The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-07-30

seizing upon every incident engaging
public attention and urging subordinate
members to make it the occasion of some
startling act of violince, the witness re-
lated that Fielden, referring to the new
Board of Trade building, said at one of
the meetings: ssWhat a splendid oppor-
tunity there would be for some bold fell
low, next Tuesday evening, to m axe the
capitalists tremble by blowing up the
building and all there is in it."
Witness then took each separate meet
ing of the American group of the Inter-
national Working Peoples Association
between February %, 1885, and January
%, 1886, mentioned the date specifically
and proceeded by reference to memo
randa to detail exactly when, where, how
often and under what circumstances each
of the defendants had advocated attacks
on the militia and police, and particularly
the use of dynamite. Incidentally De"
tective Johnson told how Parsons, in
certain speech, had said: 81 lived
on snowballs all last winter, but by - I
won't do it this winter" At the mar
ration of this sally Of her husband
Mrs. Parsons laughed till the tears ran
down her cheeks, and then ostentaHous-
ly wiped her eyes with a flaming carlet
handkerchief. The alarm that had mani
tested itself among the eight defendants
upon the first appearance of the detective
on the stand, had by this time some what
subsidized. 1t had entirely disappeared at
the end Of the line at which Lingg and
Engel, who knew little English, were
stationed. Beyond the latter grizzly
looking Anarchist sat his pretty seven
teen-year- old daughter. She leaned her
arm on one arm of her fathers chair, up
on the opposite arm of which rested the
elbow of youthful, good-looking Louis
LiDgg. The old man sat bolt upright be-
tween them apparently lost in thought,
while the two young people chatted
and laughed to their hearts, content.
Even Lingg, however, grew serious again
when the detective began to recount his
experience at a meeting of the armed
section held August "a at 81 West Lake
street. Twenty or twenty-five men were
present and two women. A man armed
with a long sword, dressed ia blue blouse
and wearing a slouched hat ordered all
to fall in. Whoever wished to Join the
company were told to step to the front.
The detective and two others stepped
forward. Upon the Captains demand
ing that each should be vouched for by
some member of the company, the de-
tective was for a moment at a loss how
to proceed. To his great relief Parsons
volunteered to be his sponsor.
At this evidence every man among the
defendants turned inquiringly toward
nonplussed. -
The company, witness continued,
drilled for three-quarteTs of an hour in
the regular manual. man then came
in with two tin boxes, which he placed
on the table. The driIlmaster invited all
up to examine the latest improved
dynamite bombs. They were carefully
examined by all the members. At a sub
sequent meeting of this portion of the
,I,v
international Rifles, or American Group,
Parsons was elected lieutenant. The
question of arms was discussed.
He said: ELook here, boys, why
cannot we make a raid on the First Regi-
ment Armory. Only two or three men
are on guard" The idea was generally
favored, but it was finally decided to put
the matter off for time. In case of a con-
fiict with the authorities the Internation-
al Rifles were to act in concert with the
Lehr and Wehr Yerein. The first of May
was specifically mentioned as the most
available opportunity for bringinga about
the sFSOciaI revolutiOn.' f'The first of
May Fielden had said, "will be a grand
time to strike theSblow. There will be
fifty thousand men out of employment"
The WiS1ess related significant conf
dental tAlk, giving place, date and hour.
which he had overheard between Fielden
and Spies. Frequently during this testi-
mony Spies started in blank surprise, not
so much apparently at the utterances laid /
before the jury as the closeness with |
which he had been shadowed by the de. |
tectives, whom it was evident had been
at his elbow in the most totally unexpect |
ed places.
Nearly one-third of the afternoon was /
given to the ross-examination of Detec- I
tive johnson and it was then announced I
that the lawyers for the defense would +
begin Monday morning with further I
questioning ''to ascertain whether this /
witness should be depended on" It
was evident that theIdefense, anticipating /
equally definite and much more damag. |
ing testimony from detective sources, had !
determined upon a supreme effort to dis
credit it in advance by every device in
their power before the introduction of
the detectives who relieved Johnson and
during the then rapidly ap-
crisis as spies in the camp o.
the Anarchists.