The Trial of the Haymarket Anarchists: Terrorism and Justice in the Gilded Age

237 Pages·2011·3.84 MB·English

by  Timothy Messer-Kruse (auth.)

The Trial of the Haymarket Anarchists
The Trial of the Haymarket Anarchists
Terrorism and Justice in the Gilded Age
TimothyMesser-Kruse
thetrialofthehaymarketanarchists
Copyright©TimothyMesser-Kruse,2011.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2011
Allrightsreserved.
Firstpublishedin2011by
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ISBN978-0-230-12077-8 ISBN978-0-230-33929-3(eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-0-230-33929-3
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Messer-Kruse,Timothy.
ThetrialoftheHaymarketAnarchists:terrorismandjusticeintheGilded
Age/TimothyMesser-Kruse.
p. cm.
1. Trials(Anarchy)—Illinois—Chicago—History—19thcentury.
2. HaymarketSquareRiot,Chicago,Ill.,1886. I. Title.
KF223.H3774M472011
345.73(cid:2)025230977311—dc22 2011011011
AcataloguerecordofthebookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
DesignbyIntegraSoftwareServices
Firstedition:August2011
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1 TheInvestigation 9
2 PreparingforTrial 33
3 TheProsecution 55
4 TheDefense 77
5 TheElementsofaRiot 99
6 TheVerdict 123
7 RoadtotheSupremeCourt 139
8 ExecutionsandAmnesty 153
9 ThePardon 167
Conclusion 181
Notes 187
Index 229
Acknowledgments
Itsometimescanbeconsideredabackhandedcomplimenttoberecognizedinabook
thatiscontentiousoriconoclastic.Therearemanypeoplewhoseassistanceandaid
Iwanttoappreciatebutwithoutassociatingtheminanywaywithmyconclusionsor
opinions.NoonewhohelpedmealongthewayknewwhatIwasuptoorwheremy
researchwasheading.Ialoneamresponsibleforanyerrors,omissions,ordistortions
presenthere.
Crucial steps in this project were possible only because of the cooperation of
Russell Lewis, Julie Katz, and Debbie Linn of the Chicago Historical Society, and
VincentGiroud,MorganSwan,andTimothyYoungoftheBeineckeRareBookand
ManuscriptLibraryatYaleUniversity.JoanneHartough,DirectoroftheInterlibrary
Loan Department of Carlson Library, found many essential items for me over the
years.BarbaraFloyd,DirectoroftheCanadayCenterforArchivalCollectionsatthe
UniversityofToledo,hasbeenanindefatigableandreliablecolleague.
ThechemicalanalysisfeaturedinChapter1wasperformedbyJeffreyDunnand
Pannee Burckel at the Instrumentation Center at the University of Toledo and by
JamesO.Eckert,Jr.,oftheDepartmentofGeologyandGeophysicsatYaleUniver-
sity.Iamindebtedtothemfortheircooperationandhardwork.Thisresearchwas
supportedbyagrantfromtheUniversityofToledoOfficeofResearch.Manythanks
toRichardFrancisoftheOfficeofResearchforhissupport.
Special thanks to Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County,
andPhilCostello,Archivist,CircuitCourtofCookCounty,fortheirgraciousassis-
tance and for making their well-maintained collection of nineteenth-century legal
recordsavailabletome.
I deeply appreciate Leon Fink’s interest in new approaches to the field of labor
history. Emily LaBarbera-Twarog helped in the preparation of an earlier article for
publicationinLABOR:StudiesinWorkingClassHistoryoftheAmericas.
Over the years I have benefited from the many conversations I have had with
my colleague Peter Linebaugh, whose informed skepticism and deep knowledge of
historyhasforcedmetoprobeeverdeeperintotheHaymarketsources.MarkLause’s
collegialityandhisencyclopedicknowledgeofnineteenth-centuryradicalmovements
distinguish him as a truly great scholar but I appreciate him also as a fine friend.
GregoryMillerhaspolitelylistenedasItriedoutallmymorefar-flungtheorieson
him.I’vebenefitedfromthecriticismsandcommentsofJamesGreen,BryanPalmer,
viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
MelvynDubofsky,BeverlyGage,andAllenRuff,thoughIprobablydidn’ttakethem
astheywereintended.
