The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-07-27
Conflict Between the Militia
and Strikers at Pitts
burgh.
Frightfill Scenes of Violence and
BlOOdShed.
Vast Destruction of Valuable Railroad
Property---Nearly Fifty
People Killed

elimination at Pittsburgh, Pa, on Saturday,
July 81, an attack on the military sent from
Philadelphia resulting in the killing and wound
ing of a large number of persons, many Of
them being innocent parties. From the volu-
minous accounts Of the affair telegraphed to
the daily press we CLEAN the following particr-
lars Eighteen carloads of military arrived in
Pittsburgh at l p. m, and soon after went to
the crossing of the Pennsylvania rail-
road at Twenty-eighth street, where
the round-house is located. The
home militia was then on hand and there was
not the slightest disorder. After the military
had been placed in charge Sheriff Fife came on
the scene with posse of fifty men to arrest the
ringleaders The Black Hussars, of Philadel-
phia were ordered to move the crowd from in
front of the Sheriff, and the trouble then be-
gan. The Fourteenth regiment, of Pittsburgh
was guarding the battery, and as the Sheriff
advanced a volley of stones fell into the ranks
The order to fire was now given, and the Black
Hussars began firing into the crowd of people
on the hillside instead of at the men in front of
them. The shots were returned from the hill
side, and several volleys followed.
Fourteen men were killed and sixteen wound
ed, many Of them innocent parties. The home
militia did not fire gun, but dropped on their
faces, and when they arose the crowd had be-
come panlc-stricken and were fleeing Two
volleys are said to have been fired after the re-
treating people by the Philadelphia soldiers,
one of whom was killed. Two members of the
home military were killed, and one child was
killed and two injured. 1t is claimed that the
shooting was unjustifiable, and the members
of the Fourteenth Pittsburgh regiment laid
down their arms and returned to the city.
There was intense excitement over what was
regarded by the strikers and their sympathizers
as a cruel and needless slaughter of innocent
people, and by o'clock in the evening fear
full mob, numbering from 5000 to 10000, had
assembled in the vicinity of the round-house,
in which the 400 Philadelphia militia had taken
refuge. A portion of the mob returned to the
central part of the city, raded several gun
shops, Quilted them of their arms and ammuni-
tion and returned TO the round-house.
They passed down Fifth avenue, headed
by fife and drum, yelling, hooting and
firing off guns, and creating the widest
excitement. AT q later hour another mob Wis
tied the Great Western Gun Works and threat
ened to clean it out. They wanted arms to re-
venge the death of the citizens Of the city.
The police offered resistance, but it was consid-
cred to be useless, and guns, pistols, etc., we're
furnished. The mob then broke into the arm
DRY and stole Knapp's battery. Gallinger's
! pawn-ehop was next visited and Quilted, and
$500 worth of guns, etc., stolen. Browns ex-
tensive establishment on Wood street was next
visited by 5000 of the mob, and every gun and
! shooting-iron available carried off.
Two or three thousand of the mob were by
this time supplied with arms, and they began
to lay siege to the round-house. A large mum
Der of shots were fired, the militia returning
the fire. An oil train near by was fired, and
the flames ragged with great fury The fire was
soon communicated to other trains, and the
lurid glare caused by the destruction Of rail-
way property Lit up the entire city. A constant
fusilade was kept up all night between besieged
and besiegers. The latter dared not venture
out after food or drink. An effort was made to
! convey supper to the men, but 1t was destroyed
in an instant by the rioters, and all communi-
/ cation, telegraph and otherwise with the i'm
| proyised fort WAS cut Off
! The imprisoned militia were surrounded by
at least 1000 desperate men crying aloud for
| their blood, and vowIng that not one should
escape alive. The excitement was terrible TO
! behold. No such scene was ever witnessed in
! this country before. To add to the horror of
| the scene, the rioters applied the torch to
large oil train, and the light from the flames
/ lit up the entire city. The fire communicated
! to other cars, and soon 200 or 800 of them were
reduced to ashes. Many of these trains were
laden with valuable goods, and the loss from
this source is estimated at 100000. Many
| Of the cars burned were loaded with grain
and general merchandise. Thieves piled
their vocation during the night with
| untiring industry. Trunks containing
! fine clothing, silks, laces and other goods were
burst open, and their contents appropriated.
| Flour, hams, fruit and other eatables we're car
ried OFF in immense quantities. Scarcely soul
| in the whole town slept during the night. Such
excitement has never been known in this part
of the country, and old army officers say that
the bowling crowd and the peculiarities of the
situation conspired to present an aspect never
rivaled by the horrors of war; The streets
were filed with women wringing their hands in
despair and shrielIing piteously for their hus-
bands, sons or fathers, who were In the riot.
The crowd itself was largely composed of
women who, in their frenzied fear for their
relatives, made the horrible night hideous with
! their lamentations and waiings.
Ameng the killed outright by the militia were
q number Of women, over whose bloody bodies
friends knelt in the very agony of despair,
sometimes calling upon them for word, and
again urging the crowd to seek double venge-
ance for the outrage, as they term it, The
mangled bodies of children shot down while
clinging to the garments Of their crazed moth
ers Marked too, the terrors OF the night, and
wrought the crowd to pitch untamable and
| Undesirable.
1t should not be inferred that the rioters
were oil railroad men or strikers. Iron-work-
ers, stevedores, miners, thieves, thugs from
! Baltimore, and tramps from the surrounding
country, poured In to swell the mob, generally
| leaving the fighting to railroad men and devot-
ing their own attention to plumber.
The hills overlooking the track and the now.
famous round-house were jammed with people,
maddened by the excitement OF the night and
| clamoring for vengeance for the friends they
had lost under the murderous fire OF the SOL
diery Men with pallid, distorted faces rushed
hither and thther, their hands clenched and
their teeth set. The strike was not thought of.
passionate hatred for the men who had op-
posed them, and hellish desire TO root out the
soldiers had taken possession of the original
strikers, and, reckless Of any and all conse-
quences, they struggled only to work some ter
rlble damage to their opponents.
This feeling was aided by the disaffection
OF the local militia, and the manifest sympa-
tsy on the part OF citizens generally for the
men who claim to have been interrupted by
foreign Intervention while fighting for their
rights.
But 10 return TO the siege of the round
house. The mob, at about o'clock in the
evening, commenced firing into the building.
The militiamcn returned the fire with fatal
effect. AT each volley from the besieged build
ing some of the rioters fell, and a scream OF
rage went up, and the anger Of the crowd
knew no bounds. constant fusiade was kept
up between the militia and portion of the
Fiiters until far into the small hours of the