Reporting under Difficulties—Shorthand in an Overcoat Pocket—An
Incriminating Conversation—Spies and Schwab in Danger—Gilmer’s
Story—The Man in the Alley—Schnaubelt the Bomb-thrower—Fixing
the Guilt—Spies Lit the Fuse—A Searching Cross-Examination—The
Anarchists Alarmed—Engel and the Shell Machine—The Find at
Lingg’s House—The Author on the Witness-stand—Talks with the
Prisoners—Dynamite Experiments—The False Bottom of Lingg’s
Trunk—The Material in the Shells—Expert Testimony—Incendiary
Banners—The Prosecution Rests—A Fruitless Attempt to have Neebe
Discharged.
WHEN the public began to see the character of the evidence against the
Anarchists, sentiment crystalized into a feeling that no fair-minded
juror could be led astray by specious pleas or sophistical arguments
into voting for an acquittal of any one of the defendants. The facts
of the conspiracy had been brought out with startling boldness, and
with every witness the points against the prisoners were fortified
with added effect. One of the strongest witnesses as to the incendiary
utterances of the speakers at the Haymarket meeting was G. P. English,
then a reporter for the Chicago _Tribune_, but at present private
secretary of Mayor Roche. Another was M. M. Thompson, who testified as
to a conversation between Spies and Schwab.
MR. ENGLISH testified as follows:
“I am a reporter for the _Tribune_, and have been for seventeen years.
I am also a shorthand reporter. I got to the Haymarket meeting, on the
4th of May, about half-past seven. I went all around the Haymarket
Square from Desplaines to Halsted, saw a few people on the street,
but no meeting. Later on I saw some people going north on Desplaines
beyond Randolph. I went over there, and in a little while Mr. Spies
got up on the wagon and said Mr. Fielden and Mr. Parsons were to make
a speech, but they hadn’t come. Spies got down off the wagon and went
toward Randolph Street. He was gone perhaps five or ten minutes. As
he passed me in coming back, I asked him if Parsons was going to
speak. I understood him to say yes. Then he got up on the wagon and
said: ‘Gentlemen, please come to order.’ I took shorthand notes of his
speech, as much as I could. I had a notebook and a short pencil in my
overcoat pocket and made notes in the pocket. My notes are correct.
Some of them I can read, some I can’t. I don’t recollect what he or
the others said without my notes.
“Before Spies commenced to speak somebody in the crowd suggested that
the meeting should go over to the Haymarket, but Spies said no, that
the crowd would interfere with the street-cars. Here is what I have of
Spies’ speech:
“‘Gentlemen and fellow workmen: Mr. Parsons and Mr. Fielden will be
here in a very short time to address you. I will say, however, first,
this meeting was called for the purpose of discussing the general
situation of the eight-hour strike, and the events which have taken
place during the last forty-eight hours. It seems to have been the
opinion of the authorities that this meeting has been called for
the purpose of raising a little row and disturbance. This, however,
was not the intention of the committee that called the meeting. The
committee that called the meeting wanted to tell you certain facts
of which you are probably aware. The capitalistic press has been
misleading—misrepresenting the cause of labor for the last few weeks,
so much so’—there is something here unintelligible that I can’t read;
some of it went off on the side of my pocket. The next is: ‘Whenever
strikes have taken place; whenever people have been driven to violence
by the oppression of their’—something unintelligible here—‘Then the
police’—a few unintelligible words, then there were cheers—‘But
I want to tell you, gentlemen, that these acts of violence are the
natural outcome of the degradation and subjection to which working
people are subjected. I was addressing a meeting of ten thousand wage
slaves yesterday afternoon in the neighborhood of McCormick’s. They
did not want me to speak. The most of them were good church-going
people. They didn’t want me to speak because I was a Socialist. They
wanted to tear me down from the cars, but I spoke to them and told
them they must stick together’—some more that is unintelligible—‘and
he would have to submit to them if they would stick together.’ The
next I have is: ‘They were not Anarchists, but good church-going
people—they were good Christians. The patrol wagons came, and blood
was shed.’
“Some one in the crowd said, ‘Shame on them.’ The next thing I have
is: ‘Throwing stones at the factory; most harmless sport.’ Then Spies
said, ‘What did the police do?’ Some one in the crowd said, ‘Murdered
them.’ Then he went on: ‘They only came to the meeting there as if
attending church.’ ... ‘Such things tell you of the agitation.’ ...
‘Couldn’t help themselves any more.’ ‘It was then when they resorted
to violence.’ ... ‘Before you starve.’ ... ‘This fight that is going
on now is simply a struggle for the existence of the oppressed
classes.’
“My pocket got fuller and fuller of paper; my notes got more
unintelligible. The meeting seemed to be orderly. I took another
position in the face of the speaker, took out my paper and reported
openly during all the rest of the meeting. The balance of my notes I
have not got. From what appears in my report in the _Tribune_, I can
give you part of what Spies, Fielden and Parsons said. It is, however,
only an abstract of what they said. So far as it goes it is verbatim,
except the pronouns and the verbs are changed.
“The balance of Spies’ speech is as follows (reading): ‘It was said
that I inspired the attack on McCormick’s. That is a lie. The fight
is going on. Now is the chance to strike for the existence of the
oppressed classes. The oppressors want us to be content. They will
kill us. The thought of liberty which inspired your sires to fight for
their freedom ought to animate you to-day. The day is not far distant
when we will resort to hanging these men. (Applause and cries of ‘Hang
them now.’) McCormick is the man who created the row Monday, and he
must be held responsible for the murder of our brothers. (Cries of
‘Hang him.’) Don’t make any threats, they are of no avail. Whenever
you get ready to do something, do it, and don’t make any threats
beforehand. There are in the city to-day between forty and fifty
thousand men locked out because they refuse to obey the supreme will
or dictation of a small number of men. The families of twenty-five or
thirty thousand men are starving because their husbands and fathers
are not men enough to withstand and resist the dictation of a few
thieves on a grand scale, to put it out of the power of the few men
to say whether they should work or not. You place your lives, your
happiness, everything, out of the arbitrary power of a few rascals who
have been raised in idleness and luxury upon the fruits of your labor.
Will you stand that? (Cries of ‘No.’) The press say we are Bohemians,
Poles, Russians, Germans—that there are no Americans among us. That
is a lie. Every honest American is with us; those who are not are
unworthy of their traditions and their forefathers.’
“Spies spoke fifteen or twenty minutes. What I have given here would
not represent more than five or six minutes of actual talking.
“Parsons stated first that the remedy for the wrongs of the workingmen
was in Socialism; otherwise they would soon become Chinamen. ‘It is
time to raise a note of warning. There is nothing in the eight-hour
movement to excite the capitalists. Do you know that the military
are under arms, and a Gatling gun is ready to mow you down? Is this
Germany, Russia or Spain? (A voice: ‘It looks like it.’) Whenever you
make a demand for eight hours’ pay, an increase of pay, the militia
and the deputy sheriffs and the Pinkerton men are called out, and you
are shot and clubbed and murdered in the streets. I am not here for
the purpose of inciting anybody, but to speak out, to tell the facts
as they exist, even though it shall cost me my life before morning.’
Then he spoke about the Cincinnati demonstration, and about the rifle
guard being needed. Then the report continues: ‘It behooves you, as
you love your wives and children, if you don’t want to see them perish
with hunger, killed, or cut down like dogs on the street, Americans,
in the interest of your liberty and your independence, to arm, to
arm yourselves. (Applause and cries of ‘We will do it, we are ready
now.’) You are not.’ Then the rest of it is the wind-up. Besides
what I have stated above he spoke for a long while about the fact
that out of every dollar the workingman got fifteen cents, and the
capitalists—the employers—got eighty-five cents. When he said, ‘To
arms, to arms,’ he said that in his ordinary way of talking. I did not
notice any difference in him when he said that.
