Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1887 — AN EYE FOR AN EYE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AN EYE FOR AN EYE.

Spi«i, Par»on», Engel and Fi«eher Throttled by Law All the Particulars of the Event—The Governor’s Action,, Etc., Etc. Linarfir Cheats the Gallows by a Horrifying Suicide. HTATKMMNT. August Spies, Adolph Fischer, George Hu gel and Albert R. Parsons were hanged in the jail at Chicago, Friday, Nov. 11th, 1887, at 11.54 a. m. lor the murder of Matthias J. Began during the Havmarket riot on the 4'.h of May 1886, at which time six other policemen were killed and scores of others injured. TMM LAST HOUR®.

The prisoners awoke at or about 7 o’clock and perfomed their ablutions. At 7:20 they ate a hearty breakfast. At 8:80 a. m. Dr Mayor, the assistant county phyaic&n, passed through and rapidly walked to the cells of the condemned. He asked each if there was any desire for stimulants, and all, save Engel alone, replied quietly in the negative. Engel asked for some port wine. It was given him at once and he uped down three large glasses. Spies requested water, and seemingly consume by a burning thirs" swallowed neavly two tmnblersof the pure, cool liq id. Rev. Dr. Bolton, arrived at 7:45, and depositing his satchel on a chair and hanging up his overcoat in the jail office, passed into the (jell-room. Passing first into Parsons’s cell, he attempted to engage the doomed Texan in religious conversation. Parson had not yet finished bis breakfast. What passed between them was not divulged. In the meantime Spies had called for paper and envelopes, and when they were furnished him he began writing. He was interrupted by the sheriff who ac hosted him and stood in front o f the cell door while the. talked. The sheriff took notes of llu conversation and then passed on. Alter a stay of eighteen minutes in Parson’s cell. Dr. Bolton emerged, and walking to Spies’s door, stood looking at. that individual, who glanced, at the clergyman and continued bis writing. Dr. 80l on remained standing in front of Spies two or three minutes, but receiving no r cognition, walked away. Writing materials were furnished to Parsons and Fischer, who irhmedialely set about preparing statements. Engel made no

request, for pen or paper, but sat stolidly on bis be:!, looking at the opposite J.wall of his cell. • I "While standing in hoot of Engel’s fcell. Dr Bolton was in-danger of beecjn|ing involved in a religious controversy, ixortfco contemned man boldly coinbated the propositions of the divine. "Within a few minutes of 9 a message came from Mrs Parsons, through a bailiff, applying’at the jail for adtuission. The- request was refused The Governor’s decision on the application .for executive clemency was brought to Chicago by G overnor Oglesby’s son. Deputy Gleason intercepted the messenger on the train near the city limits, and the official copy was at once brought to the jail by the deputy. At 9:10 Deputy Gleason arrived with "the fatal doeuTnents authoiizing the execution, and/ with the commutation of Schwab and Fielden. Gleason immediately went into close conference, with the Sheriff in a private apartment that ■was locked and bolted at once on the inside. While they were still conferring, Spies’a internal fever had so increased as to induce him to order a glass of Rhine "wine, which was brought to his cell and swallowed at a gulp. A few min*tee were then occupied by him in writing autographs for officers attached to the Sheriff’s office.

It was j net 9:80 when information ticked front the Associated Press telegraph instrument, a few feet distant from the cells, that Captain Black was at that moment again pleading with Gdvernor Oglesby at Springfield. The message was handed into Sheriff Matson, who glanced at it a second and then crumpled the paper slowly in his hand. "Whatever ihe sheriff’s thoughts, no expression of their purport crossed his lips. Five minutes later the sheriff emerged, and in reply to a chorus of inquiries,said pleghmatically thathe had “not just fixed >he time as yet.” At 10 o’ciocn. Parsons, Fischer and Spies asked for twenty minutes each on the gallows in which to make speeches. The sheriff did not immediately return an answer to 'he request. Fischer then began sinning the “Marseillaise,” in which the other prisoners joined. The voice of Fit ehcr seemed round and full, but quivered just a triflerfrhe reporters pressed close about the door to the page, and listened until the deep tones died away in silence. . ~ The manuscript which Spies, Parsons and Fischer .*mt a portion of the morning m pr.-paring were in part writ-, ten statements the nature of which would not be divulged by any of the officials J hese were delivered into the liands of Clerk Price, who turned them

