Illinois vs. August Spies et al. trial transcript no. 1 Direct examination by Mr. Foster. Cross-examination by Mr. Grinnell. Testified through an interpreter. Testified on behalf of the Defense, Spies, August et al. Stood near the mouth of Crane's Alley during the Haymarket meeting. Testified on various topics (page numbers provide a partial guide): time and place origination of the gunfire (vol.L 503), Knights of Labor (vol.L 504), learned about the Haymarket meeting by verbal notice (vol.L 500), actions of police during the Haymarket meeting (vol.L 507).
Testimony of William Albright, 1886 Aug. 4.
Volume L, 500-510, 11 p.
Albright, William.
Employee, Kimball's Organ Factory; Prussian immigrant.
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[Image, Volume L, Page 500]
WILLIAM ALBRIGHT,
A WITNESS CALLED AND SWORN ON BEHALF OF THE DEFENDANTS, WAS EXAMINED IN CHIEF BY MR. FOSTER, AND TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:
|THE WITNESS TESTIFIED THROUGH AN INTERPRETER.|
Q WHAT IS YOUR NAME
A WILLIAM ALBRIGHT.
Q WHERE DO YOU RESIDE?
A 917 WEST TWENTY NINTH STREET.
Q ARE YOU A MARRIED MAN OR SINGLE?
A I AM SINGLE.
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN CHICAGO?
A FOUR YEARS.
Q WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS?
A I AM WORKING THREE YEARS, I WORK THE LUMBER YARD OF AN ORGAN FACTORY.
Q WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
A IN POMERANIA.
Q WHAT COUNTRY DOES THAT BELONG TO?
A IT BELONGS TO THE PRUSSIAN PROVINCE OF STETTIN.
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY?
A FOUR YEARS.
Q ALWAYS LIVED IN CHICAGO SINCE YOU CAME HERE?
A YES SIR.
Q DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE HAYMARKET MEETING, OR WHERE A METTING WAS HELD ON THE 4TH OF MAY LAST CALLED THE HAYMARKET MEETING?
A YES, SOME ONE TOLD ME AS I HAD COME FROM MY WORK THAT A MEETING HAD TAKEN PLACE AT THE HAYMARKET.
Q DID HE SAY HAD TAKEN PLACE OR WOULD TAKE PLACE?
A ONE WAS TO TAKE PLACE THERE.
Q DID YOU GO TO THAT MEETING?
A YES.
Q DO YOU KNOW AUGUST KRUMM?
A YES.
Q STATE WHETHER OR NOT YOU AND MR. KRUMM WORKED AT THE SAME
PLACE AT THE SAME FACTORY?
A YES.
Q DID YOU SEE MR. KRUMM AT THE MEETING?
A YES.
Q DID YOU STAND NEAR TO MR. KRUMM, OR WERE YOU IN COMPANY DURING THE MEETING?
OBJECTED TO AS LEADING.
Q WHO WERE WITH YOU AT THE MEETING, IF ANY ONE?
A WHILE I WAS THERE I MET AUGUST KRUMM.
Q HOW LONG WERE YOU WITH MR. KRUMM?
A I MET HIM WHILE MR. PARSONS WAS SPEAKING.
Q IS THIS MR. PARSONS |INDICATING|?
A YES.
Q DID YOU STAY IN COMPANY WITH MR. KRUMM UNTIL THE FIRING BEGAN?
A YES.
Q WHERE DID YOU AND MR. KRUMM STAY, WHAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE MEETING?
A SOMETIMES I WAS STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK AND SOMETIMES I WENT BACK AGAIN TO MR. KRUMM IN THE ALLEY.
Q WHERE DID MR. KRUMM STAND DURING THE TIME THAT YOU WERE WITH HIM PRINCIPALLY?
A IN THE ALLEY.
Q HOW NEAR TO THE CORNER?
A ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER.
Q WAS THAT NORTH OF THE ALLEY AGAINST CRANE'S FACTORY?
A YES, THERE IS ONE COMES UP DESPALINES STREET, THE FIRST ALLEY TO THE RIGHT.
Q IT WAS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ALLEY THAT MR. KRUMM SOOD, AND YOU WERE ABOUT THERE ALSO, WERE YOU?
A YES.
Q DID YOU SEE MR. FIELDEN THERE, THIS MAN WITH THE BEARD?
