Embedded Files
haymarket trial.mp3James Adesman, Rebecca Armand, Karmen Wu, Claire Lazca
James Adesman, Rebecca Armand, Karmen Wu, Claire Lazca
Sponsoring Professor: Professor Sarah Standing, THE 3000 ID / LAW 3000 ID
Sponsoring Professor: Professor Sarah Standing, THE 3000 ID / LAW 3000 ID
We are proud to present, for the second year in a row, an entry from THE 3000ID/LAW 3000ID, Theatre of Law. Throughout, a combination of AI-generated art and collage of preexisting images visualizes how the words of the play might translate into a theatrical staging. Furthermore, we are presenting an AI-assisted audio adaptation of the play, with voices and sound effects bringing the students' script to life.
Professor's Note: For this assignment, students are asked to research primary sources related to a significant case, use this primary source material in their playwriting, and cite their sources within the text of the play itself. -Professor Sarah Ann Standing
Cast Of Characters
The Haymarket Trial_CAST OF CHARACTERS.mp3Narrator 1: Indistinguishable from the Chicago laborers aside for their penchant for captivating a crowd, sympathetic to the labor movement and the Haymarket 8, but willing to speak of them in jest as would any of their drinking buddies at the anarchist hangout Zepf' Hall.
Narrator 2: Indistinguishable from the Chicago laborers aside for their penchant for captivating a crowd, sympathetic to the labor movement and the Haymarket 8, but willing to speak of them in jest as would any of their drinking buddies at the anarchist hangout Zepf’s Hall.
August Spies: A fiery young man, German immigrant, anarchist, labor activist, and editor of the Arbeiter-Zeitung (Worker’s Newspaper).
Albert Parsons: A highly educated and eloquent American anarchist, abolitionist, labor activist, newspaper editor, and husband of Lucy Parsons.
Samuel Fielden: An English immigrant, anarcho-socialist, labor activist, teamster, and preacher.
Officer Degan: A patrolman for the Chicago Police Department.
Judge: An aloof and irritable American jurist with no concern for due process for the defendants in the Haymarket Trial.
Bailiff: A retired Chicago patrolman whose only concern is collecting a second pension.
Prosecutor: A young, over-zealous lawyer who is exploiting his power for the purpose of political repression and persecution.
Mr. Black (Defense): An honorable corporate lawyer and socialist who, convinced to seek counsel for the defendants but unable to, felt the duty to take on their case as lead counsel.
Mr. Foster (Defense): A tough, tobacco-chewing lawyer who, though unsympathetic to the defendants, remained determined to save them from the gallows.
Jury Foreperson: A middle aged man whose prejudice to anarchism likely secured his role on the jury.
Louis Lingg: A reserved German immigrant, anarcho-socialist, and carpenter.
George Engel: An elderly German immigrant, socialist, labor activist, and toymaker.
Adoph Fischer: A German immigrant, militant anarchist, labor activist, and compositer.
Lucy Parsons: An American anarcho-communist, fierce advocate for women's rights, class and labor activist, writer, public-speaker, and wife of Albert Parsons. Mrs. Parsons went by a number of aliases and was a self described half-indigenous half-Mexican woman but was likely a freed, formerly enslaved, African woman.
Act One
Act One
The Haymarket Trial_ACT ONE.mp3Chicago, Haymarket Square, 1883. A speakers’ wagon is situated at center stage. The sign on the factory behind it reads“McCormick’s”. Two lines of police stand on either side of factory doors. Lights illuminate center and up stage.
A crowd, dressed in work-clothes, is clamoring and chatting in the square. Members of the crowd hold signs reading “We demand 8 hours”.
The NARRATORS climb up on the speaker's wagon, as they do so, the crowd quiets down and gathers close to the wagon.
NARRATOR 1
The day is May 3rd, 1883. For the past three days, workers have been engaged in a general strike demanding an 8-hour work day. Today, they have gathered outside the McCormick’s Factory in Chicago’s Haymarket Square.
Haymarket image 1 alt text.mp3CROWD
8 hours of work, 8 hours of play, 8 hours of sleep - 8 hours a day!
NARRATOR 2
As the union workers strike, their replacements toil in the factory behind me.
August Spies climbs up on the wagon.
AUGUST SPIES
Let not the traitors behind me dissuade you! The Union makes us strong! Gone are the days of our exploitation!
A factory alarm bell rings, signaling a shift change. The replacement workers rush out of the factory. The crowd of striking workers rushes to confront their replacements.
CROWD
[to the replacement workers]
Scabs! Traitors!
