SOCIAL PLOT IN CHICAGO.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1266, 4 June 1886, Page 3

SOCIAL PLOT IN CHICAGO.

A terrible fight took place in Chicago on May 4 in the quarter of the city known as thi Haymarket between the police and crowds of anarchists, principally Germans. The latter had assembled iu mass meeting and were being addressed by Parsons and Fielding, two ii-.torious Socialists who, utt, red inflammatory speeches, calling on the hearers to arm themselves and assert their rights. Inspector Rodlield, at the head of 125 policemen, marched to put a stop to the proceedings. He called upon the crowd to disperse, and Fielding answered him by a shout “ To a ms 1 to arms 1” The officer demanded a second time the disper sion of the crowd, when suddenly, from between a waggou which was not 15 feet from the front rank of the police, two bombs were thrown between the second and third ranks of the men with the cry “ Kill them !” Almost as soon as the words were uttered the bomos exploded and six policemen fell deid and others were wounded. Many Socialists were also hurt. Toe explosion of the bombs was followed by a fusillade of revolver shots from the police and the rioters answered in the same way. They were all provided with pistols. The mob appeared crazed with the desire for blood. It held its ground and poured vo’iey after volley into ihj midst of the police. The latter fought gallantly, and at 1: st dis persed the Socialists and cleared the market place. It is impossible to get at the number of lives lost among the mob. Many fell, bnt as they dropped they were at once carried to the rear into dark alley ways by their friends A drug store in the vicinity was crowded with persons who were hm-t, and surgeons were telegraphed for in all directions. At 11 o’clock in the evening 20 policeman lay on the floor of the station all disabled, while others were reported lying in the open square dead or wounded. One was t,.und iu a doorway to which he had dragged himself riddled w-th pistol balls. The station house where the dead and wounded lay presented a shocking sight. There were some 20 Socialists in the cells in the basement, nearly all wounded. The names of some of those arresce I tell their nationality Joe Kircber, Emil Lotto, John Milband Peer Lay, John Fraser, August Laka, John Lachman, Robert Schultz and others. For the greater part they are countrymen and pupils of a Socialist missionary iu Chicago, w ho is a German named August B.icr, editor of a German paper. Rioting was resumed in Chicago on + lie sth by a mob of six to eight thousand. They assembled on eighteenth street, and in raiding the liquor and drugstores were assisted by women and children. The throwing of bombs from tbe drug stores at the police was the signal for the officers to commence firing, when they scattered in every direction. A hand-to-haid fight took place between Policeman Madden and an anarchist, John Wolef-dhardt, which resulted iu Madden being mortally wounded. A second plot has been discovered among the Bohemian anarchists to fire the lumber district of the city. 1 he, anarchist leaders, with the cxcep'ion of Parsons (who it appeal s has a negro wife), have all lieen arrested. August Spiers, Samuel Fielding, Schwab are the principal leaders. Quantities of dynamite have been found deposited in the office of the Avbei er Zeitung, the anarchists organ. From this office 25 printers have been arraigned before Judge Munich for minder.

Twenty-four wounded police officers are lying in the county hospital wards, many of whom will die. A creator feeling of confidence prevailed in Chicago on the 6th and 7th, consequent on the fact that the authorities had proved themselves able to preserve the peace. The police had raided a number of anarchist dens end found arms, ammunition, bombs, anddynamite. together with quantities of inHmimatory litera'ure. Quiet has been restored in Milwaukee after some six or seven Polanders had been kille ! . The ‘ Pall Mai' Gazette’ of Cth May. commenting on these riots, says that Europe having adooted a system of exporting p mpets to the United States is priman'y answerable for the troubles ; and. secondly, that America has shown fatal kindness in receiving oanpers, and is now reaping the results of her folly in trying to make Ameri-.au citizens out of the scum of Enrope. __________