AveryspecialthanksisreservedforHankBrowne,whonotonlyletmehavethe
runofhisChicagoapartmentduringresearchtrips(whichwasjustacrossthestreet
fromapoliceprecinctstationthatstoodatthetimeoftheHaymarketbombing),but
wasaconstantlyconstructivecriticofmywork.
Deborah MacDonald and Stephanie Rader may not realize that their day-to-
day efficiency in running their offices allowed me to steal more time than I should
haveforthisproject.Anumberofgraduateassistants,includingRachelConstance,
Michael Brooks, and Jerald MacMurray, slogged books back and forth from the
library,copiedarticles,andassistedincountlesssmallways.
This project would not have been possible without the keen understanding of
the nuances of the German language and the efficient translation skills of Jason
Doerre and Claudia Schneider. Geoffrey Howes graciously offered his expertise on
antiquated German constructions and consulted on the difficult and mysterious
“fugitivelettertoEbersold.”NoreenT.Hanlon expertlytranslatedsomeimportant
documentsfromFrench.MichaelBryantguidedmethroughthenuancesofmean-
ing in the reporting on the McCormick strike in the Illinois Staats-Zeitung. Much
of the research into previously untapped German language sources was supported
bytheOfficeofSponsoredProgramsandResearchandtheCollegeofArtsandSci-
ences of Bowling Green State University (BGSU). The staff of the Jerome Library
at BGSU, especially Mary Keil of the Interlibrary Loan Department, were able to
trackdownmanyobscuretitlesforme.ThankstoCynthiaPrice,DonaldNieman,
Simon Morgan-Russell, and Roger Thibault of BGSU for their consistent support.
ThanksalsotoGriffinMesser-Kruseforhishelpinconvertingastackofcentury-old
industrialtimesheetsintousabledata.
Manylibrariansandarchivistsassistedintrackingdownrareandephemeralmate-
rials. Thanks to William J. Shephard of the Catholic University of America, Bill
Gorman of the New York State Archives, Joanie Gearin of the National Archives
NortheastRegion,FrederickJ.Augustyn,Jr.,oftheManuscriptDivision,Libraryof
Congress,JohnReinhardtoftheIllinoisStateArchives,EllaMolenaaroftheInter-
national Institute of Social History, Amsterdam, and Julie Herrada of the Labadie
Collection,UniversityofMichiganLibrary.ThanksalsotoLewisClaytonandDiana
Sykes of the Clements Library, University of Michigan, for their help in reproduc-
ingthecoverartandtoKateAlexanderforhergraphicdesign.ChrisChappellhad
thepatiencetogivemetherareopportunitytoreviseandresubmitthismanuscript
severaltimes.Ihopetheresultsareworthyofthechance.
In the end, it is the love and unconditional support of my family that gives me
thecouragetoventureintosuchturbulentwatersandriskbeingmisunderstood.
Introduction
On May 4, 1886, a rally was called to protest the shooting of strikers at
theMcCormickReaperWorksbyChicagopolicethepreviousday.Themeetingwas
organizedbyself-proclaimedanarchists,membersofasmallbutgrowingmovement
that included both recent immigrants (primarily German) and a few native-born
radicalswhoviewedthelawashopelesslybiasedinfavorofemployers,therepublic
asasham,andcapitalismasanevilsogreatthatitsimmediateandviolentoverthrow
was a moral imperative. This protest meeting, which took place near a widening
ofRandolphstreetonChicago’swestsideknownasHaymarketSquare,waspoorly
attended by even the anarchists’ standards. At about half past ten at night, as the
skydarkened,chillwindspickedup,andthecrowddwindled,nearly200policemen
marchedshouldertoshoulder,sidewalktosidewalk,downDesplainesavenueupto
theparkedwagonthatservedasanimprovisedspeaker’splatform.AsPoliceCaptain
Ward commanded the gathering to disperse, someone on the east sidewalk threw
a bomb that landed in the center of the tightly packed ranks of police. The bomb
explodedatthefeetofpatrolmanMathiasDegan.Theforceoftheexplosionthrew
dozensofpolicementothegroundandsentthousandsofshardsofmetalwhizzing
faster than bullets in all directions. One of these jagged missiles, about the size of
a thumbnail, ripped through Degan’s thigh and severed his femoral artery, leaving
him helpless to staunch the blood that poured out over the wooden paving blocks
of Desplaines street. Thirty-five-year-old Degan was the first to die, orphaning his
youngson,ashiswifehaddiedfromillnesstwoyearsearlier.
