The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-18
BLACKS Address
On Behalf of the AnaFChistS-The bomb
Throwsr Responsible,

| CHICAGO, August l7,-This was the tit
teenth day Of the Anarchist trial, and the
knowledge that Captain William P, Black
the most distinguished Of the quaTtette OIL
counsel for the defense, was going to begin
his argument, attracted an overwhelming
crowd OF spectators. Since the opening Of
the trial, Captain Black has been most
conspicuous figure in 1t. All through the
proceedings from the time that he offered
his SudaCiOus motion.to rule out the damag'
ing testimony Of Inf0rmer Seliger, TO the
dsy the prosecution rested, he has been
asslduOus in interposlng objections and
taking exceptions. II was natural, there
fore, that the great climax Of the trial, go
far as the defense was concerned, would
be reached when the Captain made his
argument.
Judge Gary was on the bench promptly
at 10 o'clock, surrounded by his bsvy Of
fair friends, and gave his usual warning
against Interruptions by spectators. Au-
gust spies and his seven Conspirators trot-
ted In bTiskly Ut the head oil burly bailitf,
and dropped into his seat at the head OF
the column, at rlghtangles with the sworn
twelve, Spies showed himself to be al
most as vain as either Nero or Robespier-
re, the two vainest man in all history, by
Iahiling when he saw that he was the
principal object Of curiosity among the
ladies,
Immediately following the silence pro-
duCed by the raps Ot the bsilth's ham
mer, Captain Black stepped slightly out in
front Of the jury. He wore long, black
Prince Albert CoatClosely buttoned around
his slender form, CHANGING at the clock
on the wall opposite the jury, he address
ed the Judge iu the formal way, and at
once began hia argument, as follows;
MAY 1t tplease the court and the gentle
men Of the jury, on the morning Of May
B. 1886, the good people OF Chicago were
startled at the event which happened at
the Haymarket. Fear Ia the mother oi
cruelty, and perhaps that will account in
some measure for the bitterness with
which the State has prosecuted this case.
The serious Qaestion which confronts us,
however, is to what extent you, gentle-
men, In your deliberations, may bs intlu.
enCed by passion or by prejudice. Z"
=" On the night OF May 4:h a
dynamite bomb was thrown at the Hay.
market In this city aud exploded. 1t
caused widespread havoc and loss Of hu-
man life. But the moral responsibility OF
dynamite does not rest upon the SoCialidts.
This explosive was given to the world by
science. We might well stand appalled, az
tue dread results this terrible agent is
capable OF producing"
Captain Black reiterated that dynamite,
so far as the origin Of its manufacture was
concerned, had no connection at all with
the doctrines of Socialism, and then laid
down thIs TO bs the rule OF law the Jury
should follow in their deliberations:
"When man is charged, or sought to be-
charged, with crime as in this case, the
peOple must show who threw the bomb,
who did the deed, and must show that
these defendants were connected directly
with the guilty man." H0 then proceed.
cd to enlighten the jury that the State
misto0k their functions altogether. The
speaker said that counsel for the State
were wrong when one OF them advised the
jury that upon them it was depended to
maintain the law and Government be.
cause these defendants plotted against the
State. They were revolutionists, 1t was
said, but that was not truc. There could
be no revolution, though, except when
the heart Of the people rose to redress
some great wrong. Continuing, the
counsel gave scientific account OF dyna.
mite and the experiments with 1t as an
agency Of modern warfare. Then he de.
clared that dynamite was In the world to
stay and that these defendants were III no
Tise responsible for 1t.
But the Hsymarket bomb was thrown
on the night Of May 4, and murder result.
ed from 1t. Who was responsible? The
man who threw the bomb; no one else.
He argued that these defendants could
not be convicted as accessories before the
fact, lie said that the State had all
through this case attempted 10 secure q
conviction by appealing to the jury's
prejudice and passion, and declaring that
tho security Of institutions depended on
the punishment Of these men.
Captain Black announced that he would
finish tomorrow forenoon, and in the
afternoon states Attorney Grinnell will
begin the closing argument.