The herald., 1893-06-27
RELEASED FROM JOLIET.
Governor Altgeld Pardons the
Anarchists.
Fielding, Neebe and Schwah
Liberated.
The Executives Reasons for Exercis.
ing Clemency.
He Thinks the Prisoners Did Not Havo q
Fair TrIaI--Judgs Gary and Cap
tain BonneId Are Severely
Criticised.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SrRMGHELD, ILL.,, June Ex-Governor
Altgeld today pardoned Fielding,
Neebe and Schwab, the anarchists serv.
ing life sentences in the Joliet peniten-
tiary for completely in the Haymarket
riot, Chicago, the night of May A, 1886,
in which large number OF police were
killed and wounded, and for which Par
sons, Spies and others were hanged, and
over whose graves a monument was
unveiled by the Chicago anarchists yes
terday. The governor takes the ground
that these men did not have fair trial
and that the court was prejudicsd.
This morning the secretary OF state
received a note from William F. Doze.
the governors private cretary, trans
mitting the papers pertaining to the
application for pardon, and an executive
order granting pardon to the men. The
papers were Immediately made out and
given to f. d. DryerP, who left on the
noon train for Joliet. He delivered the
papers to Warden Allan and the men
were at once released.
Governor Altgeld's opinion is very
lengthy. After reviewing the history Of
the Haymarket riot, the trial and con-
viction, he says the people who urged
executive clemency based their appeal
on the ground that assuming the prison.
ers were guilty. they were punished
enough. But others assert that the jury
which tried the case was picked, and
according to law the jury was not COM
petent and the trial was therefore not
legal. Further, that the defendants had
not been proven guilty of the charges in
the indictment, and that the states at
torney declared that there was no case
against Neebe; that the trial judge was
either so prejudiced or else so deter
mined to win the applause af certain
class, that he did not grant fair trial.
After reviewing these reasons Coy
ernor Altgeld saysi il the defendants had
a fair trial, there would have been no
executive interference in this case. In
the first proposition the governor shows
that the jury was not selected in the
usual way, but mon were summoned
who were known to be prejudiced against
the DEFENDANTS. On the question of the
competency of the jurors to act as such,
the governor quotes from the records of
the supreme court OF Illinois in what is
known as the Cronin case, in which
jurors answering questions almost the
same as in this case, were held to be in
competent.
On the indictment question the gov
ernor says it was not known who threw
the bomb. He further shows that the
actual throwing was probably an act of
vengeance by come one who had been
msltreated by Police Captain Bonfeld.
The governor also quotes statement
made by tine then chief of police, Eber-
sold, from which it appears that it was
the policy of a number OF police officials
to stir up sentiment by largely exagger-
ating the number and activity of the
anarchists. Ebersold is quoted ss say
ing: II begin to think there was per-
haps not 30 much to the anarchy busi-
mess as they claimed
The governor held from this that the
most of the so-cslled conspiracies were
really the mere creations of police Off
GERS in search of glory and reward by
subsequently "discovering."
AS to Neebe's innocence, the governor
quotes letter written by Mayor Har-
rison in which it is shown that there
never was any evidence against him.
Harrison's letter was indorsed by Fred
s. Winston, then corporation counsel Of
Chicago.
In conclusion. the governor refers to
the conduct of Presiding Judge Gary,
showing that on every point his ruling
was in iavor of the state, and through
out the trial Judge Gary manifested
feeling and venom against the defend
ants which left pronounced mark upon
the Jury.