The : trapped by the police : innocent men in penal servitude : the truth about the Walsall plot. Author(s): Nicoll, David J.?. Source: LSE Selected Pamphlets, (1892) Published by: LSE Library Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/60215295 . Accessed: 30/09/2013 04:22

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THE \->

Walsall /\r\ara\iSra.

TRAPPED BY THE POLICE.

Innocent Men in Penal Servitude.

The Truth about the Walsall Plot.

N.B.—These Revelations Were suppressed by the police " When they raided the Offices of the GommorvWeal," on April 18th, 1892.

PRICE ONE PENNY. •*jm

Printed and Published by DAVID NICOLL, at 194, Clarence Road, Kentish Town, London, N.W.

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions By Peter Kropotkine. AN APPEALTO TUB YOUNG. Translatedfrom the French. Piice let Themost andnoble tothe emotionsevei a scientificman. eloquent appeal generous pennedbj|U WAR. Reprintedby the " Anarchist." Avery seasonable and instructive little work Wiittenfor La Revolt many yearsago, it stillsheds a lighton the insatiable war-hungei ofthe exploiting Classes EXPROPRIATION.An AnarchistEssay. "Blindfaith takes flight' Make way for science; Gracious pleasure and chantydisappeai ; Make room foi Justice " THE PLACEof ANARCHISMin SOCIALISTICEVOLUTION. Priceli LAW AND AUTHORITY.24 pp. Piice Id. Themain suppoi ts ofcrime are idleness, law, and authority ; laws about pro perty,laws about government, laws about penalties and misdemeanours ; and authontj j^| whichtakes upon itself to manufacture these laws and apply them. £g REVOLUTIONARYGOVERNMENT. Price id. ANARCHISTMORALITY. 36 pp. Price Id. " Strugglef So that all may live this ilch overflowing life; andbe sure that in thisstmggle jou will find a joy gieatei than anything else can give " ANARCHIST-.Its Basisand Principle. 36 pp. Piice ANARCHISMin SOCIALEVOLUTION. Price Id. By . LI MONOPLY,or HOWLABOUR IS ROBBED. Piice id. k TRUE and FALSE SOCIETY, id. THE REWARDof LABOUR. A Dialogue. Id. NEWS fromNOWHERE. A UtopianRomance. Cloth,is. 6d. SIGNSof CHANGE. " How Live and " Containing we IJow"we mightLivep Whics,Democrats, and Socialists," ,' FeudalEngland,'' The Hopes Civilisation,""The Aimsof Art," "Useful Woik versusUseless Toil "Dawnof a New Epoch." 202 pp.. with pieface,4s. 6d. ART and .3d. MISCELLANEOUS. THE FRENCHREVOLUTION. By E. BalfortBax. Pjice2s. 6d. GODWIN'SPOLITICAL JUSTICE : On Property. Editedby H. S Sail? Piice 2s. 6d. OUTLOOKSFROM THE NEW STANDPOINT. By E. Balfoit Price2s. 6rd. . By EnricoMalatesta. Price Id. A TALKABOUT ANARCHIST COMMUNISM between Two Workeis. EnricoMalatesta. Piice Id. A LABOURDAY MANIFESTO: TheScourge of Capitalismand the bieal!-| downof Democracyin the UnitedStates. Piice Id. EVOLUTIONand . By EliseeBeclus. Id. REVOLUTIONARYSTUDIES. 32 pp. Price2d. REVOLUTIONARYGOVERNMENT. Price Id. THE CRIMESOF GOVERNMENT.By J. Sketchley. Price2d. Anyof thesewill be sent,on receiptof Stamps,by DAVID NICOI^ l^CkueuceKoruhKenti^^

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE WALSALL ANARCHISTS.

Trapped by the Police, or the Truth about 1 the Walsall Plot.

I.-THE SKETGH OF JHE BOJflB. Romanceis not deadyet evenin thisage of matter-of-fact.It is still aroundus—is everywhere. Quit tlie narrowpath as chalkedout by Pods- nap and Co., the propercommercial existence of rising,shaving, and startingpunctually to the Cityevery morning, and you will findromance on everyside of you. Romanceand noveltythere are, though sometimes the delightfulvision comes to an abrupttermination, changing suddenly likea lovelyface in an opiumvision, to somethinghorrible and devilish. Thiswas the fate of somefriends of ours,who dreamed of regenera¬ ting the world,and foundthemselves, thanks to the machinationsof a policespy, doomed to a longsentence of penalservitude. Let us tell this strangestory of modernlife. The facts are remarkableenough though true. Wewill beginby relatinga fewfacts concerning a prominentactor in the affair—Auguste Coulon. Conloncame into the Socialistmovement in 1S90; joining the old SocialistLeague, when that bodywas in Great QueenStreet. He had previouslytaken some part with a SocialDemo¬ craticSociety in Dublin,but left that bodyand went to France,where he formedsome connection with the PossiblistParty. Thencehe cameinto the movementin England,in January1890. At this timewe saw very littleof him at the officesof the Leaguein GreatQueen Street; he was livingat Notting Hill, and joinedthe NorthKensington branch of the SocialistLeague. Here he posedas a very violent Anarchist. He occasionallyvisited the HammersmithBranch of the SocialistLeague, wherelie chieflyoccupied himself by endeavouringto sell a little French book " L'IndicateurAnarchiste," containing instructions concerning the manufactureof bombsand dynamite. In November1S90, a splitoccurred in the SocialistLeague, the advancedsection taking the Journalof the League—TheCommontrml'—with them.

