The record-union., 1893-06-27
THE HAYMARkET TRAGEDY.
THREE OF THE CONVICTS GIVEN
THEIR FREEDOM.
Governor AltGeld Pardons Feilden,
Neebe, and Schwab-Says the Men
Did Not Have u Fair Trial.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SPRINGFIELD (IIl.), June Ex-Governor
Altgeld to-day pardOned Feilden, Neebe
and Schwab, anarchists, serving life
terms in the Joliet Penitentiary for COM
plicity in the Haymarket riot. Chicago,
on the night of May s, 1885, in which a
large number of police were killed and
wounded, and for which Parsons, Spies
and others were hanged, and over whose
grave a monument was unveiled by Chi
cago anarchists yesterday. The Governor
takes the ground that these men did not
have fair trial and that the court was
prejudiced.
This morning the Secretary Of State re-
ceived note from William +. Doze. the
Governors Private Secretary, transmit
ting the papers pertaining to the applica-
tiSn for pardon, and the executive order
granting pardon to the men. The papers
were Immediately made out and given to
Il. D. Dryers, who left on the noon train
for Joliet. He delivered the papers to
Warden Allen, 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 convic-
ton, he says the people who urged exec
utive clemency based their appeal on the
ground that assuming the prisoners
guilty, they had been punished enough.
But others assert that the jury which
tried the case was picked, and according
to law the jury was not competent, and
the trial therefore not legal Further,
that defendants had not been proven
guilty of the charges in the indictment,
and that the States Attorney declared
that there was no case against Neebe:
that at the trial the Judge was either
prejudiced or else so determined to win
the applause of a certain class that he did
not grant a fair trial.
After reviewing these reasons. the Gov
ernor says if defendants had a fair trial.
there should be no executive interference
in this case. On tho first proposition the
Governor shows that the jury was not
selected in the regular way, but men were
summoned who were known to be preiu-
diced against defendants. On the ques-
ton Of competency of jurors to act as
such, the Governor quotes from records
of the Supreme Court of Illinois in
what is known as the Cronin case, in
which jurors answering questions al
most the same as in this case were held to
be incompetent.
On the Indictment question the Gov
ernor says 1t was not known who threw
the bomb. He further shows that the
actual throwing was probably an act of
vengeance by some one who had been
maltreated by Police Captain Bonfeld.
The Governor also quotes a statement
made by the 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 as say
ing: Il have begun to think that there
was not perhaps as much to the anarchy
business as they claimed"
The Governor held from this that most
of the so-called conspiracies are really
mere creations of police officers in search
of glory and reward by subsequently,
discovering" them. AS to Neebe's in
nocence, the Governor quotes a letter
written by Mayor Harrison, in which it
is shown that there never was anv evil
dence against him. Harrison's letter is
indorsed by Fred S. Winston, then Cor
poration Counsel of Chicago.
In conclusion, the Governor refers to
the conduct of Presiding Judge Gary.
showing on every point his ruling in fa
vor of the State, and throughout the trial
Judge Gary manifested feeling and
venom against defendants which left a
pronounced mark upon the jury.
CREATED NO GREAT SURPRISE.
CHICAGO, June Ex-Governor AItgeld,s &
action in pardoning the anarchists Gre
ated no great surprise here. While it
was not looked for to-day, it was ex-
pected, from the Governors opinion on
the matter of pardons, merely as mat
ter of time. Ever since the men were
sent to Joliet there has been a strong
movement on foot for their release; few
petitions so large as those sent in their
behalf were ever prepared in this coun-
try.
The Inter Ocean says: Governor Alt
geld did not stop with exercising his
constitutional prerogative. He went out
of his way to criticise the Judge who pre-
sided over the trial court and the chief
detective who ferreted out the testimony
in the case. This was without excuse.
The Times, commenting on the pardons,
says: These men were wrong, but not
capitally wrong, in the method of their
agitation for redress of what they con-
sidered grievances. Governor Altgeld
has done no more than right in giving
them freedom for the rest OF their days.
They amputated his leg after all, eh {?
What made the doctors wait so long ?"
'Judgin' from their bills, it must have
been to give 'em chance to pull it be-
fc,ra fEor- tnnl- IL off -