“The first that I have written out of Fielden’s speech is: ‘There are
premonitions of danger—all know it. The press say the Anarchists will
sneak away; we are not going to. If we continue to be robbed it will
not be long before we will be murdered. There is no security for the
working classes under the present social system. A few individuals
control the means of living and hold the workingmen in a vise.
Everybody does not know that. Those who know it are tired of it, and
know the others will get tired of it, too. They are determined to
end it and will end it, and there is no power in the land that will
prevent them. Congressman Foran says the laborer can get nothing from
legislation. He also said that the laborers can get some relief from
their present condition when the rich man knew it was unsafe for
him to live in a community where there are dissatisfied workingmen,
for they would solve the labor problem. I don’t know whether you
are Democrats or Republicans, but whichever you are, you worship at
the shrine of heaven. John Brown, Jefferson, Washington, Patrick
Henry and Hopkins said to the people, “The law is your enemy.” We
are rebels against it. The law is only framed for those that are
your enslavers. (A voice: ‘That is true.’) Men in their blind rage
attacked McCormick’s factory and were shot down by the law in cold
blood, in the city of Chicago, in the protection of property. Those
men were going to do some damage to a certain person’s interest who
was a large property-owner; therefore the law came to his defense;
and when McCormick undertook to do some injury to the interest of
those who had no property, the law also came to his defense and not
to the workingman’s defense, when he, McCormick, attacked him and his
living. (Cries of ‘No.’) There is the difference. The law makes no
distinctions. A million men hold all the property in this country. The
law has no use for the other fifty-four millions. (A voice: ‘Right
enough.’) You have nothing more to do with the law except to lay
hands on it and throttle it until it makes its last kick. It turns
your brothers out on the wayside, and has degraded them until they
have lost the last vestige of humanity, and they are mere things and
animals. Keep your eye upon it, throttle it, kill it, stab it, do
everything you can to wound it—to impede its progress. Remember,
before trusting them to do anything for yourself, prepare to do it
yourself. Don’t turn over your business to anybody else. No man
deserves anything unless he is man enough to make an effort to lift
himself from oppression.’
“Then there was an interruption on account of some storm-clouds.
Everybody started to go away. Mr. Parsons suggested that they adjourn
over to Zepf’s Hall. Fielden said no, the people were trying to get
information, and he would go on. And he went on: ‘Is it not a fact
that we have no choice as to our existence, for we can’t dictate what
our labor is worth? He that has to obey the will of another is a
slave. Can we do anything except by the strong arm of resistance? The
Socialists are not going to declare war, but I tell you war has been
declared upon us; and I ask you to get hold of anything that will help
to resist the onslaught of the enemy and the usurper. The skirmish
lines have met. People have been shot. Men, women and children have
not been spared by the capitalists and minions of private capital. It
has no mercy—so ought you. You are called upon to defend yourselves,
your lives, your future. What matters it whether you kill yourselves
with work to get a little relief, or die on the battle-field resisting
the enemy? What is the difference? Any animal, however loathsome,
will resist when stepped upon. Are men less than snails or worms? I
have some resistance in me; I know that you have, too. You have been
robbed, and you will be starved into a worse condition.’
“That is all I have. At that time some one alongside of me asked
if the police were coming. I was facing northeast, looked down
the street, and saw a file of police about the middle of Randolph
Street. At once I put my paper in my pocket and ran right over to the
northwest corner of Randolph and Desplaines. Just when I reached the
sidewalk, the front rank of the police got to the southwest corner
of Randolph and Desplaines. I stood there until some of the police
marched by, and the first thing I knew I heard an explosion; and the
next thing there was a volley of fifteen or twenty or thirty shots,
and I thought it was about time to leave, so I skinned down Randolph
Street. While I was running I heard a great lot of shots, and somebody
tumbled right in front of me, but I didn’t stop to see whether he was
hurt. I didn’t see who shot first. As to the temper of the crowd, it
was just an ordinary meeting.”
On cross-examination Mr. English said:
“It was a peaceable and quiet meeting for an out-door meeting. I
didn’t see any turbulence. I was there all the time. I thought the
speeches they made that night were a little milder than I had heard
them make for years. They were all set speeches, about the same thing.
I didn’t hear any of them say or advise that they were going to use
force that night. Before I went to the meeting my instructions from
the _Tribune_ office were to take only the most incendiary part of the
speeches. I think when Mr. Parsons spoke about the Cincinnati meeting
he said he had been at Cincinnati and seen the procession. I heard the
announcement to the crowd to disperse, distinctly. I did not hear Mr.
Fielden say: ‘There come the bloodhounds now; you do your duty and
I’ll do mine.’ I heard nothing of that import at all.”
M. M. THOMPSON testified:
“I am at present employed in the dry-goods business of Marshall Field
& Co. Prior to the 4th of May last I was running a grocery store at
108 South Desplaines. I was at the Haymarket Square on the evening
of May 4th. I walked west on Randolph Street about half past seven
o’clock, and somebody handed me a circular headed ‘Revenge,’ and
signed ‘Your Brothers.’ About twenty-five minutes to eight I got to
the corner of Desplaines and Randolph. I met Mr. Brazleton of the
_Inter-Ocean_. We talked about fifteen minutes. I asked the time. It
was ten minutes of eight. Brazleton pointed out to me Mr. Schwab, who
came rushing along Desplaines Street in a great hurry. I then went
over to the east side of Desplaines Street. I walked up Desplaines
Street near the corner of Lake, and came back again to the alley back
of Crane Bros’. and stood just back of that alley. Then I saw Spies
get up on the wagon and he asked for Parsons. Parsons didn’t respond.
He then got down, and Schwab and Spies walked into that alley at Crane
Bros’., near which the wagon was situated. The first word I heard
between Schwab and Spies was ‘pistols;’ the next word was ‘police.’
I think I heard ‘police’ twice, or ‘pistols’ twice. I then walked
just a little nearer the edge of the alley, and just then Spies said:
‘Do you think one is enough, or hadn’t we better go and get more?’ I
could hear no answer to that. They then walked out of the alley and
south on Desplaines Street, and west on the north side of Randolph
to Halsted, and cut across the street and went over to the southwest
corner; they were there about three minutes, came out of that crowd
again and came back. On the way back, as they neared Union Street, I
heard the word ‘police’ again. Just then I went past them, and Schwab
said: ‘Now, if they come, we will give it to them.’ Spies replied he
thought they were afraid to bother with them. They came on, and before
they got up near the wagon they met a third party, and they bunched
right together there, south of the alley, and appeared to get right
in a huddle; and there was something passed between Spies and the
third man—what it was I could not say. This here (indicating picture
of Schnaubelt, heretofore identified) is, I think, the third man; I
think his beard was a little longer than in this picture; this is the
picture of the third man. I saw the third man on the wagon afterwards.
Whatever it was that Spies gave him, he stuck it in his pocket on the
right-hand side. Spies got up on the wagon, and I think that third man
got up right after him. I noticed him afterwards sitting on the wagon,
and that he kept his hands in his pockets. I stayed there until Mr.
Fielden commenced to speak; then I left.
On cross-examination Thompson said:
“My grocery store was closed by the Sheriff under an execution.
