Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1877 — A NARROW ESCAPE. [ARTICLE]

A NARROW ESCAPE.

How a Philadelphia Lieutenant Got Away From the Mob in Pittsburgh. [From the Philadelphia Press.] Second Lieut. 8. J. Stewart, of the State Fencibles, tells a most interesting story of his escape from the Pittsburgh mob, his account of his adventures, as given to a Philadelphia Press reporter, being very graphic. On Saturday morning the Fencibles and portions of the First, Third and Sixth regiments, with the Washington Grays, were ordered to clear the crowd of some 2,500 rioters from the outer depot, and the soldiers started, with the Washington Grays in the advance. Their orders were simply to press the crowds back without firing, and the men marched forward with muskets crossed. One of the rioter's caught hold of a musket in the hands of a soldier of the First regiment, and sullenly ejaculated: “You would not shoot a workingman, would you i” “No !” was the reply; “ all we want is for you to fall back and clear the rails.” The next moment the rioter aimed his revolver and fired. This was followed by a volley of bullets and a shower of stones from the crowd. A number of .soldiers fell, and in the next instant the front rank fired without orders, and the firing was continued for ten minutes, when the multitude dispersed. After the troops were quartered in the round-house Lieut. Stewart was sent to the Union Depot Hotel, where Adjt. Gen. Lattit and Gen. Pearson were quartered, in order to obtain some medicinoTor several sick comrades. On the way he was stopped by six of the strikers, one of whom grabbed his overcoat, and another dealt him a heavy blow with a barrel stave. He broke away from them and managed to reach a coal-bin, where he hid until the rioters returned to the mob, which was beginning to besiege the round-lujuse, when Lieut. Stewart made bisway to the Union Depot, and, finding it impossible to return to his comrades, remained there. This was at 10 o’clock Saturday night, and for the next six hours the air was filled with the noise of the bombardment of the temporary fort, the yells of the rioters, and the flames of burning property. All this time Lieut. Stewart was an involuntary prisoner at the hotel, and on inquiry in the morning found that Gen. Latta and Gen. Pearson had escaped in citizens’ clothes. The proprietor of the hotel, which was part of the depot building, warned the Lieutenant not to show himself, as the rioters were searching the house for Philadelphia soldiers, and he remained locked up in his room until Sunday morning at 10 o’clock, witnessing the work of devastation going on in all directions. He saw seventyfive Pullman palace cars fired by the mob, and describes the manner in which the freight cars were sacked, saying that the men and women fought over the goods as they were thrown out to them, and, as these goods consisted of merchandise of almost every description, the scene was at times as comical as it was terrible. Men would struggle along under the weight ot hams, clothes, furniture, etc., . their faces smeared with, grease and dirt, and their hands sometimes bloody from injuries received iu the reckless scramble for plunder; others would roll barrels of flour, sugar and whisky along toward their homes, stopping to rest now and then by sitting on the barrel; other kegs of liquor were tapped, and the rioters filled themselves to repletion, while carts, wagons, and vehicles of every description were hurrying to and fro bearing away the goods. At a little lief ore 10 o’clock on Sunday morning Lieut. Stewart saw the rioters saturate a car-load ot hay with coal oil and run it into the depot directly under him, and the next moment the hotel was on fire. To show himself in his uniform would bo instant death, as the mob never ceased their search for Philadelphia soldiers, yet to stay longer would only be to become food for the approaching flames. Hearing a footstep in the entry, the Lieutenant cocked his revolver, and, opening the door, discovered a colored waiter approaching. He called the man into the room,locked the door, and quickly induced him to give up his civilian's dress, and as quickly put it on, leaving the waiter with the uniform and some S2O (all the money the Lieutenant had with him). It so happened that the colored man was very short and very fat, while the Lieutenant is very tall and very slim. His appearance, when arrayed in a pair of breeches six inches too short about the legs, and several times too ample about the waist, with a straw hat and a pea jacket/two sizes too short for him, was so absurd that iu spite of the danger the Lieutenant could not help laughing. But he lost no time in making his way out, and, shortly afterward, while standing unrecognized iu the mob, saw several of the rioters emerge from the burning hotel with the nether garment of his uniform torn info pieces and fastened to a pole. Ho then started to’ find hiscompany, and, heariugtlicyliad, crossed the river, followed their supposed route as well as he could learn it from cautiously listening to the remarks of the rioters (for to have asked a question would have placed him m imminent peril of being discovered and murdered), but, at 11 o’clock Sunday night he lost his way. He was without a. cent of money and afraid to beg, and finally went to sleep under a coal-car. The next morning he came on a coal train as far as Harrisburg, where he made himself known to a conductor, and was passed through to this city. Ho w.s without food from Saturday noon until Monday night, and, of course, arrived here greatly exhausted from want of nourishment, but otherwise none the worse for his terrible ordeal.