A few members of the crowd begin to throw rocks at the replacement workers. The police begin shooting into the crowd. Six striking workers fall to the ground, the rest run offstage chased by the police.
Haymarket image 3 alt text.mp3
Haymarket image 2 alt tetx.mp3The lights across up and center stage fade, leaving only the downstage center illuminated.
AUGUST descends from the wagon, and jogs toward down stage right, followed by NARRATOR 2.
The lights at down stage right flick on to reveal a small printing press office. The sign above it reads “Worker’s Newspaper.” As AUGUST hangs up his coat and prepares his typewriter, NARRATOR 2 pulls up a stool.
NARRATOR 2
Here is the printing house for the ‘Workers Newspaper'. It seems Mr. Spies is about to write the famous ‘Revenge Circular’. Let’s listen closely.
AUGUST places a piece of paper in the typewriter.
AUGUST SPIES
(Furiously clicking on a typewriter, the cadence of his speech makes it clear he is reciting the words as he writes them)
Revenge! Workmen, to Arms! Your masters sent out their bloodhounds - the police. They killed six of your brothers at McCormicks this afternoon. They killed the poor wretches because they, like you, dared to disobey the supreme will of your bosses. They killed them because they dared ask for the shortening of the hours of toll. They killed them to show you so-called “Free American Citizens” that you must be satisfied and contented with whatever your bosses condescend to allow you, or you will be killed!
Lights go out at down stage right. The haze of evening light returns to center and up stage.
A crowd slowly begins to form, growing larger as Narrator 2 speaks.
NARRATOR 2
The following day, hundreds of flyers have been distributed across the Chicago neighborhoods informing them of the Haymarket Massacre and instructing them to return to the Haymarket at 7:30 pm tonight to hear good speakers.
(checks his watch)
Seeing as it's a quarter past 7 and I’ve yet to be interrupted. I guess I’ll have to stall a bit… Hey! What do August Spies and your paycheck have in common?
CROWD
They're both late!
August Spies arrives and rushes up to the wagon.
AUGUST SPIES
If we do not soon better ourselves for a bloody revolution, we cannot leave anything to our children but poverty and slavery. Therefore, prepare yourselves! In all quietness, prepare yourselves for the Revolution!
SPIES notices that ALBERT PARSONS has arrived and steps down. PARSONS climbs up the wagon.
ALBERT PARSONS
As we gather here today, I implore you to look at the crowd around yourselves. Bear witness to the might among us. Without us, our bosses would have nothing. We hold the power. This enlightenment threatens their mastery over us. This is why they sic their police on us. Resist!
PARSONS climbs down. As SAMUEL FIELDEN steps up to the wagon, PARSONS reaches SPIES in the crowd, throwing his arm around his shoulder. The two walk down stage center.
ALBERT PARSONS
[to Spies]
Great speech comrade! Let's go grab a drink at Zepf’s.
PARSONS and ALBERT exit down stage left, chuckling and chatting.
SAMUEL FIELDEN
All of you! Hear our call! You have witnessed their attempts to suppress us; we must rise! We must organize our protection and depend only upon ourselves to advance our condition.
The crowd is now in a frenzy. Police squads have arrived. OFFICER DEGAN steps up to the wagon.
DEGAN
All right, nope, nope, nope, that’s it. We are going to need you to leave. In the name of the Chicago police department. We need you to get going. Take a hike, you're done.
FIELDEN steps down from the speaker’s wagon. A figure obscured in a dark cloak winds through the crowd and stops at downstage center. From under their cloak, they pull out a bomb and toss it into the crowd. The sound of an explosion rings out. Officer DEGAN falls to the ground. The cloaked figure rushes off stage through the right wing.
The Curtain drops.
Haymarket image 5 alt text.mp3Act Two
Act Two
hay market trial _ ACT TWO.mp3The stage has been reset as a courtroom.
JUDGE, audience, PROSECUTOR and MR. BLACK are all seated. The NARRATORS are perched on the walls of the witness box. As NARRATOR 1 reads out the defendants’ names, the BAILIFF walks each defendant out and roughly shoves them into their seats at the defense bench.
NARRATOR 1
Shortly after the events in Haymarket Square, 8 anarchists were arrested in relation to the bombing. Their names were August Spies—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
NARRATOR 1
Albert Parsons—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
NARRATOR 1
Micahel Schwabb—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
NARRATOR 1
Samuel Fielden—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
NARRATOR 1
Adolph Fisher—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
NARRATOR 1
George Engel—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
NARRATOR 1
Louis Lingg—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
NARRATOR 1
and Oscar Neebe—
AUDIENCE
Shame!
JUDGE
The court will come to order. The bailiff may read the charges.
