Oscar Neebe
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Oscar William Neebe I (July 12, 1850 – April 22, 1916) was a defendant in the Haymarket Square trial.
The family surname is pronounced "knee-bee". The Neebes were originally French Huguenots who fled to Kassel, Germany. Oscar was born in New York City to German immigrants. He had two siblings: Conrad Neebe (1842-?), who later moved to Boston and presumably died there; and Louis W. Neebe (1847-1911), who was born in Pennsylvania and died in Chicago on September 22, 1911. Louis married Lisette Fleig. Oscar relocated to Germany for his education. Upon his return to the United States in 1866, he began taking on odd jobs, including working as a cook on the boats that carried iron ore across the Great Lakes. He married Anna M. (Meta) Monsees in 1873 in Philadelphia and had the following children: Oscar William Neebe II (1880-c1957) who married Emma; Charles Neebe (1883-?); Edward Neebe (1885-?); Lillie Neebe who married Charles Nitschke on September 14, 1892; and Nettie Neebe who married Wilhelm Behrens on April 11, 1896. Oscare and Meta moved to Chicago in 1875 with Louis. Oscar and Louis opened up a yeast business, and it was in their visits to the local bakeries and breweries that Oscar became interested in the labor movement. Meta died on March 8, 1887 in Chicago. Oscar then married "Elise Hepp" or Regina Hepp (1866-1921) on July 12, 1893 and had the following children: Rudolph W. Neebe (1897-?); Walter H. Neebe (1899-1927) who died on October 25, 1927; and Elsie Neebe (1902-?). Regina may have been the caretaker for his children while he was in jail, she had emigrated in 1883 from Germany. Regina died on November 25, 1921. She was listed as "Elise Hepp" on their marriage certificate, but was listed as "Regina" in the census and on her death certificate.
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[edit] Autobiography
I have been in the labor movement since 1875. I have seen how the police have trodden on the Constitution of this country, and crushed the labor organizations. I have seen from year to year how they were trodden down, where they were shot down, where they were "driven into their holes like rats," as Mr. Grinnell said to the jury. But they will come out! ... Well, these are all the crimes I have committed. They found a revolver in my house, and a red flag there. I organized trade unions. I was for reduction of the hours of labor, and the education of laboring men, and the re-establishment of the Arbeiter-Zeitung - the workingmen's newspaper. There is no evidence to show that I was connected with the bomb-throwing, or that I was near it, or anything of that kind. So I am only sorry, your honor - that is, if you can stop it or help it - I will ask you to do it - that is, to hang me, too; for I think it is more honorable to die suddenly than to be killed by inches. I have a family and children; and if they know their father is dead, they will bury him. They can go to the grave, and kneel down by the side of it; but they can't go to the penitentiary and see their father, who was convicted for a crime that he hasn't had anything to do with. That is all I have got to say. Your honor, I am sorry I am not to be hung with the rest of the men.
[edit] Haymarket Riot
Though Neebe was not present at the Haymarket Square on the day of the riot and subsequent bombing, his association with others being held and his general political views were enough to convict him of murder. Since he was on tangentially involved with the others, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, rather than death. In 1887, while serving his sentence, his wife Meta died. He was not allowed to attend the funeral.
On June 26, 1893 Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld pardoned Neebe and two of his co-defendants, having concluded they were innocent. Neebe remarried the same year, and had three more children with his new wife Regina.
[edit] After Haymarket
Neebe, who had been involved with (and then expelled from) the Socialist Labor Party, and active in the trade union movement prior to the Haymarket Affair, joined the Industrial Workers of the World soon after its founding in 1905. He was listed as one of their main speakers in Chicago for Labor Day, 1906, and attended the union's 1907 Convention. He spent his final years as a saloon keeper, and died April 22, 1916.
He was buried at the Haymarket Martyrs' Monument at German Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.
[edit] Timeline
- 1850 Birth of Oscar Neebe on July 12th
- 1860 (circa) Move to Germany for education
- 1865 Return from Germany
- 1873 Marriage on May 11 at Philadelphia to German-born, 23-year old Anna M. (Meta) Monsees. Oscar is now a tinsmith.
- 1875 Move to Chicago
- 1886 Workers protest for 8 hour workday at McCormick Harvester on May 1st
- 1886 Workers and police clash at McCormick Harvester and several workers are killed on May 3rd
- 1886 A bomb thrown at police kills one at Haymarket Square on May 4th
- 1886 Neebe convicted on August 19
- 1887 Death of Meta, his first wife, on March 8th
- 1893 Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld pardons Neebe, Fielden, and Schwab, on June 26th
- 1893 (circa) Marriage to Regina on July 12th
- 1898 Birth of Rudolph W. Neebe, his son
- 1899 Birth of Walter H. Neebe, his son
- 1902 Birth of Elsie Neebe, his daughter
- 1910 US Census with Oscar working as a "saloon keeper"
- 1916 Death of Oscar Neebe on April 22
[edit] Enternal links
[edit] References
- 1880 US Census with Louis Neebe in Chicago
- 1900 US Census with Oscar Neebe I in Chicago
- New York Times; March 09, 1887; page 12. Chicago, March 8, 1887. Oscar Neebe, the Anarchist, will be permitted to attend the funeral of his wife, who died from apoplexy yesterday. Sheriff Matson wrote a letter to one of Neebe's friends making...
- New York Times; March 10, 1887; Chicago, March 9, 1887. Anarchist Oscar Neebe went out into the busy world this afternoon for the first time since his conviction nearly seven months ago. His wife died a day or two ago, and Sheriff Watson to-day permitted him to go and look upon her face once more and also meet his children.
- New York Times; March 12, 1887; Chicago, March 11, 1887. Oscar Neebe, the Anarchist, to-day selected Paul Grottkau and George Schilling to deliver the orations at his wife's funeral service in Miller's Hall Sunday.
- New York Times; March 13, 1887; Chicago, March 12, 1887. The wife of Anarchist Oscar Neebe will be buried tomorrow, but the husband will not be there. Sheriff Matson told him when Mrs. Neebe died that he might attend the funeral and Neebe had intended to avail himself of the privilege.
- 1910 US Census with Oscar Neebe I in Chicago
- 1930 US Census with Oscar Neebe II in Chicago
[edit] Sources on IWW involvement
- Avrich, The Haymarket Tragedy, p.447 (Princeton Univ. Press 1983) (refencing his attendance at the 1907 Convention)
- Industrial Worker, July 1906 (first series), p. 6 (Joliet, Ill.) (listing as speaker for Labor Day)