Policemen closed ranks and scattered a heavy fire into the crowd. Though the
immediatesceneofthebombingwasclearedofprotestersinminutes,skirmisheswere
witnessedintheareaforsometimeaftertheinitialriot.AreporterfortheChicago
Times,waitingattheDesplainesstreetstationtospeakwiththechiefofpolice,who
arrivedatoneinthemorning,sawpolicechasingagroupofmenintheglowofthe
electriclightsfromtheLyceumtheater.AccordingtotheTimes,“Suddenlyashotwas
firedtowardtheofficers,andtheycommendedafusilladeaftertheflyingsocialists.”
Whiletheworstriotingoccurredonthenearwestside,therewassporadicviolencein
otherpartsofthecitythroughoutthenight.Inthelumberdistrictinthesouthwest
sectionofChicago,amachinistfortheMcCormickcompany,presumablyonewho
hadnotheadedthecalltostrike,wasbesetuponbyamobandbeatenunconscious.1
TheDesplainesstreetstationwasturnedintoafieldhospital.Woundedpolicemen
were helped and carried first to the 30 beds available in the quarters upstairs, but
2 THE TRIAL OF THE HAYMARKET ANARCHISTS
when that overflowed, men were laid on tables and benches in the squad room on
thefirstfloor.Tendoctorsandsixpriestsprovedtoofewforthenumberofcasualties
fillingthebuilding,andfivenursesweresummonedfromtheIllinoisTrainingSchool
for Nurses. Surgeon’s probed, lanced, sewed, and sawed away until “pools of blood
formed on the floor and was trampled about until almost every foot of space was
red and slippery.” Medics were so busy with the severely wounded that two cops
were seen bandaging themselves: Officer McCormick wrapped his arm and Officer
Gordonbounduphisfracturedfoot.
Injuredriotersweretakendowntoadarkroominthebuilding’sbasement.The
body of the one rioter found dead in the street was placed on a table in its center,
wheretheotherscouldn’thelpbutlookuponitwhilewaitingforsomeonetoattend
theirwounds.Eventually,eightmensufferingbulletwounds—threeshotinthelegs,
two in their shoulders, and three hit in their back or sides—were gathered there.
Agravelyinjuredmanfoundlyingaroundtheblockfromtheriotwasbundledinto
apatrolwagonandtakentothecountyhospital.
Allthroughthenightwoundedmenshowedupatdrugstoresintheneighborhood
for quick treatments. A man with an entry wound just below his left nipple and
another in his right leg staggered into Ebert’s Drugs on Madison avenue. Though
thebullethadpasseddangerouslyclosetohisheart,agroupoffriendstooktheman
hometorecuperate.Withtheassistanceofseveralphysicians,Ebertextractedbullets
fromfiveothermenthatnight,includingonethathetweezedoutofaman’sneck.
DruggistJohnHieland,whoseshopwasclosesttotheriot,reportedhavingdressed
thewoundsofaboutadozenmen.Barker’sDrugswasvisitedbythreemensuffering
bullet wounds. Vogeler’s Drugs reported treating a man with a bullet in his head.
Reporters noted seeing men being bandaged out on the streets and wounded men
ridinginstreetcars.2
In addition to Mathias Degan, at least 22 policemen were struck by fragments
ofthebombshell;fiveofthemeventuallysuccumbedtotheirwounds.JohnBarrett,
an iron molder who left the trade for the police the year before, was pierced by a
fragmentthatdestroyedhisliver;hediedwithin48hours.Thenexttodiewasformer
teamsterTimothyFlavin,whomarriedonthedayheleftIrelandforAmerica.The
bomb must have fallen just behind and to Flavin’s right because he took shrapnel
abovehisrightankle,inhisrightshoulder,throughhisrighthip,andintwoplaces
throughhisback—hislungandabdomen.Riddledinsomanyplaces,Flavindiedof
bloodlossonMay9,withhisthreechildrenathisbedside.Onepieceofthebomb
scoopedoutalargerunofbonefromOfficerThomasRedden’sleftleg,whileanother
lodgedinhiselbow.Redden,a12-yearveteranoftheforce,diedtendayslaterfrom
infection. Nels Hansen, a Swedish immigrant in his second year on the force, was
struckbyshellfragmentsineachkneeandintherightthigh,leftelbow,leftankle,
andback(underhisribs).SurgeonsattemptedtosaveHansenbyloppingoffhisright
leg,butthecuremayhavebeenworsethantheinjury,assepticemiafinishedhimoff
onJune14.
