The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1893-07-01
ANARCHISTS OUT.
FIELDEN, SCHWAB AND NEEBE
SET AT LIBERTY

BY Order OF Governor Altgeid, Who
Granted Them an Unconditional
Pardon, Taking Opportunity at the
Same Time to Give the Trial Judge
Roast.
SPRINGFIELD, Ills, June 27.-Gover-
nor Altgeld has pardoned Fielden,
Schwab and Neebe, the anarchists.
Practically ever since the bomb was ex-
ploded in Des PLANES street ON the
night OF May 4, 1886, the three men
just pardoned 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 appre-
hended within a short time after the
riot. The details of the trial are too
well remembered to demand recount
ing. Spies, Fielden, Parsons Fischer.
Lingg, Schwab and Engel were sem
fenced to death and Neebe, whom many
thought innocent. to Is years in the
penitentiary. The case was carried up
| and fought with great desperation in
the supreme court of the state by the
prisoners counsel, but the court finally
| confirmed sentence of the lower court
and the
Sentence Was Carried Out
| with respect to Spies, Parsons, Fischer,
| Engel and Neebe. Louis Lingg killed
himself with Illuminating cap in the
Jail on the day preceding to save hang
| ing. A determined attempt to secure
colnmutation of the sentence was made
before the execution. especially in be-
! half OF Parsons, who was we'll known
and popular, and it might have been
granted if that wild fellow had con-
sented to recant in his faith. Fielden
and Schwab made terms and their
sentence was cut down to life impris-
onment. Spies, Parsons, Fischer and
Engel were hanged from the same glib
bet in the north corridor Of the Jail
Nov. H., 1887 The others were quickly
taken to Joliet penitentiary. Since
that time an agitation. growing in
strength and vehemence, has been di-
rected towards the release of the prison
ers As it grew it was joined by many
men OF prominence. Some of them
sympathiZed with the men in the be-
ginning and believed that they had
been convicted on narrow construc-
tion of the law and with an inadequate
opportunity for defense. The majority
OF signers, however, were men who had
been originally bitter in their denuncia-
tion Of the agitation but believing that
anarchy had suffered its death blow
from the hanging there was no good in
keeping these men in Jail.
AltgeId's Statement.
Governor Altgeld's statement accom-
! panying his pardon Of the anarchists
contains 1900 words. The governor
2 reviews the history of the Haymarke
meeting of May a. 1886, in detail ant
says the basis of the appeal for pardon
was the petition signed by severa
thousand merchants, bankers, judges
s lawyers and other prominent citizens O
Chicago.
Speaking of the charge that the tria
judge was prejudiced the governo
says: 1t is further charged with mucl
bitterness by those who speak for the
prisoners that the record of the cas-
, shows that the judge conducted tn
trial with
: Malicious Fcrocity;
that in examing the states witnesse
I he confined counsel for the defense +
e the specified points touched on by TIL
5 state, while in the cross examination O
r the defendants witnesses he permitte
: the states attorney to go into all man
ner of subjects entirely foreign to tn
; matters on which the witnesses wer
examined in chief. also that every ru
ing throughout the long trial on an
n contested point was in favor of tn
!. state, and, further, that page afte
= page Of the manuscript contain
insinuating remarks of the judg
I made in the hearing of the jury an
D with the evident intention of bringin
I the jury to his way of thinking"