A. Putting things away compactly on the tracks. To go back now to Mayor Phillips. I read his statement in the Pittsburgh Dispatch. As soon as I jumped down off the box car, Mayor Phillips sent one of his police officers over to me, who said that he would like to see me. I told him it was all right, and I walked over to where he was and spoke to him. He said that he had heard everything I had said, and I asked him if he had any fault to find with it, and he said no. I believe I told him just what we intended to do, and that he should not be alarmed about our destroying property or the safety of the city or anything of that kind. That we intended to strike and were going to strike, and thought that we had a right to strike. I asked him if I had been guilty of any breach of the peace, one way or the other, and he told me no, and that as long as I did not do anything worse, that no one could arrest me, and that I should resist if any one did attempt to arrest me. Before he went away he told me that he would leave that portion of Allegheny in my charge. Several of the boys heard what was said, and they repeated it to the others, and they told the mayor that anything I said would be carried out. I never saw Mayor Phillips after that.
Q. Who stood by during that conversation with Mayor Phillips—anybody?
A. Yes.
Q. Can you name any of the parties?
A. I would rather not, for this reason, there is an indictment hanging against me in Allegheny county, and I wrote to my attorney about this matter, and he told me that he did not want me to say anything that would have any bearing on my trial. These men I have subpœnaed as witnesses, and they are working on the road now.
Q. Go on for the present?
A. We got everything into as good shape as possible. Wherever we could get hold of the wires we used them.
Q. Do I understand you to say that you took charge of the telegraph office.
A. No; but we telegraphed wherever we could wire—we used the telegraph. They had got orders not to allow any messages to go over the wires from actual or intended strikers anywheres.
Q. Go on and relate from that time what occurred during the progress of the strike?