Year: 1877

hazard of his lifo dispersed the
mob after several had been killed.
The coroner's jury found verdict
or wllful murder against the persons
who fired, but the mayor called out
troops and prevented their arrest.
A reporter of the Philadelphia
Itn'es says


In view of the verdict of tho coro-
ner's jury in the matter of the kill
ing of the rioters of this city, the
statements of the mayor himself as
to the responsibility for tho "order
to shoot" and the circumstances out
of which that order arose will be
interesting. The mayor gave me
the following statement the morning
after the occurrence. It will be
seen that he boldly assumes tho re


sponsibility of giving the order to
fire. He said: Cup to yesterday
morning tThursday, August q was
under the impression that matters
would be settled without the inter-
vention of the military. The d., L.
and w. cars were moving, tho
pumps were going and from all
indications 1 could gather expect.
ed to have had to say that the
miners were going to work tooday.
About 10 o'clock was in my office
holding court when information
came that the mob were driving the
men away from the eompanys shop
and furnaces. In company with
Aieutenant Browne, of my police
force, L started toward the stores,
and in passing Washington avenue
L saw large and excited crowd
around the shops. Here also q
young employe met me with re-
quest from Mr. Mckinney, saying
that his daughter, who was the
telegraph operator ut the company 8
shop, was inside the building and
should bo rescued. I walked hasti
ly down through the crowd some
500 feet, and found the door fast.
ened. The young man then said
that it was all right. AS I was
going through the crowd T ordered
them to dispense, and when / found
the door fastened I attempted to
return. [ had proceeded about
fifteen steps when q lot of half
grown boys began to jostlo me, and
one of them struck me in the face.
Immediately, however, upon this
several of the working mon whom 1
knew as personal acquain tances,
formed o. Gordon, as it were, about
me, but they, too, were about be-.
coming oyorpowered by the pressure
OF the yelling mob when Father
Dunn cane up Immediately he
threw tho authority Of the priest
hood about me, and ordered the
men to stand back and do me no
harm In this way we made about
q hundred feet toward the avenue,
the crowd yelling and hooting ali
the time. The leaders of the mob,
then, seeing the determined spirit of
the priest, made q rush at him,
caught him and took him boldly
away from my side. I was then
about three hundred feet from tho
avenue, every approach to
which was jammed with q mob of
excited people. In the meanwhile
had beon pressed by the crowd so
much that I gave tho signal to ono
of my men to ring tho alarm bell,
which was the signal to the armed
men under my orders to turn out.
Before reaching the avenue tho
Gordon of friendly working mon
which had protected mo thus far
from bodily harm became disintegra-
ted, md / was at tho mercy of tho
mob. But at this moment also T
saw my posse, armed with forty
rifles, marching down the street,
headed by Lieutenant Browne, m
old Confederate soldier. The crowd
then surged up against me with
even moro violence, and was struck
several times. When, however, the
posse was Immediately opposite me
in the street, and within twenty five
feet of me, got tho worst blow of
all on tho back of my head. Shots
were then being fred at my men,
and ono of them dropped out of the
ranks as though he was shot. Then
[ gave tho order to fire as well
rs [ could. I am perfectly willing
to assume the responsibility Of Civ
tho order to fire. I" d.


The mayors face looked as though
he had been at Donnybrook fair and