The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-17
THE TRIAL OF THE ANARCHISTS.
Mr. Foster Closes His Address in Behalf of the
Defendants-Mr. Black to Follow.

CHICAGO Aug. 16-The closing week of the
great Anarchist trial opened this morning in
sufferably hot. with scarcely breath of fresh
air in the courtroom Every inch of space
within the four walls was occupied by specta-
tors. Mr. Foster resumed his speech this morn
ing BY declaring that he was not there to de-
fend anarchy When he expressed that senti-
ment on Saturday, he expressed the sentiment
: OF his associates. The verdict ought not to be
based upon the statements of any counsel.
This assertion was made with apparently the
view Of undoing the effect of the statements
made by Mr.. Solomon in his opening. AS to
Spies and his utterances, Mr.. Foster quoted the
old adags, 'That barking dog never bites
Spies never concealed his sentiments; they
were made public time and again through the
press The man was takative. That could not
be disputed. There must be something in the
construction of the mans brain which made him
give utterance to his wild talk The man loved
notoriety, that was ALL
Mr.. Foster continued to argue that the testi-
mony given on behalf of the State to show that
Spies was concerned personally in a conspiracy
on the night of the Haymarkst attack was inn
probable, and claimed that it had been positively
wagon when the bomb was thrown
The court adjourned at o'clock, before Mr.
foster mad concluded his speech
Mr. Foster addressed himself first, In the
afternoon, to the question of the bearing of the
Haymarket audience, as to whether it was mod
crate or inclined to be riotous The evidence
most worthy of credence, he believed, showed
that the meeting was more quiet and orderly
than those Of aEy other labor meeting which had
been held from time to time during the past Eve
or six years If this meeting was to provide the
long sought opportunity Of the conspirators to
collide with the police and bring about social
revolution, as the theory Of the prosecution ind-
Gates, why were not the conspirators on the
ground when the blow was struck? Why had
the majority of the crowd dispersed9 Why were
Parsons and Fischer in Zepfs, drinking q quiet
glass of beer2 Why was Schwab at another meet
ing, and Engel and Neebe with their families?
One Of the best points made by Mr.. Foster was
In substance this "the prosecution find great
significance In the publication in the Arbeiter
zeitung of the word "Ruhe" which, they saw
! means rest, peace Now when the police ar
rived on the Hay market Captain Ward said: IT
command you, in the name of the State of Illi-
nois, TO disperse peaceably." To this Fielden
who was speaking, answered, why, Captain
this is a peaceable meeting" or I'VE are peace
able" Now, why should the State see anything
so significant in this remarks The evidence
shows that the meeting was peaceable, and I say
here it was never Intended to be otherwise. If
at that moment some one, on his own RESPONSE
bility, threw the bomb among police, and that
fact were now known, the word 'Ruhe"an Field
ems remark fwe are peaceable" would then have
the significance, the meaning on the face of
them, instead of being, as the State insists, sym
bos of riot and bloodshed. Mr.. Foster, after
enlarging upon this feature of the case, and de-
- khok H. d. e11 g.. L.
Ing that the Haymarket meeting had any con-
nection with a conspiracy to attack the police,
devoted considerable time to the consideration
OF the testimony of John Bernett as opposed to
that of Harry L. Gilmer. Bernett, Mr. Foster
showed had been interviewed by the State He
had been shown picture of Rudolph Schnau-
belt, and upon honestly declaring that he could
not recognize 1t as that of the bomb thrower
was allowed to 60. He could not serve the State
as witness. Called by the defense, Bernett
swore that the bomb was thrown from a point
far enough from that fixed by the prosecution 70
overthrow its. theory based upon Gilmer's testi-
nony, that Spies lit the fuse of the bomb and
that the bomb was thrown by Schnau
belt from the north Of Cranes alley.
Who was to be believed-Bernett who had been
over the ground since the night of the riot and
taken careful measurements and whose charac
ter had not suffered from the Investigations of
Captain Setback and his detectives, or Gilmer,
who swore so glibly, who had been impeached
by dozen witnesses. and who was Grand
Army man, but whether he had fought under
the stars and stripes or the stars and bars no
body knews Why had not Gilmer been sent be-
fore the grand juryq Why was he placed on the
stand when the trial was in proeressl Because
there was missing link So harry L. Gilmer
took the stand and said rather than have the
play stopped he would furnish the missing link.
Mr.. Foster reviewed the testimony of Gilmer
exhaustively, denounced him as a stupendous. a
coilosal, monumental liar, and, turning toward
the defendants said. impressively, "If the testi-
mony of Harry Gilmer is true, August Spies
and Adolph Fischer must die Assuming a
highly amusing conversational attitude and tone,
Mr.. Foster illustrated the scenes in coart when
Gilmer was being cross-examined. He was at
the Haymarket. Oh, yes, certainly. He saw
the bomb thrown. Certainly, by all means
Did he see the man who threw the bomba Oh,
yes Would he recognize him from this picture
pf Schnaubeltl OH. yes; the mans back was
toward him, but he could recognize him
easily This was six feet and three inches
pne way and six inches the other of
Grand Army. whom nobody knew. A tramp
who lived IN one hut with widow laAS one
month, and tbs Lord knows where the next. A
Grand Army man out Of job An old soldier
Wauted q job, and he got it. Mr. Foster apologized
10 the jury for taking up so much time with the
discussion OF Gilmers testimony, testimony which
10 did not think any jury would consider seri-