The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-30
A MODEST HERO DEAD.
Capt. John Bonfield of the Chicago Police,
Who Led the Charge Against the
Anarchists.

CFrom the Boston Evening Transcript.)
It is announced in brief paragraph
that ex-Police Inspector John Bonfeld
OF Chicago died recently of Brisht's dis
ease, at the age of e2. His death recalls
one of the most exciting and startling
experiences in the history of Chicago.
the anarchist riots in Haymarket
square on the evening of May 4. 1885
For weeks and even months a gang of
anarchists.or as they called themselves.
socialists, had been busy spreading the
poison of their doctrines among the in
flammable elements that have seemed
TO develop in larger numbers in Chicago
than any other American city. They
mad soWed the seeds of social heresy
and lawlessness by circulars, by articles
IN the Arbeiter-Zeitung an organ of
their own creation, by incendiary ad-
dresses and by personal interviews The
names Of the ringleaders have become
familiar to the public since They were
spies, Parsons, Fischer, F'ielden
Engel, SchWab, Lingg and Neebe.
The Immediately exciting causes
which led up to the bloody climax was
the eight-hour movement, which start
ed few nights before that, or rather
the attack of strikers upon the McCor-
mick reaper works the night previous
How much the anarchists had to do
with promoting that violence is not
clear, but the conditions as they found
them suited them exactly For some
time previous the police had given
warning that dangerous plots were
Matching, but they were rather laughed
at than encouraged in that idea. On
the night of the fourth Of May a great
crowd was drawn together in Haymar-
ket square in obedience TO a circu-a.
distributed to the idle and t15aIected
as-I,. 4 ~
terms. "Workingmen, arm yourselves
and appear in full force"
This great and excited gathering was
harangued by Spies and Parsons, the
latter saying to them We who speak
to you are socialists, rebels against the
law Legislation will never do anything
for you" Police officers, mfngling with
the crowd caught the drift Of the
gathering and reported at headuuar-
ters. At once one hundred and eighty
policemen commanded by Captains
Bonfield and Ward advanced TO the
scene of gathering fury, when Capt
Bonfield said to the crowd: "In the
rame of the state of Illinois, command
you TO dispense" The words We're hard
ly spoken when a kissing sound was
heard and Immediately after a bomb
fell and exploded between the double
lines of police, causing terrible injuries
An attack so formidable and unexpect-
ed threw the police into temporary con-
fusion, but they rallied at once and
charged the mob, which met them
with fusilade from revolvers. But dis
cipline was too strong for unorganized
fury and the police kept the field with
a loss Of seven killed and sixty wound
ed.
AS this has been quite year for hero
worship, John Bonfield should have his
share. NO greater gallantry has been
shown by the men of this countryA on
land or sea, in all its history than that
displayed by Captain Bonfieid and his
men during that murderous and unan-
ticipated assault. He dealt blow to the
foul organization which had attained
such dangerous proportions from which
it has not since recovered, and probably
no one man in the state of Illinois has
done more TO establish such measure of
security as it has since enjoyed. than
he. If today anarchy exists there in
high places 1T is not his fault A monu-
ment has been erected to commemorate
the names of those who fell defending
the city on that night, and another
should be raised over him whose gall
lantry and fidelity in command averted
namcless horrors