A YES, HE SPOKE LAST.
Q DID YOU SEE HIM SPEAK?
A YES, I SAW HIM AS THE POLICE WENT UP TO HIM---HE WAS STILL STANDING ON THE WAGON.
Q COULD YOU UNDERSTAND THE SPEECHES DURING THAT NIGHT?
A NO, I DON'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH.
Q DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION DURING THE TIME THAT THE MEETING WAS BEING HELD, AND THE SPEECHES BEING MADE, WITH ANY ONE, AND IF SO, WHOM?
A I SOMETIMES SPOKE WITH AUGUST KRUMM.
Q DOES MR. KRUMM SPEAK GERMAN?
A HE SPEAKS GERMAN, AND HE SPEAKS ENGLISH TOO.
Q DID YOU SPEAK WITH ANYBODY ELSE THAT EVENING, THAT IS AT THE MEETING AFTER YOU MET AUGUST KRUMM---DID YOU TALK WITH ANYBODY EXCEPT AUGUST KRUMM?
A NO.
Q DID YOU SEE THE POLICE AT ANY TIME THERE THAT NIGHT?
A I WENT WITH AUGUST KRUMM IN TO THE ALLEY TO LIGHT A PIPE, AND AS I CAME OUT, I SAW THE POLICE COME.
Q WHO TALKED ABOUT LIGHTING THE PIPE?
A BOTH OF US. I SAID TO HIM TO GIVE ME SOME TOBACCO, AND I WOULD GIVE HIM FIRE.
MR. FOSTER: |TO THE INTERPRETER.| IT IS JUST THE OTHER WAY.
THE COURT: Q WHAT DID YOU SAY TO EACH OTHER ABOUT FIRE, ABOUT SMOKING?
A I WANTED TO GIVE HIM SOME TOBACCO, AND HE SHOULD GIVE ME FIRE, I HAD NO MATCH.
MR. FOSTER: Q WHERE DID YOU GO AFTER TALKING ABOUT THE PIPES?
A I WAS WALKING UP AND DOWN IN THE ALLEY----SOME-TIMES I WENT OUT OF THE ALLEY IN FRONT, AND THEN I WENT BACK AGAIN.
Q DID YOU LIGHT YOUR PIPES?
A YES, I LIT IT.
Q WHO STRUCK THE FIRE?
A AUGUST KRUMM.
Q THEN MANY MATCHES DID HE LIGHT?
A ONE.
Q WHO LIT THE PIPE FIRST?
A AUGUST KRUMM.
Q THEN DID THE SAME MATCH LIGHT YOURS AFTERWARDS?
A YES.
Q WHO HELD THE MATCH WHILE YOUR PIPE WAS LIGHTED?
A AUGUST KRUMM.
Q NOW, AT THE TIME THAT YOU LIGHTED THE PIPES, HAD YOU STEPPED FURTHER INTO THE ALLEY?
A ABOUT TWO AND A HALF PACES INTO THE ALLEY? --- I CAN'T SAY PRESISELY.
Q WHY DID YOU PASS FURTHER INTO THE ALLEY WHEN YOU LIT THE MATCH?
A HE DIDN'T HAVE MANY MATCHES, AND AS THE WIND WAS BLOWING A LITTLE WE WENT A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THE ALLEY.
Q THEN YOU CAME BACK TO THE CORNER AGAIN?
A WE STOOD THERE A LITTLE WHILE YET. HE REMAINED STANDING THERE, AND I WENT UP TO THE CORNER OF THE ALLEY, THE END OF THE ALLEY, AND THEN WENT BACK AGAIN SOME TIMES.
Q WHERE WERE THE POLICE WHEN YOU CAME BACK FROM LIGHTING YOUR PIPES?
A THEY CAME UP FROM RANDOLPH STREET.
Q WERE THEY COMING WHEN YOU CAME BACK AFTER LIGHTING YOUR PIPES?
A A LITTLE WHILE AFTER THAT.
Q NOW WHAT NOISE OF SHOTS OR EXPLOSIONS DID YOU HEAR THERE THAT NIGHT?
A I HEARD ONE SHOT BEFORE THE BOMB EXPLODED.
Q DID THE BOMB EXPLODE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOT THAT YOU HEARD?
A YES.
