Admiration

There are many admirable individuals who played a key role in the Haymarket Riots: from German socialists, to American anarchists, to the un-admirable selfish, wealthy business owners and the forceful, unlawful police force. Chief Inspector John Bonfield was perhaps one of the least admirable characters in the Haymarket Riots. From his reputation of physical violence to agitators, his complete disregard for authority, and his eagerness to get the protestors alone (without women and children present), one could definitely say that Bonfield is a ruthless, cold-hearted, and selfish man, and is without a doubt the least admirable person in the Haymarket riot.

From early on, John Bonfield was a very violent individual. He received the nickname "Black Jack" Bonfield, and "had made his reputation and earned his promotions by cracking skulls" (Avrich, 97) and Charles Russell called him a "large, powerful, resolute, ruthless man" (Avrich). During the 1885 streetcar strike, Bonfield's disregard for orders from the mayor, and his unnecessary and extreme use of violence was displayed. Despite orders from Mayor Harrison, John Bonfield instructed his men to take action against the strikers. Everyone in sight was injured; even small merchants, standing on their own doorsteps and having no interest in the strike, were clubbed. Bonfield attacked innocent onlookers, including an elderly man, whom he beat before the man could move--these individuals were by no means participating in the strike, yet Bonfield still exhorted violence. As a result of this incident, Bonfield was not demoted, or removed form the force, but he was promoted to inspector because several influential people acted on his behalf

On the night of the Haymarket bomb Mayor Harrison claimed that the rally was passive, and that nothing was likely to occur that night, so he asked Bonfield to call down his troops. Bonfield thought that he should keep some troops out, because he heard rumors that the people might go to the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad freight yards and try to blow up the workers who were on strike there. Soon after, two detectives came to Bonfield and told him that the rally had turned violent, that the speaker was using "inflammatory language, saying that the law must be throttled and killed" (Avrich 205). Bonfield had been searching for a reason to breakup the meeting, and the use of violence that the rally was claiming to be exhorting was just the excuse he needed.

Bonfield and his troops, of course interrupted the meeting, asking them to leave peaceably. At this time, the rally was winding down: most of the people had left and gone home, only a few hundred or so remained. Earlier, Bonfield has said "that the greatest trouble the police had in dealing with the Socialists was that they had their women and children with themÐ'...he wished he could get a crowd of about three thousand of them together, without their women and children, and he would make short work of them" (Avrich, 212). Of course, Bonfield would look at this rally as a tremendous opportunity because the women and children weren't present, and he could finally get to them.

According to Bonfield's detectives, Fielden's speech was almost over, and if they waited any longer, his chance would be lost. "The haste with which he assembled his men and marched them out of the station is a token of his anxiety to get to the meeting, before it adjourned (Avrich,