Illinois vs. August Spies et al. trial transcript no. 1. Direct examination by Mr. Grinnell. Cross-examination by Mr. Foster. Testified on behalf of the Prosecution, People of the State of Illinois. Police officer wounded at in the Haymarket bombing. Claimed to have heard Fielden say "Now is your time. Now is your time," as he jumped off the wagon. Testified on various topics (page numbers provide a partial guide): position of the defendants and others on the speakers' wagon (vol.I 337), actions of police during the Haymarket meeting (vol.I 335), Fielden's response to the police advance at Haymarket (vol.I 336), medical care and wounds (vol.I 335).
Testimony of John E. Doyle, 1886 July 19.
Volume I, 335-341, 7 p.
Doyle, John E.
Police officer, Chicago Police Department.
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OFFICER JOHN E. DOYLE,
produced as a witness on behalf of the People, after having been duly sworn testified as follows:
Direct Examination by
Mr. GRINNELL.
Q You are a police officer?
A Yes.
Q Were you at the Haymarket on the 4th of May? A
A Yes.
Q What company were you in?
A Lieut. Bowler's company, the second company.
Q Where were you in reference to the left or right of that company?
A I was a little to the left. I was about the eleventh man from the right.
Q Of the middle?
A About near to the middle of the company, to the west side of the street.
Q Were you injured?
A I was.
Q With what?
A With a bomb shell.
Q Where?
A Six times in my right leg, twice in my
left leg and twice in the body.
Q How near to you was it that that shell exploded?
A I should think that it fell back of me. I could not say how near I was to it.
Q Did you see it at all?
A I did not.
Q Tell the jury what you saw?
A That night we were marched out of the station and fell into companies and walked along the street, and it was a kind of a rainy night, the street was very muddy; we walked up. As I got across Randolph Street, about fifty feet, I should say, north of Randolph Street, there was a lamp there lighting and it went out, and we got on the line of an alley there, and Captain Bonfield ordered us to halt; we did, and Captain Ward ordered the men to disperse, and there was a man on a wagon, and the man on the wagon jumped off, and as he did he said "Now is your time. Now is your time!" and in about a second or two seconds after that there was something came, but I could not tell what it was, it made such a buzzing sound, and I says to my partner, "I wonder what that was," and it went off just that quick. I was knocked on the ground, and after I was knocked on the ground it was all black around from smoke, and I did not see anybody; there were some men standing north of Eagle Street, or near there, one man in particular I had noticed was in grey clothes, and he was shooting---shooting right at us men who were on the street.
Q Did you hear Bonfield or Ward give any orders?
A I heard Captain Bonfield after that--- I think it was--- some one ordered "Fall in, men."
Q That was after the bomb was thrown?
A Yes.
Q Before that did you hear anything?
A I heard him order them to disperse in the name of the State.
Q Did you see anybody on the wagon?
A Yes; I saw one man with whiskers on his face and I think he had a soft hat on, a man that looked like him (pointing to Fielden, one of the defendants.)
Q Then all that you can say about it is that it looks like him?
A I am pretty sure that is the man.
Q Did you hear him say anything?
A I heard him say "Now is your time! Now is your time!"
Q How far were you from the wagon when you halted?
A I was about ten or twelve feet west from the wagon. The wagon was laying north and south; the tongue was to the north and the wheels were here (indicating) about three feet from the alley. I could not say as to that positively, but we stopped right on the line of the alley as near the middle of it as I could judge.
Q Lieutenant Bowler was at the right?
A Yes.
Q And that was on the east side of the street?
Q He was on the east side of the street---his company, he was the commander of the company.
Q What became of you that night?
A I was knocked down, and I says to McEnry, who fell alongside of me, I says
"Tommy stay right there; you cannot move." I went to get up and when I went to get up I went to fall back and I fell into Lieutenant Bowler's arms, and he says, "Are you wounded?" and I says, "Yes, I guess so." I gave him my revolver.
Q When were you carried to the station?
A I was carried to the station, I walked a little bit, and I got to the northwest corner and there they lifted me up and put me in a wagon and took me to the station.
Q Were you taken to the hospital that night?
A Yes.
Q Were the pieces of the shell removed from your limb?
A Yes.
Q Have you got any of it?
A I have not.
Q Do you know a doctor around there by the name of Black?
A No. I know a doctor by the name of Hartmann. They removed thirteen pieces was removed Friday after.
Q This was on Tuesday you were hurt?
A The piece that went into my back they did not take out until Friday; they were afraid to take it out.
Cross Examination by
My. FOSTER.
Q Mr. Doyle, was that all that you heard the man say that was on the wagon ---"Now is your time! Now is your time!"
A That was all.
Q He uttered no other word?
A That I cannot answer. I heard that distinctly.
Q He uttered no other words that you heard?
A No.
Q Then if he said "We are peaceable" or "We are quiet" or "Lieutenant, this is a peaceable meeting," you did not hear any such expression as that?
A Not from him.
Q You do not know, of course, whether he meant "Now is your time to get away from the police by going down the alley," or what he meant? You just simply heard him utter those words?
A Yes.
Q When you handed the policeman your revolver did you have it in your hand?
A I did. When I was laying on the ground I took my revolver out, and I says to my partner, "The first man that comes near us, unless he is an officer, give it to him."
Q And you gave it yourself to the Lieutenant?
A Yes.
Q Now, the only man that you saw shoot there was the man in the grey clothes?
A They all were in a bunch there near Eagle street, and they were shooting, but one man in particular in grey clothes was shooting.
Q The only man that did any shooting that you can identify and you only identify him by the clothes, was the man in grey clothes?
A Yes.
Q You saw no other person?
A And one man on the edge
of the sidewalk; and I think I shot him; we both dropped together. I fell into Bowler's arms.
Q Were you south of the alley?
A I was on a line with the alley.
Q On the south line?
A The line was a direct line east and west. I was about the eleventh man from the company right.
Q That was before you went down that you shot?
A No, after I was knocked down I got up.
Q And shot?
A Yes.
Q I thought you said that as you went to get up you staggered and fell into Bowler's arms?
A After I shot I fell into Bowler's arms.
Q You did get up and stand long enough to shoot?
A Yes, one shot.
Q Did you shoot in about an easterly direction?
A No, in about a westerly direction.
Q On the west side of the street?
A Yes.
Q You did not shoot in the direction of the wagon?
A No sir.
Q Then the man that shot was on the west side?
A Yes sir.
Q You saw no one shoot except the man on the west side and the man with grey clothes, about Eagle street?
A Yes.
Q How far was that man with the grey clothes away from you- Eagle street is about 100 feet?
A I guess it was pretty
near a hundred, between eighty and a hundred feet.
Q Did you see the man as he jumped down saying "Now is your time!"?
A Yes.
Q Did you see what he did?
A I saw him jump, and when he jumped he jumped off of the back of the wagon, and I thought he dropped near the wagon; I could not say, but I thought north. I would not say whether he ran or stopped.
Q If you only saw two men shoot that night and one was to the west of you and the other up to Eagle Street, you did not see this man shoot that jumped off of the wagon?
A I was knocked down too quick.
Q He was off of the wagon before you was knocked down?
A He was not much more than on the ground.
Q He did not shoot in the wagon or going off?
A No.
Q And you were looking at him?
A Yes.
Q I understand you that you were in the front rank that night?
A I was in the second company.
Q In the front rank?
A Yes.
Q How far from the east line---what number?
A I was either number nine or eleven, I would not be sure.
Q So that you were standing something like fifteen feet from the sidewalk, probably?
A Somewhere in that neighborhood.