Q THEN WHAT DID YOU DO?
A I WENT AWAY.
Q WHICH WAY?
A I WENT UP THE ALLEY.
Q DID YOU RUN?
A YES.
Q DID YOU SEE MR. KRUMM AGAIN AFTER YOU RUN OUT OF THE ALLEY THAT NIGHT?
A YES, I SAW HIM AGAIN AT HOME.
Q DID YOU SEE ANY OTHER LIGHT IN THE ALLEY, SEE ANY ONE STRIKE A MATCH IN THE ALLEY EXCDPT THE MATCH WHICH MR. KRUMM STRUCK TO LIGHT THE PIPE?
A NO, I DIDN'T SEE ANY ONE.
Q DID YOU SEE ANY ONE ABOUT THE TIME THE POLICE CAME UP PASS FROM THE WAGON INTO THE ALLEY?
A NO.
Q DID YOU SEE ANY ONE THROW THE HOME OR THROW ANYTHING FROM THE ALLEY, OR NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE ALLEY?
A NO.
Q DID YOU SEE THE BOMB THROWN OR ANY FIRE OR FUSE IN THE AIR JUST BEFORE THE BOMB EXPLODED?
A NO, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING.
Q ARE YOU A SOCIALIST?
A NO,
Q OR AN ABRCHIST?
A NO.
Q DO YOU BELONG TO ANY LABOR ORGANIZATION?
A I BELONG TO THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Q YOU DON'T BELONG TO ANY GROUP OR ARMED SECTION?
A NO.
Q FROM WHAT PLACE DID THE SHOT WHICH YOU HEARD BEFORE THE EXPLOSION OF THE BOMB SEEM TO COME FROM?
A FROM A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION.
Q WAS IT IN THE DIRECTION OF ANY OF THE POLICE?
A IT CAME FROM THAT DIRECTION---WHO WAS SHOOTING I DIDN'T SEE.
Q AT THE TIME THAT YOU WERE THERE OR RUNNING AWAY, DID YOU SEE ANY OF THE CITIZENS AT THE MEETING FIRE ANY SHOTS?
A I DIDN'T SEE ANY SHOT.
Q WERE THERE A GOOD MANY PEOPLE RUNNING THROUGH THE ALLEY WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH?
A NO.
Q YOU SAW NO SHOOTING IN THE ALLEY TOWARDS THE POLICE BY THE CITIZENS?
A NO.
Q DID YOU SEE OR HEAR ANY SHOT FROM THE SPEAKERS WAGON THAT NIGHT?
A NO.
CROSS EXAMINATION BY
MR. GRINNELL.
Q WHAT IS THE NUMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT YOU BELONG TO OF THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR?
A 852
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY?
A FOUR YEARS --- IT WILL BE FIVE THIS FALL.
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN CHICAGO?
A THE WHOLE TIME.
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A MEMBER OF THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR?
A I CAN'T TELL PRECISELY---TWO OR THREE MONTHS.
Q THEN YOU JOINED SINCE THE FIRST OF MAY?
A BEFORE THE FIRST OF MAY.
Q HOW LONG BEFORE?
A MONTH PREVIOUS.
Q DID YOU BELONG TO ANY OTHER LABOR ORGANIZATIONS?
A NO.
Q WHICH WAY WERE YOU FACING ALL THE TIME YOU STOOD THERE--DID YOU STAND ON THE SIDEWALK OR STAND IN THE ALLEY?
A I FIRST BEGAN STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK, AND AFTERWARDS WHEN I MET KRUMM I WENT IN THE ALLEY, WALKING UP AND DOWN.
Q DID YOU WALK UP AND DOWN THE ALLEY WITH KRUMM?
A NO, I WENT UP AND DOWN THE ALLEY MYSELF.
Q DID KRUMM STAND STILL WHILE YOU WERE WALKING?
A WHILE I SAW HIM HE STOOD STILL THERE---SOMETIMES I WAS UPON THE SIDEWALK, AND THEN WENT BACK AGAIN.
Q DID HE GO ON THE SIDEWALK TOO?
A I DIN'T SEE SEE HIM THERE.
Q DID YOU STAND THERE BY KRUMM IN THE ALLEY ANY OF THE TIME EXCEPT WHEN YOU WERE LIGHTING YOUR PIPE?
A YES.
