Anarchy and Anarchists / A History of the Red Terror and the Social Revolution in America and Europe; Communism, Socialism, and Nihilism in Doctrine and in Deed; The Chicago Haymarket Conspiracy and the Detection and Trial of the Conspirators

by Michael J. Schaack

“I am a painter by trade. Reside at 50 North Ann Street. On the evening of May 4 last, I was at the Haymarket meeting on Desplaines Street. I got there about a quarter to ten o’clock. In going home, when I got to the corner of Randolph and Desplaines Streets, I saw a crowd over there, and went up to where the speaking was going on, on the east side of Desplaines Street. I saw the wagon; did not pay particular attention to the speaking. I stood near the lamp-post on the corner of Crane Bros’. alley, between the lamp-post and the wagon, and up near the east end of the wagon for a few minutes. The gentleman here (pointing to Fielden) was speaking when I came there. I staid around there a few minutes, was looking for a party whom I expected to find there, and stepped back into the alley between Crane Bros’. building and the building immediately south of it. The alley was south of the wagon. I was standing in the alley looking around for a few minutes; noticed parties in conversation, right across the alley, on the south side of the alley. Somebody in front of me on the edge of the sidewalk said, ‘Here comes the police.’ There was a sort of rush to see the police come up. There was a man came from the wagon down to the parties that were standing on the south side of the alley. He lit a match and touched it off, something or another—the fuse commenced to fizzle, and he give a couple of steps forward, and tossed it over into the street. He was standing in this direction (illustrating). The man that lit the match on this side of him, and two or three of them stood together, and he turned around with it in his hand, took two or three steps that way, and tossed it that way, over into the street. I knew the man by sight who threw that fizzing thing into the street. I have seen him several times at meetings at one place and another in the city. I do not know his name. He was a man about five feet ten inches high, somewhat full-chested, and had a light sandy beard, not very long. He was full-faced, his eyes set somewhat back in his head. Judging from his appearance, he would probably weigh 180 pounds. My impression is his hat was dark brown or black; I don’t know whether it was a soft hat, a felt hat or a stiff hat. This here (indicating photograph of Schnaubelt heretofore identified) is the man that threw the bomb out of the alley. There were four or five standing together in the group. This here (pointing to Spies) is the man who came from the wagon toward the group.

“I did not see the police myself, there were so many people between me and them. I don’t recollect any declaration from any of the police officers about this person—nothing distinctly, anyway. That man over there (pointing at defendant Fischer) was one of the parties. After the bomb was thrown these parties immediately left through the alley. I stood there. The firing commenced immediately afterwards, and my attention was attracted by the firing, and I paid more attention to that than anything else.”

On cross-examination Gilmer testified to having resided formerly in Des Moines, Iowa, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kansas City, Mo., and in various localities in Chicago. He then proceeded as follows:

“I know the Coroner’s jury was investigating the matter. I saw an account of the investigation of the grand jury in the paper. I first told a man by the name of Allen and another party whom I don’t know, and a reporter of the Times, that I saw the match lighted, and saw the man who threw the bomb. I think that it was two or three days after the 4th of May. A number of people were talking the matter over on the west side of the City Hall, on La Salle Street, and I made the remark that I believed if I ever saw the party who threw the bomb I could identify him. They didn’t ask me why I made that remark. I don’t think they asked me any questions, what I knew about the matter. The reporter afterwards told me he had heard the remark. I think that was on the 6th of May. On May 5th, I was working on the corner of Twentieth Street and Wabash Avenue. On the 6th of May I went down to 88 La Salle Street to collect a bill. I went across the street, and there had the conversation with the reporter and the others. That night I had a note left at my room for me to come down to the Central Station. The name of James Bonfield was signed to the note. I went to the Central Station and had a conversation with Mr. Bonfield the next day; I couldn’t tell exactly whether on the 6th or the 7th. I made my statement to Mr. Bonfield. I never appeared before a Coroner’s jury; was never subpoenaed to appear before any Coroner’s jury that examined any of the dead policemen. I was at the Haymarket meeting about fifteen minutes from the time I got there to the explosion of the bomb. I was looking for a person who had told me he was going to the meeting. I kept looking through the crowd to see if I could find him. Fielden was speaking then. I don’t remember anything of his speech, except that he made use of the word McCormick. Before I went down-town I had read in the paper that there had been a riot at McCormick’s the day before, and that the police had shot some men. I was in the neighborhood of where Fielden talked for about fifteen minutes. I don’t remember anything about the connection in which Fielden spoke of McCormick. I was looking for a gentleman by the name of Richard Roe, and didn’t pay any attention to what Fielden said. When I stepped into the alley I think I was on the north side of the alley, about eight feet from the corner of Crane’s building. That group of men was right across the alley on the south side. The lamp was burning on the corner of the alley at that time, and it shone right down. I could see the persons in that party distinctly; could see their countenances; they could see myself. They were also about eight or nine feet from the mouth of the alley. I could hear them talk. They spoke German. I didn’t understand them. Before the man came from the wagon I stepped across the alley and was standing on the north side of the alley, perhaps three or four feet to the east of that group, so that I was standing about twelve or fourteen feet from the mouth of Crane’s alley. I did not say that I saw the wagon from that point. I could just see the hind end of the wagon from where I stood when I went through the alley. I think there was a tail-board. The edges of the box of the wagon were perhaps ten inches high. I don’t know whether there were side-boards on that wagon or not; I could not say positively as to the width of the side-boards on the wagon. They might have been higher than ten inches. I am sure there was a box of some kind on the wagon. My impression is it was a wagon about twelve or thirteen feet long, with low side-boards on. I didn’t see anybody get off of the wagon after I went in the alley. I did not say Mr. Spies got down off the wagon. I said he came from towards the wagon. I saw him standing on the sidewalk before I went in the alley. I did not say I saw Spies in the wagon at all. Mr. Spies is the man that came down in the alley and lighted the bomb, to the best of my recollection. When I saw him standing on the sidewalk he was talking with somebody. I would be inclined to think it was this gentleman here (indicating Schwab). I could not say for sure. I think it was a dark-complexioned man. My impression is it might be him. I have very little doubt but Fischer is the man I saw in the group. I am very nearly as positive that Fischer is the man as I am that the picture is the picture of the man who threw the bomb. I am sure Fischer is the man. I think I saw Mr. Parsons there that night talking to some ladies. I had been down to the Palmer House that evening to see some gentlemen from Des Moines that I understood were in the city. One of them was Judge Cole, another was ex-Gov. Samuel Merrill. I didn’t find either of them there. I went to the meeting, as I thought I would meet Mr. Roe, and we would go home together. That was the only business I had with Mr. Roe. It would have been eight or nine blocks from the Haymarket to where I lived.

“I did not run at the time of the shooting. I did not move at all. I stood right at the mouth of the alley. After it was all over I backed out the alley, took a car and went home. There were no bullets coming in around my locality in the alley. On the street-car on my way home I didn’t talk with anybody about the occurrence. There were quite a number of people in the car talking about the Haymarket occurrence, and there was considerable excitement in the car on account of it. The next morning I went down on the Wabash Avenue car to the corner of Twentieth Street and Wabash Avenue.

“I heard people speak about the Haymarket affair in the restaurant, on Madison Street, where I took my breakfast. I did not say to them anything about my seeing the match lighted and the bomb thrown. I bought the News on the car. I think I was working for Frank Crandle that day; to the best of my recollection, there was only one man working with me on the job. We worked alongside of each other some time. Talked about different things, about our business. I did not say to him that I saw the bomb thrown, nor that I saw the man light the match that lit the bomb. I told him I had been at the Haymarket and spoke of the Haymarket riot, and I think I said there were a number killed or wounded. In the evening I went home on the Wabash Avenue car. People were speaking about the Haymarket meeting in the car. I didn’t tell them I knew anything about it. I think I got home about half past six. I had no conversation with the landlady. After my supper, my impression is I went to Mr. Roe’s house. He was not at home. I stayed there about fifteen minutes talking with Mrs. Roe. Her daughter, about twelve or thirteen years old, was present during the conversation. We talked about the Haymarket meeting. I told her I was there. She said she would not let Mr. Roe go to the meeting. I did not tell her nor anybody on that occasion that I saw the bomb lighted and thrown. Since noon adjournment I had no talk with James Bonfield.”

“Were not you just now walking back and forth in the corridor with him?”

“I did not have no—“

“Didn’t you walk back and forth?”

“Yes, sir.”