Life of Albert Parsons

SPEECH OF LOUIS LINGG.

Louis Lingg was born in Germany; was a carpenter by trade, and worked steadily at his trade after coming to America; was never arrested before the Haymarket trouble. He was only 22 years old at the time of his death.

Following are extracts from his speech in remonstrance to the death sentence:

COURT OF JUSTICE! With the same irony with which you have regarded my efforts to win in this "free land of America" a livelihood such as humankind is worthy to enjoy, do you now, after condemning me to death, concede me the liberty of making a final speech.

I accept your concession; but it is only for the purpose of exposing the injustice, the calumnies and the outrages which have been heaped upon me. You have accused me of murder and convicted me; what proof have you brought that I am guilty?

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It is not murder, however, of which you have convicted me. The judge has stated that much only this morning in his resume of the case, and Grinnell has repeatedly asserted that we were being tried, not for murder, but for Anarchy, so that the condemnation is that I am an Anarchist!

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You have charged me with despising "law and order." What does your "law and order" amount to? Its representatives are the police, and they have thieves in their ranks. Here sits Captain Schaack. He has himself admitted to me that my hat and books have been stolen from him in his office stolen by policemen. These are your defenders of property rights!

The detectives, again, who arrested me forced their way into my room like house breakers, under false pretences, giving the name of a carpenter, Lorenz, of Burlington street. They have sworn that I was alone in my room, therein perjuring themselves. You have not subpoenaed by this lady, Mrs. Klein, who was present, and could have sworn that the aforesaid detectives broke into my room under false pretences, and that their testimonies are perjured.

But let us go further. In Schaack we have a captain of the police, and he also has perjured himself. He has sworn that I admitted to him being present at the Monday night's meeting, whereas r distinctly informed him that I was at a carpenter's meeting at Zepf's Hall. He has sworn again that I told him that I had learned how to make bombs from Herr Most's book. That also is perjury.