August Spies Auto-Biography: His Speech in Court, and General Notes (Classic Reprint)

Since the publication of this little book was begun, and before its completion was reached, an incident occurred which, because of the sensational character given it by a degenerated public press, needs a few words of explanation. My sympathy with the persecuted and lawlessly adjudicated prisoners soon changed into a feeling of amity for Mr. Spies when I became personally acquainted with him. And from this feeling of friendship gradually developed a strong affection As a mere friend, many obstacles were put in my way when visiting the jail. To enjoy the privileges of a relative, to which our mutual affection entitled me, we became affianced. But I was informed that only wives were allowed the privilege of seeing their husbands outside of the regular visiting days; and it was also intimated that under the new jail regulations I would not be permitted to visit the prisoners any more at all. It was clear to me that my efforts in behalf of the prisoners, in behalf of justice, were disagreeable to a certain class interested in their extermination a feeling only intensified by my social standing and connections. It was clear to me that they sought to exclude me from all communication with the prisoners and my affianced. Upon this discovery, we decided to become husband and wife by law. As my parents were favorable to our union, it was an affair that concerned no more nor less than two (2) persons. But a mob of newspaper men, respectable roues many of them, howled and raved when our proposed marriage became known. Had I committed every crime denominated in our criminal code, these chivalrous, gallant American gentlemen could not have villified and denounced me more than they did. Had I been some obscure, foreign girl not a word would have been said in condemnation of thu marriage. But an American girl from respectable ancestry and standing following the voice of he
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)