Worse Than the Devil: Anarchists, Clarence Darrow, and Justice in a Time of Terror

In 1917 a bomb exploded in a Milwaukee police station, killing nine officers and a civilian. Days later, a trial began for eleven Italian immigrants who had already been in jail for months for an unrelated riot. The specter of the bombing, for which no one had been arrested, haunted the proceedings. Against the backdrop of World War I and amid a prevailing hatred and fear of radical immigrants and anarchists, the Italians had an unfair trial. Famed attorney Clarence Darrow led an appeal that gained freedom for most of the convicted, but his own methods were deeply suspect. The entire case left a dark, though largely forgotten, stain on American justice.

About the Author :
Dean A. Strang is a criminal defense lawyer in Madison, Wisconsin, and an adjunct professor at the law schools of the University of Wisconsin and Marquette University.

Review :
“A beautifully written account of Milwaukee a century ago, as well as a fair appraisal of the political passions of those times in the light of recent research. Strang approaches his subject with the skill of a sympathetic storyteller.”—Shepherd Express “Strang paints a convincing and critical picture of the events in question, illuminating this moment in American history and justice. . . . Bound to be of interest to scholars and hobbyists alike.”—Publishers Weekly “Dean A. Strang’s fascinating book excavates a conspiracy trial in Milwaukee back in 1917 that sheds crucial insights into the failings of our legal system and the hazards of succumbing to mass hysteria against immigrants and alleged terrorists. The book provides urgent lessons for us all. And along the way, the author provides vivid portraits of Clarence Darrow and Emma Goldman.”—Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive “In engaging prose and with a terrific eye for detail, Dean A. Strang gives us the full story of a fascinating—and almost forgotten—moment of conflict from Milwaukee’s past. His book explores debates over civil liberties and terrorism, immigration and radicalism as they were lived and fought over a century ago.”—Beverly Gage, author of The Day Wall Street Exploded “Vividly depicts [Clarence Darrow’s] strengths and foibles. The reader truly understands why Darrow’s involvement in the Milwaukee bombing defendants’ appeal arrived at a pivotal period.”—New Republic “No one asked for this story. It simply begged to be told. . . . Strang’s impulse to tell a representative, rather than a unique, story has a chilling power he could not have anticipated.”—Partisan “A riveting account of a miscarriage of justice relevant to our times, when fear of radicals of a different stripe may infect our system of justice.”—Booklist