Counsel for defendants objected to this line of inquiry, because, as they said, it is not shown that any of the defendants knew or participated in the selling, or that they had anything to do with, or that they saw the selling. This led to some words between court and counsel:
The Court—“If men are teaching the public how to commit murder, it is admissible to prove it if it can be proved by items.”
Mr. Black—“Well, does your Honor know what this teaches?”
The Court—“I do not know what the contents of the book are. I asked what the book was and I was told that it was Herr Most’s ‘Science of Revolutionary Warfare,’ and taught the preparing of deadly weapons and missiles, and that was accepted by the other side.”
Mr. Black—“Does that justify your Honor in the construction that it teaches how to commit murder, or of stating that in the presence of the jury?”
“Y—COME MONDAY EVENING.”
Reduced Fac-simile, engraved direct
from the Original Manuscript.
The Court—“.... I inquired what sort of book it was, and it was stated by the other side what sort of book it was, and you said nothing about it, so that in ruling upon the question whether it may be shown where it was to be found, where it had been seen, I must take the character of the book into consideration in determining whether it is admissible; whether it is of that character or not we will see when it is translated, I suppose. I suppose the book is not in the English language.”
“Where were the picnics at which you have seen this book sold?” asked the State’s Attorney.