A Nations Tragedy
...ty could do. Workers facing these poor conditions held demonstrations, not only in Chicago but nation wide. In fact on May 1, 1886 coordinated strikes and demonstrations were held nation-wide to demand an eight hour workday for industrial workers. This demonstration was just one of many that led up to the Haymarket Riot. However, one key demonstration playing a pivotal role preempting the Haymarket tragedy would occur May 3, 1886 at a Lumber Shover's Union Strike. During this strike August Spies an accomplished journalist and dignified speaker, was invited to be the german-language speaker at a nearby rally. It just so happened that during Spies speech, a scuffle broke out between the union employees on strike and the strike breakers. Spies called out condemning this act but a portion of his crowd proceeded to join the scuffle. Spies pleaded for his listeners and others to use restraint, but as Police arrived they answered the urban uprising with clubs and guns, killing two workers. Spies a distinguished figure in the dispute between capital and labor stood witness to this event and was appalled by what he saw. Spies went on to say, " my blood was boiling, and I think that moment I could have done almost anything, seeing men, women, and children fired upon people who were not armed, fired upon by policemen.” After witnessing this event spies hurried to his office and wrote an article condemning these acts by the police and calling for an uprise. The next day May 4, 1886 word had gotten around the city how two innocent men had been killed by police at a demonstration. In response to this outrage, a meeting took place to hold a rally later that day at the McCormick Reaper Works factory. The meeting was set to take place at 7:30. Both the public and many officials worried this rally would bring about more violence and chaos. In fact, Inspector John Bonfield ordered lieutenants to form small units in case of a riot. However, by 10:30 the rally was nearing an end and only a small group of demonstrators remained. The rally was a success, and rather mild compared to other rallies and the expectations of many. However, as the last speaker Samuel Fielden attempted to finish the last minute of his speech, a police officer told him not once the crowd must disperse immediately or repercussions would follow. The officer went to give yet another and that is when witnesses recalled seeing a "hissing fiend" sore through the air and into the ranks of the police. After the explosion, shrapnel from the bomb and random bullets fired by police in every direction resulted in the deaths of eight policemen, at least 4 workers and an unknown amount of civilians. The following day widespread public outrage and shock enthralled both Chicago and the entire nation. Police arrested any person associated with anarchists and/or labor activists, including 8 defendants whom would all be found guilty. Seven out of Eight of the men would eventually be sentenced to be hung, while one man got sentenced to 15 years in prison. This is the common story of the Haymarket Riot, believed to be true by many. However, much speculation exists on events during the Haymarket incident. What some consider factual, others consider false. The only sure way of finding absolute truth to this event is by examining primary documents; documents created as a direct result of the event. A close examination of a single primary source will reveal and absolute factual evidence about the event. We will now examine the Testimony of G.P. English and see if any evidence from these primary documents coincide with the story above. First off, before examining the document itself let’s gain insight into why it was produced in the first place and where it came from. The primary document of G.P. English’s testimony was produced during the trail of the eight defendants standing trail for accessories to murder of policeman Mathias J. Degan, whose death was a direct result of the bomb on May 4, 1886 at the Haymarket Square. English, an experienced reporter worked for the Chicago Tribune for almost twenty years paid careful attention and took notes as the Haymarket meeting unfolded. English was brought forth by the prosecutors and had also been known to communicate with some of the defendants on trial. The main person involved in this document was obviously G.P English, however the lives of many depended on how the courts analyzed these documents and the attitude they presented towards them. Attitudes of people in this document seemed to differ. The prosecutors stood strong by their convictions that the defendants indeed all played roles in the murder of policemen during the Haymarket affair. These convictions however seemed to stem more from a sense of ...