I worked for Marshall Field before. I had never seen any of the
defendants, to my knowledge, before that night, in my life. When I
saw Spies and Schwab go into the alley, there was a crowd there. I was
standing right near the alley, or alongside north of it, up against
the building. I couldn’t see down the alley unless I turned my face
to it. The first time I had ever seen Spies was when he got up on the
wagon. Spies got out of the wagon and went into Crane’s alley with
Schwab. I was right around the corner of the alley within three feet
probably at the farthest, and I moved down to within half a foot. I
did not look down the alley, only when they came out of the alley I
did look. The conversation between Spies and Schwab was in English. I
don’t understand German. I didn’t hear any words between ‘police’ and
‘pistols.’ They were in there probably two or three minutes. When I
drew up within a foot of the alley, I heard: ‘Do you think one enough,
or had we better go for more?’ Going up Randolph Street, I heard some
words spoken in German between them, but not in the conversation at
the alley. I cannot say that I knew Mr. Schwab’s voice at that time.
I only knew Mr. Spies’ voice from what I heard him ask on the wagon.
Spies was the one who used the words ‘pistols’ and ‘police.’ I did
not see him when he said it. I could not see him without putting my
head around the corner. They went out of my sight when they went
into the alley. The whole conversation was done in three minutes, I
should judge. The first remark that I heard was about a minute and a
half after they went into the alley and went out of sight. When they
came out and walked south on Desplaines I followed them within a few
feet. It was then about a quarter past eight. They walked west on
Randolph Street to Halsted, and I trailed after them all the time,
part of the time beside them, part of the time ahead, and past them,
but all the time close to them. When they came to Halsted there were
a few people there, not much of a crowd. I was still tagging after
them with no other object than looking for the meeting, to find where
the audience was assembled. I don’t know whether they saw me; there
was nothing whatever to prevent their seeing me. When they were going
west I couldn’t hear a word of what they did say. The street lamps
were lighted. When they got down on Halsted there was a crowd, of
about twenty-five people. They were right in the thickest of the
crowd, and I stood on the sidewalk, about ten feet from them. I didn’t
hear either of them say a word. Then they went back east on Randolph
Street. I was about six feet behind them. They said nothing. There was
nobody else following them besides me. I couldn’t hear what they said
until they came to Union Street. Then I got past them. It was light at
the time; they could see me. Near Union Street Schwab said: ‘Now, if
they come, we will give it to them,’ and Spies said he did not think
they would bother them, because they were afraid. This conversation
was carried on in the English language. I was behind them when I heard
the first of it, but they kind of slackened, and I got by them. I was
making my gait quicker to get by them. Schwab finished his remark when
I got about three feet by them. Schwab made his remark in an ordinary
tone of street conversation, loud enough for me to hear. I heard no
more conversation between Schwab and Spies. I testified before the
Coroner’s jury. I testified to this conversation at Union Street. If I
didn’t, it was an oversight on my part, or it was because nobody asked
me any question, but I say that I did say that before the Coroner’s
inquest.
“Coming back, I stopped on the northwest corner of Randolph and
Desplaines. I was then about ten or fifteen feet ahead of Spies and
Schwab. They came up. I can’t say that they were talking. They went
right through the street, moving diagonally to the wagon. I staid at
the corner. I did not go after them until they got onto the wagon.
That was the last time that I saw Schwab. I saw Spies when he got up
to make a speech. Oh, no, that wasn’t the last time that I saw Schwab
that night. That was the last time that I saw him until they were out
of sight and the third man met them. When they started from the corner
northeast across the street, I stood at the corner just to let them
cross the street. Then I started after them. They did not get out of
my sight. I didn’t catch up with them at all. When I got within eight
or ten feet of them they were standing on the sidewalk. They stopped
right there, about five feet south of the south line of Crane’s alley.
There wasn’t probably more than half a dozen people on the east side
of the street. There were a good many people on the West Side. It
was then about twenty or twenty-five minutes past eight. When I got
up within eight or ten feet of them and they stopped, I stopped too,
and looked at them. They were in plain view of me. I don’t think they
did see me, though they could see me if they looked up. I think there
are some electric lights near there, on the Lyceum building. I was
between them and the electric light. When they stopped there, the next
thing was that they met that third man. I had never seen that third
man before. I have seen this picture of Schnaubelt before; I think
Mr. Furthmann showed it to me about a week ago. That third party came
from the east. He must have been standing up against the house, and he
walked west to the front of the sidewalk. Schnaubelt was not facing
me; he had his back to me. They did not go into the alley. One had his
back south, one east, and Spies had his back north. I didn’t hear what
they were talking about. I was on the sidewalk near the curb-stone,
partly south, not directly south of them. Spies stood directly to the
north, which would bring his back to me. I don’t know but what he did
see me. They stood there about thirty seconds. I didn’t hear a word.
Spies handed that third man something, who put it into his pocket, and
Spies got up on the wagon and made a speech. I did not see Schwab on
the wagon. Spies got right up on the wagon and commenced to speak, but
one or two minutes elapsed in the time.”
AUGUST HUEN, a printer in the employ of Wehrer & Klein, set up the
German part of the circular headed “Attention, Workingmen!” and
testified that the last line read, “Workingmen, arm yourselves and
appear in full force.” Mr. Fischer wrote it. On cross-examination, he
testified that an hour after the form had been given to the pressman
the last line was taken out.
HUGH HUME, a reporter for the _Inter-Ocean_, testified:
“I saw Mr. Fielden and other defendants in the sweat-box—that is, the
cells down-stairs—at the Central Station, about midnight, between the
5th and 6th of May last. I had a conversation with Spies. He said he
had been at the Haymarket meeting. He had gone up there to refute the
statements of the capitalistic press in regard to what he had said at
McCormick’s. Up at McCormick’s he had been talking to a lot of people
whom he could not influence—all good Catholics. During his speech on
the Haymarket, some people had shown a disposition to hang McCormick.
He had told them not to make any threats of that kind. He had said,
‘When you want to do a thing of that kind, don’t talk so much about
it, but go out and do it.’ He then said to me that the people had
reached a condition where they were willing to do any violence, and he
had advocated violence of that kind. It was necessary to bring about
the revolution that the Socialists wanted. He said he had advocated
the use of dynamite. I asked him if he was in favor of killing police
officers with dynamite. He hesitated a little, and then said the
police represented the capitalists and were enemies of theirs, and
when you have an enemy he has got to be removed. That is the gist of
what he said. Spies said he didn’t know anything about the bomb being
exploded until afterwards. He had heard a noise that resembled the
sound of a cannon, and thought the police were firing over the heads
of the people to frighten them. He said he considered all laws as
things you could get along without; they were inimical to the best
interests of the people and of the social growth. He did not think
that dynamite was in his office when he left it, and had an idea that
the police put that dynamite there to get a case on him.
“I had a little talk with Mr. Fielden. He was suffering somewhat from
his wound. When I asked him how the Haymarket affair accorded with
his ideas of Socialism, he said, ‘You are on dangerous ground now.
There is an argument, though, that we have, that is to the effect that
if you cannot do a thing peaceably, it has got to be done by force.’
Something to that effect; I don’t remember the language. Fielden said,
as to the number of Socialists in Chicago, that there were a number of
groups here, containing 250 men. Those were recognized Socialists, but
they had people from all over the city, from nearly every wholesale
house; but those people are afraid to come out yet, only awaiting
an opportunity. He spoke about the decision of the Supreme Court
prohibiting military companies from marching around with arms. He was
inclined to think that the decision was not right.
“I had a short interview with Schwab. All he had to say was that
Socialism was right, even with the blood shed at the Haymarket.”
On cross-examination Mr. Hume said that Spies saw him write down
answers to the questions and knew that he wanted the interview for
publication.
