Illinois vs. August Spies et al. trial transcript no. 1. Direct examination by Mr. Grinnell. Testified through an interpreter. Testified on behalf of the Prosecution, People of the State of Illinois. Testified on various topics (page numbers provide a partial guide): "Revenge" circular (vol.J 356), the Arbeiter-Zeitung (vol.J 355), Spies, August (vol.J 356).
Testimony of George Mann, 1886 July 24.
Volume J, 355-357, 3 p.
Mann, George.
Typesetter, Arbeiter-Zeitung.
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[Image, Volume J, Page 355]
George Mann,
a witness for the people, having been duly sworn, was examined in chief by Mr. Grinnell, and testified through an interpreter, as follows;-
Q What is your name?
A George Mann.
Q Where do you live?
A 86 Mozart street, Humboldt.
Q What is your business?
A I am a type-setter.
Q Type-setter for the Arbeiter Zeitung?
A Yes sir.
Q How long have you been working there?
A About five years.
Q Do you know August Spies?
A Yes sir.
Q Michael Schwab?
A Yes sir.
Q Neebe?
A Yes sir.
Q Parsons?
A Yes sir.
Q Feilden?
A I know him superficially.
Q Well, you know him by sight?
A Yes sir.
Q Do you know Fischer?
A Yes sir.
Q Do you know either of the other two defendants, Lingg or Engel?
A I know Engel also superficially.
Q Do you know the other one?
A I don't know him. I may have seen him.
Q Were you a printer in the Arbeiter Zeitung office on the 3rd day of May last?
A Yes sir.
Q In the afternoon, what time did you quit work?
A We generally stopped at 5 o'clock.
Q Did you stop at 5 o'clock that night?
A If it was on Monday, no.
Q Well, I meant the day before the bomb was thrown.
Q Yes.
Q What time did you quit?
A At half past 4 o'clock.
Q Did you stay there any longer that afternoon than half past 4?
A No sir.
Q Didn't you set up some type that afternoon? I mean Monday afternoon. (Handing witness the socalled Revenge circular.)
A Yes; I was setting up something.
Q How late did you work that afternoon, on Monday afternoon?
A It might have been 6 o'clock.
Q Why did you stay later that afternoon--what were you doing?
A It was demanded that a few should remain there to set up something.
Q Did you set up anything yourself?
A Yes.
Q What?
A Something, part of that. (Indicating circular).
Q The English or the German part?
A Something, part of the English.
Q How many lines did you set up?
A That I cannot state, precisely.
Q Well, about how many lines, one, two, three or four or more?
A About eight.
Q How many men were at work that night there setting up the type for that circular.
A That I can not state precisely.
Q Well, about how many were there, ---one, two, three or half a dozen?
A About half a dozen.
Q Where were you when the order came to set up the type for that circular that you hold in your hand?
A I was still upstairs in the compositor's room.
Q Who gave you the order?
A Someone called up that a few of the type-setters should remain, I don't know exactly who.
Q Did you see Spies there that evening after 5 o'clock.
A I seen him very frequently there at that time.
Q That day, Monday?
A Yes sir.
Q Did you see Schwab there?
A No.
Q Who else did you see there that you remember now?
A I don't know exactly besides the compositors that were there, who else was there.
Q Look at that. (Handing witness manuscript.) See whether that is any part of the manuscript from which you set the lines of the English part of that circular?
A I don't think so.
(Cross examination waived.)