Q WHERE ABOUT IN THE ALLEY DID YOU STAND WITH KRUMM?
A ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE ALLEY, AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER.
Q DID YOU STAND NEAR THE SIDEWALK OR DID KRUMM STAND NEAR THE SIDEWALK?
A THAT I CAN'T TELL ANY MORE PRECISELY. SOMETIMES I WAS IN FRONT OF HIM, AND SOMETIMES BEHIND.
Q DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ANY ENGLISH?
A VERY LITTLE.
Q YOU HAVE HEARD KRUMM TESTIFY HERE, HAVEN'T YOU.?
A I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
Q YOU SAT RIGHT BACK IN THERE IN ONE OF THOSE SEATS WHILE KRUMM WAS TESTIFYING?
A YES SIR, HE HAD BEEN HERE SOMETIME WHEN I CAME IN.
Q YOU HEARD ALL HE SAID, DIDN'T YOU?
A NO, I COULDN'T HEAR ALL OF IT---I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND ALL OF IT
Q WHEN YOU WERE STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK WHICH WAY WAS YOUR FACE, TOWARDS THE SPEAKERS OR TOWARDS THE SOUTH OR TOWARDS THE ALLEY OR HOW?
A SOMETIMES I WAS LOOKING TOWARDS THE SPEAKER, SOMETIMES TOWARDS THE SOUTH----I LOOKED ALL AROUND.
Q WHERE WAS KRUMM?
A HE STOOD AT THE ALLEY.
Q WHILE YOU WERE STANDING ON THE WALK?
A YES.
Q HOW MUCH TIME OF ALL THE TIME YOU WERE THERE, DID YOU STAND OUT ON THE WALK?
A THAT I CAN'T TELL, EXACTLY.
Q DID YOU HEAR THE POLICE OFFICER TELL THE MEETING TO DISPERSE?
A I HEARD HIM SAY SOMETHING, BUT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT.
Q DID YOU HEAR THE MEN ON THE WAGON SAY ANYTHING IN RESPONSE?
A NO, I COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FURTHER BUT THAT FIELDEN SAID SOMETHING---BUT WHAT HE SAID I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND.
Q HAD YOU ALREADY LIGHTED YOUR PIPES WHEN YOU HEARD FIELDEN SAY THAT WHICH YOU COULD NOT UNDERSTAND?
A YES, I HAD JUST LIGHTED IT.
Q WHERE WERE THE POLICE THEN?
A I DIDN'T SEE. WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE ALIEY THE POLICE WERE APPROACHING AND THEN ONE MAN WENT UP TO FIELDEN.
Q HE WAS COMING OUT OF THE ALLEY BEFORE HE HEARD FIELDEN SPEAK?
THE INTERPRETER: THE POLICE WERE STANDING THERE THEN.
Q WHERE WERE THE POLICE WHEN YOU CAME OUT OF THE ALLEY?
A THEY WERE APPROACHING FROM THE STATION, AND THE ONE MAN STEPPED UP TO FIELDEN.
Q HOW MANY POLICEMEN DID YOU SEE THERE?
A THAT I CAN'T SAY.
Q DID YOU HEAR ANYBODY SAY BEFORE YOU WENT INTO THE ALLEY TO LIGHT YOUR PIPE THAT THE POLICE WERE COMING?
A NO, BUT ONLY ONE MAN WHO WAS ALSO STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK WITH A GREAT COAT ON, A BROWN COAT, SAID, "THE POLICE IS COMING NOW."
Q AFTER YOU HEARD THAT MAN SAY THAT, YOU WENT IN AND LIGHTED YOUR PIPE?
A NO, HE SAID THAT AFTER I HAD LIGHTED MY PIPE.
Q YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH AT ALL, CAN YOU?
A VERY LITTLE.
Q YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND A MAN SPEAKING?
A NO.
Q A MAN MAKING A SPEECH YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT?
A NO SIR.
Q YOU COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT PARSONS SAID THAT NIGHT?
A NO SIR.
Q YOU COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT FIELDHN SAID THAT NIGHT?
A NO, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THOSE SPEAKERS, BECAUSE I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THEM I WAS WALKING UP AND DOWN IN THE HOPE THAT SOME GERMAN SPEAKING WOULD FOLLOW.
