Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-18
CAPT. BLACK SPEAKS
FOR THE ANARCHISTS AND DRAWS A
GREAT! AUDIENCE.
Science Says the Captain, is 10 Blame for the Hay
market Murders Because Il and Not the An
arehiSS Made Dynamits-Fnd the Man
Who Threw the Fatal Bomb.

CHICAGO, August 17.-This was the tif-
teenth day of the Anarchist trial, and the
knowledge that Captain William p. Black,
the most distinguished of the quartette OF
counsel for the defense, was going to be-
gin his argument, attracted an Oyerwhelm-
ing crowd of spectators Since the open
ing of the trial, Captain Black has been a
most conspicuous figure in it. All through
the proceedings from the time that he
offered his audacious motion to rule out
the damaging testimony of Informer Sell
ger, to the day that the prosecution rested,
he has been assiduous IN interpOsing Objec-
tiOns and noting exceptions. 1t was nat
ural, therefore, that the great climax OF
the trial. so far as the defense was con-
cerned, would be reached when the Cap
tain made his argument.
Judge Gary was on the bench promptly
at 10 O'Clock, surrounded by his bevy OF
fair friends, and gave his usual warning
against interruptions by spectators.
August Spies and his cO-conspiratOrs trot-
ted in briskly at the heels of a burly bailitf,
and dropped into his seat at the head of
the column, at right angles with the sworn
twelve. Spies showed himself to be nearly
as vain as either Nero or RObespierre, the
two vainest men in all history, by smiling
when he saw that he was the principal OBJ
ject of curiosity among the ladies'
Immediately following the silence pro-
duSed by the raps of the bailiff7s hammer,
Capt. Black stepped lightly out in front OF
the jury. He wore Il long black Prince
Albert coat, closely buttOned around his
slender form Glancing at the clock OH the
wall opposite the jury, he addressed the
Judge in the formal way, and at once be
gan his argument, rs follows:
CAPTAIN BLACKS ADDRESS.
May it please the court and the gentle
men of the Jury, on the morning of May s.
1886, the good people of Chicago were
startled at the event which happened atthe
Haymarket. Fear is the mother Ofcruelty
and perhaps that will account in some
measure for the bitterness with which the
State has prosecuted this case. The serl-
Gus question which cOnfronts us, however,
is to what extent you, gentlemen, in your
deliberations, may be influenced by passion
or nv nreiudice
On the night of May 4th dynamite bomb
was thrown ut the Haymarket in this city
and exploded. 1t caused widespread havoc
and loss of human life. But the moral re-
sponsibility for dynamite does not rest
upon the Socialists. This explosive was
given to the world by science. We might
well stand appalled, at the dread results
this terrible agent is capable producing"
Captain Black reiterated that dynamite,
so far as the origin of its manufacture was
concerned, had no connection at all with
the doctrines of Socialism, and then laid
down this to be the rule of law the jury
should follow in their deliberations:
"when q man is charged, or sought to be
charged, with crime, rs in this case, the
people
MUST SHOW WHO THREW THE BOMB,
who did the deed, and must show that
these defendants were connected directly
with the guilty man." He then proceeded
to enlighten the jury that the State mis-
took their functions altogether. The
speaker said that counsel for the State were
wrong when one of them advised the jury
that upon them it was depended to main
tain the law and government because
these defendants plotted against the
State They were revOlutiOniSts, 1t was
said, but that was not true. There could
be no revolution, though, except when the
heart of the people rose to redress some
great wrong Continuing, the counsel gave
a scientific account of dynamite and the
experiments with it rs an agency of mod
err warfare. Then he declared that dy-
Mantle was in the world to stay and that
these defendants were in no wise reSpOn-
Sible for it.
But the Haymarket bomb was thrown
on the night of May and murder resulted
from it. Who was responsible? The man
who threw the bomb; no one else. lie
argued that these defendants could not be
rs accessories before the fact.
He said that the State had all through this
case attempted to secure II conviction by
appealing to the iury's prejudice and pas
sion, and declaring that the security Of in
stitutiOns depepded on the punishment OF
these men.
Capt. Black announced that he could
finish tomorrow, and i'll the afternoon
States Attorney Grinnell will begin the
closing argument.