REPORT
OF THE
COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE
THE
Railroad Riots
IN JULY, 1877.
Read in the Senate and House of Representatives May 23, 1878.
HARRISBURG:
LANE S. HART, STATE PRINTER.
1878.
| Leg. Doc.] | No. 29. |
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE THE
RAILROAD RIOTS IN JULY, 1877.
Read in the Senate and House of Representatives May 23, 1878.
Mr. Reyburn, from the committee appointed to investigate the causes ofthe riots in July last, made a report; which was read as follows, viz:
To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania:
The committee appointed on the 3d day of February last, by virtue of aconcurrent resolution of your honorable bodies, which resolution readsas follows, viz:
"Resolved, That a committee consisting of five members of theHouse of Representatives and three Senators, none of whom shall be fromany of the counties in which said riots occurred, be appointed, whoseduty it shall be to examine into all the circumstances attending thelate disturbance of the peace in certain parts of the Commonwealth,known as the railroad riots, and endeavor, if possible, to ascertainthe causes, and by what authority the troops of the State were calledout, for what purpose, and the service and conduct of the same; andsaid committee shall have power, in pursuing their investigations, tosend for persons and papers, examine witnesses under oath oraffirmation, administer oaths, and employ a competent phonographer totake all the proceedings of the committee, and the testimony; thecommittee shall report in full, in writing, to the Senate and House ofRepresentatives within twenty days, &c.,"
Beg leave to submit the following report, viz:
On the 4th day of February, 1878, the committee met at Harrisburg, andorganized by the election of William M. Lindsey as chairman, Samuel B.Collins as clerk and stenographer, and J. J. Cromer assergeant-at-arms. At said meeting it was also decided to commencetaking testimony, first at Pittsburgh, that being the point where thefirst, and by far the most serious, riots occurred.
Your committee arrived at Pittsburgh at half-past eleven,P.M., February 5th, and on the 6th instant met at theorphans' court-room in said city, the authorities having kindlytendered the use of the same to the committee for the purposes of theinvestigation, and discussed the manner in which the testimony shouldbe taken, and what class of witnesses should be subpœnaed, whereuponit was decided that the chairman should conduct the examination of thewitnesses generally on behalf of the committee, and that all citizenswho knew any facts of importance should be subpœnaed to testify andto furnish to the committee the names of those known to possessvaluable information. The taking of testimony was commenced on February7th, an