Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-10-14

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asked the prisoners whether they had
anything to offer why sentence should
not be passed upon them, Spies stepped
forward and began reading prepared
speech. He commenced by saving:
Your honor, In addressing this court
speak as the representative of one class
addressing the representative of another.
l will begin with the words addressed 800
years ago on similar melton by the We
netion dodge who addressing the court
said My defense is your accusation.
The cause of my alleged crime is your
history have been indicted on a charge
of murder as an accomplish or
accessory. Upon this indictment l have
been convicted. There was 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 / my
self had anything to do with it. Not the
slightest evidence was ever produced to
show that | had anything to do with
the throwing of the missile, unless you
believe the testimony of the accomplices
of the states attorney ana Bontield, the
testimony Of Thompson and Gilmer. If
there was no evidence TO show that l was
responsible for it, then my execution is
nothing but a wilful, malicious and de-
liberate murder.
AS FOUL A MURDER
as may be found in the annals of relig
ious, political or any other sort of pros G.
cution. Spies then reviewed the evidence
presented by the prosecution and charg
ed the states attorney and Bonfiela with
conspiracy to commit murder. Spies de-
voted some time to a discussion of social
ism and said you wanted to stamp out
conspiracy. You resemble child that
is looking at his picture behind a mir
ror. What you see and what you try to
grasp in our movement is nothing
but creation of your own
bad consciences. If you want to stamp
out conspiracies and agitations you must
stamp out every factory lord who has
made his wealth upon the unpaid labor
of his employees and the landlord who has
made his money from the ground down
and oppressed laborers and farmers. If
you think you can crush out the ideas
which are gaining ground every day by
sending US to the gallows. that
you can Suppressed truth, for that is
all that we have been preaching,
you will fail" Then fourishing his arms
widely Spies wildly shrieked, II shall die
proudly, defantly for the cause of just
ice" There is Socrates; there is Calico;
there is Piordano Bruno; there is Christ.
Why, the number cannot be estimated of
those who have trodden in these paths,
and we are ready to follow them.
MICHAEL soHwAB THEN TOOK THE FLOOR.
In stentorlan voice he began: SIT is not
much have to say, and | would not say
anything at all did | not fear silence
would look like cowardly approval of
what has been done here. | am con
demned to die for writing newspaper ed
itorials." The anarchist then went on to
Justify these articles by going over in de-
tail all real or imaginary evils of the ac-
cumulations of capital and the injustice
of the relations between employer and
employees.
Then followed disquisition on the
principles and theories of socialism and
anarchism. He concluded by disavowing
all knowledge of the man who threw the
bomb, and protested that he intended to
do no violence at the haymarket.
OSCAR NEEBE, THE NEXT SPEAKER,
had no sooner taken the floor than he
burst into violent abuse, calling States
Attorner Grinnell cur, and his assist
ants Messrs. Walker and Furthmann
scoundrels. and saying that there was
only one gentleman in the crowd and
that was Ingham.
The police were assailed in peculiar
phraseology and in short, Neebe's speech
was TRADE of abuse vilifying the police
and authorities and abandoning himself
to loud appeal TO the jury to have hlm
with the others He cried; 1T would be
wore honorable to be strangled by the
neck than to die by inches. My wife ana
children will then be at ease some time
but they can never get over 1t II thelr
husband is sent to Joliet. Hang me-
your honor with my comrades
ADoLpH FISHER CAME Mkt.
He commenced. Your honor you ask
me to say why sentence of death should
not be passed upon me. protest against
my being sentenced to death because |
/ have committed no crime. was tried
4 in this jury room for murder and was
convicted for au anarchist. don't af Az
+ deny that / was one of the parties VINO