HARRY L. GILMER proved a strong witness and testified as follows:
“I am a painter by trade. Reside at 50 North Ann Street. On the
evening of May 4 last, I was at the Haymarket meeting on Desplaines
Street. I got there about a quarter to ten o’clock. In going home,
when I got to the corner of Randolph and Desplaines Streets, I saw
a crowd over there, and went up to where the speaking was going on,
on the east side of Desplaines Street. I saw the wagon; did not pay
particular attention to the speaking. I stood near the lamp-post on
the corner of Crane Bros’. alley, between the lamp-post and the wagon,
and up near the east end of the wagon for a few minutes. The gentleman
here (pointing to Fielden) was speaking when I came there. I staid
around there a few minutes, was looking for a party whom I expected
to find there, and stepped back into the alley between Crane Bros’.
building and the building immediately south of it. The alley was south
of the wagon. I was standing in the alley looking around for a few
minutes; noticed parties in conversation, right across the alley, on
the south side of the alley. Somebody in front of me on the edge of
the sidewalk said, ‘Here comes the police.’ There was a sort of rush
to see the police come up. There was a man came from the wagon down to
the parties that were standing on the south side of the alley. He lit
a match and touched it off, something or another—the fuse commenced
to fizzle, and he give a couple of steps forward, and tossed it over
into the street. He was standing in this direction (illustrating). The
man that lit the match on this side of him, and two or three of them
stood together, and he turned around with it in his hand, took two or
three steps that way, and tossed it that way, over into the street. I
knew the man by sight who threw that fizzing thing into the street. I
have seen him several times at meetings at one place and another in
the city. I do not know his name. He was a man about five feet ten
inches high, somewhat full-chested, and had a light sandy beard, not
very long. He was full-faced, his eyes set somewhat back in his head.
Judging from his appearance, he would probably weigh 180 pounds. My
impression is his hat was dark brown or black; I don’t know whether
it was a soft hat, a felt hat or a stiff hat. This here (indicating
photograph of Schnaubelt heretofore identified) is the man that threw
the bomb out of the alley. There were four or five standing together
in the group. This here (pointing to Spies) is the man who came from
the wagon toward the group.
“I did not see the police myself, there were so many people between
me and them. I don’t recollect any declaration from any of the police
officers about this person—nothing distinctly, anyway. That man over
there (pointing at defendant Fischer) was one of the parties. After
the bomb was thrown these parties immediately left through the alley.
I stood there. The firing commenced immediately afterwards, and my
attention was attracted by the firing, and I paid more attention to
that than anything else.”
On cross-examination Gilmer testified to having resided formerly in
Des Moines, Iowa, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kansas City, Mo., and in various
localities in Chicago. He then proceeded as follows:
“I know the Coroner’s jury was investigating the matter. I saw an
account of the investigation of the grand jury in the paper. I first
told a man by the name of Allen and another party whom I don’t know,
and a reporter of the _Times_, that I saw the match lighted, and saw
the man who threw the bomb. I think that it was two or three days
after the 4th of May. A number of people were talking the matter over
on the west side of the City Hall, on La Salle Street, and I made the
remark that I believed if I ever saw the party who threw the bomb I
could identify him. They didn’t ask me why I made that remark. I don’t
think they asked me any questions, what I knew about the matter. The
reporter afterwards told me he had heard the remark. I think that
was on the 6th of May. On May 5th, I was working on the corner of
Twentieth Street and Wabash Avenue. On the 6th of May I went down to
88 La Salle Street to collect a bill. I went across the street, and
there had the conversation with the reporter and the others. That
night I had a note left at my room for me to come down to the Central
Station. The name of James Bonfield was signed to the note. I went to
the Central Station and had a conversation with Mr. Bonfield the next
day; I couldn’t tell exactly whether on the 6th or the 7th. I made my
statement to Mr. Bonfield. I never appeared before a Coroner’s jury;
was never subpoenaed to appear before any Coroner’s jury that examined
any of the dead policemen. I was at the Haymarket meeting about
fifteen minutes from the time I got there to the explosion of the
bomb. I was looking for a person who had told me he was going to the
meeting. I kept looking through the crowd to see if I could find him.
Fielden was speaking then. I don’t remember anything of his speech,
except that he made use of the word McCormick. Before I went down-town
I had read in the paper that there had been a riot at McCormick’s
the day before, and that the police had shot some men. I was in the
neighborhood of where Fielden talked for about fifteen minutes. I
don’t remember anything about the connection in which Fielden spoke
of McCormick. I was looking for a gentleman by the name of Richard
Roe, and didn’t pay any attention to what Fielden said. When I stepped
into the alley I think I was on the north side of the alley, about
eight feet from the corner of Crane’s building. That group of men
was right across the alley on the south side. The lamp was burning
on the corner of the alley at that time, and it shone right down.
I could see the persons in that party distinctly; could see their
countenances; they could see myself. They were also about eight or
nine feet from the mouth of the alley. I could hear them talk. They
spoke German. I didn’t understand them. Before the man came from the
wagon I stepped across the alley and was standing on the north side
of the alley, perhaps three or four feet to the east of that group,
so that I was standing about twelve or fourteen feet from the mouth
of Crane’s alley. I did not say that I saw the wagon from that point.
I could just see the hind end of the wagon from where I stood when
I went through the alley. I think there was a tail-board. The edges
of the box of the wagon were perhaps ten inches high. I don’t know
whether there were side-boards on that wagon or not; I could not say
positively as to the width of the side-boards on the wagon. They might
have been higher than ten inches. I am sure there was a box of some
kind on the wagon. My impression is it was a wagon about twelve or
thirteen feet long, with low side-boards on. I didn’t see anybody get
off of the wagon after I went in the alley. I did not say Mr. Spies
got down off the wagon. I said he came from towards the wagon. I saw
him standing on the sidewalk before I went in the alley. I did not say
I saw Spies in the wagon at all. Mr. Spies is the man that came down
in the alley and lighted the bomb, to the best of my recollection.
When I saw him standing on the sidewalk he was talking with somebody.
I would be inclined to think it was this gentleman here (indicating
Schwab). I could not say for sure. I think it was a dark-complexioned
man. My impression is it might be him. I have very little doubt but
Fischer is the man I saw in the group. I am very nearly as positive
that Fischer is the man as I am that the picture is the picture of
the man who threw the bomb. I am sure Fischer is the man. I think I
saw Mr. Parsons there that night talking to some ladies. I had been
down to the Palmer House that evening to see some gentlemen from Des
Moines that I understood were in the city. One of them was Judge Cole,
another was ex-Gov. Samuel Merrill. I didn’t find either of them
there. I went to the meeting, as I thought I would meet Mr. Roe, and
we would go home together. That was the only business I had with Mr.
Roe. It would have been eight or nine blocks from the Haymarket to
where I lived.
“I did not run at the time of the shooting. I did not move at all. I
stood right at the mouth of the alley. After it was all over I backed
out the alley, took a car and went home. There were no bullets coming
in around my locality in the alley. On the street-car on my way home
I didn’t talk with anybody about the occurrence. There were quite a
number of people in the car talking about the Haymarket occurrence,
and there was considerable excitement in the car on account of it. The
next morning I went down on the Wabash Avenue car to the corner of
Twentieth Street and Wabash Avenue.
