Q. Please state what you saw and heard of the riot, in a brief way?
A. I will state briefly, that about, I think, after twelve o'clock, on Sunday, I had learned what had transpired in the city.—I live quite a distance out—and I came to the city and walked down Liberty street, and saw the wrecking, and went down past the Union depot, and waited, I suppose, ten or fifteen minutes there, went around towards Adam's Express depot, saw what transpired there, although I was on the outskirts of the crowd, and although I didn't mingle in the crowd, and learned from some parties that a meeting was to be held at the city hall, for the purpose of rallying a number of citizens to quell the riot or insurrection. After a number of ineffectual efforts to get a body of citizens together, I went with a few parties down to the Duquesne depot. I made up my mind that that would be the next place burned.
Q. Please state where the Duquesne depot is?
A. Duquesne depot is at the foot of Liberty street, on the river, at lower end, fronting on the Monongahela.
Q. What road is the depot on?
A. The Pennsylvania depot—it is the old Pennsylvania depot.
Q. Go on Mr. Bissell?
A. During the afternoon we arrested two parties there in the act of firing—one in the act of firing a car, and the other inquiring how to get into the depot—how to set it on fire. I state this briefly—these parties have been tried. I remained around there all the afternoon, until ten o'clock that night, and about six or half-past six, along about there, after the elevator had burned or was about falling, a wagon came very rapidly down street—it was one of the express wagons—and informed some one there that the next attempt would be that depot, that the mob were surging that way. I then started with a few citizens, Mr. Little and McCandless and others, to get a cable to stretch around that building, our object being to keep back the crowd, and allow nobody inside that line if possible, so as to distinguish who the parties might be who would come to burn it. We got a few of the young men who belonged to the military—belonged to some of the militia companies—to stand guard inside of the rope during the night, and some other persons living at that place. There was nothing particularly transpired after that that I know of. We stayed there until half-past ten, or about that, and then went home.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. How many men went with you to the Duquesne depot?