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Coulonhad beenchronically out of workover since he had been in England. Whenasked bis occupation,he wasin the habitof statingthat he wasa professorof languages. He stated,moreover, in momentsof ex¬ altation,that he had been interpreterto the municipalcouncil of Paii^ At anyrate, this had not beenpermanent employment, and during his stav in England,Coulon, his wifeand family had been mainly supported by the generosityof comrades.After living some time in NorthKensington am' Ilammeismith,he appearedat the AutonomicClub. The real reasonof his appearancethere was that he hadexploited the otherdistricts sufficient¬ ly, and therewas no moreto be got : but he hada verydifferent tale to tell to ourforeign comrades. According to tinsstory, he hadbeen expelled fromthe HammersmithSocialist Society (to whichhe had neverbelonged) forhis devotionto .Onr foreign comrades believed this artless tale,and received him with all the honourdue to a martyrin the cause. Coulonsaw his opportunity.The foreignAnarchists were just startingan Anarchistschool for the benefitof LouiseMichel. Louisecould not speak any languagebut her own; but herewas a gentlemanwho couldspeak several,including English. Hisaid would be invaluablein thenew pi oject. He was out of work, "badgreat abilities," claimed to haveenriched our literatureby thepublication of a Krenchgrammar, and had even been a professorin an Irishschool until he hadthe sackfor his ''opinions."Here was a man to help LouiseMichel in carryingon the newestablishment. It is true therewas but little money,the post beingalmost a voluntary one; but menof Coulon'seminent virtues sconi the veryidea of such a " basething as gold. He waswilling to sacrificehimself, his wife,and his childrenfor the goodof the cause.'' lie wasappointed to to assistLouise Michel,and throughhis "abilities"soon became, not onlydirector, but hadthe entirebusiness of the establishmentin his hands, lie managed everything,received all monies,and his nameappeared in advertisements and circularsas prominentlyas that of Louise Michelherself. His positionat the schoolput him into communicationwith all the groupsin the country,and they naturally looked upon him as a personto be trusled. He wasas advancedas ever,—"thepresent system was to be destroyedat once,and robbery and dynamite were to be employedas methods."

Well,after Coulon had been at his newpost a few weekshe confided to methat he did not see howAnarchism was to be obtainedexcept by H.bbery.I wasvery hard up at the time,ami doubtlesshe thoughtthe suggestionwould be tempting; but I tookvery little noticeof it, and he didnot pursuethe subject further. Butat this timehe metsomeone else

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions whounfortunately was more easily allured by him. Ourcomrade Charles, t was.like so manyothers in England,out of employment,and in a desper¬ ate mood. He metwith Conlonand listenedtoo readilyto the tempter. Coulonbad money; whetherfrom the police,or from the funds of the school,I do notknow, but he gaveCharles some assistance. Charles,one I of the noblestfellows alive, had, like manyother fine natures,suffered muchfrom the ingratitudeof thoselie hadbefriended, and was therefore charmedwith Coition's "generosity." This is a man aftermy own heart he thought,and afterhe left Londonfor the North,he still kept up a correspondencewith Conlon. Afterleaving London, Charles stayed at Sheffieldfor sometime, and helpedDr. Creagheto start The Sheffield Anarchist,an advancedAnarchist paper, but foundno workuntil he went to Walsallabout the mouthof July. Even as far backas this the policewere doggintr their victim. It was one summerevening that Charleswalked into the Socialist Clubat Walsall. He wasknown by reputeto the members,through the Socialistpapers, and to Deakin,the secretaryof the club,through having methim at the SocialistCongress at Parisin 1889. Charleswas heartily welcomed,and ultimately became a memberof the club. As he was un¬ employed,one of the membersof the club,John Westley, a brushmanu¬ facturer,made him bis traveller. Charlescontinued at this workfor some time till he obtainedthe post of clerkat Mr.Gameson's iron foundry. Meanwhile,the firstof Mayin France,and the stormyperiod that followed had diivena numberof refugeesupon our shores,among these being VictorCailes, and Georges La Place. VictorCailes had taken part in the tramstrike at Bourdeau; he was alsowanted by the Frenchpolice for " incitingto incendiarism,murder, and pillage," on the firstof May,in his nativetown of Nantes GeorgesLa Placehad left Franceto avoidthe conscription. NowCoulon.in order to makehimself popularundertook to find work for theseand other unfortunates He wrote to all the provincialgroups asking them if they couldfind work for some of the refugees. Coulonknew .Caileswas an enthusiast,and he destinedhim for Walsall. He wroteto Charles,asking him if he couldfind work for two men at Walsall. Charles readthe letterto Deakin,and to the rest of the Walsallcomrades at the club. Theyagreed to takeone and find work for him; but to theirsur¬ prisetwo were sent down. La Placewas unableto findwork at his own tradeof opera-glassmaking, and aftera stayof someweeks returned to London. Oneof the membersof the clubundertook to teachCailes, who

