Report of the Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877: Read in the Senate and House of Representatives May 23, 1878Pennsylvania. General Assembly. Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877
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Report of the Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877: Read in the Senate and House of Representatives May 23, 1878
Pennsylvania. General Assembly. Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877
number of strikers got in front, and signaled it to stop, when it
commenced moving. One of the engineers whistled down brakes, and the
train stopped. There was some wrangling there, and the engineer of the
forward engine, a man named Woodward, got off the engine, and was
immediately greeted with cheers by the crowd, and made a hero of. I had
an engagement at the house then, and left. I did not return until the
next morning. The next morning I found the crowd still at Twenty-eighth
street, and the condition of the yard the same as the night before. No
trains had been moved. About eleven o'clock, a committee of employés at
the transfer station came to the office, and informed us that they
intended to strike, unless the ten per cent. was restored. We told them
we could only submit their demand to those in authority over us, that
we had no function in the matter at all. The committee retired to
discuss the matter with their fellow workmen. About twelve o'clock,
perhaps a little before, a committee from the strikers--a committee of
brakemen, I am told--I was not present at the time--came to the men,
and made a speech to them, and told them if they would strike, they
would protect them, and guarantee places after the strike was over. A
majority of our men then went with this committee that came down in the
direction of Twenty-eighth street. I remained on the platform, and saw
such of the men as I could, and I found those I talked with were
opposed to striking, and ready to go to work; and one by one the men
who had gone off with the committee returned, or a number of them.
These men said they were led into the thing against their wishes and
judgment, and that they were ready to work. Of course, they did not
like the reduction, but they must work if they could get it. I told
them to leave their names with the foreman, directed him to take them,
and told them as soon as they had given their names to return to their
homes, and that as soon as we wanted them we would send for them. Our
work, of course, had stopped with the stopping of the trains. I
remained about the office until four o'clock in the afternoon, and then
went to the Union depot. I there met Mr. Pitcairn, and he requested me
to remain with him. Shortly after my arrival there, I found that a
section of artillery and a portion of the Nineteenth regiment had
reported for duty. The Eighteenth regiment, under Colonel Guthrie, I
had seen going east on a passenger train, about noon, on the way, I
ascertained, to Torrens station. Breck's two guns and the Nineteenth
regiment were ready for orders. We started out Liberty street. After we
had gone a square or so, we halted, and I heard Senator Scott, and Mr.
Thaw, and Mr. Cassatt, and Mr. Pitcairn, and General Pearson in
consultation. Certain of these gentlemen deprecated the movement of the
troops at that time, thinking that the number was not sufficient to
meet the strikers then at Twenty-eighth street, and fearing a
precipitation of the conflict.
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