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 might state upon that subject, that upon Saturday afternoon, while
the officers of the western lines were in Allegheny City, a committee
of citizens--at least a committee appointed at a citizens' meeting--a
representative of Bishop Twigg--one of his clergymen, whose name I do
not recollect--and Reverend Mr. Scoville, of the Presbyterian Church,
and James I. Bennett, came to see what we could do in the way of
suppressing the riot, and asking that some concession should be made to
the men on the road. We replied to them substantially, that so far as
the railroad company was concerned, we thought the mob had done about
its worst. This was when the Union depot was burning--at least Mr. Thaw
and I were on the hill a short time before, and saw the fire so near
that we supposed it was then burning. We said it had now ceased to be a
question between the railroad company and the employés, and was one
between the public authorities and the mob, between government and
anarchy, and that so far as we had anything to do with the question, we
were now in an utterly defenseless position, and we thought, being in
that position, if we were to make the concessions which had been
demanded in the beginning, we would be breaking down the only barrier
between anarchy and their property, and that now the question for the
citizens to determine was whether they would make any effort to stop
that lawlessness which would next reach them after it had spent its
fury on the railroad company. So far as the efforts to stop the rioting
by negotiations or compromising with the men were concerned, I had no
direct connection with them. That occurred between others--friends of
the road, the general management, and the representatives of the
men--and I knew of them only in a general way, from hearing what was
said by the officers, which was substantially, that while the men were
in the position of law breakers, and holding control of the company's
property, we could not yield to the demands extorted by that kind of
violence; but that, if things were restored to their normal condition,
the company was perfectly willing to meet the men, and negotiate with
them in regard to this matter just as in regard to any other
difference.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Upon this Thursday you speak of, you say you found, at a certain
stage, that the road was in possession of the mob--substantially a
mob--that then you went to the sheriff, and then, with him, to the
depot, and found General Pearson there. Now, can you state to us who
called for, or who sent for the militia--who called upon the State
Government?
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