time, on Friday and Saturday.
Q. Were they all taking a part?
A. No; a portion were lookers on, but the sympathy appeared to be all with the strikers. But I must say, that I did not see many of those strikers. After we had gone out to Torrens station, I asked Mr. Pitcairn how many men he knew in those two crowds, at Twenty-eighth street and Torrens station, as belonging to the road. After studying awhile, he said: "Well, really, I think I only know four."
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You say the sympathy of all those gathered around was with the strikers?
A. It appeared to be.
Q. How extensive was that sympathy—to what extent was it carried among the people?
A. It was very extensive. In fact, I do hardly know any person whose sympathy was not with them. It went so far that on Saturday night, after the firing, parties were coming to my house and telling my family that they would be murdered or burned out before morning. My wife became alarmed, and in the street where I lived she could not get protection in any house. They would not let her in.
Q. Why?
A. Because they blamed me for being at the head of the soldiers, and for causing the killing of innocent parties. That was the reason they gave her—that they did not think they would be safe in letting her in.
Q. What street is that?
A. Washington street, Pittsburgh.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. On Thursday or Friday was this crowd boisterous or destroying things?
A. They were not destroying things. On Friday they were stopping all the trains coming in—stopping trains, and then hooking on locomotives and running the cattle cars, for instance, to Torrens station, and letting the cattle out in the field. In fact, Mr. Pitcairn will remember that we were ordered out of the locomotive that we were on, to let them run cattle out.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Not on Thursday and Friday, but after the firing occurred, how was the sympathy?
A. I think the sympathy was with the strikers from the first. I feel satisfied it was. But I am only giving you my own opinion.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. But you give that opinion, having formed it after intercourse with the people, and after being in the crowd?
A. Yes; I talked with a great many of them, and they appeared to think it was a hardship to reduce the wages and the numbers of the men, and also, once in a while, they would bring in this freight discrimination question.
Q. If you had had the warrants on Thursday night, could you have arrested those parties?
A. If I had had a posse of two hundred or two hundred and fifty I probably could have arrested them, but probably there would have been somebody killed. I believe on Thursday morning if I had had the number of police that Mayor McCarthy had, I could have arrested the leaders, and put in prison the disorderly parties, and that then the trouble would not have assumed the proportions it did. That is only my own idea of it.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Could it have been done on Thursday?
A. As I said before, I was out of Pittsburgh part of Thursday. I was called away on business.
Q. But from the time you became acquainted with the difficulty first?
A. On Thursday morning I saw the crowd gathering around, and I think then if I had had a force and had been called on to anything with the force that Mayor McCarthy had, I think I could have done some good, but on Thursday night at one o'clock, I do not think it could have been done.
Q. When those messages were brought in and read to the crowd as coming from other parties, were there any messages sent out to them in reply?
A. Not to my knowledge.
Q. No responses were made to them?
A. There was considerable cheering.
Q. But were any answers sent?
A. No.
Q. Did those messages come in answer to messages that had been sent out?
A. I cannot answer that. I have given you about the purport of the messages. Probably if General Pearson shall be called he might recollect the purport a little distincter than I have.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were those telegrams?
A. I think not. I didn't so understand it.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. There appeared to be an organization?
A. It looked to me in that light very much.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You stated one was from Wilkes-Barre?
A. Yes, and one from the Monongahela valley, and there was also one from Mansfield—that the coal miners there would be in in the morning.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Had you knowledge of any organization prior to this time?
A. Nothing that I could assert with any distinctness—nothing only rumor—while I firmly believe there was. Now I will give you another fact or instance to corroborate my theory: Some five weeks after the riot I was in St. Paul, and the mayor of St. Paul had gathered up thirteen tramps in a cave on the bank of the Mississippi river. I was at the hearing, and each one had a traveling sack or satchel, and they examined these satchels and there were goods like silk handkerchiefs, and so forth, in them. The mayor asked them where they got them, and they said, at Pittsburgh at the time of the riot, "How did you know there was going to be a riot there." "Oh! we knew it, and we were there." If you will telegraph to the mayor at St. Paul he will substantiate the fact.
Q. In regard to the extent of this sympathy with the strikers that you spoke of, I would like you to explain a little more upon that subject as to the extent of it, and as to what classes of people sympathized with the strikers?
