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. The trains that should have left between eight and nine o'clock.
Q. A freight train?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. That was prevented from leaving?
A. The crew on that train would not go out.
Q. It was not the crowd that prevented that first train from leaving?
A. I was not there.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Could you have got back any sooner?
A. No.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You say the crew of that train would not go out. Were they
discharged then when they refused to obey orders?
A. After I got home, I had too little control, and wanted to get along
as well as I could.
Q. Do you know what your officers did when that crew refused to go?
A. I understood that they had either to go out or be discharged.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. I was endeavoring to ascertain the first time that the crowd
interfered?
A. I was not here, but you can get that testimony if you want it.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Can you give any idea of the loss to property that occurred through
this riot?
A. No; not of my own knowledge. I have no idea. The bills are coming in
every day.
Q. About what was it in round numbers--the loss sustained by the
company?
A. I have my own idea.
Q. Who can give us the figures?
A. I suppose our controller or one of the vice presidents could give
them as estimated up to to-day.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. How many cars and engines did you lose?
A. We lost one hundred and four engines, and about sixteen hundred
cars.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. The engines would average what?
A. I do not think the engines are all re-built yet.
Q. The cars are about how much?
A. About $800 a piece.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. On the freight cars could any of the iron be re-placed?
A. I might say no. Of course, occasionally, a wheel or two might be an
exception, but none could be used again.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Who is your controller?
A. R. W. Downing, of Philadelphia.
Q. He can give us an approximate estimate?
A. He or one of our vice presidents.
By Mr. Engelbert:
Q. You were here when the troops arrived from Philadelphia?
A. Yes; I saw all the movements of the troops.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Tell us now the movements of the troops, the Pittsburgh troops
first, and then the Philadelphia troops?
A. The Pittsburgh troops--most of them--were moved at night. One
regiment was moved or went up the hill east from here on the arch of
the hill, and then came down on Twenty-eighth street, so as to come
down on the crowd.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. When was this?
A. On Saturday morning. General Pearson ordered the battery to be taken
up to the same place. It was loaded in the cars at the Union depot, and
I was requested to move it up about two or three o'clock in the
morning, to get there when the troops would be there. About two and one
half or three o'clock, I had just gone to bed when they told me that
they would not take the gondolas with the guns up.
Q. The men would not?
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