The Labor enquirer., 1886-07-31
THE ANARcHIsTs' TRIAL.
The Prosecution Doing Their Best to
Secure . Conviction, but They
May Fail.
For The Enquirer.


making out a strong case against the
Anarchists cannot be denied they are
bound to do that in any event, but that
the case is as hopelessly against them as
the capitalistic papers try to make out l
emahatically deny. In this case the
press is unanimous. it is "agin" the eight
men on trial, and does not seek to hide
| its prejudices, or care to curb les daily
outpourings of venom. Whatever there
is, in the proceedings of the trial, that
makes the case look blacker for the de-
PENDANTS is given in the most sensational
manner, is gloated upon and magnifed
a hundred times, while on the other
hand all points made by the lawyers for
the defense which have tendency to
weaken the prosecutlon-and in the
skillful cross-examination of witnesses
by ATTORNEYS Black and Foster, many
good points are made FIR the defeuse-
are carefully excluded from the printed
reports, as we'll as the noticeaoly one
sided rulings of the judge. Everything
is done to make the case appe lr as d es-
perate and hopeless as po ossible.
Visitors to the court room have not
failed to notice the evident prejudice of
the judge; and the manner in which he
=, snubs the lawyers for the defense on
every slight occasion.
In regard to the testimony already
offered by the prosecution we ask our
friends to wait little while before ex-
pressing decided opinion. Reserve
your judgment until you hear the other
side. Such is the cunning and such the
resources of the prosecution that the
most strenuous efforts of the defense
may not save'our friends from convic
ton, but when our witnesses are put
upon. the stand there is every reason to
believe another face will be put on the
whole matter.
With all their braggadocio and diabol-
ism, the prosecution Gn which term l
include the daily press) have not made
a very strong criminal case against the
eight defendants. They have probably
established tie fact that certain num-
ber of men in Chicago had made active
preparations for the Social Revolution
that they had talked about it, had ar
ranged many of their plans in detail
had manufactured and stored explosives
for use in the coming conflict. They
may also have proven that a few very
few-imagined the time had come fol
operations to commence. This, IN gen
eral way, is all that can be shown agains
the Anarchists. Certainly it is all that
has been proven against Engel, Fisher,
Lingg, Parsons, Schwab and Neebe. As
for the direct evidence against Spies
and Fielden believe it will be eventu-
ally proven that it is false. do not be-
lieVe that Fielden ever carried a revol.
yer in his life, and feel quite certain thai
the defense will show him innocent o
shooting at policemen.
1t is noticeable that with all their can
ming the prosecution have not offered
one iota of evidence to connect any O
these eight men directly with the bomb
throwing on May 4. They do not claim
that any of the defendants threw the
bomb. and they have utterly failed to
show that any of them knew anYthins
about it. Even the testimony of the in
formers, Waller, Seliger and Lehman
proves nothing except that these men
were associated with others in active
preparation for an early conflict. The
evidence of Jansen, the PInkerton de,
tectiYe who was member of the Amer
lean group, proves nothing in particular
simply that public meetings were held
weekly at which speeches were made
against capitalists and the government.
1t might be interesting to this smart
aleCk" to learn that he was known
months ago, as Pinkerton spy, anC
that it was decided, as the meeting,
were all open, not to interfere with him
as it might result in the putting in o
another man whom We might not know
1t is lust eight eight days since the
prosecution opened the case with the
testimony of several police officers and
the informer, Waller. Most of the wit
nes3es have in some manner been con
neCted with the Chicago police and the1
testimony may be taken for what it il
, worth. Four of the witnesses were in
prised the lawyers for the prosecution
by refusing to criminate his associates
and by contradictlng the sworn state
ments of Waller and another informer
Several newspaper reporters were put
upon the stand who test fed as to
speeches made at pubic meetings and
alleged interviews with Spies and Par
) sons, at which bombs were exhibited
and detailed plans of the WORK of the
Anarchists in the coming Revolution
were given. Also the testimony of q
political hanger-on and dead beat nameC
J. K. Magee, a sort of mild Socialist
who added his little mite against ths
Anarchists, out of revenge for fancied
Insult at a meeting held last October
where he was shown up to the NEE tiny
as political vagabond by Mr.. Spies. Ii
has never forgiven Spies, and takes this
method of gaining his revenge The