A. The whole laboring class, so far as I know, were with the strikers in their sympathy.
Q. The entire laboring class?
A. Yes; I think so. Do not understand me to say that they were in sympathy with the riot. They were in sympathy with the men on account of their wages being reduced.
By Mr. Yutzy:
Q. With the railroad strikers?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. But they were not opposed to the railroad company?
A. I do not know that, but it was just this way that the railroad men had their sympathy. Then there was another sympathy of the merchants to a certain extent with these men. They believed they were not paid right, and that the railroad company were not doing——
Q. Among what class of merchants?
A. Our better class.
Q. The entire classes?
A. No; but a portion of them.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was it sympathy with the strikers, or only prejudice against the railroad company?
A. I think they had sympathy and prejudice both.
Q. Do you think that any responsible portion of the people of Pittsburgh, whether laboring men or others, sympathized with the rioters after the difficulty had become a riot?
A. No; I think not. I would say here, that the responsible portion of the people of Pittsburgh were not in sympathy with the riot, but I would say, further, that it took a certain amount of riot to bring them to their senses. Something has been said in regard to seeing my solicitor. On Friday morning, I did see him at an early hour, and stated to him all I had done, and what I had done, and he advised me that I had done just exactly what he would have advised me to do. He stayed with me nearly all day Friday and Saturday. Before going up to Union depot in company with him, I walked down the street, looking for a posse to go along, and among other places we dropped in, was Air. Hampton's office. They two consulted, and both decided that I had acted in the right way. I am only satisfying you in regard to that. Those gentlemen, both, can be had at any time.
The following are the telegrams referred to in the foregoing testimony of Sheriff Fife:
Pittsburgh, July 19, '77.
To Hon. John Latta, Lieutenant Governor of Penn'a.:
I have forwarded the following dispatch to his Excellency Governor Hartranft, at Harrisburg. Learning that he is absent from the State, I forward it also to you for such action as you may deem your duty and powers render proper.
Signed R. H. Fife, Sheriff of Allegheny county.
Following is the dispatch above alluded to:
Pittsburgh, July 19, 1878.
Hon. John F. Hartranft, Governor of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg:
A tumult, riot, and mob exist on the Pennsylvania railroad at East Liberty and in the Twelfth ward of Pittsburgh. Large assemblages of people are upon the railroad, and the movement of freight trains, either east or west, is prevented by intimidation and violence, molesting and obstructing the engineers and other employés of the railroad company in the discharge of their duties. As the sheriff of the county, I have endeavored to suppress the riot, and have not adequate means at my command to do so, and I, therefore, request you to exercise your authority in calling out the military to suppress the same.
R. H. Fife, (Copy.) Sheriff of Allegheny county.
Beaver, Pa., July 20, 3:35, A.M.
R. H. Fife, Sheriff:
Your telegram received. I have telegraphed the Adjutant General.
M. S. Quay, Secretary Commonwealth.
Harrisburg, July 20, 2:11, A.M.
R. H. Fife, Sheriff Allegheny county Pa.:
Gen. Latta will be here in an hour, and means taken to assist you if necessary.
C. N. Farr, Jr., Private Secretary.
Harrisburg, July 20, 2:30, A.M.
R. H. Fife, Sheriff Allegheny county, Pa.:
The Constitution gives me no power to act in the matter. The Governor alone has the power. His law officer, Attorney General Lear, can be reached either at Harrisburg or Doylestown.
John Latta, Lieut. Gov.
Lancaster, Pa., 3:17, A.M.
R. H. Fife, Sheriff Allegheny county, Pa.:
Have ordered General Pearson to place a regiment on duty to aid you in suppressing disorder.
James W. Latta, (Copy.) Adjutant General.
Hugh Y. Boyce, sworn with the uplifted hand:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You were a deputy sheriff in July last?
A. Yes.
Q. You reside where?
A. No. 551 Fifth avenue.
Q. State to us what knowledge you have of the disturbance, and when it commenced—give us a statement of the facts?
A. Coming in on Friday morning, from attending a sale, I met the sheriff and General Pearson, on Grant street or on Liberty street. I told the sheriff I was going to the office, and I asked where he was going, and he said he was going out the Pennsylvania railroad a short distance. I asked him if he wished me to go along, and he said he did. Then the sheriff and Mr. Pitcairn and General Pearson and myself went to Torrens station. The sheriff there addressed the crowd, as also did General Pearson. They gave some good advice, but they took no notice of it.
