The record-union., 1894-07-18
INQUIRY INTO STEWARDS DEATH.
Partial Inquest Held by the Coroner
Last Night.
Officers Testify 1'hat They Had Been
Warned to Look Out for At
tacka-soldiers Abused.

Coroner Clark held a partial inquest
last night on the body OF Charles Stewart,
who was mortally wounded at the freight
sheds last Friday morning in collision
with the soldiers.
/ Following are the names of the Jurors:
L. L. Lewis, j. 0. Funston. w. O..
! Bowers, W. C. Farnsw orth, j. n. Payne,
j. w. Wilson, w. J. Hassett, W. D..
Comstock, Perrin Stanton, Gus Laven-
son, Fred Mason, j. B. Klune and j. II.
Wheat.
A large number of witnesses and others
were in attendance to give evidence and
listen to it.
Daniel Winnie of South Vallejo testi-
fed to the identity OF Stewart and said he
was man ot-warsman. He left Vallejo
about July lst.
Dr. Fowler detailed the character of
Stewards wounds and said the lower one,
through the intestineS, was necessarily
fatal. The upper one, through the shoul-
der, was not. Stewart was conscious
and made statement. Should think
that he was standing erect when shot.
Edward Schnerr explained diagram
of Front street, between * and l.. with
its occupancy on both sides. Was stand
ing in his door on Friday and saw SOL
diers running some men from the upper
shed. Three men sitting on the lower
shed ran away, Stewart among them.
When the soldiers fired Stewart fell and
after he fell three or four shots were fired
at MIN, but he did not know whether
any OF them hit him. Eight or ten shots
were fired at him first. Witness did not
hear any commands given to him.
| hoy 81 ha1 ix-Qu
Witness took some water TO Stewart. but
he would not drink. Was positive there
were no shots fired at the soldiers before
they fired. Fifteen or sixteen shots in
all were fired. The soldiers did not
punch him with their bayonets. They
had three or four men corraled with
their hands up. Did not hear any COM
nand to fire given. When the last shots
were fired they were fired at Stewart.
Did not hear men on the platform COM
manded to hold up their hands.
/ Witness stood still and saw Stewart all
| the time. A short, stout officer was with
the soldiers, and called TO witness to
bring Stewart some water. Did not
! know whether he had a sword or not.
Stewart made no remark whatever. The
soldiers removed him in a short time on
a shutter. Thought it would be impossi-
! ble Tor any one TO crawl under the fruit
sheds and shoot; was positive that no
! shots were fired first at the soldiers, or
stones thrown. They ran out of both
! sheds. lie first saw them on the fiat ears
which were switching half an hour be-
fore. lie kept his eye OH both Stewart
and the soldiers at the time OF the shoot
| ing.
United States Marshal Baldwin testified
that he heard the shooting and ran down
the tracks to where the soldiers were.
Stewart was on flat car and witness
sent him to the Receiving Hospital. He
| then walked up to Second street and tried
to disperse the crowd there. SO that
nobody would get hurt. He did not
l know that the soldiers were at that place.
and had nothing to do with their move
ments. Captain Roberts was in COM
mand of them. Witness was informed
that another man had been wounded.
The depot and tracks were in charge of
the military, and witness did not know
whether any one was allowed iuside the
lines or not. He thought they were not
He understood from either Captain
Roberts or the Sergeant that the troops
were attacked. Had heard there was
car Of naphtha there on the track.
Captain Roberts Of the Fifth Artillery
/ testified that he was ordered to take de-
! tachment and guard an engine that was
going over the bridge. lie was warned
that ne might have trouble, and if his
men were ieered at or insulted to arrest
! the parties. Ii fired on or stoned, he was
to fire back on the parties attacking him.
! In other words, he was to protect himself
! if attacked. The flat car in front of the
| engine he took command of himself, and
Lieutenant Skerret was in the flat car be-
hind it.
| Witness had every reason to believe,
from his warnings, that he was liable to
be attacked by guns, dynamite or other
means. When they reached the foot of X
street the engine went back ward and for
ward, and there was party of men on
the river side of the platform, one OF
which commenced cursing, calling
''scabs,o ~ s'sons OF - of soldiers" ETC.,
and had in his hand something. Witness,
bearing in mind dynamite and other
things Of which he had been warned,
stopped bis engine and told his men to
arrest the man. AS soon as they got down
he saw there was going to be trouble from
the threatening appearance of the crowd.
Witness also got of with others of his
men and went around to X street. AS be
got there he heard firing and saw man
fall and another stagger. He saw
! threatening crowd near the strikers
headquarters, which he had been warned
to look out for, and saw another crowd
coming down X street. He formed a
semi-circle with his men, considering
that with only twenty men he was in
! danger from the two crowds.
lie asked some one to bring the
/ wounded man some water, and had him
carried in on shutter. Marshal Bald
win came down, and asked if he should
not try to disperse the K-street crowd
| Witness thought it would be well, as he
expected TO be fired on at any time from
windows near there. AS he stood in the
| middle OF the street gentleman warned
him that he was liable to be fired on from
the surrounding houses. Surgeon Polk
suggested that Stewart be turned over to
| the civil authorities, and he was sent to
the Receiving Hospital. Witness gave
no command to fire, and when he saw
Stewart the firing was over. He dis
| tinctly saw man throw his hat
IN the air and call them scabs.
! lie identified him afterWard as
they arrested him and he saw him after
ward in Jail. His name, he was told, is
Duffy. He heard some shots afterward,
but could not tell whether they were fired
by soldiers or not. There were one or
two warning shots fired after the shoot
ing was over. They were fired high and
not aimed at anyone. The men had been
instructed ii anyone resisted or attacked
them to shoot them. No one had any
business around the tracks or cars or on
railroad properly, but no dead line was
drawn. The instructions were general to
the men. ii attacked or resisted to de-
lend themselves. The orders would ex-
tend To man running away, if he had
| first been an attacking party. Witness
had not intended 10 say that man threw
his hat in the air, but he had something
in his hand. Witness took Lieutenant
Skerrers written report OF what hap
pened. and handed it in, together with his
own, ito the com manding officer. He
read 1t, but did not remember what was
fad nd aoi,