“I heard people speak about the Haymarket affair in the restaurant,
on Madison Street, where I took my breakfast. I did not say to them
anything about my seeing the match lighted and the bomb thrown. I
bought the _News_ on the car. I think I was working for Frank Crandle
that day; to the best of my recollection, there was only one man
working with me on the job. We worked alongside of each other some
time. Talked about different things, about our business. I did not
say to him that I saw the bomb thrown, nor that I saw the man light
the match that lit the bomb. I told him I had been at the Haymarket
and spoke of the Haymarket riot, and I think I said there were a
number killed or wounded. In the evening I went home on the Wabash
Avenue car. People were speaking about the Haymarket meeting in the
car. I didn’t tell them I knew anything about it. I think I got home
about half past six. I had no conversation with the landlady. After
my supper, my impression is I went to Mr. Roe’s house. He was not at
home. I stayed there about fifteen minutes talking with Mrs. Roe. Her
daughter, about twelve or thirteen years old, was present during the
conversation. We talked about the Haymarket meeting. I told her I was
there. She said she would not let Mr. Roe go to the meeting. I did not
tell her nor anybody on that occasion that I saw the bomb lighted and
thrown. Since noon adjournment I had no talk with James Bonfield.”
“Were not you just now walking back and forth in the corridor with
him?”
“I did not have no—“
“Didn’t you walk back and forth?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You were talking to him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When I was at Central Station, I think, both Inspector Bonfield and
Lieut. Kipley were present when I made the statement that I could
recognize the man, if I ever saw him again, who threw the bomb.
Afterwards I told all the details to Mr. Grinnell. I explained matters
more to him than to anybody else. I would not be positive that I told
Mr. Bonfield I saw the man light the match. I gave a description of
the man that I saw throw the bomb. I think the man had a black or blue
sack coat on. I think he had black eyes, and somewhat light whiskers.
The bomb went in a westerly direction. I have seen Mr. Spies the last
year and a half, and knew him by sight, not by name. I heard him speak
at public meetings, seen him very frequently, but never knew his name.
I heard him once on Market Street, a year ago last spring. I did not
inquire who it was that spoke. I knew from hearing him and reading the
papers that Spies was one of the speakers. I frequently heard the name
of August Spies. At the time I had the conversation with Bonfield I
described to him as well as I could the man that struck the match and
lighted the fuse. It was either Bonfield or one of the officers in the
Central Station. They were all together. I was twice over at police
headquarters. This picture here (photograph of Schnaubelt) was shown
to me first some time last week, at the State’s Attorney’s office. I
was in the city during the time the Coroner’s jury was examining into
the cause of the death of different policemen, and at the time the
grand jury was examining into this case. The officers knew my name and
address. They never called on me to go before the grand jury or the
Coroner’s jury.
“The man who threw the bomb was about five feet and eight, ten or nine
inches high. I don’t think he was a man over six feet tall. The first
time I told Mr. Grinnell of my experience at the Haymarket was when
I made my second visit to the Central Station, on Sunday after the
Haymarket meeting. I think at that time I only told Mr. Grinnell that
I could identify the person that threw the bomb, if I saw him. I think
I told him at that time that I saw one man strike a match and light
the fuse, and another man throw the bomb. Mr. Fischer was brought in
while we had the conversation at the Central Station. I looked at him.
I said nothing about his being the man that struck the match. I knew
him by sight. I identified him as being one of the men who composed
the group in the alley.
“I received some money two or three times when I have been over here
from Mr. James Bonfield—ten or fifteen cents, sometimes a quarter. At
the conversation at Central Station I was not told that I was wanted
as a witness before the grand jury. I saw the picture of Rudolph
Schnaubelt about six weeks ago, when Mr. Grinnell sent for me. I did
not tell any person at any time, except the officers that I mentioned,
that I saw the act of lighting the bomb accomplished. Neither Mr.
Grinnell nor Bonfield, nor any other officer, told me to keep silent
in regard to the matter.
“I am six feet three in height. I could pretty near see right over
the head of the fellow who threw the bomb. When I gave a description
of the man who came from the wagon and lighted the match that lit the
fuse they did not bring out Mr. Spies for me to look at. Spies had
kind of dark clothes on that night. His hat was black or brown. My
impression is it was a limber-rimmed hat. I first told Mr. Grinnell
one day last week that this is the man that struck the match, when
I saw him sitting here in court. I think Mr. Fischer had on a blue
sack-coat that night. I think he had a black necktie. If Schnaubelt
had any necktie that night it was a very light one. Spies had a
turn-down collar that night and not any necktie. I think the upper
buttons of Mr. Schnaubelt’s coat were buttoned. I think Spies had one
or two buttons of his coat buttoned up when he came from the wagon
into the alley.”
MARTIN QUINN was recalled and testified to finding, at Engel’s house, a
machine for making bombs.
“Engel said it had been left there by some man about four or five
months previous to that time. Mrs. Engel gave a description of the man
who left the machine down at the basement door, as a man with long
black whiskers and pretty tall. Mr. Engel said he thought he knew the
man, and he thought the machine was made for the purpose of making
bombs. There had been a meeting at Turner Hall, where this man had
made a speech about the manufacture of bombs, and the next thing was,
this machine was brought over, and Engel had said to him he wouldn’t
allow him to make any bombs in his basement; so the man went away.
Engel didn’t know where he was.”
JOHN BONFIELD was recalled and testified to being at the Central
Station when Officer Quinn brought Engel and the machine there.
Bonfield, being asked by State’s Attorney Grinnell to explain the
purpose of the apparatus, said:
“This is a blast furnace in miniature—a home-made one. This upright
part could be lined with fire-clay. This shoulder, some two and a half
inches from the bottom, could be filled in around with clay, leaving
the holes open. This, in a blasting furnace, would be known as a
tweer. It is filled up to a considerable height with clay to protect
it from the hot fire inside, and the pressure of air is applied
through those pipes, one or both of them, as may be necessary. When
the fire is extinguished or removed, the debris or slag that comes
from the metal, and the ashes and cinders from the material used for
fuel, can be taken out through the trap at the bottom. The spout is
for the purpose of passing out the melted metal. It is stopped with a
plug of clay, and when the plug is removed the metal is poured through
that tube.”
[Illustration: ENGEL’S BLAST FURNACE.
From a Photograph.]
LOUIS MAHLENDORF testified as follows:
“I am a tinner by trade, at 292 Milwaukee Avenue, since two years. I
know the defendant Engel since about eight years. I made this machine
(referring to blasting-machine) for Engel over a year ago. I cut off
the iron and formed it up. Another gentleman, a kind of heavy-set man
with long beard, was with him when he ordered it. Mr. Engel waited for
it. He took it away with him.”
HERMANN SCHUETTLER, a detective connected with the East Chicago Avenue
Station, gave the facts with reference to his arrest of Lingg, and his
search of the room on Sedgwick Street, with Officers Stift, Loewenstein
and Whalen:
“We searched a trunk and found a round lead bomb in a stocking. The
trunk was in the southeast room. In another stocking I found a large
navy revolver. Both revolver and bomb were loaded. I turned them over
to Capt. Schaack. We found a ladle and some tools, a cold chisel
and other articles. This here (indicating) is the trunk I found in
the room. The letters ‘L. L.’ were on it at the time. I recollect a
round porcelain-lined blue cup made out of china that I found, and I
believe a file. In the closet underneath the baseboard we found a lot
of torn-off plaster. The lathing was sawed so you could get your hand
between the floor and the bottom of the laths underneath. I saw those
lead pipes (indicating) lying between the house Lingg lived in and the
next house to it, in a small gangway. On the way to the Chicago Avenue
Station I asked Lingg why he wanted to kill me. He said: ‘Personally,
I have nothing against you, but if I had killed you and your partner
I would have been satisfied. I would have killed myself if I had got
away with you and your partner.”
On cross-examination witness stated that he had had no search warrant
for going through Lingg’s trunk.
