back to Parsons. He had left Chicago on the second of May and had gone to Cincinnati to speak. All day on the third of May, when the terrible thing happened at McCormickâs, Parsons was away. He got home on the morning of the fourth. He had gone without sleep all night; he was tired and haggard as he listened to Lucyâs story of what had happened. It was not too different from what he had seen himself in Cincinnati. All over the same thing. The barons were angry; this dirty monster who had stood up to challenge them must be crushed, and they were busy crushing it, and all over it was breaking into pieces. A hungry, tired, unarmed man isnât any match for a Gatling gun.
âParsons listened to his wifeâs story. He played with his two children. He drank the coffee she gave him and ate a piece of bread. He said to her, âWe have to do something.â But what was there to do? âYouâre too tired for a meeting tonight,â she said. She was not speaking about the Haymarket meeting; she didnât know about that meeting. âThere has to be a meeting,â Parsons said. You see, we called the men Parsons led the American group, because most of them were native-born workingmen. He decided there had to be a meeting and, tired as he was, went out to put an announcement in the Daily News. Then he came home and played with the children some more. Then he went to sleep. When he woke up, he was much better; he was his old self, laughing it away. Lucy says he spoke about victory instead of defeat; he talked about his children growing up into an America that would lead the world toward justice and freedom.
âIn the evening, he and Lucy and the two children went out to the meeting. Like always, he and Lucy walked together, looking at each other as if they were lovers.
âMeanwhile, the Haymarket meeting, small as it was, had lingered past starting time. What a bad night that was, threatening, with every minute looking like rain! It was the instant threat of rain that had kept people away, and those who were there wanted it to start and finish. But, you see, they all depended on Parsons, and each discovered that he had left it to someone else to get Parsons to the meeting. Spies didnât want to start until Parsons came, and when someone mentioned the announcement in the Daily News , Spies said he would go get Parsons himself. But that would have probably taken all the life out of the meeting, and they persuaded Spies to start talking while someone else looked for Parsons. So Spies began. I donât have to repeat what Spies said; thereâs been enough of that in the papers. But itâs worth recalling that he spoke in the main about the eight-hour movement. Because workers were shot and clubbed, he didnât say that everything must go; he said we have to pull together and fight harder. And he described what had happened at McCormick the day before. Meanwhile, someone had gotten to Parsons at the other meeting. Fielden was there too; he would be, you see; even though heâs English, he can talk to Americans better than I can. Parsons was dog-tired, but he said, all right, heâd come back and talk again. Fielden came with him. Fielden is a big man, slow to anger, as they say Yorkshiremen are, but what was happening everywhere was fermenting in him, and he was bitter. And his bitterness came out when he talked.
âWell, Parsons, with his wife and the two children went to Desplaines Street, where Spiesâ meeting was. The children were very tired by then. Lucy carried one, Parsons the other. Yes, Iâm telling you this to win your sympathy; thereâs no more time after today, and Iâm not ashamed to try to win your sympathy.
âMaybe there were still two thousand people left, standing there under the black sky and waiting for Parsons. You donât know how that is, but there were times when I stood two hours and more, waiting for Parsons to speak. There
âParsons listened to his wifeâs story. He played with his two children. He drank the coffee she gave him and ate a piece of bread. He said to her, âWe have to do something.â But what was there to do? âYouâre too tired for a meeting tonight,â she said. She was not speaking about the Haymarket meeting; she didnât know about that meeting. âThere has to be a meeting,â Parsons said. You see, we called the men Parsons led the American group, because most of them were native-born workingmen. He decided there had to be a meeting and, tired as he was, went out to put an announcement in the Daily News. Then he came home and played with the children some more. Then he went to sleep. When he woke up, he was much better; he was his old self, laughing it away. Lucy says he spoke about victory instead of defeat; he talked about his children growing up into an America that would lead the world toward justice and freedom.
âIn the evening, he and Lucy and the two children went out to the meeting. Like always, he and Lucy walked together, looking at each other as if they were lovers.
âMeanwhile, the Haymarket meeting, small as it was, had lingered past starting time. What a bad night that was, threatening, with every minute looking like rain! It was the instant threat of rain that had kept people away, and those who were there wanted it to start and finish. But, you see, they all depended on Parsons, and each discovered that he had left it to someone else to get Parsons to the meeting. Spies didnât want to start until Parsons came, and when someone mentioned the announcement in the Daily News , Spies said he would go get Parsons himself. But that would have probably taken all the life out of the meeting, and they persuaded Spies to start talking while someone else looked for Parsons. So Spies began. I donât have to repeat what Spies said; thereâs been enough of that in the papers. But itâs worth recalling that he spoke in the main about the eight-hour movement. Because workers were shot and clubbed, he didnât say that everything must go; he said we have to pull together and fight harder. And he described what had happened at McCormick the day before. Meanwhile, someone had gotten to Parsons at the other meeting. Fielden was there too; he would be, you see; even though heâs English, he can talk to Americans better than I can. Parsons was dog-tired, but he said, all right, heâd come back and talk again. Fielden came with him. Fielden is a big man, slow to anger, as they say Yorkshiremen are, but what was happening everywhere was fermenting in him, and he was bitter. And his bitterness came out when he talked.
âWell, Parsons, with his wife and the two children went to Desplaines Street, where Spiesâ meeting was. The children were very tired by then. Lucy carried one, Parsons the other. Yes, Iâm telling you this to win your sympathy; thereâs no more time after today, and Iâm not ashamed to try to win your sympathy.
âMaybe there were still two thousand people left, standing there under the black sky and waiting for Parsons. You donât know how that is, but there were times when I stood two hours and more, waiting for Parsons to speak. There
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