Q. How did you go out?
A. On a locomotive.
Q. How large a crowd was there?
A. Five or six hundred—I couldn't tell.
Q. What class of people were there?
A. A pretty hard class.
Q. Railroad men?
A. Some were railroad men, but they were not all railroad men.
Q. What were they doing?
A. Standing in groups talking, on the railroad track, and by the side of the railroad track.
Q. Were you interfered with in going out?
A. No; except the crowd hallooed at us as we went along.
Q. How large a crowd was at Twenty-eighth street?
A. I cannot say that—perhaps four or five hundred.
Q. What response did those men make to the sheriff's admonitions?
A. They said they would have bread or blood.
Q. Anything else?
A. Nothing; but they used very bad language.
Q. They refused to disperse, did they?
A. Yes; General Pearson made a neat, handsome little speech to them, but they paid no attention to it, nor to the sheriff either.
Q. Did you return without any interference?
A. Yes.
Q. What occurred next?
A. The next was on Saturday. In the morning, sometime, the sheriff called me into the office, and told me to get up some men to report at the Pennsylvania railroad depot.
Q. Did you go?
A. Yes.
Q. How many were with you?
A. I think about fifteen or sixteen; I am not certain about that.
Q. Tell us what took place?
A. This was on Friday afternoon. We went out that afternoon to the depot. They wanted some assistance in moving some trains. After I went there, they concluded not to move any, and I returned to the office; and on Saturday I went again, with Constable James Richardson, probably about one o'clock.
Q. With how many men?
A. Seventeen or eighteen men?
Q. Who collected the men?
A. The most of them belonged to the sheriff's office.
Q. Did you try to collect a posse?
A. Yes; but I found it very hard work.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. You say it was hard work. Why?
A. Because the men didn't seem to be willing to give us their assistance.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What did they say when they were asked to go?
A. They said they would sooner go out and help the rioters.
Q. Did you get that response from any considerable number?
A. A few would answer in that way; others said that they had enough to do to attend to their own business.
Q. What class of men did you call on?
A. I called on citizens and on constables.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did any constables refuse to go?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. What excuse did they make?
A. They didn't wish to go out to get shot.
Q. What class of men said that they would sooner go out and help the rioters?
A. Well, laboring men.
Q. You say you called on constables and citizens. Citizens is a very broad term. Did you call on any professional men?
A. No.
Q. On business men?
A. Yes.
Q. What response did they make?
A. That they had to attend to their own business, and couldn't leave on account of it—it being a busy day on Saturday.
Q. You got to the depot about one o'clock?
A. I think so.
Q. Was any crowd about Union depot there?
A. Yes; and soldiers, too.
Q. Were there any riotous proceedings around the depot at that time?
A. Not at that time, but a crowd was there, but they didn't appear to be specially riotous at that time.
Q. Did you move down to Twenty-eighth street with the sheriff, ahead of the militia?
A. We did.
Q. You formed one of the sheriff's posse?
A. Yes.
Q. There were about sixteen of you?
A. About eighteen. There may have been more.
Q. Were you armed?
A. No; some of them had revolvers. I had one.
Q. You had no weapons in view?
A. No.
Q. What took place at Twenty-eighth street?
A. There was quite a large crowd of people there—rioters.
Q. What were they doing?
A. Talking, and hallooing, and making a great noise.
Q. Had they begun to destroy property in any way?
A. Not when we went there—at least not when I was there.
Q. What did the sheriff do?
A. The sheriff advised them to disperse and go home.
Q. Advised them or commanded them?
A. Commanded them.
Q. What response was made?
A. Nothing but vile language, and throwing stones, and brickbats, &c.
Q. Were those stones thrown at the sheriff's posse or at the militia?
A. Promiscuously—all around in that neighborhood.
Q. Did they hit any of the sheriffs posse?
A. Yes.
Q. Were any of them injured?
A. Not materially.
Q. Were any pistols fired?
A. Yes.
Q. How many shots were fired before the militia fired?
A. There may have been five or six.
Q. To what extent were the missiles thrown?
A. There was quite a shower of stones and brickbats.
Q. Was any command given to the militia to fire?
A. Not that I heard. I heard the command to charge bayonets, but no command to fire.
Q. Was the command to charge bayonets obeyed?
A. Yes.
Q. Did they drive back the crowd?
A. A very short distance.
Q. Did they drive them as long as they continued to charge?
A. Yes; they cleared the tracks.
Q. And drove them as far as they desired to?
A. I presume so, just at that time. Quite a number of the crowd—several of them—tried to take the muskets out of the hands of the soldiers.
