Omaha daily bee., 1892-07-11
whether il was General Pearson that CAV .
tho order to fire is a question that is opon to
argument ana will never be settled.

| directly in my front were two strapping big
| miuors with puck handles in their hands,
| which were swung above their heads In
! way that suggested to me tho ndvisuOility of
| keeping them at u distance if valued NV
! lite Up the lluc short distance two men
| were trying to wrest n gun from tho hands
| OF one OF our bows, and my fingers twitched
| nervously around the stock OF nv gun, Tao
! boy was plucky; refused to give up the gun,
/ ana as ono Of the mob aimed vicious blow
! at his head lie pulled the trigger OF his gun
! and blood began to flow. The first shot was
J hced noue too soon to suit my taste, as tho
! men in my front were getting dangerously
! close and my shot could not have boon fired
| five seconds after the first.
Then followed u scene fit for the pen OF
! only master of the art of description. The
| poor wretches had no idea We would fire
/ upon them; that is, tho body of the mob did
| not but the reckless, hot healed leaders in
| the rear knew what they were about aud
| subsequent devclopments confirmed this con
| lecture. Up, over and under the cars tho
| mob He'd In dismay aud terror, tutoring wild
| yells of pain and fright and soon we woro
| left in comparative quiet. But II was ouly
| for a few short moments Back came tho
| mob, this time armed with guns instead OF
| clubs, and advancing with the stealth of n
| savage on the war trail in his native forest.
| One bv one | saw our poor follows drop as
ping, ping and bang came the crack OF
rifles ana shotguns from under between ana
| on top of the cars That surrounded us.
Retreat to the Round House.
Then the welcome order came to retreat
| to the round house. We shoudcred several
| OF our comrades, but my blood was up TO tho
| lighting point and was one OF the boys that
helped to cover the retreat. i knew tho mon
| in front of us were not strikers, but of IA
class that jump at an opportunity to kill
| fellow being when the responsibility for tho
| act is reduced to n minimum. Place man
| in my position on that day, and if he be
| minus the blood of coward tho instinct of "A
| HnNrnInnnl 4 hall
| that after seeing several of my companions
| in arms fall with ghustly wounds | was
transformer and handled my rifle with
cooluoss and keen, savage delight that makes
| me wonder to this day how did it,
"At last we were safely inside the round
| house, The mob fell back with yolls of
| bai1ied rage and we made hurried prepara-
| tons to defend ourselves Our surroundings
were curiousy picturesque. Back of us stood
| the empty engines, towering high toward
the ceiling diugv with smoke ana SCOT, like
| wierd sentinels, and in front, looking
| through the windows could be seen the lurd
blaze of the hundreds Of cars the mob had
set on fire.
"At frequent intervals the sharp crack of
| tho rifle or the more noisy gun were heard
| and then bullet would come crashing into
| the round house, strike one OF the nEiEes,
| glance off, and lucky indeed were we if one
| of these bullets was thrown away.
Terrible Night.
l vi All HlbnlS lIlupllluDle IDHI, 10 me,
| was supreme. The excitement, want of food
and water was telling on us and n reckless
| don'tcare spirit pervaded the entire com
| mand. We were working away at the bar
| ricades and helping the wounded in n half
| hearted way when cry Of alarm called us
| all to the lOop-holes at the windows.
| "Onc glance was enough TO chill us to tho
| bone. Our hope all along had been that we
| would be overlooked by the main body OF the
| mob in their thirst for punder, but in this
| we were mistaken. Down toward our re
| treat was rushing monstrouS oil car ablaAs
| in every part and soon with loud crash /,
| struck tho building ana with thuuderous
| noise exploded, the oil being scattered in all
| directions. Car followed car in the same
| manner and soon our refuge was on
| fire in several different places. Wood
| work is scarce about such buildings as
| we had taken refuge in, but | sincerely be
| leve that the heat and flames were intense
| enough that night to have burned and fed
| upon the brick and iron that composed the
| structure.
| daylight came at last md upon what
| scene! II was sunday. We were working
| ike beavers TO keep down the flames thni
| threatened to destroy US from the inside ana
| the mob on the outside were STRIVING like
| tiends TO encompass our destruction
| Every now and then savage yell of deligEr
would come from n soldier stationed at %
| window following the crack of his rifle, thGS
! told the fact that he had winged his man.
We were savages then. The mob outside
! were man hunting and so were we.
At last our quartersVecam3 unbearable
| large pieces OF the roof were falling in upon
| US, and as the colonel looked at his watch in
cool matter OF fact way, he said: It's
| O'Clock; we will have to move It's too
hot here.'h
\ Race for Life.
"Then came the race, a race that will do
ne for the remainder of my life. Onr re-
treat from the round house was sudden
| that we were several squares awGy from it
h.at ha4 ,raA una
| hurried along the street men would dart out
of alleys and by-ways, take deliberate aim,
| tire and down would go one of our men.
LAS we were passing hou.e about three
squares up the street from the round house
the blind at the second story window was
| hastily drawn up oy partly dressed man;
an ejaculation followed; rifle was snatched
| up by him, report was heard and with a
groan down sank companion about
two feet to my left. simultaneously
| three rifles cracked in our company
and | know that that murderer didn't have
| long enjoyment over his cowardy act The
| police found his dead body three days later.
We were heaning for Uncle Sans arsenal up
town, but upon our arrival there the bluo
coat in charge could only care for tho
wounded, as his force was small and the mob
at our heels was immense.
Then out into the country we went. As
we passed the gate Of IA cemetery two of our
boys were killed almost instantly, the grave
yard acting as a fitting background and frame
10 the ghastlY picture Turning to the right
we made for the SharDsburg bridge over tho
Allegheny river. anu as we reached the other
side we scattered. | TOOK refuge IN a house
unobserved about mile from the bridge,
ana the occupant proved friend. He gave
mo a change of clothes aud started back for
old Philadelphia. My thoughts naturally
turned to the great difference in my coming
TO and leaving Pitlsburg.
The Tramp to Altoona.
"a trampod almost the entiro distance to
Altoona. where came across a relative, who
gave me money enough To pay my fare for
the rest Of tho journey. While was IN AL
toOna 1 Mingled with the crowd around tho
depot unrecognized and heard threats
against the Philadelphia soldiers that made
my flesh creep. In due time arrived home
and was welcomed as one risen from the
dead
1--WE loft fifteen dead in the iound house at
Plttsburg and about ton were killed outside,
to say nothing of the wounded. The mob
also paid fearful forfeit for its rashness,
forty teIng killed and about l25 wounded"
<MzrziWr17Ms