The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-25

who, all unconscious OF danger, gaze
with admiration on the troops. as the
ct rod in soldierly array, their arm
glittering in the bright summer sunshine
4 On the other side OF the railroad
large body OF strikers was gathered. |
could not be called a mob, as there wa
no disorder. The strikers had prevente'
trains from moving out, but no act o
. violence had taken place. The riot &C
was read. and the crowd ordered to dis
perse. They stood their ground, though
making no hostile demonstrations, NJ
: doubt believing that shooting would b.
! the last resort, rather than the first.
Even when General Pearson gave the
command 20 fire, everybody believed that
the first volley would be blank cartridges
or would be fired into the air, but instead
the ground was strewn with dead and
dying, and the terrified people as they
turned and fled were pursued by the
deadly bullets from rifles in the hands OF
young soldiers many of whom had pro-
baby never before smelled gun-powder.
These inexperienced troops no doubt
lost their heads completely, for they not
alone sent their messengers of death int o
the ranks of the strikers, but also fired
upon the men, women and children upon
the bill before the latter could realize
| their danger and escape.
Among those who met death on the
hill, on that beautiful summer day, was
a brother OF President W. Z. DeArmitt,
quiet, inoffensive young man, who al
though brakeman for the Pennsylvania
company, was taking no part in the
.trike.
Firing upon an unarmed and orderly
crowd OF spectators was General Pear
sons first mistake, which he supple
mented by second late in the afternoon
in stationing the troops in the round
house at Twenty.seventh street, where
they were as rats in trap
The whole city was aroused by these
wanton and unwarranted murders, and
loud cries of vengeance against General
Pearson and the Philadelphia troops
were heard on every hand
The soldiers we're left in the round
house by General Pearson who fled from
the city. His life would have paid the
forfeit for his fatal blunders had he been
caught by the excited citizens who
marched to his house and Quilted it,
There had been no rioting until the kill
ing, but now commenced a scene OF law
lessness which continued all that Satur
day night and until the city on Monday
was put under MARTA law. Tramps
and criminals came from nearby points
and, with the lowest element of the popu-
lation formed into a mob. The troops,
penned in the round-house, were power
less TO protect property. They dared
not come out, for they were surrounded
by howlin5 mob, armed with guns, |
revolvers and any weapon that could be
found, and this mob was thirsting for
their blood
Being strangers in the locality their
only hope was to stand the siege until
daylight. A cannon had been brought !
by the mob and placed in position, but
as each man attempted to fire it he was
picked off by the sharp.shooter stationed
IN the windows OF the round-house The |
IRE was returned by the mob from guns
and revolyers, but no damage was done. |
Out on the tracks, the property OF the
Pennsylvania company was going up in
smoke, Int by background OF flame, the |
rioters could be seen breaking open the !
freight cars, throwing out the contents
to the mob that eagerly carried them off |
and returned for more. As each car was
emptied it was fired and sent further
down the track
When Sunday morning dawned scene
Of destruction was presented. The rails,
warped and twisted from the intense
heat OF the burning cars, were covered
with their smoking ruins and debris OF |
freight cars, and the Pittsburgh transfer
office OF the p. r. H., large frame struc-
ture that had stood among the tracks,
was heap OF smoldering ashes. Men,
women and children OF PIttsburgh's
poorest classes, were carrying off every
thing in the shape OF merchandise.
Women were seen rolling barrels of flour
10 the steep hill; Others toiled painfully
along, with skirts gathered up and filed
with eggs, while on their heads they car
ried sack OF -four or a bale OF dress
stuffs.
After the riot was over, and things had
settled down to a normal condition, the |
officers OF the law went through the
quarters OF the city where these people
lived, and in many places, notably in the !
negro quarter, they recovered immense
stores OF stolen goods.
The first streak OF dawn in the east was |
a welcome sight to the soldiers who had
spent night OF suspense in the sitting
Il.