Q. How did the firing by the militia commence—was it one shot—one shot or a volley?
A. One shot, and then another shot, and then two or three shots every second.
Q. A rattling volley?
A. Yes.
Q. Was it regular?
A. Yes.
Q. What effect did that have on the crowd?
A. It drove them away for the time being.
Q. Where did they assemble afterwards?
A. In different places down below Penn street and up on the hill.
Q. Did the crowd assemble between the depot and where the militia were then stationed?
A. I don't know.
Q. What became of you?
A. After the firing was over, probably three quarters of an hour, I came in Penn avenue.
Q. Did the posse remain together?
A. When the firing commenced we were standing immediately in front. It was too warm to stand there very long.
Q. Did the firing disperse the sheriff's posse, too?
A. Yes; it was a rather peculiar place to stand there.
Q. Do you know how many were killed there that evening?
A. I don't know the exact number now.
Q. Had you any knowledge of any pre-arranged purpose among those men to strike on that day?
A. I had not—only what you might judge from the crowds gathering there occasionally, at the corners, and on the railroad tracks, and different places.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was there any talk of striking among those men that gathered in crowds before the strike?
A. Yes; you could hear a great deal of talk about a strike, but nothing was said as to the time when it was going to take place.
Q. How long before this strike?
A. On Tuesday and Wednesday.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who was the talk among?
A. Among the laboring classes—among the men that worked in the mills, and the glass houses, &c., and railroad men.
Q. Did you hear it before the news of the strike on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad?
A. No.
Q. It was not until after that that you heard talk of striking?
A. No.
Q. Prior to that you had heard nothing that would lead you to believe there was an organization for the purpose?
A. No.
Q. That was the subject of conversation, I suppose, among all classes—to some extent?
A. Yes; it was.
Conrad Upperman, sworn with the uplifted hand:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. In Penn avenue, between Thirty-third and Thirty-fourth streets.
Q. What was your occupation?
A. I was night foreman in the round-house.
Q. Were you on duty on Thursday night?
A. I was.
Q. State whether there was any disturbance about the round-house on that night.
A. There was none about the round-house at all. The only disturbances there were, took place out on the track, about Twenty-eighth street.
Q. What kind of a disturbance was it?
A. The railroad men and the others were combined—but they were not doing anything, except standing there in groups.
Q. During the night was the crowd noisy and boisterous?
A. Somewhat.
Q. You were in sight of them?
A. I was among them nearly all the time. On Thursday night, between eight and nine o'clock, I attempted to get out an engine to haul some stock, and I thought it was useless to attempt it without first seeing whether they would allow us to haul it. Mr. Watt told me in the office that they would allow us to haul the stock; but when I got among them they didn't seem very favorable to allowing it. So we talked to them some time, and at last they agreed that we could haul the stock. I brought the engine out myself; but before I could get her across Twenty-eighth street four or five hundred called out to me and hallowed—called out to me to take her back; but I got her across Twenty-eighth street, and, after talking to them, they got quiet, and agreed that I could haul the stock, provided a committee could go on the engine to see that we would not haul anything else. I then got two engineers, one to fire the engine, and one to run it, and they took the stock up that night; but a little later in the night a Pan Handle train came along, and that raised a terrible howl there about the stock, and they cut the engine loose; but at last they let the stock go as far as Lawrenceville, and then we got an engine to haul it away. In fact, they went along on the train.
Q. What complaints did the men make in your conversations with them?
A. They complained about the double-headers; that they would take a great many of them off; that it would take their work away at any rate, and they thought they might as well fight it.
Q. Were you in the round-house on Saturday night?
A. I was.
Q. Were you present when the firing occurred on Saturday afternoon?
A. No; I went home at six o'clock in the morning to take some sleep. I then went to the round-house between seven and eight o'clock. When I got there the soldiers were just entering. After they had got themselves stationed there, it was not long until the outside parties commenced firing into the round-house.