ovc" to the sheriff, and this offlcial,locked them in his private safe. It was stated by the sheriff that Spies, Parsons and Fischer had, in addition: written letters which he had also locked ud securely. Parson’s letter was addressed to nis wife and children; that of Fischer gofes to his wife; but the address bn that of Spies’s the sheriff refuses to divulge. It is supposed it will reach Nina VanSiandt. Before 10 o’clock Dr. Gray went into the prisoner’s celjs for the second time, bearing inhis hands three wine glasses and a bottle of Jarvis brandy with which to brace up the men. All of them partook of the stimulant. kiscjier continued to a display qf bravado. Soots After singing the Marseillaise he spoke to Turnkey St'ubbe in a laughirtg way, “When I getto heaven. I’ll put in a good word for you.” When Fischer woke up in the momfnghe turned to one of the officers, and said: ,“I dreamed about Germany last night.” Then he relapsed into silence for quite a long period. Engel’s daughter applied to the sheriff for permission to visit her lather and say good-by, but was refused. She was not agitated in the least and took the refusal in a very matter of fact way. ■■ ' A little ripple of excitement oc curreil at 9:30 when Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. Holmes went up to the police lines and

demanded admission. . They were refused and requested to move on. They declined to do this, and becoming very violent, in their talk, were arrested without further ceremony and taken to the police station. There was no expression or demonstration of sympathy on the part of the crowd. THE LAST HOWR. Following close upon a telegraphic report from Springfield that Gevernor Oglesby had decided once for all, the deputies commenced, at 10:27 o’clock, distributing tickets to reporters who were to watch the march to the gallows. The greatest bustle and excitement prevailed in the jail office, but Spies,’ in his 'cedl/TolibThued'wrifingirmtderruptecriy’ and the others remained equally nonchalant, notwithstanding the confusion that marked the beginning of the end. The representativea of the press • were conducted to the north corridor and seated within a few feet of the scaffold. At 10.55 fully 250 newspaper men, local politicians ami other, among them thetwelve jurors who were to view the bodies after the execution, had passed under the ’ gallows and began seating themselves. The bailiff said a few words to the journalists, begging them to make no rush when the drop fell,but to wait decently and in order. Parsons was given a eup of coffee a lew minutes before the march to the .scaffold was begun. The rattling of jo! airs. Jallies* ami benches continued r.imWo, ••ut by 11:05*-there beg ah to iail a hush/ an-! ebhvepM • h among trie crowd sunk a boos' to ;r whisper. The bare white-washed walls rnaXe a pairdnl contrast, with the dark brown gallows with its four noosed ropes drooping ominously near the floor. A gleam ot sunshine, shooting” through the window at that instant fell on a corner of the death machine and to a slight degree relieve l its sombre hue. ■ At. 11:12 the condemned ate their final lunch. The chief bailiff began at 11:80 to calling out the names of the persons summoned as jurors, and, bringing them forward to the row of little stools directly in front of-thu gallows. Nu either sounds wereiieardpn .the longhigli corridor but the solemn monotonous voice of the bailiff and the rustling of the jurors as they tiptoed forward through the crowd.- ' ■ - j '■ . The men were placed in their sebrouds

and the death-march began at 11:49. The death warrant was red first to Spies, then Fischer, Bagel and Parsons. Parsons, after tne cap had been placed over his head said: “May Ibe allowed to speak? Oh, the shamefulness of Strang-* ling free speech.” Fischer, Spies* and Parsons died very hard. The pulses stopped peating in 18) minutes. Following are the last words of the dead anarchists : 74 — — iple*—There win come a time wtea our alienee

will betaor* •owerfml thaa th® v«i®e® they ar® strangling to death .now. Engel—Hurrah for aaarxhr a Fischer—Hurrah for anarchy. ThU ia the happiest moment of my life. Parsons- May Ibe allowed to speakT Will you let me speak, Sheriff Matson? Let the volo® of tha people be heard. All of the anarehlets died of strangulation. None of their neck® were broken. 'the coffins, plaia black, with but the Bilver heads of screwß for orrfaments, were carried to the scaffold at 12:17. When the coffins were brought to the scaffold, Sheriff M«tson ex. laimed: “His will be done.” The bodies were lowered in the following order: Spie®, Fiachcr, Engel and Parsons. AH looked natural. The coffin lids were quickly screwed down. Paper; tabs were pasted on each for identification. ErgelV ». aiM Lingg’s (the suicide’s) remains were taken to 289 Milwaufc'fc avenue. Fischer’s wife Claimed hjs. Mrs, . Spies took August’s and Mrs. Parsons receiyed those of her husband THE FUNIUAi. The funeral of the five dead Anarchists occurred Sunday. The procession consisted of 8,000 persons, and was made up of.men, women and children. The women displayed the Anarchist color largely in their dress, but no banners or flags except the American, which was not displayed, weio allowed in the procession by the police. A half million watched the demonstration. The remains were taken to Waldheim cemetery, whither the crowd was conveyed in forty coaches. At the graves attorney Black made a speech eulogizing the dead as soldiers and martyrs of truth, and a German orator delivered a fiery anarchist speech,mjwhich he’advocate vengeance for the hanging of these men.

A. R. PARSONS.

AUGUST SPIES.

GEORGE ENGEL.