The Osceola times., 1886-08-28
THE VERDICT.
Closing Scene of the Great Chi
4 cago Anarchist Trial.
me Rccused All Found Guilty Of Murdei
Except Neebc. and He Gets Peni-
tentisry sentenee--The Death
Penalty for the Rest

CHICAGO, Aug. 20.-People tried 10 gel
into the courtroom at seven o'clock this
morning and the first applicant was
woman, who became angry when re-
fused. She appealed TO every one OF the
forty officers gathered about, but they
were firm in their refusal, and the
five hundred people who applied between
that time and nine O'Clock were given
the same answer. Every conceivable
ruse was resorted to, but the officers were
inexorable, and when the verdict was
brought in there were probably less peo-
ple in the courtroom than at any time
| during the trial. The crowd outside
numbered q thousand, and they were
kept informed of the progress OF affairs
inside by the police.
Some people succeeded In getting up
stairs and took seats. At the west end
of the room were Mrs. Spies, Mrs. Par
sons, Neebe's wife, Lingg's sweetheart,
Aug. Spies sister and his brother Ferdi-
nand, Mrs. Ames, General Parsons,
Spies mother and half dozen others,
who have been regular attendants at the
trial.
| Judge Gary was on time, and at four
minutes to ten the court opened, and the
| Judge sang out to the spectators to take
| their seats and make no demonstration.
The prisoners were then brought in and
ranged along the south wall by the win
dows. The Judge turned and told the
| clerk to call the names OF the jurors.
This was done amid an oppressive ST.
lence, except on the part OF Neebe, who
was probably the most affected OF the
prisoners. He turned and looked across
the room to the place where his wife was
sitting, craned his neck forward and said
something in an undertone to himself.
Parsons looked straight ahead TO the
| place where his brother, the General, was
standing. He then turned and looked
into the street, where, under the burning
sun thousand men and women gazed
anxlously at the upper windows. Par
| sons glanced hurriedly around, and, with
bold, defiant look in his eyes, pulled
something from his pocket. 1t was a
! battle flag of the Anarchists dirty red
silk handkerchief. Turning SO that all
| in the streets might see, but in such a
manner that the court could not, he
waved 1t for a moment or two. Some
one in the street caught sight of it, and
a cheer was uttered, but quickly stopped.
| When the people in the courtroom
| turned to ascertain the cause of the
demonstration, Parsons sat sttiiy in his
| chair aud gazed vacantly at the clerk.
| The others gazed anxiously into the
faces of the jury and of their friends
and then looked up at the judge, as If In
the hope Of cleaning some indication OF
| their fate.
The relatives and friends OF the prs-
| oners were the most affected. over ih
the corner sat little old woman nearly
hidden by biz policeman. 1t was the
mother OF Spies, and during the half
hour that she was in the courtroom she
wept constantly, holding Il handkerchief
to her eyes.
Mrs. Parsons and General Parsons said
nothing, and betrayed no evidence Of the
suspense they must have experienced.
Mrs. Schwab looked at her husband
with fearful eyes and once or twice
wiped the tears away. Lingg's sweet
heart was next TO her, and during the
calling OF the jurors names kept up a
constant signalling with him.
The rol-call was finally finished,
and then 1t was that the prisoners and
their friends betrayed the first excite
ment At two minutes after ten O'Clock
Foreman Osborne rose to his feet and
faced the court. The suspense was ter
rible, and as if already aware of the fate
in store for them, tremor ran over the
prisoners, while the feelings Of their rela-
tiyes and friends were manifested by
twilching muscles, hard breathing and
shaking limbs.
"Have you agreed upon yerdict?"
The voice of the Judge was almost in.
audible, and even he gave way to momen.
tary solemnity and suspense.
"Ilaye you agreed?"
All eyes were withdrawn from him and
turned on the foreman, who reached for.
ward and gave the paper which he held
in his hand to the clerk, who gave it to
the Judge. The foreman's work was
done. The Judge and clerk held a whis-
pered conference, and finally the clerk
raised the paper where the light fell on
it, and the Judge bent forward and fixed
his eyes on the spectators.
The people were like marble figures.
Not word or sign did they make. Their
eyes merely shifted from Judge to clerk.
The latter then began reading slowly as
follows:
THE VERDICT.
We ind Spies, Parsons. Fleden. Schwab.
| Fischer Lingg and Engel, guilty as charged
| I'm the Indictment and punishment by death.
We ind Neebe guilty OF manslaughter and
fix his punishment at fifteen years in the
penitentiary.
The clerk then sat down, but the Judge
and foreman still remained standing.
There was not a sound, and for over a
minute the people seemed stricken dumb.
Then there was fain. sob; low wall.
| pau m ha rbar . h.,
little old mother of Spies sat, and it was
the signal for the outbreak of q murmur
which ran over the assemblage.
"QuIET, EVERYBODY SIT DOWN."
and the judges voice came clear and
distinct. But even his authority could
not prevent expressions of surprise and
oulburst OF pent-up feelings, and sup
pressed murmurs OF anguish that came
from friends and relatives OF the con-
demned men. The unfortunate defend
ants themselves said nothing; nor even
did they move-only looked into space,
and it was as If all hope had gone, and
now for the first time they knew that
their lives had been failures.
The judge was the lrst to make a
movement. Stepping to the front, he or
dered that the jurors be poled. Each
Juror was then asked by the clerk If the
verdctexpressed his true conviction, and
If he agreed TO the verdict. In answer
there came
FIRM, But Low, 81 DO"
Then the judge glanced for the first
time at the prisoners and their friends
He allowed his gaze to rest for a moment
on the cringng forms of the little old
mother, weeping sisters and wives. Then
bringing his eyes to the jury again, he
told them they had done their work well.
'You have listened attentlvcly to the