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions was a stoker,the tradeof chain-making;and he wasemployed for somo timeat this work; but not succeeding,Westley tried to teachhim brush- making. " Whenthe InternationalCongress was held at Brusselstowards the end of August,and Deakinwas present. On returning,he went to the AutonomieClub (August 29th): it was Saturdaynight, and the refresh¬ mentbar was full. Deakinwas soon chatting to a groupof Anarchiststo whomhe wasknown. Someoneasked after Charles " Ohhe's all right;" saidDeakin " he'sat workat an ironfoundry." " Ohhe willdo to make bombsfor us" criedCotilon, who was present. Twomonths afterwards a mysterious letter, signed " Degnai,"and en¬ closinga sketchof a bomb,arm ed at Walsall.

II.-HOW JO JvlANUF^GTUREPLOTS. Themysterious letter was addressed to Cailes,and inquired concerning the Sketchof the bomb,whether these could be madein Walsall. Cailes knewneither the name,nor the writing; andas Deakinafterwards stated in hisconfession wrote to A. Coulon,19, Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy Square, Lon¬ don. Theaddress of the InternationalSchool (of which Coulon was then one of theprincipals). Coulon replied, that it wasall right. Deakin was informed by Cailes,and Charles,that the bombswere forRussia, but whatwas in the letterbe did not know,as he hadbut a verysuperficial knowledge of French. Charlesand Cailes explained the letterto him. It wasagreed to get the things madeafter the letterhad beenshown to Westley,and a roughwooden pattern was made. This patternwas afterwardsshown to Ditchfield.It wasdecided afterwards curiously enough to get the things madeat Mr.Gaineson's where Charles was woiking. It seemedthen likely '• enoughthat\Conlon would be a trueprophet when he exclaimed He will do to makebombs for us." But Ditchfieldfirst got the patternsmade. Whenthese were done they changed their intentions, and a letterwas sent to Mr.Bullows, ironfounder, Walsall, with the ironpatterns which had been madeby a friendof Ditchfield's.They were accompanied by a letter, " signed" GeorgeLaplace askingfor the lowestprice for three dozen cast¬ ings,according to patternsent. Mr Iiullowsdid not want the job, and demanded,what seemed to him,the prohibitiveprice of twentyshillings per cwt. A letterwas sent to Mr.Bullows saying that woulddo. Bullows thentook the pattern to a caster,but thepatterns weie so unskilfullymade, that the workcould not be proceededwith. He wroteto " Laplace"at " the addressgiven, 54 GreenLane." but as the postcardcome back

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions throughthe deadletter office, he didnot proceedfurther with the castings. " 54, GreenLane" was Cailes'address, but he had removed,and left no directionfor his lettersto be sent to. Meanwhile,Coulon was busyin London. It wasin Octoberthat he got holdof a numberof youngenthus¬ iasts,(one of whomhad someknowledge of Chemistry)and persuaded themto forma ChemistryClass, in whichthe "GreatGod Dynamite" was worshippedin secret. Theclass consisted of mereboys, and one of them, M was sent to Mowbray,and the writerasking if wewould join. We declinedwith thanks. Wewere too oldbirds to be caughtwith chaff. Coulonwanted a big haul,and to securethe editorand publisherof the Commonweal,not to mentionother Anarchists, would have doubtlessen¬ titled him to a splendidreward at the handsof his employers.The big gamecould not be caught,and the classwas dropped. To have arrested halfa dozenyouths of sixteenwould have been ridiculous. But Coulonburned to distinguishhimself, he provided the lad M of whomhe pretendedto makea confidant,with twobottles, one contain¬ ingnitric acid and the otherglycerine, so that hecould start manufacturing dynamiteon his ownaccount. Theother enthusiast C medicalstudent, under the directionof thearch conspirator, translated " Most'sRevolutionary Warfare" : this was to be privatelyprinted and distributed, to all the Anarchistsgroups in the country. As this bookcontains simple directions concerning the manufac¬ tureof dynamiteand bombs, we can imagine that if the policehad made a generalraid upon the Anarchistsof the country,how this could have been utilized. If a man had a copyof this bookin his possession,he wouldhave beena conspirator,no matterhow innocent he mightbe of theconspiracy at Walsall. Anothersimple enthusiast in the countrywas recommended to collectginger beer bottles " for bombs !'' The day of Revolutionwas at hand,and it wasnecessary to striketerrible blows at the enemy. .Meanwhile,Coulon was contributing to the Commonweal.lie wrote '• the InternationalNotes." Thereare very few men in ourmovement who understandseveral languages, and Coulon possessed this accomplishment. He did not possessa polishedliterary style, but it wasas goodas that of the averagepenny-a-liner. What he lackedin literarypolish, he madeup for in fire,or ratherin explosiveforce. He was forever talking about Dynamite.One would think he livedon bombs. Like mostgeniuses, he preferredto blush unseen. He was not anonymous,but he signedhis

