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. I think he is, although he is not employed at present. I paid no
attention to the threats. I asked what would be the consequence if I
did go out, and he said that I would get my neck broke. I smiled. I told
him I did not know--that it was pretty hard to break, as it was short
and thick. I went on to Lawrenceville with the engine and crew. We
carry four men on that train. It is a train that does a great deal of
work, and we require two flagmen. There was a great deal of work to be
done on that train, as it is a double train, and we take local traffic.
At Lawrenceville I started to go down the track, when the conductor and
crew left the engine. I said, boys are you not going out? They
concluded not to go out, that they did not want to be black sheep. I
told them that I did not know that the double-header business
interfered with us, and it was only a question of double-headers, so
far as I knew. Nevertheless, they concluded not to go out. I then took
the engine down, and reported that there was no crew to go out. This
was about eleven o'clock on Thursday morning. In the meantime, there
was some scuffling about there. I saw men rush back and forward, and
there were some policemen there. I did not know what the trouble was,
and went down to make some inquiries from Mr. Fox. I asked what the
matter was, and was told that they were trying to arrest a man that had
struck Mr. Watt. They had got hold of him, but he was limber as an eel.
The engine was taken into the round-house. About two or three o'clock
that afternoon, an attempt was made to take the double train out--what
is called the Union Line. Conductor France was to take it out. He asked
me what to do about the matter. I said he ought to judge for
himself--you know your business--but, if I were you, I would attempt to
take the train out, and if they won't let you, then you have done your
duty. He is a rather bold, brave fellow, and sometimes would go further
than other men would. He said, I have got shooting-irons, and if they
stop me I may hurt somebody. They coupled up the train, but they were
stopped at the lower round-house. There were some parleying there, and
some difficulty. A crowd was there, of twenty or thirty or forty,
stretched along from Twenty-sixth to Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Who were this crowd?
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