[102]
A. C. WEHRLE.
Mr. Zeisler. Q. What is your name?
A. A. C. Wehrle.
Q. Where do you live?
A. 385 North Clark St.
Q. What is your business?
A. I am Assistant Teacher in the National Institute of Pharmacy.
Q. You have heard and read of the Haymarket Meeting?
A. Yes.
Q. Have you formed an opinion upon the question that I submitted to the other juror?
A. No sir.
Q. Where is the Institution that you teach in?
A. 69 Dearborn St.
Q. How long have you resided in Chicago.
A. 29 years.
Q. Where were born?
A. In Chicago.
Q. You are 29 Years old?
A. Yes.
Q. You have always lived here?
A. Yes, with an exceptional few months when I was out of town.
[103]
Q. You have always been in the Drug business, and in that branch?
A. Ever since I was 14 years old.
Q. How long have you been a teacher?
A. For the last six or seven months.
Q. Where were you engaged before that time?
A. In the Drug business at the corner of State and Polk Sts.
Q. How long did you have a store there?
A. For about three years.
Q. Do you remember the papers that you read the account in of the Haymarket Meeting?
A. No, not any particular one; I don't remember what particulars one I read.
Q. You have been reading generally, I suppose, from that time to this, in regard to the various stages of the trial?
A. Yes.
[104]
Q. And have had conversations at different times with different persons?
A. Yes.
Q. You say that you never at any time formed an opinion upon the question of the guilt or innocence of these defendants?
A% No.
Q. Did you form an opinion upon the guilt or innocence of anybody in regard to the Haymarket Meeting?
A. No sir.
Q. You say you never did?
A. No.
Q. Do you know anything about the principles contended for about Socialism, Communism, or Anarchism?
A. No sir, I do not know anything about them.
Q. You do not know anything about the classes to which I have refferred?
A. No.
Q. Or their doctrines or teachings?
A. No.
Q. You have then no prejudice.
A. No.
Q. Have you any feelings in this case in any way, either favorable or unfavorable to the defendants?
A. No.
[105]
Q. Do you think you could listen to the testimony in this case and decide it, and render your verdict entirely, purely, solely, and only on the evidence of the witnesses---upon the testimony from witnesses?
A. Yes I think I could.
Q. Did you study Pharmacy here in the city?
A. At Ann Arbor, Michigan, and also here in Chicago.
Q. Are you a married man?
A. Yes.
Q. Do your family reside at the number which you gave as your residence?
A. They have been until recently, they are no in the country.
Q. Temporarily?
A. Yes.
Q. Have you Children?
A. Yes.
Q. Is your Father residing in the city now?
A. Yes.
Q. What is his business?
A. He is in no particular business just now.
Q. What was his business when he was in business?
A. He had a Meat Market.
[106]
Q. Was that his business when you were a boy?
A. Yes.
Q. The Butchering business, or just the Meat Market business?
A. Ever since I knew anything about him he had a Meat Market.
Q. All of the time a Meat Market?
A. Yes.
Q. Not any Butchering business connected with it?
A. Oh! Yes, the usual Meat Market.
Q. He had a Meat Market on Washimgton St. before the fire?
A. Yes.
Q. are you acquainted with any members of the Police force of this city?
A. No sir.
Q. You don't know Capt. Bonfield, or Capt. Ward, or Capt. Schaack?
A. No. I have seen their pictures, that is all.
Q. You have no intimate acquaintance with any members of the police force?
A. No sir.
Q. Do you know any of the Attorneys representing the prosecution in this case?
A. No sir.
[107]
Q. Are you acquainted with any of the Defendants?
A. No.
Q. You are satisfied, are you, that if you should be selected as a juror in this case, that what you have read and what you have heard in regard to this case would have no influence whatever in your arriving at a verdict?
A. Not a bit.
Q. You would be governed only by what you have heard here.
A. Yes.
Q. Have you any Church affiliations? Are you a member of any Church?
A. No sir.
Q. Have you ever been?
A. Yes, when I was a young man. I have not since I arrived at my majority.
Q. Until you arrived at your majority?
A. Previous to that I had.
Q. What Church was that.
A. The First Baptist here.
Q. You commenced the Drug business at the age of 14?
A. Yes. I apprenticed at that time.
Q. Before that you went to School I presume?
A% Yes.
[108]
Q. Where did your parents reside before moving to Chicago?
A% My Father came from Switzerland, and my Mother from Germany.
