The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-28
THE RELEASED ANARCHISTS,
Chicago Surprised at the Gov.
ernor's Action.
He Says the Guilt of the Men Was Not
Froven-Judge Gary's Rulings De-
ciared to Have Been Unfair-other
ofhciais Scored in an Explanatory
Document

SPRINGFIELD, H., June 27.-Anar
chists Fielden, Neebee and Schwab.
sentences to Imprisonment for life for
the Haymarket dynamite murders, were
Yesterday pardoned by Governor Alt.
geld. Banker E. S. Dreyer, who has
been interested in the imprisoned mems
case from the start, came down from
Chicago this morning, and after secur.
ing pardon for each of the anarchists
from the hands of Governor Altgeld.
left with them for Joliet at noon. 1t is
supposed Mr.. Dreyer's influence was
decisive. 1t was not @ ven known tbat
the case was being considered BY the
governor, and his action has created
great surprise.
Gov. Altgeld's statement accompany.
ing his pardon Of the imprisoned an.
archists contains $4,000 words. The
governor reviews the history OF the Hay.
market meeting Of May a. 1886, in de-.
tail, and says the basis of the appeal
for pardon was the petition signed by
several thousand merchants, bankers
judges, lawyers, and other prominent
citizens OF Chicago, which, assn ming the
prisoners to be guilty, stated the belief
that the prisoners have be en- punished
enough, but Q number of them who
have examined the case more carefully
base their appeal on entirely different
grounds and assert:
l.. That the jury which tried the case was
packed jury selected to convict,
A.. ihat according TO the law 80 laid down by
since the trial of this case the Jurors. accord;na
10 dn t, own answer, were not competent Jurors
ana fhe trial was, therefore, not legal one
Is. defendants not
guilty OF inc crime charged in the Indictment
-. mat az to thede PENDANT Nccbec, the states
dence that there was case against him and
yc. ne e nad been kept in prison all these years.
d,c.o Inat the trial Judge was either SO preiu
mined to win tho applause OF a certain class In
INC community that he could not and did not
grant falr trial.
The governors statement sustains
the i've spec fed counts 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
prose cution never knew who threw it,
Speaking of Judge Gary he says:
1t is further charged with mnch bitterness nv
tnosc VINO speak Tor the prisoners that the ecord
OF dne case shows that the Judge conducted the
men TO be tried together, that in cross.examin.
Ing the State witnesses he confined counsel for
tne Gelense to the specific points only touched by
the state. while in the cross-examination OF the
ueienuants witnesses he permitted the State
attorney TO go Into nl manner OF subjects en-
tirely foreign TO the matter on which the wit
ne 9.. were examined in chief; so that every
tested point was In favor OF the State, and fur.
liner thnt page after page OF the record
contains insinuating remarks OF the Judge
ihade IN the hearing OF the jury. and with the
way OF thinking; that these speeches COMING
from inc court, were moro damaging than any
speeches from the States attorney could possibly
nave becn; that the States attorney often took
ms cue rom the Judge remarks that the judges
magazine article recently published, although
written nearly six years after the trial. IL yet full
OF venom that pretending to simply review the
case he had to drag into his article u letter
written Dy an excited woman to n newspaper
AFTER the trial was over, and which, u creforc
had nothing whatever to do with the case and
was put into the article simply to create n prei.
uuicc against the woman, as we'll as against the
uead ana llvinS and that, not content with this he
III the same article makes IN insinuatiun attack
on one OF the lawyers for the defense NOT for
anything doDe nj the trial. but because more
thah year after the trial when some OF the de
remnants had been hung he venturcd TO express
a rev Rind, II erroneous, sentiments over the
graves OF his dead clients whom he AT least he
lieved to he innocent.
is urged that snch ferocity or subseryiency
IL without a parallel in all history; that even
Jerfics In England contentcd himself with hang
after they were dead.
lncte charges are OF personal character and
whlle tncy Gem to be Sustained by the record OF
the trlaI and the paper before me- and tend TO
show the trla was not fail, don't care to discuss
ths feature or the case any further because IL IL
not necessary. am COW inced that IL Is clearly
my uut' TO act In this for the reasons already
given, ana ]. therefore. grant abs olute pardon
10 Samuei Fielden, Oscar Neebe and Michael
Schwao' TINS 10Th day OF June, 1893.