Haymarket Riot
<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">uber1:</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><a href="https://webbrain.com/brainpage/brain/6950F840-FB80-FCB0-D505-8AB1FA685F08#-2201"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://webbrain.com/brainpage/brain/6950F840-FB80-FCB0-D505-8AB1FA685F08#-2201</font></a></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">----</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">waite upheld convictions</font>
<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font>
<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">We were also unfavorably impressed with Waite’s judicial resolution of the
Haymarket affair, which in historical perspective looks more like a police riot than an
anarchist provocation.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
It began with an anarchist rally at Chicago’s Haymarket Square on May 4,
1886, six days before the Santa Clara decision. Its outlandish purpose was to
advocate the 8-hour work day. At first all was peaceful. Even the mayor attended
without incident, and left before the trouble started. Around 10:20 p.m. the police
ordered the rally to disperse, then formed up and marched toward the speakers’
wagon. A bomb exploded at the police line and killed Officer Degen, whereupon
many officers opened fire, and perhaps some workers. The five-minute battle that
ensued killed eight policemen and four workers, and wounded many more on each
side. Most of the police were hit by friendly fire. It was never discovered who
threw the bomb.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
Eight anarchists were arrested and charged with Degen’s murder. Their trial,
which began June 21, took place in an atmosphere, whipped up by the media, of
intense public hostility toward the defendants. Although prosecutors failed to
connect the defendants with the bombing, remote association was all the jury
needed to pronounce all eight guilty. Seven received the death sentence, one a
15-year prison sentence. The result outraged workers, and evoked worldwide
protest.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
The Illinois governor commuted two of the seven death sentences to life in
prison. The case was appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, which upheld the trial
verdict unanimously on September 14, 1887. A petition went to the U.S. Supreme
Court, and Waite announced its denial on Nov. 2, 1887.
One of the five committed suicide as he waited on death row; the remaining
four were hanged on Nov. 11. According to horrorstricken eyewitness accounts,
“strangled” would have been more accurate than “hanged.”
The three sent to prison were pardoned by Illinois Governor John Peter
Altgeld on June 26, 1893. The electorate, not so forgiving, promptly ended his
political career.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act made 8 hours the legal work day in the
U.S.</font></p>