Q. Were they married in this country?
A. Yes.
Q. And you were born in Chicago?
A% Yes.
Q. What other instructors are there in the Indtitution where you work?
A. There is another gentleman besides myself.
Q. What is his name?
A. Mr. Hallbury.
Q. Are you connected in any way with any Association of Druggists--- any Association or Organization, or anything of that kind?
A. I am a member of the Illinois Pharmaceutical Association.
Q. What is the object of that Association?
A. The object of that Association is simply a meeting each year of Druggists, and reading papers, and to discusss general scientific questions.
Q. It is for your mutual assistance and benefit-- your advancement in the line of your study?
A. Yes.
[109]
Q. and nothing other than that?
A. No sir.
Q. It has nothing to do with wages, or hours of labor, or anything of that kind?
A. No sir.
Q. Purely scientific subjects?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Have you any prejudice against the organization of laboring men, or the formation of Unions, in so far as they are formed and conducted according to law?
A. No sir, I have not.
Q. Where the object is for their own assistance and advancement, and not for any purpose which is a violation or would be a violation of the penal, you have no objection to such unions as that?
A. Not as long as they are within the meaning of the law; no sir.
Q. In so far as they do not violate the law?
A. Yes.
Q. Have you since this trial has been going on had any conversation with any one in particular about the case, about the questions which would be involved in this case?
A. No. I don't remember of any. I have heard the question spoken of occasionally. I have not spoken of it
[110]
particularly.
Q. You have heard of the effort being made to get a Jury in this case, and read something of it in the papers?
A. Yes.
Q. Now what you have heard in regard to what occurred across the river--- was it principally in conversation about what occurred soon after the Haymarket Meeting. Was it soon after that time, was that the time, or has it been recent.
A. Right after the occurrence.
Q. Soon after the occurrence?
A. Yes.
Q. And, as you understand your mind, and believe it to exist at the present time, you would not be influenced by what you have heard up and read to the present time? You believe now, you can commence now and act upon the testimony that shall be introduced, and the charge of the court?
A. Yes. I believe I could.
Q. That is your best belief and judgement now?
A. Yes.
Panel of four tendered to prosecution.
[111]
Examination of Mr. Wehrle by Mr. Grinnell.
Q. Your Father lived at the corner of 37th and Vincennes Avenue?
A. Yes.
Q. He lives around the corner, and owns the Block there?
A. Yes.
Q. He built that Block there?
A. Yes.
Q. Do I understand you to say that you are married.
A? Yes.
Q. How long since you were living or keeping house by yourself? How long since you left your Father's place?
A. Oh! I guess about three years or three years and a half ago.
Q. You used to be at the corner of State and Polk St?
A. Yes.
Q. How long were you there?
A. About three years.
Q. Have you any conscientious scruples against the infliction of the death penalty in proper cases?
A. No sir, I have not.
Q. Do you believe in the maintainance of the laws of the State, and the Government of the United States?
A. Yes.
[112]
Q. Have you any sympathy with any individual or class of individuals that have for their purpose or object the overthrow of that law by force?
A. Not a bit.
Q. Do you know anything about Communists?
A. No.
Q. Or Socialists or Anarchists?
A. No sir.
Q. Have you ever talked about those subjects, or talked with anybody that professed to believe in them?
A. Well, i have heard people express their opinion, but I have not paid any attention to them.
Q. Do you know anything about the purposes or objects of those, of people denominated Socialists or Anarchists?
A. I know anything definite about them.
Q. Only in an indefinite way?
A. Yes.
Q: You have from your information on the subject of what they treat about or what they talk about-- in the general way that you have it---- have you gained any prejudice one way or the other in regard to that class of people?
A. No sir.
Q. Whereabouts are you living at present.
A. At 385 North Clark St.
[113]
Q. How long have you been living there?
A. I have been living there for about six months now.
Q. Before that where did you live?
A. I lived on Wabash Ave. near 12th Str. I lived about a month there. Previous to that I lived on Rhoades Av. Near 37th St.
Q. That is near where your Father lives?
A. Yes.
Q. How long did you live on Rhoades Av?
A. I lived there eight or nine months--- I meant to say Rhoades and 32nd. St.
Q. You lived there how long?
A. Well, I should say about nine months.
Q. You were born in Chicago?
A? Yes.
Challenged premptorily by prosecution. Objection by defendant. Objection overruled. Exception by defendants.
Source: Juror Empanneling, Volume E, pp. 101-113 (Set 2: Box 8, Folder 6, pp.103-111)