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions s notesA, O, whichamounts to the samething. Oncehe took a fancj to XX., but anothercontributor who had adoptedthis signatureobjected ; he hadno desireto be confoundedwith Coulon. Hereare a few examplesof what this contributorcalled Coulon's ravings:— " (1) Comhiomvenl,October 24th, " InternationalNotes. " OurAustrian Comrades beat the recordthis time! Dynamiteseems to growas thick there,as rottenpotatoes in Ireland. Onlylast week.I mentionedtwo bomb explosions, in Ruchenberg,and here again, we recoid anotherinfernal and diabolical machine, that has thrownterror and dismay intothe mindsof the capitalistclass. Do we everthink of the bravemen whenwe are drinking,and dancingin ourclubs? Do we ever inquire aboutthe lovelylittle oneswho are hero in London,whilst their courageous fathersare shivering in an Austriandungeon Stand up! The day is comingwhen the fight will not be carriedon by a few,lint by the multi¬ tudeof whiteslaves, for the regenerationof mankind—XX." Thisis Coulonas doubleX. Hereis somethingunder his ownsignature :— ''Commonweal,Nov. 21st, 1891, " InternationalNotes, Belgium. "Wehave still in mindthat at the beginingof thisyeai, a largequan¬ tity of Dynamite,a fullcartload, was seized at Searingby the police. The authoritiescould not seize all, and that whichwas left in the handsof our comrades,has been used at differenttimes. Theyhave blown up a police station—A. C" (loudold Dynamite. Onemore will be enough. " Commomroa)',Dec. .")th, " InternationalNotes. Spain. " Outof the twenty-fivecomrades arrested in Cadiz,for throwing a bombon the firstof May,nine have been sentenced to termsof imprison¬ ment,from three months to fouryears. No voicespeaks so loudas Dyna¬ mite,and we are glad to seeit is gettinginto useall overthe place—A.C." In the sameissue, A. O. producesa letter fromsome Frenchcom¬ rades(whether in the sameline of businessas himselfhe doesnot say). These,after readingthe remarksof some Anarchistorators at South Placewho objected to toomuch Dvnnmito fiom a discipleof Coulon.said.

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 9 " It is timeto preventthese milk-and-waterpeople from speaking in the nameof Anarchyif we do not wishto fall into a greaterslumber than we arein already." Coition'sFrench friends seemto objectto anyonetalking but them¬ selves. In this theyresemble the despoticgovernments who employmen liketheir great and glorious leader. Thereis still anothergood story about this greatconspirator. I am an Anarchistand believe in unlimitedfree speech,even from" milk and " waterorators Thisis whyI, in mycapacity of editor,endured Coulon's " Dynamite"notes so longin spiteof remonstrancesfrom several comrades. At last,however, my patiencegave way. At lengthhe sent mein a para¬ graphcelebrating the blowingup of a cowin Belgiumas a greatand revo¬ lutionaryact, and as I wouldnot publishit, Coulonhas never forgiven me. Thusthe greatconspiracy was worked up. Violentparagraphs in The Commonweal,a, book on explosivesin the Press,the bombsat Walsall,a Nitro-Glycerinein the hands of a mere child in London,VoilA the wide-spreadconspiracy of whichMr. A. Young, the councilfor the Treasury, spokein an awe-strucktone at the commencementof the case. Coulon understoodhis trade;I admirehis genius. I exclaimin breathlessadmir¬ ation" Whata scoundrel!"

111.-jMELUILLE JHE MySTERlOUS. Butstill the questionpuzzles me ;—Had Coulon these remarkable ab¬ ilities His literarycommunications do not showthem, but that is no proof. Thereare plentyof cleverfellows who might get up a plot,but cannotwrite decent Knglish. Otherpeople beside myself who have ob- servedConlon closely have not discoveredany lemarkablequalities One of thesepeople, a well knownSocialist, a novelist,and a sharpstudent of character,saidthat Coulonstruck him as a manwhose intellectual faciUties seemedalmost destroyed by a viciouslife, a,nd that he showedno character¬ isticsave that of a certainamount of lowcunning. Certainly,no oneever dreamedthat he possessedsufficient abilities to get up a plot like this. Didhe merelycarry out the instructionsof a wretchof greatercleverness / Didhe get anyuseful tips from the Inspectorof Police,Melville, who hnrl hadexperience .' '• I have been connectedwith this dynamitebusiness for eighteen vears." Melvilletold Ditchfield. Coulon had only been in Melville'sem¬ ploymentfor two vears. and had. as faras I canlearn, no previousexperi-

