The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-06-27
He SCORED JUDGE GRAY.
AltSeld's Statement In PardOninS the
Anarchists.
SAYS COURT WAS PREJUDICED.
fries-The Jurors. According to the
Governor. Were Not Compstsnt. and
Were Selected tn Convict

SPRmayrxLD, III. June 27.-The action
of Gov. Altgeld, in pardoning the An
archists Neebe, Fielden and Schwab, has
created no little excitement and an i'm
mense amount of discussion. The general
opinion In, however, that the Governor ID
justified in his action.
Gov. Altgeld's statement, accompanying
his pardon Of the Anarchists. makes
1900 words. The Governor reviews the
history of the Haymarket meeting Of May
A, 1889, In detail, and says the basis of ap-
peal for pardon was the petition signed by
several thousand merchants. bankers,
judges. lawyers and other: prominent citi-
xens OF Chicago, which, assuming the
prisoners to be guilty, stated the belief
that the prisoners were punished enough,
but number Of them who have examined
the case more carefully base their appeal
on entirely different grounds and assert:
/. That the Jury which tried the case
was packed jury selected TO convict.
q That according to the law as laid
down by the Supreme Court both prior to
and again since the trial OF this case, the
jurors, according to their own answers
were not competent jurors, and the trial
was therefore not a legal trial.
3. That the defendants were not proven
to be guilty of the crime charged In the
indictment.
A. That as to the defendant, Neebe. the
States attorney had declared at the close Of
the evidence that there was no case against
him, and yet he has been kept in prison all
these years.
o. That the trial Judge was either so
prejudiced against the defendants. or else
30 determined to win the applause Of a
certain class In the community that he
could not and did not grant fair trial
The Governor sIstatement sustains the
Ave specified points in the appeal referred
to and says that the facts tend to show
that the bomb was thrown as an act Of
personal revenge and that the prosecution
never discoveped who threw IL.
Speaking OF Judge Gary, he says: 'Tt
IL further charged, with much bitterness
by those who speak for the prisoners, that
the record Of tho case shows that the
Judge conducted the trial with malicio us
ferocity and forced eight men to be tried to-
gether; that In cross. examining the States
witnesses he confined counsel for the do
Tense to the specific points touched on by
the State, while in the oross-sxami nation
of the defendants witnesses he permitted
the States attorney to 20 to all manner OF
subjects entirely foreign to the matters on
which the witness were examined in chief |;
also that every ruling throughout the long
trial on any contested point was in favor
Of the prosecution.
Regarding Gov. Altgelds pardon OF
Fislden, Neebe and Schawb, Capt w. II.
Black, who was the leading counsel for
the defense In their trial. said:
''This pardon will not weaken the law.
-r-ar-
the respect for the law In the minds of
the people"
Frank Walker, one Of the States coun-
sci In the case, said:
''The only effect the pardon might have
might be to lessen the fear Of punishment
in the minds of men like them But then
fanatics never know fear"