The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-23
Convicted by an Appointed
Vigilance Committee Act
ing as a Jury.
A Brilliant and Scathing Arraign-
ment of the Powers That
Be by One of the
John Browns Of the Anti.Wage Slavery
AOyement-The Verdict is the
Anathema Of the Wealthy.

other, l will begin with the words ut
tered 500 wears ago on a similar occa,
sion by the Venetian Doge, Marino
Faliero: my defense is your accusa,
ton, the causes of my alleged crime your
history"
| have been indicted on the charge of
murder, as an accomplice or an acces-
sorry. Upon this indictment I have
been convicted. There as no evidence
produced by the state to show or even
indicate that l had any knowledge of
the man who threw the bomb, or that l
myself had anything to do with the
throwing of the missile, unless, of course,
you weigh the testimony of the accom-
plices Of the states attorney and Bon
field, the testimony of Thompson and
Gilman, by the price they were paid for
1t. If there was 10 evidence to show
that was legally responsible for the
deed then my conviction and the execu-
ton of the sentence is nothing less than
wlllful, malicious and deliberate mlr-
der, foul murder as may be found
in the annals of religious, political or
any other sort of persecution.
Judicial murders have in many cases
been committed where the representa-
tives of the state were acting in good
faith, believing their victims to be
guilty of the charge accused. In this
case the epresentatives of the state can
not shield themselves with a similar ex-
cuse, fer they themselves have fabri-
Gated most of the testimony which was
used as a pretense to convict us by
'Jnry" picked to convict. Before this
court, and before the public, who is sup
posed to be the state, charge-the states
attorney and Bonfeld with heinous
conspiracy 10 commit murder.
On the evening on which the "Pr8tO
rian Guards" of the Cltizen's association,
Bankers association and railroad princes
attacked a meeting of Workingmen on
the havmarket with murderous intent;
On that evening about 8 o'clock l met
young man, Legner by name, who is
mtuber Of the Aurora Turnvereln. He
accompanied me; nv brother was with
me also, and never left me on that even
my until jumped from the wagon few
seconds befL re the explosion occurred.
He knew that had not met SchWab on
that evening; he knew that | had no
such conversation with ANYBODY as Mr..
Marshall Fields protege, Thompson, has
testified to; he knew that | did not
Jump from wagon to strike match
and hand it to the man who threw the
bomb; he is not Socialist.
Why did we not bring him on the
witness stand? Because the honorable
representative of the state, Grlnnell and
bouheld, spirited him away These
honorable gentlemen knew everything
about Legner; they knew that his tesu-
mOuy would prove the perjury OF
Thompson and Gilmar beyond any rea-
8onable doubt. Legner's name was on
the list of witnesses for the state. he
was not called, however, for obvious
reasons; aye, as he stated 10 number
Of friends, he had been offered $500 If he
would leave the city, and threatened
with direful things if he should remain
here and appear as witness for he de-
ttnse. He replied that be could neither
be bought nor bulldoZed to serve such a
foul, damnable and dastardly plot. But
when We wanted Legner he could not
lie found, Mr.. Grinnell said, and Mr..
S1rlnnell is an honorable man, that he
himself had been searching for the
Young man, but had not been able to
ind HIM. About three weeks later |
learned that the very same young man
had been kidnapped and taken to But-
ta.o, New York, by two of the lllustrlous
uatdlans of law and order"-two Chi
rA&o detectives. Let Mr.. Grlnnell an
Swer; let the Citizens association an
s~er, and let the people sit in judgment
Upon the would be assasslns
No, | repeat, the prosecution has not
established our legal guilt, notwlth-
st4nung the purchased and perlured
testimony of some, and Notwithstanding
the originality of the proceedings in THIS
trial. And as long as this has not been
done and you pronounce the sentence OF
al appointed vigilance committee, act
Ing as a jury; say you, the alleged ser
waits and high priests of the law, are the
rea. and only law-breakers, and IN this
case to the extent of murder.
It's well that the people knew this,
anl when l speak of the people l don't
uean the few co-conspirators Of Grlnnell,
the noble patricians who thrive upon
the misery of the multitudes, whom
Ehey fleece and oppress. These drones
may constitute the state; they may con-
tFo. the state; they may have their
Gnnnells, Bonfelds and other hirelin9s.
No; when / speak of the people l speak
Of the great mass of working bees, who,
unfortunately, are not yet conscious Of
the rascalitles that are perpetrated In