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 10 enee. It seemsto mo,as it doesto manyothers who know Couloir's almost total lack of intellectualcapacity, and knowsat the sametime the really splendidabilities of Melville,that Couloncould not havedone it himself. Melvillemust have helped. But nowlet us introducethis greatpersonage, ,- a reallyremarkable and astute man. A Spyof theSchool of Fouche,he speaks Frenchand Italian like a native. In personhe is a verybig man, extreme¬ ly stont,with a fine forehead,a clean-shavenface, slight moustache, and twocold inquiring grey eyes. He is on termsof perfectintimacy with the policeagents of foreigngovernments. Melville and his ganghave dogged the stepsof the foreignrefugees for years. It is onlylately that English policeagents have followed the exampleof theirforeign associates in man¬ ufacturingplots. In Londonat this time there lived an Italianshoe maker,Jean Battolaby name. He livednext doorto Coulonin FitzroyStreet, and they werein constantcommunication. Battola could not speaka wordof Eng¬ lish,and had probablynever heard of Walsall,yet the policesay that he " wrotethe mysteriousletter signed Degnai"which enclosed the sketchof the bomb. Now Battolawas not an acquaintanceof Cailes,for Cailes did not knowhis writing. Onreceiving the letter, Cailes wrote to Coulonasking aboutit, and Conlonreplied that it was "all right." SupposingBattola wrotethe letter,did he not do it at Coulon'ssuggestion. Battola, an exile, burningwith hatredagainst the tyrannythat had drivenhim fromhis nativeland, might be easilyworked upon to assistCoulon in hisnice little " plot of manufacturingbombs for Russia."But the bomb-makersat Walsallseemed to have little relish for their work,and accordingto Deakin'sconfession, Coulon was writing, to hum/themvp, from19, Fitzroy Street. In truthhe kept up .a vigorouscorrespondence with the Walsall " people, pressing''them to hurryon withthe bombs. Wehave the state¬ mentof chiefconstable Taylor, in crossexamination at the PoliceCourt, that "someletters of Coition'swere found in a bagbelonging to oneof the prisoners." Cailestold Mr. Thompson, after his condemnation,that these letterscompromised Coulon. We wonderif the policehave preserved this correspondence. At last a letterarrived from Coulon informing the Walsallmen that a manwould call on Saturday,December 5th, for some of the bombs,which it wasexpected Bullows would have completed by this time. On Decem¬ ber2nd, the manarrived in the personof ourfriend Battola Directlyho

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions II getsto WalsallRailway Station, Melville suddenly appears. He evidently expectedBattola, and the latterwas followedto the club and watched duringthe wholeof his stayin Walsall. Thecastings were not ready,the modelsnot being according to instructions. Afterstaying a shorttime, Battolareturned to London. Fromthis date, all the prominentmembers of the clubwere shadowed by detectives.This was taken as-a joke, and the memberstreated them in the wayin whichEugene Wrayhurne served " Mr.Headstone in the Dickens' MutualFriend." Theytook the detect¬ ivesfor long walks into the countryby the banksof the canal,where dis¬ cussionswere held as to the advisabilityof givingthem a duckingthen. In fact,they made the detectiveslives unbearable by dint of chaff',insult, andridicule. So the gamewent merrily on.

- IV. JHE DISGOVERYOF JHE CONSf 1RAGY. OnJanuary fith, 1S92, Cailes asked Deakin to takea bottleof Chloro¬ formup to London. Deakinbeing a cleikon the Londonand North Wes¬ ternRailway, had a pass. Battolashould have met him at Euston,but theymissed each other. InspectorMelville was there and followed Deakin. The latteron his wayto the AutonomieClub, was rushed upon by several detectives,and arrested. Thiswas followed by a raidupon the Anaichists at Walsall,Charles, Cailes, and Ditchfield,being thrown into prison. Westleyand Battola were arrested on January 13th. Suspicionimmediately restedon Coulon,who had for some time being in badodour. He hadbe¬ comea pettytyrant, and there wereeven gravercharges against him. Theresult had been his dismissal from the InternationalSchool in the end of October,though he had remainedon the premisesfor a few weekspen¬ ding his searchfor a new residence. He movedinto FitzroySquare, takinga highlyrespectable dwelling for a man" withno visiblemeans of .subsistence.'" OnSunday, J anuary10th, the storm burst upon his head. A meeting was calledat ^theAutonomic Club on the questionof propaganda,and Conlonwas openlycharged with betrayingthe Walsallmen. " You do no work;how do you get yourliving if youare not a ?'' he was " policespy asked. He replied I ama trueAnarchist; I liveby plunder."The ex¬ planationwas not consideredsatisfactory, and he was expelledfrom the club.

