New-York tribune., 1886-06-06
4 SOCIALISTS OPINION OF SPIES.
PRAIsING HIM As AN IDrALIsT AND A MAN OF GEN
TIE DISPOSITION.

PRAIsING HIM As AN IDrALLsT AND MAN OF GEN
TIE DISPOSITION.
,Joseph Zerbas of No. 107 East Forty sixth
ST wellknown Socialist and close personal friend Of
August Spies the Socialist leader now under indictment
in Chicago conspiracy and mcrder was seen at his
rooms yesterday morning by TRIBUNE reporter ana
consented to give Socalisc view OF the recent troub
les which eliminated in the bombthrowlng IN the od
Haymarket Mr. Zerbas talks aud writes only In Ger
man. but his nephew speaks English plainly and serves
excelleny as an interpreter the sentences be-
come too long or too confused
"I was IN Chicago" said the older Socialist,
ION Easter Sunday. the 25th Of April,
AZ the time OF tho great sociaistic
demonstration There had great parade with red
flags and bOycong pllcards, just Ike military pro-
cesson and the speeches afterward were just as In
fammatory any that were made at the Haymarket
But not policeman III sight; everything was Or
derly aud well behaved; drunk or rotous, and
in the evening we all went pcaceably to our homes
am not chst and deplore the bombthrowing as
much as any but think the authorities made a
great mistake In acting they did They ought to have
arrested speakers quietly the next morning. If what
they said was found to be unlawful. You see, Mayor
Harrison all the time just what the Socialists were
doing and planning. lie knew they drilling and had
bombs secreted and making imnammatory
speeches. he let the whole thing 90 on for the sake
OF political support. 1t the same way with Governor
Ogesby lie mover more than half IN earnest about
suppressng our friends in Chicago. He should have
would have known what to expect But after toeratng
the drills speeches. and hing else for more than
a year, the police suddenly ordered TO break mp
meeting which not bit more dangerous than
hundreds others had been held. The appearance
of blue coats. with clubs and pistols acted ON the
crowd like red bull, and some blank Tool. as
you .ay English threw the bomb before Spies or any
one else knew what was going on"
"Wbat OF spies personally 7" asked the reporter. 80
"spies's character has been much misrepresented"
answered Mr. Zerbas Ihsve known MIN long aud IN
timately and am proud to call hun my friend He an
like woman in his feelings. He Is student, too.
and hard worker Oh scientific and aesthetic subjects
lie talk poetry chemistry, sociology ethics and
the rest with commanding ease and one wouldn't want
more entertsinlng companion. Parsons aud Flelden
editors OF paper, while spies would DO the
literary scientific editor spies Is "a
modest unselsh man. and would spend his last cent to
help along the cause ot Socialism aDd Improve the con-
ditiou OF the masses have here letter which came
day ago from friend OF his and OF mine IN Chi
cago 1t was never meant TO he published and is per
fcctly Here s OF the passages: You and
know what noble soul lie Spies had. and what
lie disposition how inspired he was, and how unset
shly lie worked for the In which all his energies
absorbed, the Improvement OF the masses. But
these very qualities conspired his misfortune. Had
himself into perl Oh that fatefu day
Again be says: ! am IN no sense an Anarchist, bnt
like thinking man am interested IN the legitimate
progress OF social science as lar as we understand IL
shall believe that spies really had plot laid or
thought even of laying one or that he had direct share
In that catastrophe Ideal ends are never to be attained
by brute force. AT noon OF the day on which
Tie conflict happened he said to me that the crowd aid
not him and that he would be the first victim
OF the cause for which he was lahoring and SO
IL happened few hours atterward. The
thrower of the bomb certainly no friend
himself up Spies had control OF two papers in Chicago
when arrested. DE Arodcr Z,itang and DE Fdehet
was writing an article the Development OF Socialism
In the Islands for one OF them when publication
was suspended. fear shall have TO postpone 1t In
but Chicago outbreak has given that sort Of social
Ism severe setback"