Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-07-28
A Committee of Clergymen Walt IN
the Rioters but Fail to Induce
Them TO Reform from Riot
and Robbery.
The Chief Destruction Done by
Roughs Who were not
Railroad Men.
The Mob Returns the Fire Of the
Troops, Several Of whom are
Killed in the Streets,

Machine Shops, DcpOtS, R0und.hOnseS,
on ICES and Locomotives ofthc Com.
pany Given TO the Flames.
PIrrsBUBG, Pa, July 22.--The crisis
Of the railway strike in this CITY, as in.
dictated in these dispatches Of Saturday
night, was reached Yesterday afternoon
about five O'clock, when the Phil
adclphia troops vino had been sent
here to suppress the strikers fired upon
the crowd. The terribly fatal ef.
fccts Of the shots fired by the troops
exaspcratcd the citizens as well az the
strikers, and in less than an hour thou,
sands Of ~workingmen from the rolling
mills, coal mines, and various manutaCt-
ing establishments, hurried to the scene
OF the conflict, determined to have re-
vcugc on the troops and railway officials.
1t was stated that General Pearson, com
mander Of the sixth division Of the State
Guards, had directed the troops 10
FIRE before any resistance had been made,
and the fact that many Of those killed
and wounded had gathered on the hill.
side merely as spectators, served to in
crease the bitterness Of the crowd. By
eight o'clock in the evening mob: were
moving about the city in various direc-
tons,
sACKISG STORES TO SECURE ARMS,
breaking into the armories Of the militia.
~ companies and preparing themselye.
to execute the threa+s freely expressed Of
mas.acreing the entirdPhiladelphia com
pany. by this time the military had
withdrawn from the railroad crossing
at Twenty eight street, where the first
conflict took place, and were ordered
to one Of the rOund-hOuses, where
they could find better protection.
About ten O'Clock in the evening a mob
numbering several thousand had congre-
gated ab,ut the round house, They had
previously captured the guns belonging
10 HutchiR-on'- battery, a local organi-
cation, and placed them 50 rs TO command
the rorh1d.hou.e. Several solid shots
were fired at the building and a breach
was made in the walls, but when the in
mriatcd mob attempted 70 rush into
the building the military we're ordered
to fire. The volley Of ~musketry which
followed and the rumor that the Calling
guns had been brought into TequisitioT
caused a panic, and the mob fled precipi
lately for several squares, the military
meanwhile keeping up a fusilade. The
rioters, however were soon treasured
and az thousands were tlocking to thei.
assistance they returned TO the attack
Finding it difficult TO dislodge tn,
military from the building, they resolved
to burn them out. An order TO this ef
feet was issued, and WAS carried into exc
cution with a iendish a~lacrity by tn.
rioters. Az a consequence Of the block
adc, which had existed tor two days, tn
sidings on the outer depot yards, as we
AZ those extending eastward some thre
or four miles, were crowded with ireigh
cars flied with grain, produce an
merchandise Of all kinds, besides which
number Of ladcned oil.Cake and coal cal
were piled up in the mass. While a POI
ton Of the mob surrounded the buildin
in which the military had taken reiug,
large bodies proceeded to
SET FIRE TO THE OIIrCARs,
and in a moment the huge volumes
black smoke rolled upward, followed
Ilyid flames reaching out in every dire
ton, told that the work Of destructic
had commenced. The flames seemed
literally craze the rioters, some of who
rushed wildly about with flaming torch
in their hands, applying them to Il
cars Unfortunately. An alarm W
sounded and the fire departmel
promptly responded, but the rioters. wi
had complete control of the city, refuse
to permit them to make any effort
extinguish the flames. They said thu
were determined to destroy the railroi
company's property, but would do no j
jury to that belonging to private either
They kept their word, too, for when
lumher.pile belonging to a citizen to,
fire, the rioters turned in and help
to %extinguish the flames and remove I
lumber to a safe place. Train after ira
was fired by the Infatuated crowd, b
the cars were so far distant from I
round house that the heat did not re
Ously affect the military, although thu
position was one of peril. Finally
large number Of strikers captured a {
filled with cake which they run fro
the Allegheny Valley railroad ira
to a siding connecting wi
the Pennsylvania railroad .Th
then procured large quantities
petroleum oil, and pouring it over t
cake. ignited the materials. In a We
few moments the car wal a mass of fl
and it was then pushed along the ira
and forced against the rourd,house. I
building was soon ignitcd, and the s
diers were now compelled to prepare
fight their way out through the irenz
mass of humanity Clamori
for their blood. The build
did not turn as rapidly as '
desired, and the mob, bent on reven
rushed out TO the road and sent the bu
ing trains toward the doomed buildin
From midnight until five o'clock t
morning the main efforts of the Gro
were directed to firing the buildings a
cars, but about halt an hour later
mob which had been besiegiDgthe militia
left for some unexplained reason. This
c1orded the troops, who were in actual d
gef Of being roasted alive, an opportun
10 emerge from the building, and I'll
succeeded iD reaching Liberty street
a very few moments. They quicl
formed in line and marehedup TO Thir
third street, and thence to P~ennsylval
avenue and Butler street. Their obj
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