Illinois vs. August Spies et al. trial transcript no. 1 Direct examination by Mr. Foster. Cross-examination by Mr. Ingham. Testified on behalf of the Defense, Spies, August et al. Attended the Haymarket meeting and had his hat shot off while running away after the bombing. Testified on various topics (page numbers provide a partial guide): trajectory of the bomb (vol.L 563), time and place origination of the gunfire (vol.L 564), position of the defendants and others on the speakers' wagon (vol.L 562), weapons in the crowd (vol.L 565), the Arbeiter-Zeitung (vol.L 566).
Testimony of Joseph Schwindt, 1886 Aug. 4.
Volume L, 562-567, 6 p.
Schwindt, Joseph.
Shoemaker; German immigrant.
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[Image, Volume L, Page 562]
JOSEPH SCHWINDT,
A WITNESS CALLED AND SWORN ON BEHALF OF THE DEFENDANTS, BEING EXAMINED IN CHIEF BY MR. FOSTER, TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:
Q WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
A JOSEPH SCHWINDT.
Q WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS?
A SHOEMAKER.
Q WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
A LIVE IN WELLS STREET.
Q WHAT NUMBER?
A 205.
Q WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS?
A SHOEMAKER.
Q WHERE DO YOU WORK?
A I WORK THERE.
Q YOU WORK FOR YOURSELF?
A NO, I WORK FOR A BOSS.
Q ARE YOU A MARRIED MAN?
A NO.
Q YOU LIVE WITH THE BOSS?
A YES SIR.
Q LIVE IN HIS FAMILY?
A YES.
Q AND WORK AT THE SOME PLACE?
A YES.
Q WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?
A MY BOSS IS THERE WHERE I LIVE.
Q WHAT IS HIS NAME?
A HIS NAME IS JOHN KRAUSE.
Q WHERE YOU AT THE HAYMARKET MEETING ON THE 4TH OF MAY?
A YES.
Q DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE WAGON STOOD NORTH OF CRANE'S ALLEY WHERE THE SPEAKERS STOOD IN THAT WAGON AND SPOKE?
Q I SEEN THE WAGON--- I CAN'T SEAK ENGLISH.
Q YOU SAW THE WAGON?
A YES SIR.
Q IT WAS NORTH OF CRANE'S ALLEY?
A YES SIR.
Q WHERE DID YOU STAND?
A WELL, I STAND THIS SIDE.
Q SOUTH OR NORTH?
A SOUTH.
Q HOW FAR SOUTH OF THE WAGON DID YOU STAND?
A I STAND TEN
OR TWELVE FEET FROM THE WAGON.
Q DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE LAMP POST IS?
A I STAND RIGHT ON THE LAMP POST.
Q WERE YOU STANDING ON THE LAMP POST WHEN THE POLICE CAME UP THERE?
A YES, BETWEEN THE LAMP POST AND THE BOXES THAT WERE THERE ON THE SIDEWALK.
Q WHICH WAY WAS YOUR FACE?
A MY FACE WAS THIS WAY, RIGHT ON THE SIDEWALK.
Q SUPPOSE THIS IS THE SIDEWALK---YOU WERE STANDING BY THE EDGE OF THE SIDEWALK?
A MY FACE WAS RIGHT TO THE POLICE.
Q ACROSS THE STREET?
A YES SIR, ACROSS THE STREET.
Q RIGHT TOWARDS THE POLICE?
A YES SIR.
Q DID YOU SEE THE BOMB WHEN IT CAME DOWN?
A I SEE NOT THE BOMB. I SEE THE FIRE. I THOUGHT THIS FIRE WAS FROM A CIGAR.
Q WHERE WAS THAT FIRE WHEN YOU SAW IT FIRST?
A I SEEN IT RIGHT OVER THE HEAD, OVER THE POLICE.
Q RIGHT OVER THE POLICEMEN'S HEADS?
A YES.
Q DID YOU SEE IT FALL DOWN?
A YES SIR.
Q WHICH WAY WAS THAT GOING?
A I DON'T KNOW. I LOOKED RIGHT AT THE POLICE AND SEEN THE DYNAMITE THERE FIRE.
Q WHICH WAY FROM YOU DID IT FALL DOWN; THAT IS, NORTH OR SOUTH OR WEST?
A SQUARE FROM ME THIS WAY. I STAND HERE AND THIS WAS WHERE THE BOMB FALL, DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE FROM THE POLICEMEN.
Q IF THIS IS THE SIDEWALK ALONG HERE, AND THIS IS DESPLAINES STREET IT FELL, RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?
A YES.
Q BETWEEN THE LAMP AND THE BOXES?
A BETWEEN THE LAMP AND THE BOX I STAND THERE.
Q AND IT FELL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET OPPOSITE YOU?
A YES SIR.
Q DID YOU HEAR IT?
THE COURT: Q DID YOU HEAR IT BURST?
MR. FOSTER: Q WHEN THAT BOMB WENT OFF DID YOU HEAR IT?
A YES SIR, I WAS THERE.