Q. With what?
A. With musketry.
Q. The rioters?
A. Yes; between eleven and twelve o'clock that night. There was a board pile between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh streets, and a good many of them got in behind that, and they just rattled volley after volley into the round-house. I was standing there; but I thought it was too hot, and went to the other side. I then remained in the round-house until about twelve o'clock, and then told an officer that I would go out. He said I had better see General Brinton first, that I might do him some good. I saw General Brinton; but he had nothing to say, and I said nothing to him. I started to go out the back way of the carpenter shop; but there was a lot of rioters there, and we thought that it would not be safe, so we came on back to where the superintendent's office stood, and he proposed that I might go out the gate at Twenty-sixth street, and that he would tell his soldiers not to fire on me. The firing was going on at Twenty-sixth street. I got out then and went on home.
Q. Were you molested by the rioters?
A. Not then; but on Friday night or Saturday morning, between twelve and one o'clock, we were getting out two passenger engines to go east. It was not my business to know what the engines were going to haul. I got orders to get them out, and I went out in the street then and got two engineers and firemen, but a man came in and gave us to understand that the engines couldn't go, and I knew it was no use to argue the point with them, because there were four or five hundred of them there on Twenty-eighth street.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was that man a railroader?
A. Not at that time. I believe he had been suspended. He is in the work-house now. Then we had two engines coming west on the fast line that same night, and we cut one engine off and took the accommodation engine at Wall's, and let the accommodation engine bring the train in, and let the other engine go back to Altoona; but we found they had her blocked. I went to Twenty-eighth street, and they were pretty noisy at that time. Some of them came to me, and asked what kind of a hand I was taking in the matter. I told them I was not taking any more hand in it than I ought to, and they told me if I didn't get out right quick they would shoot me so full of holes that I couldn't get away. I found it was pretty hot, and I got away. On Friday morning, when the troops came there, there was not over twenty or thirty men at Twenty-eighth street. They seemed to go away, but after that, of course, they commenced gathering in groups, and I noticed the troops were not there very long until they were among them themselves. I noticed that morning, before I went home, that they were walking together in the street, our own men and the soldiers. I thought there was no use for those soldiers there.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What morning was that?
A. Saturday morning.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. What troops were those?
A. The Pittsburgh troops. I was there Thursday night and Friday night and Saturday night until one o'clock.
Q. At Twenty-eighth street, were the same men there all the time from Thursday until Saturday—until the firing of the troops?
A. Yes; they were nearly about the same crowd. Of course, the crowd increased. On Friday night four or five thousand of them were there, but the crowd was orderly, and I never saw them molest anybody unless you wanted to do something—then they would drive you back.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Would it have been possible for the police to have made any arrests at that time?
A. I went out and looked at the crowd. I looked over the crowd and I thought if there were any police there they could have arrested the whole of them.
Q. Could a force of fifty good police have dispersed the mob?
A. They could on Thursday afternoon, when the first double-header was stopped. I think only about from twenty to twenty-five men were interfering with that train at all. It was just this way: I stood and looked on, but I had nothing to do with it. It was daylight, and I was on at night. There were four police on each engine, and a road foreman was on an engine, and the engineers and firemen, but they didn't seem to pull her out. I didn't see anybody with anything in their hands, but was informed that there were parties with links and pins in their hands, ready to throw in case they did start.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Do you know of any engineers or firemen being driven off their engines when there were policemen with them on the train?
A. I cannot say that I do. They got off, though.
Q. Did the police get off too?
A. They did, yes.
Q. You didn't see them driven off?
A. No, they hooted and hallooed a good bit.
Q. They got off—no links were thrown and no assaults were made?
A. Not when I was looking.
Q. How many police were on the engines?
A. Four on the first, and I think four on the second.
Q. They got off on account of the threats?
A. That is the only reason I would know for their getting off.
C. A. Fife, sworn with uplifted hand:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You are the son of Sheriff Fife?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you in the sheriff's office on Thursday, the 19th of July?
A. Yes.
Q. Was there any call upon the sheriff during that day for assistance in putting down the disturbance at Twenty-eighth street?
