Report of the Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877: Read in the Senate and House of Representatives May 23, 1878 — John Shaqi
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
History
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
that any attempt at a riot could have been met and quelled at once. It
was rumored that the mob had broken, or was going to break, into the
armory and get the guns (about forty) stored there, and the mayor at
once sent and had the guns all removed to a place of safety. It was
also rumored that the mob from Pittsburgh intended to come over into
Allegheny City, and destroy the railroad property there, and the mayor
had the bridges all guarded by armed men, with two field pieces at the
principal ones, which he was enabled to get, and there being no balls
with them, he caused them to be loaded with square iron burs, an inch
or so in size.
The city had fifty-five policemen, and these were kept on duty as much
of the time as it was possible for men to be out, and no opportunity
was given any of the Pittsburgh mob to cross over to Allegheny.
At the time it was alleged that the Pittsburgh mob was coming to
Allegheny City, to destroy the property of the railroad company there,
an arrangement was made with Ammon and his men to take the freight cars
out of the city, which was accordingly done, and ten miles of cars were
hauled out from the city some miles, and stowed away on the side
tracks, until the troubles were over, when the same men brought them
back and turned them over, in good order, to the railroad authorities.
It was also arranged with Ammon and his men, that as long as the men
behaved themselves and protected the property of the company, no
soldier should be brought there to interfere with them, and if, at any
time, they found themselves unable to preserve the peace and take care
of the property, they were to notify the mayor, who would then furnish
a force to preserve order. The mayor also, at the commencement of the
troubles, sent his policemen around to notify the saloon-keepers, and
others, to close their bars, and sell no strong drink to any one, and
afterwards sent the force around to see that the order was obeyed.
Although not legally binding, the order was very generally observed,
and no trouble was experienced on account of the crowd using strong
drink. The mayor had notices posted throughout the city that, if
necessity required it, ten taps of the bell was to be the signal for
the general assembling of the citizens at a given place for defense,
which signal, fortunately, was not required to be given.
Mayor Phillips considered himself as the chief peace officer of the
city, and if the sheriff or military had been called on for assistance,
he did not consider either or both superseded him, but that it would
have been his duty to have cooperated with them to the full extent of
his power.
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