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 12

V.—COUbON TJrE spy. Whilethis was going on, I wasin prison; fornothing very serious,it is true. Onlyfor takingpart in a shop assistants'agitation, carried on againsta shopkeepernamed Ilaile, in the HarrowRoad, who would not closeat 5 p.m.on Thursday.Judge Edlin had given me a monthwith the option,and I wasreleased after three daysconfinement, as myfine was paid. WhenI cameout 1 foundeverything in confusion;some cryingout againstCuulon, others saying ho wasinnocent; and as I wastotally ignor¬ ant of the existenceof the conspiracy,(like everyone else connected with TheCommonweal,). I thought it extremelyimprobable that Couloncould knowanything about it; thereforeI reservedmy opinion. Coulonremain¬ ed in London,till the Thursdaythat Batollawas arrested,professing all the timeto be verymuch affraid of arrest He disappeareddirectly after Battolawas taken. I still remainedincredulous as to Coulon'spart in the conspiracytill Deakin'sconfession was published. Then I sawat oncewho was the insti¬ gatorand the betrayerof the plot. How cameit that Coulonwas allowedto walk aboutLondon for a weekafter the otherswore anested Howwas it thatthe policeallowed the headcentre of the "GreatConspiracy" to escape? PerhapsInspector Melvillewill kindly explain. DiiectlyI cameout of prisonI starteda de¬ fencefund for our comrades, and was afterwards appointed secretary of the DefenceCommittee, fresh facts comingdaily to my notice. The lad M toldme how Conlon had supplied him with materialsfor making explosives. He toldme also that hisfather, who is not an Anarchist,had discoveredand destroyed them. Thisconfession may not be thoughtto be worthmuch, but wehave the evidenceof the fatherto confirmit. A few monthsafterwards the hoyleft his home,and the fathercame to a friend " of mine,a wellknown Anarchist, and said It is true I have beenstrict withhim, but whatcould I do \\ hy sir,I found stvffin myhouse that mi/jlithnve ijieeu we ten yearx." \\ hat do the policeand the agents deservewho supply people with this " stuff>'' This evidenceis valuable as M 's fatheris an honestworkman, a Radical, but strongly opposed to Anarchism. But soon moreevidence came to light. The friendof a wealthy FrenchAnarchist had an interviewon a matterof businesswith Coulon's brother.,who has a shop in the neighbourhoodof Old Street Thev

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 13 mentionedCoulon, and the brother who was unaware that the gentleman knew anyonein the Anarchistmovement said " Yes,my brother is in the payof thepolice, lie tellsme he hasbeen in the employmentof Melvillefor two years. But I did not think till now Melvillewas at Scotlandyard, I thoughthe wasa privateinquiry officer.'' I sawthe gentlemanto whomthis statementwas madeby Coition's brother; he is not an Anarchist,and being in a goodway of business,did notwish to be mixedup in the affair; buthe repeatedwhat he had heard beforeMr. Thompson, the barristerthe DefenceCommittee engaged to defjndthe prisoncis. Weprovided Mr. Thompson with these facts and some letters that Coulonhad writtento variouspeople in England,since he had bolted, whenMr. Thompson went down to encounterthe great InspectorMelville at WalsallPolice Court. Oneof theseletters bore the addressof a Calais Hotel Mr.Thompson took the great Inspectorby surprise. Melvilleis a cleverfellow, but he makesa foolof himselfsometimes, and he didon this occasion.His admissions are interesting. I like to give a full and fair report,so 1 willquote that of Mr.Chamberlain's organ The Birmingham Daily Pout,which certainly cannot be suspectedof a leaningtowards Anarchism. " In crossexamination by .Mr.Thompson, Inspector Melville said he hadsome experience of thesecases, lie wasin the Gallaghercase, and he had met a man namedCurtin. He hadnot been engaged in any cases abroad,but he hadmade enquiries abroad as to foreigners,lint not on behalfof GovernmentAmong the foreignershe hadinquired about, there wasnot one named Coulon. lie knewa manof thatname who was a well knownAnarchist He had oftenbeen in Coulon'scompany, but not at S'it/and Yard To his knowledge.Coulon had neverbeen there. He couldnot swiar th it hehad naoergiven Coidon anything to do for him, but lie did notrunember doneso." " having [Melvillehas a badniemoiy.] lie woiddnot swear that he had notpaid Coulonmoney, for he hadpaid lotaof Anarchist* money. Memorybad again Mr.Thompson -.—'Have i/oupaid him any money?' Witnessasked the Bench if he were to answersuch a question,and Mr.Young, the prosecutingcouncil said thatif thesequestions were designed merely to getthe name of theinform¬ er,they could not be put. Mr.Thompson :—' My theoryis this,that any suspiciouselement in the case is the workof this manCoulon, who is an agentof the Police.' 'Loudapplause! The Mayor:—' If there is anv

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions moreof weshall clear the court. We decidethat on theground of that, " publicduty, the question shoidd, not beput.' " BirminghamDaily Post, " February10th, 1892. " Melvillecertainly did not comeout well. He was quiteupset, as Mr.Thompson and otherscan bearwitness, and he was finallyforced to appealto the magistratesfor protection—whichhe got. We fearpoor Melvillehad a ' guiltyconscience.'" At thehearing on Monday,February 15th,Mr. Thompson continued bis cross-examination.I continue my quo¬ tationsfrom the BirminghamPost. " Mr,Thompson asked him if he had madeany inquiries about the manCoulon since the last examination. Air.Young objected to the ques¬ tion (quitenaturally) as the magistrateshad already decided against it on the groundof publicpolicy. The benchoveruled the objection,and the witnesssaid be hadnot madeinquiries. Mr.Thompson -.—' If I giveyou his addresswill youact upon it V (Thompsonhere producedthe Calais letterand held it in his hand). ' I do not knowwhat the informationis— inill youarrest him, in otherwords ?' ' " ' Thatis ratherstrong you are mistakenaltogether !' Wellyou neednot answerit unlessyou please.' He had beardthat a man named MeCormackwas convicted of drunkennesslast weekat Birmingham,had saidthat he wasemployed by the police—butthe advocatehad gone upon the wrongtack. Mr.Thompson :—' I have gone upon the right tack, andyou do not likeit.' Mr,Young objected. Mr.Thompson :--' If the Inspectorobjects, I willnot press it.'" Onewould have thoughtthat the addressof a gentlemanwho has repeatedlyincitedpeople to use dynamite,who supplieda young boy with the materialsfor explosives,and got up a conspiracyfor which men have been sentencedto a long term of penal servitude,would be of someconsequence to the police,but InspectorMelville does not think so. Perhapsif Coulonwas arrested,he mightdeclare that he had only acted' accordingto instructions.'But no onewould believe such an atro¬ ciouslibel as this uponInspector Melville. Englishdetectives never get up the plotsthey discover.What do you think, Inspector Melville ?"

