On this day in Labor History the year was 1892.

That was the day that Lithuanian-born anarchist, Alexander Berkman attempted to shoot steel magnate Andrew Carnegie’s second-in-command, Henry Clay Frick.

Berkman wanted to avenge the Homestead Steel massacre in which nine workers were killed.

Berkman’s lover, Emma Goldman wrote in her autobiography: “’Frick is the responsible factor in this crime.”

She went on to write that Berman had told her, “I will kill Frick. . .and of course I shall be condemned to death. I will die proudly in the assurance that I gave my life for the people. But I will die by my own hand. . . Never will I permit our enemies to kill me.”

Alexander Berkman went to Frick’s office on July 21st, posing as a New York City hiring agency representative.

When Berkman was told Frick could not see him, he left.

He then returned two days later. He burst into Frick’s office and fired two shots at Frick’s head.

Several of Frick’s associates were able to wrestle him to the ground.

Still Berkman managed to take out the sharpened steel file he was carrying and stab Frick twice.

Despite all of this, Frick did not die!

Berkman was in jail for two months awaiting trial.

Alexander Berkman was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 27 years in prison.

He served fourteen years of his term before being released.

Berkman wrote an account of his prison years titled, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist.

In 1917, he and Emma Goldman were arrested and found guilty of violating the Espionage Act and both were were imprisoned for two years.

In 1918, both were deported from the United States.

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Labor History in 2:00 brought to you by the Illinois Labor History Society and The Rick Smith Show

