Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-07-17
AN ANARCHIST ON TRIAL.

! AN ANARCHIST ON TRIAL.
The trial OF the eight anarchist prisoners
in Chicago, charged with being concerned
in the Haymarket riots of May 4, in which
large number of policemen were killed
and wounded by dynamite bomb, began
in earnest yesterday, the last juror having
been obtained Thursday, after many days
of unsuccessful effort to complete the panel.
The fist witness was Felix G. Buschek, a
draug ghtsman, who explained to the jury
maps of the scene of the riot and 9th er
points. Inspector Bonfeld, who was in
command of tho police on the night of May
| 4, described the marching of the police to
| the Haymarket meeting, throwing the bomb
| amoug the officers, aud the bloody scenes
that followed.
Gotfried Waller, Swiss, testified through
an interpreter. He was formerly a socialist,
and attended the socialist meeting before
the riot because he saw the secret invitation
in the socialist papers. The meeting of his
society was ne!d that evening 1t was called
to order by witness. About seventy or
eighty men were present; Witness was
chairman. Fisher and Engle were present
Several revenge" posters were distributed
at tho meeting. Engel introduced reso.
luton as to what should be done, and said
if there should be an encounter with the
police then there should be meetings
at various places to aid the strik.
ers; and that the North side had re-
solved on that. If something should hap.
pen the word "Rest" was to be published
in the "Letter Box" and that was
to be the signal for meeting. If there should
be disturbance they were to meet in Wicker
Park armed. Then a committee was ap-
pointed to watch the movements in the
city and report if anything happened, and
if riots should occur they should storm the
police stations and cut the telegraph wires.
Then they should down everything that
came against them Then if one police sta
| ton was stormed they should do the same
with the others, moving down all that came.
They were to commence at the station on
North svenue. Engel said that the easiest
mode would be to throw bomb in the sta
ton.
Those present were not to participate 10
| the Haymarket meeting. Only committee
was to be there. IF they should report that
| something had happened, then the others
should come down upon the police, then
the militia-whstever should come against
|
thought that the fire department should be
disabled. First, we were to attack the
North avenue police station, then the next
| one, as fate would have it, The plan was
to attack the police stations to prevent the
police from coming to aid if there should be
| fight in the city We all thought there
would be fight, aud so calculated. The
| plan was adopted, with the understand
| ing that every group should act inde-
pendently, according to the general plan.
| Those present were from all the groups
from all parts of the city. The
same programme was to be carried out in
every part of the city. There was nothing
said about the Haymarket. It was not ex-
pected that the police should get to the
| Haymarket. Only if the strikers were at
tackled, then we should shoot the police. In
case of an attempt to disperse meeting We
should simply strike them down however
we best could, with bombs or whatever
should be at our disposal. One or two from
each group were to compose the committee
to be sent to the Haymarket. They. were
to observe the movements not only in the
market, but in the different parts of the
city, and if conflict should happen they
should report to u.s. Ifit happened in the
daytime. then they should cause the publ.
cation of the word 'ruhe.' If in the evening
or night, they should report personally to
the members at their homes. The word
was signal to meet, and was only to be
inserted in the newspaper if downright
revolution occurred. Fischer suggested the
word, and it was arranged that the publica-
ton should be made in the Arbeiter Zeitung
letter box"
The witness was at Zepf's Hall when the
bomb was thrown. There was some com.
motion, and the doors were closed. When
they were opened he started home, stopping
at Engel's house on the way.
The witness was asked: ibid you ever
Foster, of the defense, warmly objected.
Mr.. Ingham replied, saying that the theo.
ry of the State was that the defendants for
two or three years had been engaged as the
leaders in a gigantic conspiracy against law
and order, of which the meeting on Monday
night was but one step. The State intend
ed to show that for months the defendants
had been preparing for q revolution
about the first of May that they had been
arming themselves and their dupes. The
State intended to bring into court dynamite
bombs-some of them loaded, perhaps-by
the dozen, and the barrel full, and would
show that these bombs were used tor no pnr'
pose in all the wide world except coWardiy
and atrocious murder. ''.1/,-
Judge Gary, in deciding the point, said
'sIf there was combination among grea,
number of individuals to kill policemen il
they came in conflict with workingmen oi
strikers, or were attempting to enforce Law
and order, and preparations were made tc
kill policemen upon some such occasion, the
decision as to when the proper occasion had
come being left to the parties who were K
do the work, and some of these parties die
such an act, then all engaged in the genera
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