The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-06-30
CHICAGO ANARCHISTS FREE.

A Chicago despatch of June Goth, says
that Gov. Altgeld has pardoned Michael
Schwab, Samuel Fielden and oscar
Needle, the Anarchists who were serv-
ing life sentences at Joliet for participat-
ing in the Haymarket riot on May 4,
| 1886.
The Governor takes the ground that
these men did not have a fair trial and
that the court was prejudiced. He
scores Judge Carey, States Attorney
Grinnell and Chief of Police Banfeld
severely.
Practi ally ever since the bomb was
exploded in Desplaines street, on the
night of May 4, 1886, the three men
pardoned to-day have been in prison
with the exception of Parsons, who gave
himself up to death by returning during
the trial. All the men finally convicted
of conspiring were apprehended within
a short time after the riot.
Gov. Altgeld's statement of the case
| covers IL columns of newspaper print.
He briefly reviews the labor situation in
Chicago in 1SSG-the Haymarket bomb
throwing and the conviction of the men,
Parsona, Fisher, Engle and Spies, being
hanged, Lingg committing suicide,
Neebe sentenced for 10 years and Field
en- and Schwab for life after having
death sentences cOmmuted.
The governor says the thousands OF
petitions urging executive clemency base
their appeal on these assertions: First,
That the jury which tried the case was
a packed jury selected to convict.
Second, That according to the law as
laid down by the supreme court, both
PRIOR to and again since the trial of the
case, the jurors, according to their own
answers, were not competent jurors, and
the trial was therefore not legal trial.
Third, That the defendants were not
proven to be guilty of the crime charged
in the Indictment.
Fourth, 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.
| Fifth, That the trial judge was either
so prejudiced against the defendants, or
else he determined to win the applause
of certain class in the community that
he could not and did not grant fair
trial.
The Governors statement then pro
ceeds with discussion of each Of the
above claims in order.
The pardoned men reached Chicago
and their homes at $50 tonight and
were allowed to go to their families
without demonstration on the part oi
their overjoyed friends.
1t is understood that some sort Of a
public reception is to be gotten up by
their admirers.
The press is divided as to Gov. Alt
geld's course, some holding that the
| pardon was granted to carry out ante
election promises, and cTeciting the
| Governor with having entertained So
cialistic views all his life.
The Journal says of the pardon: III
this almost incredible action Of Gov. Alt
geld is correctly reported, If he has
| pardoned Fielden and Schwab as well as
Neebe-it is shameless prostitution OF
executive clemency to redeem pre-elec-
tion pledges. However, it serves the
citizens of Illinois right for electing this
grumbling sympathizer of anarchy gov
ernor of the commonwealth of Grant
and Lincoln. 1t robs justice of its due
and once more holds out encouragement
to rapine, revolution and anarchy"
This, also, Indicates pretty clearly
what the result of life-imprisonmeRt fOI
murder would be if the death penalty
were abolished. Another despatch says
"The American portion of this communi
ty feels outraged by the Governors ac
tion. Irishmen are indignant because
most of the policemen who were killed
and injured were Irishmen. The only
people who are pleased are those who
are tinctured with anaTchistic senti
ments.
! The trial was thorough and conclusive