Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-05-12
THE TAKING OFF OF LOUIS
LlNGG.

Finding the impression of several cor
respondents moving in different social
circles of Chicago that Linggs death was
not Intentional suicide, | have invited
Mrs. A. c. Van Zandt to state her reas
ons for believing otherwise. She replies:
"Consider that our public had been
taught to consider him a monster, that
he had criminal mind, had made dyna-
mite his God, wished to destroy society
by its means, had made bombs, etc. The
press kept up cry for the bomb max
ers' blood On the 9Th of November, iail
officials said, bombs were found under
Lingg's cooking stove. He was then
jerked out of bed and down stairs to the
office and searched, then thrust into a
ground floor dungeon and strongly
guarded. The others We're changed
about from cell to cell every hour after
the fnd, until their death.
"Well, Louis knew all about dynamite
Cthe direction in which it explodes), and
had he wished to destroy himself he need
not have mutilated his body needlessly.
"A NelcS reporter saw him carelessly
light cigar and put it to his lips, Nov.
10, This cigar was loaded and went Off,
tearing away half the face, the teeth.
tongue, chin throat and chest. He lived
eight hours in terrible agony. No one
touched him except the reporter, who
raised him up. No friend was allowed
entrance. | tried to get in. His body
was thrown into filthy bath tub, to
await the death of the others.
You see, public opinion had changed,
as by magic, after General NJ. NJ. Trum-
bulls and Leon Lewis pamphlets had
been scattered broadcast The few in
authority felt that to gain their ends
something must be done to counteract
this tide Of sympathy and justice. Lings
was the victim chosen. On the evening
of November 9Th, Foz, head jaler, had
followed daughter nina Spies and other
relatives out Of the Jail, and said inso-
lently, Do not come near this building
tomorrow, or allow any of the women
to come
"'Oh Mr.. Folz, said Nina, please re
member, it is the very last Sunday. Let
me in for one minute
4" No, madam,
" She told me with tears OF his hard
ness.
Il said at once, they mediate put
ting job on these gentlemen. SO we
agonized all night, and until noon next
day, when unable to bear the suspense,
took basket of fruit to the jail. The
keepers looked embarrassed, and sullenly
refused to send in the fruit. Folz and
Matson both refused to see me or let me
in. The reporters laughed derisively
when | left. Next morning the city was
thrown into wild excitement by the news
reports of bombs found in Lingg's cell. |
All sympathy with the others was cut
off by that stroke. Men cursed me and
hissed when | offered the pamphlets
mentioned. The day before they had |
been civil. Have | not reason to CON
clude that he was murdered: Might |
makes right here. All in power in Chi
cago We're unfrendy towards those
men.
This plutocrat recipe for the confection |
of public sentiment is instructive. How |
well it tallies with the bomb throwing of |
the Haymarket after the State of Illinois |
had been employed all day, III the per
son of its detective agent Seliger, in max |
ing bombs and carrying them to Netfs |
Hall, where the specialist in charge of |
that other little job would know exactly |
where to find one, unless, for certain |
reasons, it might be preferred to Use one |
of United States arsenal manufacture.
How happily that first job was put up |
in the twinkling of bed post as soon as !