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
Then Mr. Henry
took the engine and run one round trip, when Mr. Blender took her. But
before this, I was to go to Lawrenceville to take a train down to find
a committee of men to have a conference about the thing. Mr. Garrett
got on the engine. I asked where I was to go at East Liberty. John
Shires and McCullough, who were on, were both of this committee, and
Mr. Garrett told me that these parties wanted to go down for this
conference. Shires spoke up and said, we will give you orders where we
want you to go--we are running this road now. In fact I did not know
who was running it. I had nothing to say. Five or six more parties got
on, and we came to Pittsburgh. Shires gave me orders to go on down.
Things went on so all that week. No train went out until the following
Sunday, when I was ordered to take the yard engine at Torrens, and load
some stock.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Who was Shires?
A. He was a conductor on a shifting engine at that time. On Sunday we
loaded some stock at Torrens I took the engine that usually did that
work. Nobody was on her. I examined the fire and water, and found all
right, and went to move the engine, when the engineer that had been on
her came up and asked me what I was going to do. I said I had orders to
run this engine. He said, I am running this engine. I said all right,
and got off, and reported to Mr. Whetman. He said that the man had
refused to move the stock; but said he would move passenger cars. He
was not willing to move stock. He went down to the man and talked to
him; but it appeared it had no effect. He would not do it. He came back
and said, I want you to take that engine. I went down and tried to
persuade the man. He was a man of family, and I thought he had better
sense. I said to him this thing is all broken up, and it was a mistake
from the start. This stock ought to be loaded, and I said you are
taking revenge out of innocent parties. I said I don't know who will
provide for your family if you are out of work, and I am confident if
you won't work now they won't give you work when you want it. He said
they would have to take him. He would not take the stock, so I took the
engine and loaded the stock.
Q. Did they resist?
A. No; I had no crew then; so Mr. Scott, the agent at the stock-yards,
and Mr. Gummey, volunteered to couple the cars and do the work. So he,
and I, and Mr. Scott did the work. We loaded three or four double
trains that afternoon.
Q. What class of men were engaged in the riot when it first broke out?
A. Well, so far as I know, I think it was caused by one man only
refusing to go out--the flagman of that train.
Q. Of what train?
A. Of the eight-forty.
Q. On Thursday morning?
A. Yes; and I think the rest fell in kind of spontaneously as they came
in off the road.
Q. Have you been able to gather anything from the men, showing that
they had a pre-arranged plan for a strike that morning?
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