Q. Let him get through with the history.
A. In the mean time, I had continued my—I may say that on the 25th, a committee from the railroad employés, a committee from several of the organizations of strikers, waited upon me to ask me to issue a proclamation prohibiting the sale of liquor. I issued the following:
Mayor's Office, Scranton, Pennsylvania, July 25,1877.
The general public opinion, as expressed to me, seems not to apprehend any violence or danger, unless a too free use of liquor shall be indulged in; and, at the request of committees from the workingmen's organizations and others, who have called upon me this morning, requesting me to close all places where liquor is sold, I, therefore, in compliance with said request, ask of you to close your bars, and to strictly abstain from the selling of all kinds of liquor for the present.
R. H. McKune,
Mayor.
I will state that, as a general thing, that request was complied with up to the 27th or 28th; in fact, all of our eating-houses sold no liquor during the whole time of the strike. Immediately upon my advisory committee coinciding with me in regard to my special police—they were afterwards known as vigilants—I placed the matter in the hands of Colonel Hitchcock for organization, and Captain Ripple and Captain Merryman. They immediately commenced their organization of enrollment, and during Thursday, I think, some thirty enrolled themselves. In the meantime, on the 27th, I had from Carney's, near Harrisburg—there seems to be two dates here, one of 27th and the other 28th—the following telegram:
Robert H. McKune, Mayor:
Can do nothing for you at this moment. If you have patience for a few days, I hope to be able to relieve you.
J. P. Hartranft.
Q. Dated where?