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. Carried the German portion of the Revenge Circular to the printer. Testified on various topics (page numbers provide a partial guide): "Revenge" circular (vol.J 389), the Arbeiter-Zeitung (vol.J 389), Spies, August (vol.J 390).
Testimony of Richard Reichel, 1886 July 24.
Volume J, 389-393, 5 p.
Reichel, Richard.
Employee, Arbeiter-Zeitung.
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[Image, Volume J, Page 389]
RICHARD REICHEL,
A WITNESS FOR THE PEOPLE, HAVING BEEN DULY SWORN, WAS EXAMINED IN CHIEF BY MR. GRINNELL AND TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:
Q WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
A RICHARD REICHEL.
Q WHERE DO YOU WORK?
A ARBEITER ZEITUNG OFFICE.
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING THERE?
A THREE QUARTERS OF A YEAR, ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
Q WERE YOU THERE ON THE 3RD OF MAY LAST?
A YES SIR.
Q THE DAY BEFORE THE BOMB WAS THROWN?
A YES SIR.
Q WERE YOU THERE IN THE EVENING BETWEEN FIVE AND SIX O'CLOCK?
A YES SIR.
Q DID YOU DO ANY THING THERE THAT NIGHT?
A WELL, I FETCHED OVER THE FORMS AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, I BELIEVE.
Q WHAT PART OF THE FORM DID YOU CARRY OVER? THE FORM FOR WHAT?
A WELL, WE CARRIED OVER THE VORBOTE FORM, AND OF THIS THE GERMAN INDICATING THE REVENGE CIRCULAR.
Q THE GERMAN PART OF THE THE CIRCULAR
A YES SIR.
Q HOW DID YOU CARRY IT OVER?
A I HAD IT IN THE GALLEY LOCKED UP.
Q WHERE DID YOU CARRY IT?
A BURGESS'.
Q DID YOU SEE IT SET UP?
A WELL, I SEEN TYPE SETTERS SETTING IT UP THERE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE SETTING.
Q WHO TOLD YOU TO CARRY IT OVER?
A SPIES.
Q AUGUST SPIES?
A YES SIR.
Q JUST AS IT IS THERE INDICATING CIRCULAR?
A YES SIR.
Q DID YOU CARRY THE MANUSCRIPT FROM WHICH THIS WAS TAKEN UPSTAIRS FOR THE PRINTERS?
A I DON'T KNOW IF I DID. I TOOK UP SOME COPY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THAT COPY.
Q WELL, WAS IT AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK?
A YES SIR.
Q DID THEY DO THE WORK ON THAT COPY THAT YOU CARRIED UP THERE?
A A YES.
Q YOU DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THEY DID OTHER WORK OR NOT?
A NO SIR; I CAN NOT TELL YOU.
Q WHERE DID YOU GET THAT COPY?
A DOWN STAIRS IN THE EDITORIAL ROOM.
Q WHO WAS IN THE EDITORIAL ROOM?
A SPIES.
Q DID YOU GET IT OF HIM?
A IT WAS LYING ON HIS DESK, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE IT.
Q WHO ELSE WAS WRITING THERE?
A NOBODY.
Q HE WAS THERE ALL ALONE, WAS HE?
A YES SIR.
CROSS EXAMINATION
BY MR. FOSTER.
Q WHAT WAS IT YOU SAY WAS ON THE DESK?
A THE COPY.
Q THIS MUNUSCRIPT?
A YES SIR.
Q IT WAS WRITTEN?
A YES SIR.
Q WHEN WAS THIS. WHAT TIME IN THE DAY?
A I CANNOT TELL WHAT TIME IT WAS. IT MUST HAVE BEEN BETWEEN SEVEN AND EIGHT OR BETWEEN SIX AND SEVEN.
Q BETWEEN SEVEN AND EIGHT O'CLOCK?
A YES.
Q NOW, WAS MR. SPIES UP IN THE COMPOSING ROOM?
A I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS OR NOT.
Q YOU WERE, WERE YOU NOT?
A YES SIR.
Q THESE MEN WERE SETTING TYPE UP IN THE COMPOSING ROOM, THE TOP FLOOR?
A YES SIR.
Q AND YOU WAS UP THERE?
A YES SIR.
Q WHAT WAS YOUR PARTICULAR BUSINESS AND DUTY?
A GETTING COPY AND PROVING GALLEYS.
Q NOW, THEN, YOU TOOK IT FROM THE ROOM UPSTAIRS?
A YES SIR.
Q WHO WAS THERE WHEN YOU TOOK IT?
A THERE WAS ORDINARY TYPE-SETTERS, I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY WERE.
THE COURT: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "IT", MR. FOSTER?
MR. FOSTER: THE TYPE AFTER IT WAS SET UP, THE GALLEY.
Q YOU TOOK IT FROM THERE?
A YES SIR.
Q DID ONE OF THOSE TELL YOU TO TAKE IT?
A MR. ASCHENBRENNER TOLD ME.
Q ASCHENBRENNER TOLD YOU WHAT?
A TOLD ME TO TAKE IT DOWN TO THE OFFICE.
Q TAKE THE TYPE DOWN, THAT IS THE GALLEY?
A YES.
Q WELL, WHOSE OFFICE DID YOU TAKE IT TO?
A TOOK IT IN THE ARBEITER ZEITUNG OFFICE, THE FRONT ROOM.
Q INTO ONE ROOM?
A THE FRONT ROOM.
Q WHAT TIME IN THE EVENING WAS IT THAT YOU TOOK IT TO THE PRESS ROOM?
A I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT WAS.
Q WELL, WAS IT AFTER DARK?
A WELL IT WAS BETWEEN SEVEN AND EIGHT O'CLOCK.
Q NOW, COULD IT HAVE BEEN AS EARLY AS SEVEN, DO YOU THINK?
A NO SIR, IT WAS AFTER SEVEN I THINK.
Q HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WAS AFTER SEVEN?
A BECAUSE WE FETCHED OVER THE VORBOTE FORM, AND AS WE WERE BY BURGESS' I LOOKED AT THE WATCH AND I SAW IT WAS SEVEN O'CLOCK.
Q SO THEN, IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS EARLY AS A QUARTER PAST SIX. YOU ARE SURE THAT YOU LOOKED AT THE WATCH AND IT WAS SEVEN?
A YES SIR.