Illinois vs. August Spies et al. trial transcript no. 1 Direct examination by Mr. Ingham. Cross-examination Captain Black. Testified on behalf of the Prosecution, People of the State of Illinois. Found 31 gas pipe bombs at Bloomington Road and Robey Street. Testified on various topics (page numbers provide a partial guide): discovery of bombs or explosives out of doors (vol.K 661).
Testimony of Thomas McNamara, 1886 July 30.
Volume K, 661-664, 4 p.
McNamara, Thomas.
Officer, Chicago Police Department.
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[Image, Volume K, Page 661]
THOMAS McNAMARA,
a witness called and sworn on behalf of the people, was examined in chief by Mr. Ingham and testifid as follows:
Q What is your name?
A Thomas Mc Namara.
Q You are a police officer?
A Yes sir.
Q Did you find any bombs loaded any place in this city after the 4th day of May last?
A Yes sir.
Q Where was it?
A Bloomingdale Road and Robey street.
Q Where were they when you found them
A Under the sidewalk
Q How many were there when you found them?
A Thirty one.
Q What kind were they?
A Gas pipe.
Q The same size or different sizes?
A The same size.
Q Empty or loaded?
A Thirty loaded and one empty, one.
Q Any caps or fuse in them?
A There was thirty loaded, with caps and fuse in them.
Q One was not loaded?
A One was not loaded.
Q You say they were all gas pipes?
A Yes sir.
Q What were they in at the time you found them?
A They were in an oil cloth.
Q Did you afterwards take those to the station?
A Yes sir.
Q You say thirty were loaded with dynamite and cap and fuse.
A Yes sir.
Defendants' counsel moved the exclusion of the testimony as showing no connection with the defendants. The Court denied the motion; to which ruling of the Court counsel for defendants then and there excepted.
Q Where do you say you found them?
A Corner of Robey street and Bloomingdale Road.
Q What part of the city is that?
A Northwest part of the city.
Q How far is it from Wicker Park?
A About four blocks.
THE COURT: Q In what situation were they when you found them and what day was it?
A On the 23rd day of May, in the afternoon.
MR. INGHAM: Q You have told what whey were in, you have told
where they were-- how they were placed-- were they lying on the ground or in the building?
A Lying on the ground under the sidewalk.
Q Did you find anything beside the bomb in the package?
A There were three coils of fuse in a tin can, and there were two boxes of dynamite caps.
Q You say the fuse was in a tin can?
A Yes sir.
Q How many caps were there?
A Well, I didn't count them, probably about 200 caps.
Q You have the caps?
A Yes sir.
Cross Examination by
MR. BLACK.
Q When you say "dynamite caps", what do you mean by that?
A That is the name we give them alarm caps.
Q That is the name you give them. They are ordinarily called blasting caps or detonating caps. are they not?
A Probably there is such a name for them.
Q Among yourselves you call them dynamite caps. In other words they were longer than gun caps?
A Yes sir, a great deal longer.
Mr. INGHAM: Q The same kind of caps you found in the bombs?
A Yes sir.
MR. BLACK: Q What was the length of these bombs?
A Probably about eight or nine inches long.
Q What was the diameter?
A Probably about an inch and a half or so.
Q You found those about three and a half miles from the Haymarket?
A Something about that.
Mr. BLACK: That is all.