JACOB LOEWENSTEIN, another detective connected with the same station,
testified to assisting Schuettler in arresting Lingg and that after
they had vanquished him Lingg said several times: “Shoot me right here,
before I will go with you. Kill me!” Witness further stated:
“I was with Officers Whalen, Stift, Schuettler, Cushman and McCormick,
at Lingg’s room, on May 7, between ten and eleven o’clock. Nobody was
in the house. The door was locked. Finally we pushed in the door and
went in. In a little bed-room in the southeast corner of the house
there was a bed and a wash-stand and a trunk, and a little shelf up
in the corner with some bottles on it. In the closet there were some
shells, and some loaded cartridges, and on the floor some metal and
some lead. Those here (indicating box containing shells) are the
shells I found in the closet of Lingg’s room. I found those bolts
(indicating) in the wash-stand. This metal here (indicating) I found
in a dinner-box with some loaded dynamite bombs in the trunk. There
were four bombs in this box (indicating), gas-pipe bombs. The two
in the bottom were loaded. When I first opened the trunk this cover
(indicating) dropped down, and with this Remington rifle (indicating),
which was loaded, fell down. I found a lot of papers and books in the
top of the trunk. In a gray stocking I found this round dynamite bomb,
loaded (indicating). I found two pieces of solder in that dinner-box.
I found a blast hammer and one smaller hammer, a couple of iron bits
and drills, a two-quart pail, with a little substance looking like
saw-dust in the bottom of it, which I found out to be dynamite. I
found a little tin quart basin under the bed with a little piece of
fuse in it. In the bottom of the trunk I found two or three pieces of
fuse. In the closet we tore off the baseboard, which had been freshly
nailed down—the nails were projecting out a little bit—and found the
plaster was torn out all the way around on the baseboard, and there
were holes there.”
JOSEPH B. CASAGRANDE, telephone operator at the East Chicago Avenue
Station, but on duty at the Larrabee Street Station on the night of
May 4, and John K. Soller, a police officer at the last-named station,
testified to a call for a patrol wagon and its leaving at 10:40 o’clock
for Desplaines and Randolph Streets with a full load of officers.
JOHN B. MURPHY, a physician and surgeon, was called to the Desplaines
Street Station after the Haymarket explosion and remained until three
o’clock in the morning. He was a surgeon at the Cook County Hospital,
and when he left the station he proceeded direct to that institution.
At the station Dr. Murphy said that he first dressed Barrett, who was
complaining and crying with severe pain.
“He had a very large wound in his side, large enough to admit two
fingers right into his liver, and severely bleeding. I could not reach
with my finger the piece of shell that caused the injury. It was a
lacerated wound, much larger than could be made by an ordinary pistol
bullet. I tampened the liver with gauze to prevent his bleeding to
death at the station, and I went on to other officers in that way
until I dressed in all between twenty-six and thirty at the station.
When we got through with that, at three o’clock, Dr. Lee remained at
the station while I went to the hospital to take care of those injured
most severely, who were to be sent to the hospital. Officers Muller,
Whitney, Keller, Barrett, Flavin and Redden are the principal men that
I ordered him to send first to the hospital.”
Dr. Murphy then gave a list of the men and specified the particular
character of their wounds.
E. G. EPLER, a physician and surgeon practicing at No. 505 South Canal
Street, testified to having dressed a wound of Fielden between eleven
and twelve at night on May 4.
“The wound was on the left side of the left knee joint, the bullet
having passed in underneath the skin and passed out again five inches
from the point of entry. He said he was crawling on the pavement
trying to get away from the crowd when he received the injury, and the
bullet glanced off from the pavement and struck him in that position.”
MICHAEL HOFFMAN, a detective connected with the Larrabee Street
Station, gave evidence as to finding nine round bombs and four long
ones.
“These two bombs (indicating) I found at the corner of Clyde and
Clybourn Avenue, near Ogden’s Grove, under the sidewalk. They were
empty. I found another one there which was loaded, and which I gave to
Capt. Schaack. Gustav Lehman, who was a witness in this case, was with
me when I found them. I got two coils of fuse, a can of dynamite and
a box of caps at the same time. I found these two pieces of gas-pipe
(indicating) at 509 North Halsted Street, under the house of John
Thielen, who was arrested, with two cigar-boxes full of dynamite and
two boxes of cartridges, one rifle, one revolver. The revolver and
one box of cartridges were buried under the floor of the coal-shed,
and two bombs which were loaded, the dynamite and rifle and other
box of cartridges were buried under the house in the ground. The can
of dynamite which Lehman pointed out to me, and which I found near
Ogden’s Grove, held about a gallon. This can and the box of caps were
on the stone of the pavement; the bombs were buried in the ground.”
At this stage of the proceedings I was myself put on the stand. My
testimony, as taken by the stenographers, was as follows:
“I am police captain of the Fifth Precinct. My headquarters are at
East Chicago Avenue Station. I have charge of two other stations
besides. Have been connected with the force for eighteen years. Have
been captain one year. I have seen Spies, Schwab, Neebe and Fischer.
Had no personal acquaintance with them. The defendants Engel and Lingg
were arrested and confined in my station. Lingg was arrested on May
14th; Engel about the 18th. I had my first conversation with Lingg
about this case about three o’clock on the afternoon of May 14th.
Lingg told me his name, and that he had lived at 442 Sedgwick Street.
He had been out of work for about four weeks. I asked him whether
he was at the meeting held in the basement of 54 West Lake Street
on Monday night, and he said, ‘Yes.’ On Tuesday night, May 4th, he
said, he was at home—not all the evening. He and Seliger had been
on Larrabee Street, quite a ways north; had had several glasses of
beer, and from there he went home. He said he had made some bombs
to use them himself. He said he had reason for being down on the
police; they had clubbed him out at McCormick’s. He said he was down
on capitalists, and found fault with the police for taking the part
of the capitalists. If the capitalists turned out the militia and the
police force with their Gatling guns, they couldn’t do anything with
revolvers, and therefore they had adopted these bombs and dynamite.
He said he had learned to make bombs in scientific books of warfare
published by Most, of New York. He had got his dynamite on Lake
Street, somewhere near Dearborn, and had bought some fuse and caps,
and told me what he paid for it. He had not used up all his dynamite.
He said he had made bombs of gas-pipe, and also of metal and lead
mixed. He found the gas-pipe on the street sometimes. The lead he got
about the same way. He said the bombs they found in his place were all
he made. We put Mrs. Seliger face to face with him, and she accused
him that he had commenced making bombs a few weeks after he came to
their house. He looked at the woman, but didn’t say anything. John
Thielen, who was arrested at the time, faced him too. Lingg admitted
he had given to Thielen the two cigar-boxes full of dynamite and the
two bombs which Officer Hoffman brought to me; at the same time Lingg
looked right square at Thielen and shook his head for him to keep
still. Thielen said to him, ‘Never mind, you might as well tell it.
They know it all, anyhow.’
“In Lingg’s trunk I discovered a false bottom, and in there I found
two long cartridges of dynamite, and some fuse four inches long,
with caps on, and a big coil of fuse. I asked Lingg if that was the
dynamite he used in his bombs, and he said yes. The dynamite in the
package is lighter in quality than what was found in his bombs,
except one that was black. I got three kinds of dynamite. That in
the gallon-box that Lehman testified was given to him by Lingg
looked like charcoal; the dynamite in the trunk was white, and the
dynamite in most of those bombs is dark-colored. Lingg said he had
tried a round bomb and a long one in the open air somewhere, and
they worked well. He put one right in the crotch of a tree and split
it all up. He said he had known Spies for some time. He had been at
the _Arbeiter-Zeitung_ office about five times, bringing reports of
Socialistic and Anarchistic meetings to the _Arbeiter-Zeitung_. He
stated he had been financial secretary of a branch of the Carpenters’
Union. He had been a Socialist ever since he could think. He told me
he had been in this country since last July or August; he had been a
Socialist in Europe.”
