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
A. My impression is that it was started with the reduction in pay--the
order for it. The order for double-headers affected only the
Pennsylvania railroad, but, that for the reduction in pay was
general--affecting all the roads.
Q. Have you succeeded in gathering any facts from the men, or from any
reliable source, to show whether or not there was any understanding
among the men on Thursday morning, in relation to a general strike?
A. I have not, but from my observation, I should think the thing was
not understood at all. It was started by one crew and the others
gradually came in.
Q. Can you give us the names of the parties for whom the warrants were
issued?
A. I cannot now. It is a matter of record in this court-house. I think
they were bench warrants.
Q. What reply did the mayor make to the telegram that was sent calling
for fifty more policemen?
A. I do not know of a reply of any description. If there had been any
reply made it would have come to Mr. Watts. I signed his name.
Q. Explain to us the condition of the crowd at three o'clock on Sunday
afternoon, when the orders were given to form this junction between
Brinton's men and Colonel Roger's men--the crowd about the depot, and
from that point out to Lawrenceville?
A. I went out on this side of the city. I did not pass up the railroad.
At the Union depot, when I was there, there was a crowd of half drunken
men and women dragging and hauling away every sort of plunder they
could lay their hands on. I saw nobody that claims respectability among
the crowd committing any depredation. Of course there were some lookers
on.
Q. Was the riot still progressing--was the plundering and burning still
going on?
A. It was at its heights. The fire was then at the east end of the
shed, at the Union depot, and by the time I crossed the Ewalt street
bridge I looked back and saw the elevator in flames. After that it
burned all the way down to Seventh avenue. They were still burning and
destroying property and carrying things away.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What kind of property?
A. For instance, I saw a woman dragging a sack of salt, another woman a
bag of flour in a wheelbarrow, and a great many others carrying leaf
tobacco, and some rolling tierces of lard--railroad goods in
general--the products of the west going east.
Q. Was it all railroad property?
A. Yes.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Freight?
A. Yes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Can you tell us whether, at that time, there was any reason to
apprehend further destruction of property, not only of the railroad
company, but of the city itself?
A. There were certainly such reasons. It looked then as if half the
city would be burned.
Q. State whether or not you recognized any of the train men among the
crowd assembled at Twenty-eighth street?
A. At what time?
Q. On Saturday, I refer to particularly, but at any time during the
progress of the riot?
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