The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-17
Inspector Bonfield Takes the Stand and Tells
How the Mob Was Ordered to Disperse. and
What Followed the Throwing.
Startling Testimony of a Swiss Social
ist Who Turned States Evidence
The Anarchists Meant to Destroy Police Sta
tions and Cripple the Fire Department
Fiendish Plotting Of Desperate Men.

exhausting every device for delay, employed by
the crafty lawyers, the trial of the Anarchists is
to begin in earnest. This morning the eight
men who are to answer for the Haymarket mas
sacre took their seats in Judge CARROTS court.
They were composed; their manner betrays no
sense of un easiness; apparently they are care
less of the past and Indifferent to the future.
Without the courtroom was congregated large
crowd, victims to a curiosity they were unable
to crafty. Down stairs was another crowd,
and still another and a larger one was congre-
gated in front of the entrance to the Criminal
Court building. On the opening of court at 10
o'clock, the States attorney requested an ad-
journment till Ii o'clock, which was granted.
The reason for this adjournment was given in a
rumor, which was to the eject that the State
had met with some trouble on account of It's wit
nesses or some of them. The story was that
some of these denied. this morning, the truth of
their disclosures relative to the existence of the
dynamite conspiracy. The States attorneys
Office was closed to all attempts to get informa-
ton bearing on the truth or falsity of this re-
port. Grinnell, later. said his reason for desr-
ing delay was due to the circumstance that
witnesses in certain branch of the case had not
appeared These witnesses were newspaper re-
porters mostly, who are to testify to the early
scenes at the Haymarket before the riot was
precipitated.
A huge map of the Haymarket, showing the
relative positions of the police, the crowd, and
the speakers at the fatal meeting May 4, was
shown, prepared by Felix c. Buschelwan, archi-
tect and draughtsman, who was the first man
sworn Mr. Buschelwan was asked to explain
this map to the jury in detail The dimensions
of the Haymarket, which includes the space be-
tween Halsted and Desplaines street on Ran
dolph, are given. zeph's Hall is designated on
the map as No. 100 Lake street. This place
served as rendezvous for the conspirators. The
witness, pointing to the map, said This is
Neffs Hall, No. So Clybourn avenue. Here is a
walk leading into side door in the hall, back of
a saloon, which occupies the front There is
little platform back of the hall, another side
door, and there are two steps leading from the
hall to the saloon"
Captain Black looked Iattentive1y at this map
and listened to every word dropped by the wit
ness Then he said: 1--WE don't know the
relevancy of all this, but suppose it has some
connection with the case"
'.It will be explained later" reioined Mr. Grin
nell.
Another map was unfolded. The witness said:
This is Griefs saloon, No. "a West Lake
street. designating drawing on the map.
Mr.. Grinnell asked what!was the length of the
building.
''It is fiftyon feet six inches. The basement
is eight feet hgh5 and access can be had to it by
means Of two doors, one at the side and the
other at the rear. !"
Still another map was shown. s'This is
Zeph's Hail. corner of Desplaines and Lake
streets. 1t is larger drawing than the othern
The basement stairs. the windows the doors in
the building were pointed out. CAPTAIN Black
wanted to know the distance from the corner on
which the building known as Zeph's Hall stands
to Crane Bros. alley, near which spot the bomb
was thrown. The distance is 362 feet. Then
this ground was gone over inch by inch, almost,
to elucidate to the jury the minute spots in every
part of the territory on which the massacre took
place.
Inspector Bonfeld then took the stand. He
had been nearly ten years in the department.,
and was in command of the police force which
rendezvoused at the Desplaines-street station on
the night of May 4. The witness reached the
station about in the evening. There were
present Lieutenants Steele, Bower, Stanton,
Hubbard, Beard and Quinn, with detachments
of men.
How did you come to go therep Mr. Grin
nell asked.
Sometime during the day my attention was
called to circular that"
1--WE object cried Captain Black.
''Well, we will put the circular in evidence"
Mr. Grinnell said
81 have one,' said the witness; "here it is.
consulted with his Honor the Mayor about the
circular, which called for the meeting at the
Haymarket."
''Well you needn't say what that conference
was Tell what you did on leaving the station"
1T was about 10 o'clock when the men were
ordered out. There were about 160 of them in
all They marched up the street, intending to
guard the thoroughfare"
s'What was the state of the men, as to the
arms they bore9"
II object cried Captain Black. Overruled
"They were armed"
'What were the Instructions"
THAT no one should fire unless he was or
dered to do so by his superior officer AS we
approached truck at this point indicating the
spot on the map designated where the speakers
had possession of the truck Captain Ward, who
was with me, said to those in the crowd: i
command you, in the name of the people of the
State of Illinois, to disperse, and | call on you.
and you pointing to the crowd), to aid in dis
persing this crowd At that time Mr..
Fielden was standing in front of the truck.
He turned to US and said: we are peaceable'
Instantly the crowd parted--in peculiar man
ner. thought. Then l heard Kissing noise.
have had some experience with dynamite and
fuse, aud OWNED in an instant what was going
to happen. The next moment terrific explo-
sion took place. Then bullets were fired into us,
for, perhaps, minute or so, before single shot
was fired by the police. ] gave the order to close
up and return the fire.
How many persons were injured by these
bulletsl"
ITO the best Of my recollection. sixty
How many have diedl"