‘Today we lost a friend, mentor and true visionary,’

Black Cloud wrote:

Erm, it's the 13th cloud

The Execution of the Haymarket Martyrs

On the 11th of November 1887 the anarchists Engel, Fischer, Parsons, and Spies were executed by the American state. They were falsely charged with being responsible for the throwing of a bomb at police breaking up a demonstration despite there not being a shred of evidence to support these charges. They were innocent and murdered by the state.

Just before they were hanged Spies shouted through his hood “The time will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today!” “Hurrah for Anarchy” cried Fischer loudly, “hurrah for Anarchy” shouted Engel still more loudly, “This is the happiest moment of my life” exclaimed Fischer. There was a seconds pause and then Parson’s voice was heard, “Will I be allowed to speak, O men of America? Let me speak, Sheriff Matson! Let the voice of the people be heard! O-.” The sounds of Parson’s last words were lost in the loud bang of the plunging trap as the four men shot downwards together. Seven minutes and forty five seconds after the drop, all four anarchists were pronounced dead. The necks of none of the men had been broken, they had all died via slow strangulation.

The anarchists were buried on Sunday November the 13th. Their funeral began with a procession through Chicago’s streets. Huge crowds estimated at more than 200,000 lined the streets of downtown Chicago as the bodies were taken towards Wisconsin Central Station, from which the bodies would be taken by train to Waldheim cemetery along with the friends and families of the deceased. 10,000 people attended the burial. Nearly all wore badges made of red ribbon while the coffins were decorated in scarlet, the colour of anarchism and revolution, and even the bodies of the dead had been wrapped in red sashes.

The majority of Americans greeted the executions with approval and, except for labour and radical journals, the press exulted. For instance, the Chicago Tribune proclaimed “Law has triumphed over anarchy” and “Those who draw the sword against peace and law in this free country will perish by the sword.” While the Times of London praised “Chicago Justice” and commended the hangings as an example to be followed by the British state in dealing with labour unrest and looked enviously across the Atlantic where policemen carried revolvers and used them “without mercy when they see signs of resistance.”

Benjamin Tucker’s ‘Liberty’ contained the following tribute to the executed men. Below the masthead the entire front page was blank except for this verse from Byron’s ‘Marino Falerio, Dogs of Venice.

“They Never fail who die
In a great cause: the block may soak the gore;
Their heads may sodden in the sun; their limbs
Be strung to city gates and castle walls-
But still their spirit walks abroad. Through years
Elapse, and others share as dark a doom,
They but augment the deep and sweeping thoughts
Which overpower all others, and conduct
The world at last to freedom.”

Source: Paul Avrich – The Haymarket Tragedy

'Police and Thieves' singer is dead

Legendary Jamaican reggae Musician, Junior Murvin, best know for the single 'Police and Thieves' is dead.

The Portland-based singer reportedly died peacefully at his home at Summers Town Road in Port Antonio early this morning.

Murvin, whose real name is Murvin Junior Smith was born in Saint James in 1949, but following the death of his father, relocated to Port Antonio with his mother and other siblings.

Murvin would later achieve fame as the falsetto singer of 'Police and Thieves', which was an international hit in 1976, produced by Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

The legendary singer, who also sang with one of Jamaica’s leading bands in the 1990’s, 'Jah Postles', toured extensively several countries in Europe including Germany, England, and France, while blazing a trail in vintage reggae music.

Murvin has scored with several other hits including: the ultra easy skank of 'Miss Kushie', the seminal 'Cool out Son', and others like 'I'm In Love', 'Bad Man Posse' and 'Muggers in the Street'.

At the time of his death, Junior Murvin was reportedly suffering from an advance stage of diabetes.