Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-11
. TN NEW HANDS.
The State I axes Charge
of JOhnStoWn'S Ruins
Tomorrow.
CITIZENS PERTURBED
They Fear They Are to Be
Placed Under Mar
tiaI Law.
HOW AFFAIRS WILL BE RUN
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT ]

IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
JoHNsTowN, June 1O.-The people of
JOhnstown do notfavor the change in govern
ment if the latter word can be used in this con-
nection, that will take place on Wednesday.
On that day the State will assume control
and irresponsible for the removal of debris,
burial of the dead, and the care of the sick
and living.
The general impression seems to prevail
that the town will be put under martial
law, and the change is not reIished by the
survivors. Chief of Police Hart voiced the
sentiments of many of the sufferers when he
said to-day: 81 do not approve of the change.
/ have no objection to the state removing the
debris and doing all the good it can, but
! have no desire to see the town placed
under military orders. As it is, the people
have suffered enough Indignities from the SOL
diers. Men, for example, who had lost friends
and property, asked to visit what was left of
their homes but the soldiers refused to allow
them to pass and they were ordered back. We
have done well enough so far, and we think we
are able, with the proper help, to govern our
selves. The sooner the military is removed and
respectable citizens allowed to go where they
please, as they do elsewhere as long as they
behave themselves, the faster the work of re-
suming Commercial, activity can be accom-
plished. Police authorities are sufficient to
guard the property"
Quite n Different View Of II.
On the other hand, Colonel ]. NJ. Schoonma-
ker, of Pittsburg said: ut is the proper thing
for the State to O'Clock after this town in its
present condition. 1t is the only thing that
could be done. 1 approve of the plan, and
think these fears of the people are needless
and groundless. This scheme has been devised
TO benefit the town and people, not to injure
them"
The trouble is that the people do not under
stand the nature of the change to be made.
Colonel John !. Rodgers Judge Advocate Gen
eral of the State, in lengthy interview this
afternoon, corrected number of erroneous
impressions and explained the State system in
detail. The Colonel is lawyer of repute, and
his opinion should be worth something.
Said he:
''ln the first place, the newspapers have made
. mistake all along in supposing this town has
been under martial law. This is not true
Martial law means that when the civil powers
are unable to maintain peace and Orderin cases
of riots, instructions, rebellions etc., the mil
itary is called out to do it. Then men can be
arrested without warrants and similar acts can |
be committed under law. But the laws have
never been suspended in JohnsJown. The
courts and Offices of magistrates have never
been closed, and even now a man cannot be |
held without warrant and information. |
General Wiley asked me the other day if his
men could destroy the whisl1yin the town. l re-
piled that he should not use violence or inter-
fere with the rights of the people; he might
take the whisky and keep it safe if the saloon
were willing. but under no circumstances
he threaten them; he could go no
II, and 1t was better plan to persuade
people to close their grog shops at pres
For the Good of the Town,
- an effort would be made in the courts to
revoke their licenses. The Fourteenth Regi-
ment is here in no official capacity. They have
come out Of charity. andsas volunteers, to lend
the police of Johnstown all the assistance they
could These boys are here spending their
time and wearing out their clothes but there is
no pay for them. If they are working here
under the vain delusion that they will be paid
they are very much mistaken. Sheriff Slime
man has sworn in about 800 tin-badge deputies
50 am told. These men were promised
81 per day, but 1 feel pretty sure they
will never get cent Cambria county
will have to pay the bill. but what
can this county do? They haven't any money, |
and won't have for some time. 1 am not so |
sure that they can be paid, under the law. The |
Sheriff is authorized to swear in deputies TO |
quell violence, etc, but there is no lawlessness
here. The general plan of the new system that |
goes into effect on Wednesday is this: Ad- |
lutant General Hastings will act as chief and |
represent the State. Everything will be |
turned over into his hands, but understand, |
there will be no friction. Mr.. Scott does not |
resign, but he remains here TO give his advice |
and lend his aid. The present clerical force |
will be retained, and all the workmen that will |
remain In fact, every man working here, in |
any capacity is expected to continue as if |
nothing mad happened.
The newspapers have gotten it into their |
heads that there is trouble and friction. but
thisis great mistake. Colonel Hill will be the
0nar rfa far II 41,,- ,1s
sent to him direct and he will turn the SUD- |
plies over to Lieutenant Colonel Spangler, who |
will have charge of the distributing station i
Major Spangler came here civilian, but he has
been
Promoted for Good Work,
his promotion taking effect on Wednesday.
The way goods are handled now they are sent
to the various stations and kept there. 1t often
happens that one depot is short of one article |
and has full supply of another. Under Lieu
tentant Colonel Spsngler this will be remedied. |
The goods will be SO distributed that there will
be constant supply of everything kept on /
hand at each one of the depots
up to date Rev. Beal has had charge of
some of the morgues, and he has been doing |
excellent work. They do try to keep a record |
of bodies by numbers and descriptions but |
this is almost impossible. At the gravevards il |
was found often that the numbers and descrin- |
tons c0nficted. and this sort of work will not |
do. To avoid these difficulties central Office |
will be located at the railroad depot where a /
record and description of every body will be /
kept. This will save friends looking for bodies 1
q heap of trouble. Instead of rushing around /
wildly from morgue to mOrgue, wasting their |
strength, they can go to this central depot and
locate the bodies first Hereafter the cloth \
ing on the bodies will be preserved for the pur-
pose of Identification, instead of burned. as was
done during the first few days of the food. !
The working people were dressed so much alike /
that do not hope to identify many of them.
A Small Estimate of the Lost.
'People differ with me at headquarters. but I 4
don't think that more than 1900 people were
lost. LIDO not believe more than 100 peopls /
were burned at the bridge. You must remem-
Der that this number would look like a tbou-
sand to an excited man. Three thousand is
big crowd. When General Hastings arrival
here Saturday night he found men standing
with their mouths open looking at the rivar I
The danger of contagious diseases comes from /
the decaying vegetable matter and sewer slons
in the city. The decaylng body of one who /
dies in good health is not so much to be feared. |
II should be remembered that the people did
not die of contagious diseases.
when the State takes charge all the stor |
policemen will be dropped at once. They ySill
be superseded by the militia. Farmers have
been coming in from the country to recoi,-o
provisions and detectives have To he nH,t ,,r
guard to head them of. On the hillsides tbev oH
charged me SIC for wagon to haul BESSIE
Bryan's body to the depot They are a LOT of
robbers.
Booth & Finn will pay off their men Wednes-
day morning. General Hastings will retain an /
the men that VIII stay. General Hastings in
tenos 20 cut transverse canal across the de-
brls az the bridge and float this debris To the
shores as they do ice in the winter. The Gen.
eral thinks that by this plan he can remove ali !
OF the rubbish there. 1t is estimated that II
a cent Of the relief money will be used for tbIs
purpose, think it is a great plistake- That
word relief should include everythinH needed
mere. These people should b., Stirred up and
taught TO resume commercial I;fc o,-,s.. -