Q YOU WALKED UP AND DOWN THE ALLEY WHILE YOU WERE WAITING FOR SOME GERMAN SPEAKER?
A YES, SOMETIMES I WAS ALSO STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK.
Q THERE WAS NO GERMAN SPEAKER THERE THAT NIGHT, WAS THERE?
A I DIDN'T HEAR ANY.
Q YOU KEPT WAITING FOR HIM?
A YES.
Q AND YOU WALKED BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS ON THE WALK AND IN THE ALLEY WAITING FOR HIM?
A YES.
Q HOW FAR DID YOU WALK BACK INTO THE ALLEY WAITING FOR THE GERMAN SPEAKER---HOW FAR IS THE FURTHEST PLACE THAT YOU WALKED TO FROM THE EDGE OF THE ALLEY?
A FOUR OR FIVE PACES---THAT IS THE FURTHEST.
Q DIDN'T KRUMM WALK BACK WITH YOU?
A NO.
Q HE COULD UNDERSTAND ENGLISH?
A YES.
Q AND HE HEARD THE SPEAKING?
OBJECTED TO.
Q DID HE TELL YOU HE HEARD THE SPEAKERS, AND TELL YOU WHAT THEY SAID?
A NO.
Q DIDN'T HE TELL YOU A SINGLE WORD THAT THEY UTTERED THAT NIGHT?
A NO.
Q WERE NOT YOU AND KRUMM TALKING TOGETHER ALL THE TIME THERE?
A YES, WE WERE SPEAKING OF OUR SHOP.
Q THERE WAS SOME OF THE TIME YOU AND KRUMM WERE TALKING TOGETHER?
A YES.
Q WHERE WERE YOU THEN?
A IN THE ALLEY.
Q WERE YOU LEANING UP AGAINST THE WALL THEN?
A SOMETIMES.
Q HOW LONG WERE YOU LEANING UP AGAINST THE WALL THERE?
A THAT I CAN'T TELL EXACTLY---A MINUTE.
Q WHEN THE BOMB EXPLODED, WHAT DID YOU DO?
A I RUN AWAY.
Q HAD THERE BEEN ANY SHOTS FIRED BESIDES THAT ONE SHOT YOU HEARD BEFORE YOU BEGAN TO RUN?
A WHEN THE BOMB EXPLODED, SEVERAL
SHOTS WERE FIRED---I HEARD THAT WHILE RUNNING.
Q WHERE WERE YOU STANDING WHEN THE BOMB EXPLODED?
A IN THE ALLEY. WHEN THE SHOT WAS FIRED I WENT BACK INTO THE ALLEY.
Q HOW FAR BACK?
A A GOOD SIZED PACE.
Q KRUMM WAS THERE WITH YOU?
A YES, HE ALSO STOOD IN THE ALLEY
Q DO YOU KNOW WHO SHOT FIRST, WHO BEGAN FIRING FIRST?
A THE ONE SHOT WAS COMING FROM A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION BEFORE THE EXPLOSION CAME.
Q AFTER THE EXPLOSION AND THE SHOTS YOU HEARD WHICH DIRECTION DID THEY COME FROM?
A THAT I CAN'T SAY. I HEARD THEM, BUT DIDN'T SEE THEM, WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
A I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE CLOCK AT ONCE.
Q YOU SAW KRUMM THERE, DIDN'T YOU, AT HOME?
A I WENT OUTSIDE AND SAT DOWN A LITTLE WHILE. I WAS HEATED PRETTY HOT BY THE WALK.
Q DID HE SEE KRUMM THERE AT HIS HOUSE, OR AT KRUMM'S HOUSE?
A IN MY HOUSE.
Q YOU WERE SITTING OUT-DOORS, WERE YOU?
A HE WAS SITTING IN THE INSIDE.
Q WHO?
A KRUMM.
Q WAS IT HIS HOUSE YOU SAW HIM OR YOUR OWN HOUSE YOU SAW KRUMM FIRST?
A IN MY BOARDING HOUSE.
Q DID KRUMM BOARD THERE?
A YES, AT THAT TIME FOR A WEEK.
MR. FOSTER: Q DOES HE BOARD THERE NOW, THE SAME PLACE?
A NO, HE WAS ONLY THERE A WEEK BOARDING. HE IS NOW AT TWENTIETH STREET.