The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-07
Queries and Answers
.AnnrcList Riot In Chicago.

-hnnfcnist ltiot In Chicago.
VIII you kindly tell me tho date of
the anarchist riot in Hayma rket Square,
ChlcaSo? How many were killed and
wounded? Who were the perpetra tors
Of the crime? How long after the
trial ended was it that Governor Ait
geld pardoned some of the convicted
men? What We're his reasons for
granting the pardon? c. s.
r:aqn the night OF May 4, 1855. q pub
lie meeting was held IN Haymarket
Square. Chicago. from 500 to 1000 per-
sons being present, nearly all OF them
laoorinG men. There had been trouble
growing out of the effort TO introduce
an eight-hour day. resulting In col
lisions with the police. In one Of which
several laboring men had been killed,
ana TINS meeting was called as pro-
Test against alleged police brutality
The meeting was orderly. and was at
tended by tho Mayor of the city: but
later Captain John Bonlield, of the
police department, took detachmen,
OF police and went to the scene OF
the meeting and attempted 10 dispense
the crowd.
A. the approach of the police a
bomb was thrown by some unknown
person which exploded. killing seven
and wounding sixty. among tho former
being Matthias began. a policeman a
number were arrested, and after a time
August Spies, Albert Parsons. Louis
Lingg. Michael Schwab. Samuel
Fielden, George Engle. Adolph Fischer
and oscar Medic were indicted for
the murder Of Dcgan The prosecution
could not discover who had thrown
the bomb, and so could not bring the
really guilty man to justice. so they
proceeded on the theory that the men
indicted were guilty OF murder because
IT was claimed they had at various
times IN the past uttered and printed
incendiary language, practically adv!s-
ing the killing OF policemen. Pinkerton
men and Others and were therefore
responsible for tho murder of began.
the trial began June 81, 1856. and
ended August 20. 1886. All the defend
ants were found guilty. Neebe was
sentenced to fifteen years imprison-
ment. and all the others to be hanged.
In March 1887. their appeal came be-
fore the Supreme Court OF Illinois.
which. on September Il. 1887. rendered
us decision sustaining the findings
OF the lower court in every particular.
In october. 1887. the case was brought
before the United States Supreme
Court, and arguments were heard be.
fore the full bench. This court unani-
lnously sustained the verdict as ron
Engle. Fischer. Parsons and Spies
were hung, Lingg committed suicide,
Schwab and Fielden were Imprisoned
for life and Neehe for ftteen years. On
June 26, 1899. Governor Altgeld par
prisoned. The pardon message con
tanned over 1000 words The citi-
Zens who. pctitloned for the pardon
based .,a their appeal on the following:
That the jury which tried the case
was packed jury: that according
to the law as laid down by the SUI
nreme Court, the Jurors, according to
their own answers. were not compe-
tent Jurors. and the trial was therefore
not legal: that the defendants were
| not proved guilty of the crime charged
! in the Indictment; that the State ct.
torney had declared mt the close o,
the evidence that there was no case
against Ncehe; that the trial Judge
was either so prejudiced against the
defendants or else so determined tc
win the applause OF q certain class
that he did not grant a fair trial"
The Governors statement sustained
the above grounds. and says that thu
facts tended 10 show that the bomt
was thrown rs an act of personal re.
: vcnge and that the prosecution never
F. discovered who threw IT.