9 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁First ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁by ▁Emma ▁Gold man ' s ▁Mother ▁Earth ▁press , ▁it ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁classic ▁in ▁aut obi ographical ▁literature . ▁ ▁Story ▁The ▁book ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁details ▁of ▁how ▁Ber k man ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁imprison ed : ▁as ▁an ▁an arch ist ▁activ ist , ▁he ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁assass inate ▁wealth y ▁industrial ist ▁Henry ▁Clay ▁Fr ick , ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁Car neg ie ▁steel ▁works ▁in ▁Pennsylvania . ▁Fr ick ▁had ▁been ▁responsible ▁for ▁cr ushing ▁the ▁Am alg am ated ▁Association ▁of ▁Iron ▁and ▁Ste el ▁Work ers ▁during ▁the ▁Hom est ead ▁St rike , ▁in ▁which ▁nine ▁union ▁workers ▁and ▁seven ▁gu ards ▁were ▁killed . ▁However , ▁although ▁Ber k man ▁shot ▁Fr ick ▁two ▁times ▁- B erk man ▁was ▁sub du ed ▁before ▁the ▁third ▁shot - ▁and ▁st ab bed ▁him ▁several ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁leg ▁with ▁a ▁poison ed ▁kn ife , ▁Fr ick ▁surv ived , ▁and ▁Ber k man ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁ 2 2 ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁ ▁Ber k man ▁had ▁hoped ▁to ▁aw aken ▁the ▁conscious ness ▁of ▁the ▁opp ress ed ▁American ▁people — an ▁att ent at — but , ▁as ▁the ▁book ▁goes ▁on ▁to ▁detail , ▁America ▁lack ed ▁the ▁political ▁culture ▁to ▁interpret ▁his ▁actions . ▁Even ▁fellow ▁prisoners ▁from ▁the ▁union ▁he ▁was ▁def ending ▁failed ▁to ▁see ▁his