VI.-JEN yEARS' PEpL SERVITUDE. Comedymingles with tragedy in all the affairsof life,and the Walsall easeis no exception. Comedy,did I say, I mightsay roaringfareo, such

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions i5 as wefind in the playingof the comicman in an old-fashionedmelodrama, withplenty of bloodand fire. The nameof McCormackhas been men¬ tioned. Let meexplain. McCormackwas a poorwretched creature from the slumsof DruryLane, who dividedhis time betweenpenny-a-lining andnewspaper selling. He alsoindulged occasionally in a little thieving. It may be said that he madethe best use of his opportunitiesin this direction. McCormackbad hung about the Socialistmovement, had occasionallyspoken at unemployedmeetings, and had been assistedby severalcomrades, especially by Charleswho would always give liberallyto to any whoseonly claimwas theirneed. McCormackfollowed Charles downto Walsall. Westleygave McCormacka job at travelling,and suppliedhim with samplebrushes, but McCormackpawned the brushesand got drunkon the proceeds. Findingat last that McCormackwas irreclaimable,they let himgo, and nothingmore was heardof himtill the arrestof the men at Walsall,when McCormack at oncevolunteered as an informer. ChiefConstable Taylor, of Walsall,was a simplejoskin who was highly elatedat beingconcerned in an importantcase, lie sawan opportunity to distinguishhimself. Melvilleemployed a Coulonand becamefamous, why should Taylor not have a McCormack McCormackwas accordinglyprovided with a lodgingin the policestation, and receiveda temporarypension of two two shillingsa dayfrom Government.He madea statementwhich was .sentto the Treasury,and Chief Constable Taylor said in opencourt that theTreasury were so pleasedwith it that they sent backinstructions to sendhim about his business. But McCormackwas a goodenough vAtness forChief Constable Taylor and InspectorMelville. Thelatter must have knownhis character well, but he was good enoughfor a witnessagainst Anarchists.It is truehe hadbeen kicked out of everynewspaper office in Londonfor lying,—it was said that he hadonce invented the story of his own suicide—butwhat did that matter,he was a goodliar, what more can you wantin a policewitness But .McCormackhad another weakness. He hadbeen hospitably re¬ ceivedby someSocial Democrats, at Birmingham,and had walked off with a suitof clothes,and a watchbelonging to them; and thesefacts could be proved.Our comrades at Walsallwere rather incautious about expressing their delightat MeCormackbeing called as a police witness, and perhapsthat reachedto Melville'sears, and that was -the reason McOormackwas sent abouthis business. Besides,Mr. Thompson had

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions i6 just been engagedfor the defence,and he knewall aboutMeCormack's previouscharacter. This was awkward, so McCormackafter receiving two shillingsa dayfor some weeks, and being always treated with greatdefer¬ enceby the police,was suddenly sent adrift. McC'oimack,like Coulon,had been very fond of talking about " bombs"but nobody had paid much attention to him. He went off to Birminghamwith a light heartin searchof an Editorwho wanted some copy,and in the BirminghamDaily Argusfor Saturday, February 16th, 1892,appeared "The Adventuresof a PoliceSpy," wherein the public wereinformed that the LondonAnarchists were in the constanthabit of makingDynamite and pouringit into gingerbeer bottles. Titus Oates wasnot in it withMcCormack. " Well,McCormack got somemoney, the editorgot some copy,"and '• the publicparted freely with their hapence." Then McCorniackgot drunk. Thiswas a mistake. Whenyou get drunkyour enthusiasm runs awaywith your discretion, especially when you get up in the crowded " streetsof Birminghamto addressa largecrowd on Anarchy." A clever constabletook McCormackfor a " conspirator,"but foundhe wasdrunk andran him in. McCorniackappeared gracefully before the " beaks"next on a chargeof being"dinnk and disorderly.'' He toldthe benchthat day '' he hadbeen employed by ScotlandYard in gettingup "evidence against " the Anarchistprisoners. He said,with muchpathos, he hadworked hardfor the police,as InspectorMelville of ScotlandYard could testify." It is embarrasingsometimes to be claimedas a friend,and no doubt " Melvillethought so. " Thebench imposeda fineof fiveshillings or seven dayson this friendof Melville's. McCormackdid the sevendays. Exit McCormack. A strongsuspicion began to be prevalentat this time amongthe Anarchiststhat Coulonwas not on the Continent.Some even said he was still livingin his new expensiveabode at 29, FitzroySquare, which his wife,although she hadno visiblemeans of snbsistance.still kepton. We presumeScotland Yard paid the rent. The lad M — volunteeredto go to MadamCoulon as a friendof herhusband's and try to get into com¬ municationwith him. He succeeded.Coulon wrote to him,but not on foreignnote paper. It was ordinarysermon paper, very like thatwhich MadameCoulon used for her own correspondence. Somecomrades approached the houseone eveningfor fun ; directly theyapproached, five or six policemenappeared on the scene. Coulon's housewas evidently well protected. Al thenwent to MadameCoulon,

