Illinois vs. August Spies et al. trial transcript no. 1 Direct examination by Mr. Grinnell. Testified on behalf of the Prosecution, People of the State of Illinois. His place of business is at the corner of Halsted and Desplaines. Left fish boxes just south of Crane's Alley on May 4. Testimony as to the location of the boxes was ruled inadmissible due to not being a part of the main portion of the case.
Testimony of A. S. Berkowsky, 1886 Aug. 10.
Volume N, 269-271, 3 p.
Berkowsky, A. S.
Fish merchant.
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[Image, Volume N, Page 269]
A. S. BERKOWSKY,
a witness called and sworn on behalf of the People, was examined in chief by Mr. Ingham and testified as follows:
Q What is your name?
A A. S. Berkowsky.
Q What is your business?
A Fish man.
Q Where is your place of business?
A 23 West Randolph Street, and another place on Clark street.
Q Where on West Randolph street was your place with reference to the place of the Haymarket massacre and Crane's alley?
A Right on the corner of DesPlaines, north east corner.
Q Did you see the boxes just south of Crane's alley the night before the Haymarket trouble?
A Generally keep fish boxes there.
Q Did you see them that night in the question?
A I didn't have time to remove all the fish boxes the same day.
THE COURT: Did you see how they stood that night?
A I left the boxes.
MR. BLACK: That is not the question---did you see them, yes or not?
A I left at six o'clock.
MR. INGHAM: He left the boxes, that is enough.
THE COURT: You left there at six o'clock?
A Yes sir.
Q Did you see how the boxes were there?
A When I went away I left a few boxes there on the corner.
Q How near was the north end of those boxes to the lamp
post?
Objected to as not proper rebutting testimony.
THE COURT: You are limited now to evidence in reply to theirs, either in denial or explanation.
MR. GRINNELL: Some of the witnesses have sworn or attempted to swear that this bomb came from behind the boxes. That same witness Bernitt has made the measurement and he has got it 38 feet South of the alley. I don't know whether he said it came from behind the boxes at any time or not. Now, it is proper to show where these boxes were, in fact.
MR. FOSTER: Why didn't you do it.
MR. GRINNELL: It was not material until you undertook to show it. It didn't cut any figure.
THE COURT: If the first witness who stated anything about the bomb coming from behind the boxes was a witness on behalf of the defense---I don't know how that is, then it might cut some figure.
MR. GRINNELL: I would not undertake to say to be accurate. My impression is that one of the State's witnesses located the bomb as coming from the vicinity of the boxes, indicating the north end of them. I think he was the first one that mentioned it. The defense's witnesses got the location of the bomb coming from the south end of the boxes. Now, for the purpose of allowing the jury to see the location we want to prove precisely where they were.
THE COURT: It is not admissible.