A. Not during that day, I do not think.
Q. During the evening?
A. I believe so, but I was not home.
Q. You were not out with him?
A. No.
Q. Were you out with him on Friday?
A. I was at Union depot on Friday.
Q. Was there any disturbance there?
A. No, sir.
Q. Were you out on Saturday?
A. Yes.
Q. At what time?
A. I was there when the militia went out, in the afternoon.
Q. Were you a member of the sheriff's posse?
A. Yes.
Q. Tell us what occurred there?
A. We walked into the crowd. The crowd would open for us to walk in, and then close around us.
Q. At what point was that?
A. Twenty-eighth street.
Q. The militia were immediately in your rear.
A. Yes.
Q. What did the sheriff say to the crowd?
A. He asked them to disperse.
Q. What response did they make?
A. I cannot say that. They hooted, and hallooed, and used vile language, and threw stones.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. They did not disperse?
A. No.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who were the stones thrown at?
A. Both at the militia and us, but I cannot say exactly.
Q. Were any guns or pistols fired at you?
A. I heard pistol shots, but cannot say who they were fired at.
Q. Before the firing from the soldiers?
A. Yes.
Q. Was there any command given to fire?
A. Not that I heard.
Q. Where were you during Saturday night, after the shooting?
A. I was around through town here—no place in particular.
Q. Were you at your home?
A. Yes; then I was out on the hill above Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Was there anybody that offered violence to you?
A. No.
Q. Was any attempt made to burn the house of the sheriff?
A. I did not see anybody there, but I heard that there had been parties at the house.
Q. You saw nobody there?
A. I did not get home until near morning. I was out on the hill at Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Were any threats made that you heard?
A. I did not hear any, but I heard of them.
Q. Did you assist on Saturday in raising that posse?
A. I tried to get some parties.
Q. What efforts did you make?
A. I asked several parties to go out with us.
Q. What replies did you get?
A. I was refused wherever I asked anybody.
Q. What class of men did you call on?
A. I do not exactly remember now who I did ask—parties I would see around the court-house.
Q. You did not succeed in getting anybody?
A. No.
At this point the committee adjourned until to-morrow morning, at ten o'clock.
Orphans' Court Room, Pittsburgh, Tuesday, February 12, 1878.
Pursuant to adjournment, the committee re-assembled at ten o'clock, A.M., this day, and continued the taking of testimony.
The first witness examined was:
Alexander E. McCandless, sworn with the uplifted hand:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. On Centre avenue, in this city.
Q. What is your profession?
A. I am a physician.
Q. State whether you were connected with the fire department last July?
A. I was a fire commissioner.
Q. What are the duties of the fire commissioners?
A. They are elected by city councils to take care of the fire department, and to elect the force, and to run it, and they have general supervision over the expenditure of the money.
Q. Do they control the movements of the fire department in case of a fire?
A. We have a chief engineer for that purpose.
Q. What was done by the fire department during the riot for the purpose of protecting the city or railroad companies' property from fire?
A. The first alarm of fire was struck about eleven o'clock on Saturday night, after the cars were set fire to. The fire department responded as soon as the alarm was struck, and started out to the fire, No. 7 engine, I believe, being the first on the way. At that time, I was on top of the hill overlooking the outer depot. I heard the alarm struck, and I heard the engine start, and then I heard the shouts of the mob, and could hear the gong of the engine as it was running. I then heard the engine stop, and could hear the oaths of the men all distinctly. Afterwards I went down into the crowd, and as the other engines came up, I saw them stopped by the mob there, who swore that if we did lay any hose, they would cut the hose, and shoot the drivers, and all that kind of a thing. The mob would not allow the fire department to put a drop of water on the company's property, and all that night we did not get to throw any. The following night when private property caught fire they allowed us to throw water on it, and did not interfere.
Q. Was private property protected pretty generally?
A. As well as it could be done, but it was so extensive that we could not protect it altogether; we had the force of the fire department cut down on account of the appropriations not being sufficient to run it a short time before that, and the result was that we were short of men.
Q. Was the private property fired by the mob, or did it catch from the railroad company's fire?
A. I cannot state that of my own knowledge.
Q. What seemed to be the disposition of the mob?
A. They were wild—perfectly mad, and appeared to want to burn everything or anything, especially the railroad property.
Q. This is Saturday night you speak of?