At some point after the bomb exploded—some eyewitnesses said that it was
immediately, others claimed that there was an eerie moment of quiet immediately
INTRODUCTION 3
following the bombing—the police and some of the protestors began shooting at
eachother.AbulletpiercedOfficerGeorgeMueller’sleftsidejustunderhisarmpit,
boredthroughhisintestines,andlodgedjustabovehiship.Muellerlingeredinagony
fortwodaysbeforedying.PatrolmanMichaelSheehantookabulletinhisbackthat
passedthroughhiskidneyanddiedafterasurgeonattemptedtoremoveitfivedays
later,infectionhavingsetin.TimothySullivanwasshotthroughhisthighandsuf-
feredadangerouscaseof“bloodpoisoning.”Althoughhesurvived,hehadrepeated
boutsofillnessthatwereattributedtohiswound,andhediedtwoyearslater.3
Twenty-threeofficerssufferedinjuriesdireenoughtodisablethem;worstaffected
among them was Jacob Hanson, who, when told that his leg had to go, said, “All
right, doctor, it’s an old friend of mine, and I’d hate to part company with it, but
if we must part I can’t kick, I guess.” Lawrence Murphy was saved the trauma of
amputation as the bomb had completely removed his foot. One year later, 12 men
were still listed as “unfit for duty,” and 11 were declared permanently disabled and
retired from the force. Officer Daniel Daly suffered a head wound that left him
paranoid,unabletosleepattimes.Hiserraticbehaviorsoalarmedhisfamilythatthey
twicecommittedhimtothestateasylumatKaukakee.Tenyearsafterthebombing,
Daly had another of his spells at his sister’s house, during which he swallowed a
handfulofcarbolicacidanddiedfivehourslater.4
Inturn,severaldozenofthosewhohadcometoheartheanarchistspeakers,either
asprotestorsorcuriousbystanders,wereshot,manyastheyfled.CarlKiesterwasshot
and killed somewhere near the corner of Desplaines and Randolph. Mathias Lewis
andCharlesSchumakerwereshotintheriotbutdieddayslater—Lewislivinguntil
May 9 and Schumaker surviving “in great agony” until May 10. All told, at least
sevenpolicemenandthreecivilianswerekillednearHaymarketSquarethatnightof
MaytheFourth.5
Afteranintenseinvestigation,eightmenwerebroughttotrial,thoughthebomb
thrower escaped the police dragnet. These eight anarchist leaders were charged as
being members of a conspiracy to kill police officers that night. Under Illinois law
aiding and abetting a murder carried the same legal penalty as directly performing
thedeed.Amongthosetriedwerethethreemenwhoaddressedthecrowdthatnight:
AugustSpies,editoroftheanarchistnewspaperArbeiter-Zeitung;AlbertParsons,edi-
toroftheanarchistjournalTheAlarm;andSamuelFielden,“RedSam,”ateamster
whoearlier that day haddelivered a load of stoneto Waldheim cemetery, thesame
gothicfieldwherehiscomradeswouldbeburiedayearlaterafterthestateofIllinois
hanged them. Also implicated in the planning and preparations for the attack on
the police were other anarchists of a lesser prominence in the movement. Michael
Schwab and Adolph Fischer worked with August Spies putting out the Arbeiter-
Zeitung—Schwab as assistant editor and Fischer as chief compositor. Oscar Neebe
wasapartnerintheAcmeYeastCompanyandadirectoroftheSocialisticPublishing
Companythatemployedtheothers.GeorgeEngelwasatoymerchantandone-time
editoroftheephemeralDerAnarchist,afour-pagesheetpublishedinthebeliefthat
Spies’ newspaperwastoo mild. Louis Lingg wasafactoryworkerandtheyoungest
of the accused, only 22 years old, and the most recent immigrant, having lived in