The Rise and Fall of Anarchy in America: From its Incipient Stage to the First Bomb Thrown in ChicagoMcLean, George N.
History
The Rise and Fall of Anarchy in America: From its Incipient Stage to the First Bomb Thrown in Chicago
McLean, George N.
Anarchists -- United States; Haymarket Square Riot, Chicago, Ill., 1886
"As to the witnesses for the State, the testimony of two of them,
Gilmer and Thompson, who swore to having seen Schnaubelt throw the
bomb, was impeached. Gilmer's story was utterly improbable in itself;
the rational mind rejected it. Is it credible? Mr. Ingham has said
Spies was the brainiest man among the Anarchists, and the greatest
coward. The witness Gilmer testified that he saw Spies get down from
the wagon and go into the alley with Schnaubelt; saw him strike the
light, fire the bomb, and give it to Schnaubelt, who hurled it among
the police. Is that credible? Remember, Spies, a man of brains, of more
than average brains; would he light the match that fired that bomb, and
the police almost upon him? Is that credible? It was also said Spies
was a great coward. Then, if that were true, would he run the risk
of lighting the bomb? The counter-proof was abundant. A half a dozen
reputable citizens standing in the mouth of the alley had testified
that they did not see Spies leave the wagon, and that he did not enter
the alley before the bomb exploded. This was negative testimony, it was
true, but considering the narrow space and how unlikely it was that
Spies, whom they all knew, could enter the alley without being seen
by the witnesses, it was conclusive. Again, two or three witnesses
testified that Schnaubelt went home early in the evening, disappointed
because there was no German speaking, and was not at the Haymarket when
the explosion took place."
The circumstantial evidence presented by the State, and by which it
was sought to enmesh the defendants, was next considered. The case of
the state was substantially this. The meeting at the Haymarket May 4
was an incident in the carrying out of an organized scheme. August
Spies was there to precipitate a conflict with the police. He put
Parsons on the stand, who made a long harangue, but the police did
not appear. Then Fielden was put up to speak. The police came, and
the act was accomplished. But who called this meeting? Not Spies, not
Neebe, not Parsons, not Schwab, nor Engel, nor Lingg, nor Fischer, as
an individual act. It was the result of another meeting, held the night
before at 54 West Lake street, and about which Spies knew nothing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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