The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-18
THE ANARCHIST CONSPIRACY
Details of the Murderous Haymarket
Riot Slowly Coming to the Surface.
Every Inch Of Vantage Ground StubbOrnly
and Sharply Contested by Both Sides
Thrilling Scenes in the COURTROOM.

| front of the Criminal Court long before Judge
| Gary made his appearance this morning. while
| the lobby, stairway and first and second floors
were crowded with the busy officials, witnesses
| and curiosity seekers. The appearance of Wal
Ter as he gave his testimony was very peculiar.
| He is mediumsized man, with luxuriant but
well-trimmed whiskers He has dropping nose
and clear, brown eyes. His face was very pale,
| and bore an expression of shame and terror
| as he unfolded his sensational tale revealing
| the secrets of the Lehr and Wehr Verein.
| When court was opened Waller was again placed
on the stand. The witness testified that a
bomb was given him by Fischer on Thanksgiving
Day last, with instructions to use it on the
police if they nterfered with the meeting to be
held that evening at the Market-street square.
He kept it in his house for two weeks, and then
exploded it in the woods. The witness went to
the Haymarket meeting armed with dynamite
bomb.
| At this point Waller was shown photograph
of an Anarchist named Schnarbett which he
| identified, and it was placed in evidence. The
| witness continued his testimony, saying that
| Schnarbett was at the meeting.
| "Did Schnarbett say anything at the meet
| ing9"
| HE said we should tell the other members
what we had decided to do. He said the thing
should commence in other places also"
"What do you mean by the 'thingP"
''The revolution"
The witness testified that at a meeting held in
| the Bohemian Hall, Sunday, May 2, Engel and
Fischer 1.-TWO of the defendantsJ and number
of other Socialists were present "Engle sub
mitted plan, according to which. soon as it
came to a conflict between the police and North
western groups, bombs should be thrown
| into the police stations. Then the rife
men of the Lehr und Weir Verein
were to be posted at distance and shoot
all who should come out of the station-houses.
That was to be kept up until we reached the
city. We<were to kill everybody who opposed
u.s. Some ono in the meeting opposed the plan.
I don't know the man, but he said it would be
better to get into the crowds in the city and
then kill the people right and left Another
man opposed this plan. He said could not
know our neighbors in the crowd we might kill
our friends by mistake. Engers plan was
finally adopted by the meeting.
'Look at the book now show you,' said the
States attorney, Grinnell. 'Have you ever
seen a copy of this book beforei"
'No"
The book was copy of one of Herr MosCs
This concluded the direct examination.
The counsel for the defense, after confer
ence, asked to have Walters testimony stricken
ont. The court overruled this. and the cross
examination of the witness was begun.
The witness was severely cross examined. but
his testimony remained unshaken. He said that
no offers had been made to him to induce him to
testify.
On redirect examination, Waller was asked
Have you been solicited.by the defense. within
the past ten days. TO go back on your original
statement, and meet them some place outside
the city, or at Lincoln Park, and agree
other story9" The defense excitsdly objected,
and the objection sustained. The witness
court took recess
Absorbing as had been the morning ses-
| sion, the afternoon far surpassed it in inter
| est. The first move On the part of the State
| was the introduction of another Informer.
| This Bernhart Schrader, who the night pre-
| ceding the bomb throwing, had been present at
| the conspiracy Meeting at which Waller. the
| previous witness for the prosecution, had pre-
| sided This second informer, Shrader. is a car
penter and has lived in this country five years.
| He was born in Russia. His powerful frame,
| surmounted by diminutive head, his retracting
| forehead and his weasel eyes at once attracted
| the gaze of the courtroom. The mans bronzed
| countenance gradually becomes ashen as slowly,
| through an interpreter, sentence by sent
| ence, the assistant States attorney
proceeds to elicit from him statement
concerning the meeting, on Monday night, In
/ Grief's Hall, where informer Waller was chair
! man. Schrader says he reached the hall at
| o'clock. The meeting was already in order, and
Waller was presiding. There were thirty or
/ forty persons present. 1t was agreed that If the
| police attacked any meetings, then the Anarch-
| lists were to mutually assist each other to de-
stroy the officers; the members of the North
west group should go to the Wicker Park sta
ton in case the police should make an attack.
| If any member had anything with him he should
| use it. Nothing was said about bombs. The at
! torneys for the State looked at each other, and
seemed slightly annoyed.
| "Was anything said about dynamitei"
/ Nothing"
Another question was put-'In the meeting
did you hear any reference to the word 'rnheq !"
Again a shake of the head. The subject was
/ quickly changed, and Schrader told of attending
/ the Haymarket meeting He was in a Randolph
street saloon when the bomb was thrown. He
/ left the speakers stand because drops of rain
| had begun to fall The witness then told in de-
| tail of his connection with the Lehr und Weir
| Verep They drilled once week with Spring
field rifles. He was No. 80 There were four
| companies in the city. The total number of
| members he did not know
| At this point Mr.. Foster, for the defense, be-
/ gan to cross examine Nothing was said about
bombs, the witness continued, either at the Sun
day or Monday meetings preceding the explosion
i
ssThen in these two meetings no agreement
was made" asks Mr.. Foster. ito throw bombs at
/ the Haymarket2
/ mot while was there"
| "Then it was not agreed to use dynamite to
| destroy the police at the HaymarketW
/ Not that l am aware; nobody asked me to
/ take a bomb to the meeting. l knew that when
| the police should come each one should help him
/ self. No, not with bombs that know Of No,
l did not anticipate any trouble at the Hay
| market after left. When the bomb was thrown
| was quietly sitting in a saloon. Yes, the sign
of the Greek letter was the signal for meeting
for months previous to the Haymarket fight
! No, it was not agreed that there should be
trouble that night, only know that if the
police made an attack. then there might be
/ trouble
Again the prosecution took the witness in
hand Mr. Insham, holding long manuscript