A short history of Pittsburgh : 1758-1908 — John Shaqi
A short history of Pittsburgh : 1758-1908Church, Samuel Harden
History
A short history of Pittsburgh : 1758-1908
Church, Samuel Harden
Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- History
The Committee of Public Safety, appointed at the meeting of
citizens held at the Chamber of Commerce July 23d, deeming that the
allaying of excitement is the first step toward restoring order,
would urge upon all citizens disposed to aid therein the necessity
of pursuing their usual avocation, and keeping all their employees
at work, and would, therefore, request that full compliance be
accorded to this demand of the committee. The committee are
impressed with the belief that the police force now being organized
will be able to arrest and disperse all riotous assemblages, and
that much of the danger of destruction to property has passed, and
that an entire restoration of order will be established. The
committee believe that the mass of industrious workmen of the city
are on the side of law and order, and a number of the so-called
strikers are already in the ranks of the defenders of the city, and
it is quite probable that any further demonstration will proceed
from thieves and similar classes of population, with whom our
working classes have no affiliation and will not be found among
them.
It is to this end that the committee request that all classes of
business be prosecuted as usual, and our citizens refrain from
congregating in the streets in crowds, so that the police of the
city may not be confused in their effort to arrest rioters, and the
military be not restrained from prompt action, if necessary, from
fear of injuring the innocent.
While the rioters had by this time been somewhat restrained by the
resolute action of the committee, yet they were, although dispersed as
a body, holding meetings and still breathing sullen threats of further
outrage and murder. The strike had spread to the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne
& Chicago Railway, and its trains were for two or three days virtually
stopped; in other sections of the country the railroad troubles were
increasing, and the committee thought best to call Major-General Joseph
Brown and Colonel P. N. Guthrie, of the Eighteenth National Guards, into
consultation. Under their advice a camp of the military was formed at
East Liberty, to be held in readiness for any further outbreak. Mayor
McCarthy, at last inspirited by the determined men who urged him to his
duty, enrolled five hundred extra police, and issued a proclamation in
which he said:
I have determined that peace, order, and quiet shall be restored to
the community, and to this end call upon all good citizens to come
forward at once to the old City Hall and unite with the police and
military now organizing. I call upon all to continue quietly at
their several places of business and refrain from participating in
excited assemblages.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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