ADOLPH LIESKE.
Beheaded Nov. 17, 1885.—From Photograph found in the possession of Anarchist Bodendick, on back of which was written: “Revenge is Sweet.”
“At the meeting at Mueller’s Hall Fielden presided and Mr. Griffin spoke first, advocating the use of force to right social wrongs. A young man named Lichtner said he was in favor of Socialistic ideas, but opposed to the use of force. Schwab, in German, said that the gap between the rich and the poor was growing wider; that, although despotism in Russia had endeavored to suppress Nihilism by executing some and sending others to Siberia, Nihilism was still growing. And he praised Reinsdorf, who had then been recently executed in Europe, but stated that his death had been avenged by the killing of Rumpf, the Chief of Police of Frankfort, who had been industrious in endeavoring to crush out Socialism; that murder was forced on many a man through the misery brought on him by capital; that freedom in the United States was a farce, and in Illinois was literally unknown; that both of the political parties were corrupt, and what was needed here was a bloody revolution which would right their wrongs.
“A young man named Gorsuch was against all government, which was made for slaves. The only way the workingmen could get their rights was by the Gatling gun, by absolute brute force. Then Mr. Fielden called upon the capitalists to answer these arguments and to save their property, for when the Socialists decided to appropriate the property of the capitalists it would be too late for the capitalists to save anything.
“Then Spies said in German that the workingmen should revolt at once. He had been accused of giving this advice before, it was true, and he was proud of it. That wage slavery could only be abolished through powder and ball. The ballot was a sort of skin game. He compared it to a deck of cards in which there was a marked deck put in the place of the genuine, and in which the poor man got all of the skin cards, so that, when the dealer laid down the cards, his money was taken from him. Then Spies offered these resolutions, which were adopted:
“‘Whereas, our comrades in Germany have slain one of the dirtiest dogs of his Majesty Lehmann, the greatest disgrace of the present time—namely, the spy Rumpf.
“‘Resolved, That we rejoice over and applaud the noble and heroic act.’
“Then Parsons offered some resolutions favoring the abolition of the present social system, and the formation of a new social coöperative system that would bring about an equality between capital and labor.
“The next meeting I attended was on the Market Square, on Thanksgiving day. Mr. Parsons asked what they had to be thankful for, whether it was for their poverty, their lack of sufficient food and clothing, etc., and argued that the capitalists on the avenue spent more money for wine at one meal than some of them received pay in a month. Fielden said they would be justified in going over to Marshall Field’s and taking out from there that which belonged to them. A series of resolutions were adopted, offered, I believe, by Parsons, denouncing the President for having set apart Thanksgiving day—that it was a fallacy and a fraud; that the workingmen had nothing to be thankful for; that only a few obtained the riches that were produced, while the many had to starve.”
On cross-examination Mr. Dickson said: