Oscar Neebe
Oscar Neebe (born July 12, 1850 in New York City , † April 22, 1916 in Chicago ) was an American anarchist and trade unionist. He was one of the defendants in the Haymarket Riot bombing trial .
Life
Early years
Oscar Neebe was born in New York City in 1850 as the son of German immigrants. His family later returned to Germany and Neebe spent his childhood in Hessen-Kassel . At the age of 14 he moved back to America with his family . He began to work in a gold and silver plate workshop, but had to give up the job for health reasons. After various activities as a bartender, cook and tinsmith, he moved to his brother in Philadelphia in 1873 . There he met Anna M. Monsees and married her. From this marriage there were three children.
The family moved to Chicago in 1877 and Oscar Neebe was employed in a factory. After a short time he was fired for campaigning for an employee. In the same year he became a member of the Communist Party, which he left three years later. In the two years after his release, Neebe found work only occasionally and struggled to keep himself and his family afloat. He finally found work again in a yeast company and two years later he founded his own business. In 1880 he began to work on the Chicagoer Arbeiter-Zeitung , which was published by August Spies and Michael Schwab at the time .
Haymarket Riot and Trial
On May 4, 1886, a workers' demonstration took place in Chicago, during which an unknown person dropped a bomb. Seven policemen were killed. In the subsequent trial, 8 anarchists were charged, including Oscar Neebe. However, Neebe was not in Haymarket Square that day where the act took place. He testified in court that he did not find out about the events until the following day. After hearing of the arrest of Spies and Schwab, he took over the publication of the Arbeiter-Zeitung . Neebe was also arrested a few days later because of his contacts with other defendants.
The main pieces of evidence against Neebe were his political views, attending socialist gatherings, participation in the Arbeiter-Zeitung, and a shotgun, pistol, and red flag found at his home. A witness testified that Neebe handed him a leaflet calling for revenge against the police.
The court sentenced Oscar Neebe to 15 years in prison. In his last address to the court, he reaffirmed his innocence and regretted not being hanged with the other men.
Neebe's wife died while imprisoned in 1887, but he was not allowed to attend the funeral. On June 26, 1893, he was pardoned by Governor John Peter Altgeld along with two other co-defendants and declared innocent.
After the acquittal
Neebe became a member of the Industrial Workers of the World shortly after it was founded in 1905 . He worked as a bartender in Chicago and died on April 22, 1916.
literature
- Paul Avrich : The Haymarket Tragedy. Princeton University Press et al. a., Princeton 1984, ISBN 0-691-04711-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Chicago Historical Society: Address of Oscar Neebe ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Chicago Historical Society: Testimony of Franz Hein ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Chicago Historical Society: Reasons for pardoning Fielden, Neebe and Schwab ( Memento of the original from November 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Neebe, Oscar |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American anarchist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 12, 1850 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 22, 1916 |
| Place of death | Chicago |