“Now give the conversation which you had with Engel.”
“Engel said, in the first conversation that I had with him, that on
Monday, 3d of May, he was doing some fresco work for a friend by the
name of Koch, somewhere out west. He had been for a little while at
the 54 West Lake Street meeting that night, but made no speech there.
“Several days afterwards I had another conversation, when his wife and
daughter came. Engel complained that his cell was dark and no water
running in it, and I told him we would give him another cell if we
had it. The cells were crowded right along that night. And his wife
said, ‘Do you see now what trouble you got yourself into?’ and Engel
answered, ‘Mamma, I can’t help it.’ I asked him why he didn’t stop
that nonsense, and he said: ‘I promised my wife so many times that I
would stop this business, but I can’t stop it. What is in me has got
to come out. I can’t help it that I am so gifted with eloquence. It is
a curse. It has been a curse to a good many other men. A good many men
have suffered already for the same cause, and I am willing to suffer
and will stand it like a man.’ And I think he mentioned Louise Michel
as having taken a leading part in the Anarchist business. Engel said
on the evening of May 4th he was at home tying on the lounge.
“I have experimented with all dynamite that was brought me; also the
bombs. I gave a portion of the lead bomb which Officer Schuettler
testified he found in Lingg’s room to Professor Haines. I took the
dynamite from that bomb and put the dynamite in a piece of gas-pipe,
about five inches long, with ends screwed on. I had a box made two
feet square, of inch boards, pretty well nailed together, and we dug
a hole three feet deep out at Lake View, in the bushes, put the box
into the hole, cut a hole in the top of the box, let the bomb into it,
put a fuse and cap to it, and touched it off. This was found as the
result of the explosion (indicating fragments). The box was blown all
to pieces, and some of the pieces flew up in the trees. Everything in
that box was smashed to pieces. This bomb here (indicating) I have
made in the same way, and filled it with some black dynamite from that
gallon can which was given by Lingg to Lehman, as stated here. This
here (indicating fragments of the exploded bomb) was the result of the
examination. I put some dynamite also in a beer keg. It smashed the
keg all to pieces.
“Now here are the fragments from a lead bomb which Lehman gave to
Hoffman and Hoffman to me. We got a piece of boiler-iron a quarter of
an inch thick, nineteen inches high, and thirty-four inches wide. Then
we had a steel top weighing 140 pounds. On the ground I put two-inch
plank. On top of the plank I put four large metal sheets. I put the
bomb right in the center, and a big stone weighing about 125 pounds
on top, and the inside of the boiler-iron, the tub, I had painted so
we could see where the lead would strike. I touched it off myself. It
knocked the tub away up in the air, and the stone on top was crushed
all to pieces. This is the result of the lead after we picked it up on
top of the boards (indicating fragments of the tub). Here is the bolt
(indicating) that was on the bomb. The nut we did not find. I counted
195 places where the lead struck the painted boiler-iron. There is
a crack clear through the boiler-iron. In six places it is bulged
out. Professor Haines has got a piece of this bomb (indicating), and
Professor Patton another piece. I gave to the professors pieces of
metal from other bombs.
“Lingg in his conversations with me said there would likely be a
revolution through this workingmen’s trouble. There was a satchel
brought from Neff’s place. The satchel was filled with bombs. Thielen
was present. I asked him if he brought the satchel there. He said he
saw the satchel there, saw it stand there when he left, and that was
the last he saw of it. Lingg said he made the molds to make these
bombs himself. He made them of clay, and that they could be used to
cast in only about twice. He said he saw the ‘Revenge’ circular on the
West Side, I believe at 71 West Lake Street. I asked him when he had
had his hair trimmed and his chin beard shaved. He said on or about
the 7th of May. He said there had been several persons in his room on
the afternoon of May 4th, among them the two Lehmans.
“I experimented with fuse. I cut a fuse four inches long and set it
on fire, and you could count just six until it struck the cap within.
I experimented with dynamite cartridges. I drilled a hole in one end
about an inch and a half deep, shoved a percussion cap in, put a fuse
on, and exploded it. I had it stand free up in the air in a stone
weighing about twenty or thirty pounds. When it went off it broke the
stone all up. I put one right in the center of a lot of shrubs and
bushes, and it broke everything up—took around about four feet each
way.”
On cross-examination I stated that I had never taken Lingg before any
magistrate for examination. There was no complaint entered against him.
FREDERICK DREWS saw some cans underneath the sidewalk at his home, No.
351 North Paulina Street, about three miles from the Haymarket, and
testified to having turned them over to me. His residence was about a
mile and a half from Wicker Park.
MICHAEL WHALEN, a detective connected with the Chicago Avenue Station,
testified to having seen the cans referred to by the preceding witness
in the yard at No. 351 North Paulina Street, and that there were four
of those cans, one of which they emptied.
DANIEL COUGHLIN, a police officer, testified as to the explosive
character of one of the cans found at North Paulina Street, with a
fulminating cap and fuse about eight inches long. After igniting the
fuse an explosion was caused which shattered the can, throwing the
contents, some kind of vitriol, four or five feet around.
CHARLES E. PROUTY, manager of a gun-store at No. 53 State Street,
recalled a visit of Mr. and Mrs. Engel at the store the previous fall.
“They made some inquiries in regard to some large revolvers. They
found one there that seemed to be satisfactory, and wanted to know
at what price they could get a quantity of them, perhaps one or two
hundred, and wanted to buy that one and pay for it and present it at
some meeting of some society. They took the pistol and paid for it.
A week or two after they returned, said the pistol was satisfactory,
and wanted to know if I could get them a lot. I said I knew of one
lot in the East, and would inquire. I wrote East, and found the lot
had been disposed of. They were somewhat disappointed, but said they
had found something else for a little less money that would answer
the purpose, and with that they left our store. Mrs. Engel comes
frequently to our store. She has a little store on the West Side, and
buys fishing-tackle and other things in our line. I sold cartridges to
them in a small way, as she might want them in her store. When I spoke
of guns I meant large revolvers, something about seven-inch barrel—I
think 44 or 45-caliber, at $5.50 apiece. When I stated the price was
very cheap they replied they didn’t care to make profit on them, it
was for a society. I remember seeing Mr. Parsons’ face in the store.
Never had any dealings with him.”
WILLIAM J. REYNOLDS, in the employ of D. H. Lamberson & Co., gun
business at No. 76 State Street, testified:
“I think about February or March of this year Mr. Parsons came to
our store. He said he wanted to buy a quantity of revolvers—I think
forty or fifty. He wanted what is called an old remodeled Remington
revolver, 44 or 45-caliber. I agreed to write and get a quotation of
the revolver. He came in again, and I quoted him a price upon it. He
did not purchase any revolvers, and was in once or twice after that.
He seemed undecided about it.”
THOMAS MCNAMARA, a police officer, testified:
“I found thirty loaded and one empty gas-pipe bombs under the sidewalk
on Bloomingdale Road and Robey Street. The loaded bombs were fixed
with caps and fuse. They were in an oil-cloth. The corner where I
found them is about four blocks from Wicker Park. Found them on the
afternoon of May 23 last. Three coils of fuse in a tin can and two
boxes of dynamite caps—probably about two hundred caps—were also in
the package.”
Prof. WALTER S. HAINES examined a number of bomb fragments and
testified as follows:
“I am professor of chemistry in Rush Medical College in this city. I
devote most of my time to practical chemistry. I have examined several
pieces of metal at the request of the State’s Attorney. I received
from Capt. Schaack, on June 24 this year, a piece of bomb said to have
been connected with Lingg. I call it ‘Lingg bomb No. 1.’ I received
from Dr. J. B. Murphy, on the same day, a piece of metal said to have
been taken from Officer Murphy. I designate it ‘Murphy bomb.’ On July
22 I received a piece of metal said to have been taken from Officer
Degan. I designate it ‘Degan bomb.’ The last piece I received from Mr.