BAILIFF
These eight men are charged with the murder of Officer Degan.
JUDGE
The prosecution may begin their opening arguments.
PROSECUTOR
We are here today to hold these 8 men to account for the violent riots, bloodshed, and bombing that occurred in early May of this year. Members of the jury, you have one of the most important tasks before civil society today. You must hold these bloodthirsty foreign fanatics, these anarcho-thugs—
MR. BLACK
Your honor, objection!
JUDGE
(flatly)
What is your reasoning, counsel?
MR. BLACK
The prosecution is slandering my clients.
JUDGE
Overruled. The prosecution may continue.
Haymarket Image 8 alt text.mp3PROSECUTOR
As I was saying, these anarcho-thugs are responsible for the bloodshed in our city. Their fiery publications have poisoned the minds of the good workmen of Chicago. They have incited violence, riots, and mayhem in our streets and if they are to be set free, mark my words, this city will turn to chaos and anarchy. Members of the Jury it is your civil duty to restore peace in our city and find these violent ruffians guilty.
JUDGE
The defense may begin their opening arguments.
MR. BLACK
Members of the jury, each and every one of my clients are innocent. The trial before you today is a political witch hunt. You will see that each of these eight men before you can be accounted for at the time the dynamite bomb exploded. The Prosecution knows this, and yet they still expect you to ignore the evidence and find these men guilty. You see, these men are not on trial for their actions, they’re not even on trial for their words. Instead, these men are on trial for their marxist beliefs. I submit to this esteemed panel that there will be a lack of evidence that my clients were responsible for the horrific events at the Haymarket Square. I am confident that by the end of this trial, you will return a verdict of not guilty.
Haymarket Image 7 alt text.mp3NARRATOR 1
Of the defendants, Samuel Fielden was the first called to testify. What follows is an excerpt of his direct testimony.
MR. FOSTER
Somebody threw a bomb and you didn't know who it was, nor anything about it?
SAMUEL FIELDEN
I did not know, I don't know now.
MR. FOSTER
You didn't at that time?
SAMUEL FIELDEN
I did not.
MR. FOSTER
And yet you were afraid you would be arrested?
SAMUEL FIELDEN
Well, I have read some reports of criminal proceedings and I know that they arrest everybody to find out who is responsible. I knew that at that time. I thought that I, being one of the participants in the meeting, should at least be arrested for some time at least; that when I spoke, when I testified before the coroner's jury I had a different opinion of the police from what I have now. Knowing my innocence, I made that statement, and I thought that when they had examined into the truth of that statement that I should be released but I found out my mistake.
MR. FOSTER
So you cooperated with the police because you knew you were innocent. Why do you think you are here today?
SAMUEL FIELDEN
Like I said, my opinion of the police has changed.
MR. FOSTER
No further questions, your honor. My colleague, Mr. Black would like to call Albert Parsons to the stand.
NARRATOR 1
What follows is an excerpt of Albert Parsons’ testimony.
MR. BLACK
Up to the time that you left upon that trip, had the police appeared at the Haymarket meeting?
ALBERT PARSONS
No sir.
MR. BLACK
Had there been any explosion or any disturbance?
ALBERT PARSONS
None whatever.
MR. BLACK
Now go on. You reached the saloon, you say?
ALBERT PARSONS
I entered the saloon… All at once looking directly at the meeting I saw an illumination. It lit up the whole street, and instantly followed by a deafening roar…
MR. BLACK
No further questions, your honor. I would like to call August Spies to the stand.
NARRATOR 1
What follows is an excerpt of August Spies’ testimony.
MR. BLACK
What was your business or profession on May 4th, 1866?
AUGUST SPIES
Editor of theWorker’s Newspaper. One of the editors, rather.
MR. BLACK
Do you know anything about this package of alleged dynamite exhibited here in Court, and which is claimed to have been found on a shelf in a closet in the [Worker’s Newspaper] building?
AUGUST SPIES
Absolutely nothing.
MR. BLACK
No further questions, your honor.
NARRATOR 1
On August 20th, 1886, Judge Gary instructed the jury and it began its deliberations.
JUDGE
Members of the jury, you have heard all the testimony concerning this case. It is now up to you to determine the facts. You and you alone, are the judges of the fact. Once you decide the facts the evidence proves, you must then apply the law as I give it to you. Return to this courtroom once you have reached your verdict.
NARRATOR 1
After deliberating for just one day, the jury returned with their verdict.
JUDGE
What is your verdict?
FOREPERSON
We the jury, in the case Illinois vs. August Spies et. al., find all the defendants guilty of murder.
JUDGE
The verdict is accepted. I hereby sentence August Spies, Michael Schwab, Samuel Filden, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, and Louis Lingg to death by hanging. I sentenced Oscar Neebe to 15 years in prison. Court is adjourned.
Act Three
Act Three
haymarket trial_ ACT THREE.mp3A U-shaped cell block is center stage. The Haymarket 8 are each in adjoining cells.
NARRATOR 2
The day is November 10, 1887. Our Haymarket Eight have exhausted the appeals process and their fates remain the same. World-wide protests have erupted in reaction to their sentencing. The Governor of Illinois today - in a career ending move - commuted the sentences of Michael Schwab and Samuel Fielden from death to life in prison. For Spies, Parsons, Fisher, Engel and Lingg, tonight is the eve of their executions.
AUGUST SPIES
Hey Lingg! How’d you smuggle a cigar in here?
LOUIS LINGG
It's not a cigar.
AUGUST SPIES
What the hell is it then?!
LOUIS LINGG
It’s my last bit of autonomy.
Haymarket image 9 alt text.mp3LINGG lights the cigar shaped dynamite stick in his mouth. A bang rings out and he falls to the ground.
NARRATOR 2
The following day. The families of the soon-to-be martyrs, have arrived to bear witness to their executions.
SPIES, ENGEL, FISCHER, and PARSONS are led up to the gallows and each placed in a noose.
AUGUST SPIES
The time will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today!
ENGEL and FISCHER
Hurrah for anarchism!
PARSONS
Let the voice of the people be heard! Hail to the social revolution!
haymarket image 11 gallows alt text.mp3The stage is reset as a simple town square. A crowd is holding banners stitched with the names and portraits of the Haymarket Martyrs.
NARRATOR 1
Two years after the executions of the Haymarket Martyrs, the Marxist International Social Congress met in Paris. There, they adopted a resolution that called for international demonstrations in demand for an 8-hour work day. The American Federation of Labor chose May 1st as the date for these demonstrations, to commemorate the strikes in Chicago. The following year they would hold the first International Workers Day, also known as May Day.
LUCY PARSONS
[pulling out a letter from her pocket and holding it up to the audience]
My late husband, Albert, wrote me a letter from his jail cell on August 20th, 1886 as he awaited his fate. I want to share a part of it with you.
[Lucy’s voice becomes choked up with emotion but she remains fiercely determined to deliver Albert’s message through her tears.]
Albert wrote: Our verdict this morning cheers the hearts of tyrants throughout the world, and the result will be celebrated by King Capital in its drunken feast of flowing wine from Chicago to St. Petersburg. Nevertheless, our doom to death is the handwriting on the wall, foretelling the downfall of hate, malice, hypocrisy, judicial murder, oppression, and the domination of man over his fellow-man. The oppressed of earth are writhing in their legal chains. The giant Labor is awakening. The masses, aroused from their stupor, will snap their petty chains like reeds in the whirlwind.
NARRATOR 2
In 1938, after nearly 50 May Days, the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in the United States regulating the work day down to 8 hours. International Workers Day is still celebrated across the world on May 1st, where the names and faces of the Haymarket 8 frequently appear on banners.
Works Cited
Parsons, A. (n.d.). Haymarket Martyr Albert Parsons’s Last Letter to His Wife. Digital history. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=1081
Attention workingmen!: Key documents introduced as evidence in the haymarket trial. Famous Trials. https://famous-trials.com/haymarket/1172-keydocuments
Testimony of Albert Parsons (August 9, 1886). Famous Trials. https://famous-trials.com/haymarket/1196-parsonstestimony
Testimony of August Spies (August 9, 1886). Famous Trials. https://famous-trials.com/haymarket/1198-spiestestimony
Testimony of Samuel Fielden (August 6-7, 1886). Famous Trials. https://famous-trials.com/haymarket/1193-fieldentestimony
Verdict (August 19, 1886). Famous Trials. https://famous-trials.com/haymarket/1199-verdict
Claire Lacza Bio.mp3Karmen Wu bio.mp3BIOS
BIOS
Claire Lacza is majoring in Law and Paralegal Studies at City Tech. Once they graduate, Claire hopes to attend CUNY law. Their passions include emancipatory politics, prison abolition, and labor organizing.
James Adesman is a student at City Tech.
Rebecca Armand is a student at City Tech.
Karmen Wu, a student at City Tech is thrilled that her work has been chosen for publication at New York City College of Technology which showcases exceptional student writing. To encourage authors to bring their thoughts to life, Karmen Wu has granted permission for her screenplay to be released as part of the hay market trial. She is also thankful for her classmates.
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