The Labor enquirer., 1886-12-04
Conclusion of His Remarkable
Speech Delivered Before
His Prosecutors.
There is No Man That Knows
Samuel Fielden but Will
Believe Him.
The Men Hired to Defend Law Are
the Ones Who Throw Dis
credit Upon 1t.
cluded.l


was 30 proyen-in the opinion of tn
Jurors. 1 was taken into the corridor o
the court house. Lieutenant Shea wa
sitting on the table with about twenty
five detectives around him. Mr.. Slay
ton says: This is Flelden, you -
Dutchman. Before you came to thil
country people were getting good wages
said: "Mr. Shea, l am not a Dutch.
man." He said; "You are a
worse, you u-----." This is the
language Of the officers of ths law. II
makes no difference whether they are
democratic or republican officers,
speak of them as a whole. And this is
q prominent official In the police depart
nent of the city of Chicago. I replied
to him somewhat sharply using no cpl.
thets. 1t certainly occurred to me when
looked around at those policemen
that perhaps this man who will treat g
helpless prisoner in this way, is trying
to provoke me. Perhaps he will shoot
me. I think it was logical conclusion
TO draw. A man who is mean enough
and contemplate enough to use that
language to prisoner, would 60 further
And said to myself, if he does, "wh o
is there here to testify that he murdered
me? are there not twenty-five profes-
sional liars hear to testify that l tried to
murder him ?" These were the thoughts
that went through my brain, and l said
no more. l said: "You haye me here
now, you can do as you like with me-"
| will not repeat that again In your
honor's presence and in the presence of
ladies'. am sorry that l repeated it
now, 1t came out unthinkingly, and it
is a very unpleasant word to use any
where, and ought not to be used by any
body.
was met BY the worthy chief. Mr..
Ebersold, before got down into the
cellar. He was informed that l was
wounded and told me to take off the
bandage and show him. l did 80. He
said: g - - soul, it ought to
have gone in here" (pointing to his
heart). This is the chief. And when
brought over here, and I had begged
and begged for some one to dress nv
wound (bscause the doctor who dressed
it the night before had told me that it
must be dressed in the afternoon fol-
lowing, l was told Gy a detective whose
name don't know, or an official. that
they ought to put strYchnlne in it. Your
honor may not believe this. l know it
is the custom of all classes of criminals
who are charged with crime to turn
around and charge indiscriminately
everything that thev can possibly imag-
inc against those who arrest them. |
can only make the statement. Your
honor may not believe me. The gentle
men here may not believe me. Mr..
Shea and Mr.. Ebersold may come here
and say they did not say it. You may
believe them in preference to me. But
| will tell you one thing, there is no man
that knows Samuel Fielden but will be-
lieve him.
Your honor, we are charged with be-
ing opposed to the law, believe your
honor knows a great deal better than l
do what the law is. 1t would take a
man great number of years to find out
what 1t is. I have seen wagon loads of
books brought into this court to find
out what the law is. 1t is generally
thought and asserted, and I believe it Is
a fundamental principle of the law, that
no man is to be exempted from punish
ment for violation of the law because
of his ignorance of it. Now, working at
my occupation as teamster for fourteen
hours day, don't think l could have
read all those authorities that have
been quoted here to find out what the
law is, in ten lifetimes. But we are re-
quired to answer to the charge of being
lawless individuals who violated the
law, who advised the abolition of the
law and all government Your honor
has put it "the government" as though
we we're conspirators against this par
ticular government. The very fact thai
hundreds of authorities can be quoted
on both sides and on dozen sides o
any particular question, is because OF the
impossibllitY of any one man to pre-
scribe laws to fit any other man or num-
Der of men. l believe there is a law
and don't know that there is any au
thority which can be quoted against it
that before man can 60 into house OF
citizen, he must have the authority o
law, and show that he is an officer OF th'
law and in pursuit of lawful purpose
If any man calling himself q policeman
may 90 and search a house, may no
any burglar 60 to house and say: =
am an officer of the law. l want u
search your house." The law requires
if understand it, that before any one
can search house he shall have
search warrant. In every instance thai
any house has been searched in tn