Q DID YOU HEAR ANY SHOOTING?
A YES SIR.
Q DID YOU SEE ANY SHOOTING?
A I SEE THAT.
Q WHO DID YOU SEE AND WHO DID YOU HEAR SHOOT?
A FROM THE SIDE OF THE POLICE.
Q FROM THE POLICE?
A YES.
Q DID YOU RUN AWAY?
A I RUN AWAY.
Q WHICH WAY DID YOU GO?
A I COME FROM THE PLACE WHERE I STAND OFF TO THE CORNER OF RANDOLPH STREET.
Q YOU WENT DOWN THE SIDEWALK SOUTH OF RANDOLPH STREET?
A YES SIR.
Q THEN AROUND THE CORNER?
A YES, I GO AROUND, AND BY GETTING OVER THE CORNER OF RANDOLPH STREET, I GO OVER RANDOLPH STREET.
Q DID YOU GET SHOT, OR YOUR CLOTHES? I---DID YOU GET ANY BULLETS IN YOUR CLOTHES?
A I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
Q DID ANY OF THE SHOTS HIT YOU---DID YOU GET HIT?
A MY HAT FALL DOWN ON THE STREET, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE WIND BLOWED IT, AND I PICKED IT UP AND RUN BACK AND I SEE THE OTHER
THE OTHER DAY MY HAT AND THERE IS A HOLE.
Q YOU HAT DROPPED OFF AND YOU THOUGHT THE WIND BLEW IF OFF AND YOU PICKED IT UP AND RUN OFF AND AFTERWARDS SAW A BULLETT IN IT?
A YES SIR.
Q WHILE YOU WERE RUNNING OR WHILE STANDING THERE DID YOU SEE ANY CITIZENS SHOOT, OR ANYBODY---DID YOU SEE ANYBODY SHOOT EXCEPT THE POLICE?
A I SEE NOBODY.
Q EXCEPT THE POLICE?
A EXCEPT THE POLICE.
CROSS EXAMINATION BY
MR. INGHAM.
Q WHERE DID YOU LIVE AT THIS TIME, THE 4TH OF MAY?
A I LIVED THERE WHERE I AM LIVING THERE, 205.
MR. FOSTER: Q DID YOU SEE ANY MAN THERE IN THE CROWD, ANY CITIZENS, HAVE A REVOLVER IN HIS HAND?
A NO SIR.
Q OR TALK ABOUT REVOLVER?
A NO, I HEAR NOTHING AND SEE NOTHING.
MR. INGHAM: Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED AT 205 WELLS STREET?
A THAT IS THE FIFTH MONTH.
Q WHERE DID YOU LIVE BEFORE THAT?
A I LIVED BEFORE IN AUGUSTA STREET.
Q WHEREABOUTS ON AUGUSTA STREET?
A BY BURTON, PAST 189.
Q HOW LONG DID YOU LIVE THERE?
A I LIVED THERE TWO MONTHS.
Q WHERE DID YOU LIVE BEFORE THAT?
A BEFORE THAT I LIVED IN JEFFERSON.
Q WHEREABOUTS ON JEFFERSON STREET OR TOWN OF JEFFERSON?
A THE TOWN OF JEFFERSON.
Q WHO DID YOU LIVE WITH THERE?
A I LIVED THERE WITH A BROTHER ON GORDAN, PAST AUGUSTA STREET.
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY?
A ABOUT A YEAR AND NINE MONTHS.
Q HOW DID YOU KNOW THERE WAS A MEETING IN HAYMARKET?
A I READ THAT IN THE PAPER.
Q WHAT PAPER?
A IN THE ARBEITER ZEITUNG.
Q WHEN DID YOU READ IT?
A MONDAY AFTERNOON---IT WAS TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
Q DO YOU KNOW A MAN BY THE NAME OF AUGUST KRAUSE WHO LIVES IN THE TOWN OF JEFFERSON?
A NO.
Q WHAT IS YOUR BOSS NAME?
A MY BOSS NAME IS JOHN KRAUSE.
Q SO YOU KNOW WHETHER HE HAS A BROTHER WHO LIVES IN JEFFERSON?
A NO, HE HAS NOT A BROTHER IN THIS COUNTRY.
Q YOU SAY YOU READ THAT IN THE ARBEITER ZEITUNG?
A YES SIR.
Q WHAT DATE DID YOU READ IT?
A TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
Q DID YOU READ THE EDITORIAL PAGE?
OBJECTED TO AS NOT LEGITIMATE CROSS EXAMINATION.
MR. INGHAM: I SHALL NOT PRESS IT.
Q YOU DID READ THE NOTICE IN THE ARBEITER ZEITUNG?
A YES SIR, I READ THE NOTICE.
Q WHERE DID YOU GET THE PAPER?
A I GOT THE ARBEITER ZEITUNG IN MY HOUSE.
Q HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD IT THERE?
A I GOT IT FIVE MONTHS NOW.
WHEREUPON THE COURT ADJOURNED TO 10 O'CLOCK AUGUST 5TH, 1886.