A. The meeting was called at the silk-works—what we call the silk-works—it is in the Twentieth ward, near the outskirts of our city—the portion adjoining Taylorville—in a southerly direction. The resolutions which I got from the arrest of the gentleman who was president at the meeting—the chairman of the meeting—he was arrested and brought before me—and Mr. Thomas, who will be subpœnaed before you, can give you the exact wording of that resolution and can give you more intelligently the proceedings of that meeting than any other gentlemen that will be called upon. If you please, bear that in mind.
Q. What time was that meeting at the silk-works held?
A. I learned they commenced coming from Dunmore and the outer vicinity as early as three o'clock in the morning.
Q. Of What day?
A. Of the 1st day of August.
Q. Had been called by previous announcement?
A. They called all their meetings in their own manner of calling—by runners. I might say right here, at this point, they had a complete code of signals on the night of the 1st of August. While we placed our sentinels on the top of the buildings we occupied, we could discern lights from one side of the valley to the other—from point to point—a line of different colors and different shades. They had a thorough code of signals so all the way through. You are aware, undoubtedly, that so far as the engineers or the firemen—the strikers—were concerned, they used their own alphabet in telegraphing over the wires. They used their alphabet.
Q. Had there been any assembly prior to their reaching the silk-works?
A. No, sir; this was the meeting.
Q. What time did they leave the silk-works and come to the city?