Furthmann. I subsequently received from Officer Whalen a piece of bomb
said to have been connected with Lingg. I designate it ‘Lingg bomb No.
2,’ The next day I received from Capt. Schaack pieces of two other
bombs also said to have been connected with Lingg. I designate as
‘Lingg bombs Nos. 3 and 4.’ I received from Mr. Furthmann a portion of
a bomb said to have been connected with Mr. Spies, which I designate
as ‘Spies bomb.’ These were all subjected to chemical examination.
Lingg bombs Nos. 1, 3 and 4 were found to consist chiefly of lead,
with a small percentage of tin and traces of antimony, iron and zinc.
The amount of tin in these three bombs differs slightly. One of them
contained about 1.9 per cent., another about 2.4 per cent., the third
about 2½ per cent. of tin. Lingg bomb No. 2 contained more tin,
consequently less lead; also a little more antimony and a little more
zinc. The amount of tin in this bomb was very nearly seven per cent.
The Murphy bomb was composed of a small proportion of tin, chiefly
lead and traces of antimony, iron and zinc. The amount of tin was in
round numbers 1.6 per cent. The Degan bomb contained in round numbers
1.6 or 1.7 per cent. The remainder was lead, with traces of antimony,
iron and zinc. The Spies bomb consisted chiefly of lead with a small
quantity of tin, about 1.1 per cent., in round numbers, with traces
of antimony, iron and zinc. The different pieces of the same bomb
differed slightly in the proportions of the metals present. The Degan
bomb contained slightly more tin than what I call the Murphy bomb.
There is no commercial substance with which I am acquainted that has
such a composition as these bombs. Commercial lead frequently contains
traces of other substances, but, as far as I know, never tin. Solder
is composed of from a third to a half tin and the remainder lead. Lead
must have been the basis for the preparation of the various articles
which I examined, and this must have been mixed either with tin or
some substance containing tin, as for instance solder.
“Lingg bomb No. 2 had a minute trace of copper. This piece of
candlestick (indicating) is composed of tin and lead, with a certain
amount of antimony and zinc and a little copper. Professor Patton has
been sick for about two weeks. I worked in connection with Professor
Delafontaine instead of working with Patton.” (The Spies bomb is the
one which the witness Wilkinson identified.)
Prof. MARK DELAFONTAINE testified as follows:
“I am a chemist, teacher of chemistry in the High School in this city.
Have been a chemist for over thirty years. I made an examination
of the substances described by Prof. Haines, compared results with
him, and they agreed as closely as they can. I found the piece of
candlestick to be a mixture of antimony, tin, lead, zinc and a trace
of copper. I made experiments with old lead pipes upon which there
was solder. I took a piece of old lead pipe that had been very much
mended, had much solder put on; I melted it, analyzed it, and the
amount of tin contained in the mixture was about seven-tenths of one
per cent. I don’t know of any one commercial product of which the
pieces of bomb that I examined could be composed. I never found a
sample of lead containing the least traces of tin.”
MICHAEL WHALEN, recalled, testified that he gave to Prof. Haines two
pieces of lead which I had given to him.
EDMUND FURTHMANN, Assistant State’s Attorney, stated that the piece of
lead he gave to Prof. Haines he had received from Dr. Bluthardt, and
designated the various halls and places spoken of by various witnesses
as being all located in Cook County and the State of Illinois.
THEODORE J. BLUTHARDT was then called and gave the following evidence:
“I am County Physician. I made a _post-mortem_ examination upon the
body of Mathias J. Degan, on the 5th day of May last, before the
Coroner’s inquest, at the Cook County Hospital. I found a deep cut
upon his forehead, another cut over the right eye and another deep
cut, about two inches in length, on the left side. I found a large
wound, apparently a gun-shot wound—a hole in the middle of the
left thigh. I found seven explosive marks on his right leg and two
on the left leg. The large hole in the middle of the left thigh was
the mortal wound caused by an explosive, a piece of lead that had
penetrated the skin, destroyed the inside muscles and lacerated the
femoral artery, which caused bleeding to death. Besides that he had a
wound on the dorsum of the left foot, also caused by a piece of lead,
which forced its way through the bones of the ankle joint. I found a
piece behind the inside ankle of the left foot. Both pieces I gave
to Mr. Furthmann. The external appearance of that wound on that left
thigh was that of a rifle ball. It was round and not very ragged; it
was clean cut through the skin, but the muscles of the thigh were all
contused and torn—formed a kind of pulpy cavity as large as a goose
egg on the inside. The missile was lodged in the upper part of the
thigh, about four inches above the place where it entered. Mathias J.
Degan died of hemorrhage of the femoral artery, caused by this wound
that I described.
“I made a _post-mortem_ examination on the body of John Barrett on the
7th of May, at 171 East Chicago Avenue. A missile had passed through
the eleventh rib into the upper part of the liver, about three inches
deep. There I found a piece of lead and a piece of blue cloth with
lining in. The right lung was collapsed. From the opening into the
diaphragm the air rushed into the cavity of the chest and compressed
the lung. In consequence of the wound in the liver there was a good
deal of hemorrhage into the chest as well as into the abdomen. This
wound, by this explosive piece of material, was the cause of his
death. He had several other wounds.
“On the same day I made a _post-mortem_ examination on the body of
George F. Muller, at the Cook County Hospital. This man died, in my
opinion, from the effects of a pistol ball which wounded the small
intestines and caused inflammation of the bowels.
“On May 8th I made a _post-mortem_ examination on the body of Tim
Flavin. He had a small wound in the back four inches to the left of
the spine. The missile, which was not a pistol ball, passed into the
abdomen below the twelfth rib. I found much blood in both cavities,
and the cause of his death was internal hemorrhage.
“On May 10th I made a _post-mortem_ examination on the body of Michael
Sheehan. He died from exhaustion caused by a pistol shot wound upon
the right side of the abdomen, three inches to the right and four
inches above the umbilicus. The ball passed through the mesentary and
lower part of the liver into the muscles of the abdomen. There was
considerable blood in the abdomen and the liver. The surroundings were
very much inflamed.
“On May 17th I made a _post-mortem_ examination on the body of Thomas
Redden, at the Cook County Hospital. I found an abrasion over the
right eye, a slight lacerated wound upon the lower part of the left
hip, a large lacerated wound perforating the right forearm, a compound
fracture of the left tibia, a large lacerated wound upon the posterior
part of the left leg, a circular wound upon the right leg two inches
below the knee joint, extending to the bone, another wound upon the
right leg about seven inches above the ankle, a large lacerated wound
upon the left side of the back. I found the lungs badly inflamed and
the blood valves enlarged above the kidneys, and the liver somewhat
inflamed with so-called cloudy swelling. In my opinion he died from
the effects of these wounds bringing about blood-poisoning.”
JAMES BONFIELD, being recalled, stated:
“I found a number of banners at the _Arbeiter-Zeitung_. I found,
altogether, about forty banners. I can identify only a few of them as
found at the _Arbeiter-Zeitung_.”
State’s Attorney Grinnell here announced that the prosecution rested
its case. Thereupon counsel for the defendants moved that the jury be
sent from the court-room while they would present and argue, on behalf
of Neebe, a motion that the jury be instructed to find a verdict of not
guilty as to Neebe. Judge Gary refused the motion.
A like motion on behalf of the other defendants, except August Spies
and Adolph Fischer, was also overruled by the court.