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 17 toldher that he muttsee herhusband, that therewas a plot againstCon- Ion'slife, and he couldonly warn him by a personalinteiview. Alarmed • forher husband's safety, she gave the lad Coulon's address. The headcentre of the WalBallconspiracy was not in France,he was livingat Brixton. M went to the addressand sawhim. Coulon wasin verycomfortable apartments over a tobacconistsshop. His land- loidsaid that Coulonhad plenty of money; thatwhen he paidhis rent,he pulledout a handfulof goldand silver, and displayed it withan airof easy grace. Coulonwas also in the habitof takingdaily journies to Westmin¬ ster,doubtless to FitzroySquare. Did he call at ScotlandYard on the way Wheredid the expensesof his two establishmentscome from if not f10111 the police # n * # rt * * Thereis little moreto tell. Charles,Cailes, Battola, Deakin, Westley, andDitchfiekl, were committed for trial. Theyappeared before "Justice" Hawkinson Wednesday,March 21st, and Saturday, March 31st, and after a fivedaj's trialWestley and Ditchfieldwere acquitted,while the others werefound " guilty." Charles,Cailes, and Battolawere sentenced to ten yearspenal servi- iude,while Deakin,who was recommended to mercy by the Jury,received live. The judge,as might be expectedfrom these monstroussentences, showed,to speakmildly, a strongbias against the prisoneisthroughoutthe wholeof the trial. Thiswas especially noticeable when he fell foulof Mr. Thompsonfor questioning Melville about paying money to Coulon. .Melvillerefused to answerand his lordshipsupported him. The " judgesaid The questioncould not be to the interestof Counsel'sclient, and he believedit wouldbe to the detrimentof the publicservice." One wouldthink that the convictionof innocentmen for a plotconcocted by a scoundrelemployed by the policewould be to the detrimentof the public service. Wemight also ask if supplyingthe prisonerDitchfield, when faint withhunger and cold, with whisky and cigarsin orderto get the " truth" " " (their truth")out of him was also to the detrimentof the public service." Wewonder, also, whether Justice Hawkinswould think that Melville'sthreatening the sameman with a threatof '• life-longservitude wasalso to the detrimentto publicservice," or was the sliamefultrick playedon Deakinwhen, after being artfully worked up to a pitchof high ~ ' —

1 ,—""--- This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions i8 " backto his cell,and there in the silenceof the nighthe heard the voices " of Charlesand Ditchfield confessing to the officers." Was this to the detrimentof the publicservice," Justice Hawkins? It was a veryclever imitationthese "voices"Inspector Melville, "Perhaps you know how it " wasdone ?" It is veryfortunate that Deakinheard " voices becauseit mightbe hardto convictmen of the crimeof being dynamiterswithout that confession,when all that theyhad was someplaster casts, which a childplayed with as dolls,an old piece of metal,a smallpiece of mining fuse,a sketchof a bomb,and someincendiary French papers, which are said to be subsidisedby the French Police. (No explosivesubstances werefound in theirpossession). It was a fortunatething for you InspectorMelville that Deakin sufferedfrom " delusions"'that night, otherwiseyou mighthave been reprimandedfor excess of zealinstead of beingrewarded. If Taylorgot X'30for engaging McCormack, how much did Melville get forgiving Coulon a job—(?) The matterstands thus. Four men have been sentencedto long termsof penalservitude who are innocent of any crime—thatis any crime knownto the ordinarylaw of England. It is a notoriousfact the Explo¬ sivesAct is a pieceof Coercivelegislation passed by a rich man'sHouse of Commonsin a fit of cowardlypanic. Thesemen could not be touched underthe ordinarylaw. The WalsallPlot wasgot upunder the pationage of a HomeSecretary of a ToryGovernment to whoman Anarchistscare wouldhave been very useful, an informerand detectivewho both wantedmoney. They have all obtainedtheir desires. The Anarchist scareis utilized. See recentdebates and questions in the Houseof Com¬ mons. Melvillehas also being rewarded. Coulon as well. OnlyMelville, it wasrather too badto recommendCoulon as a teacherof Frenchto a youngladies establishment where the chastemaidens of the middleclasses resort! Do youknow what the RomanCatholic Priests said about him in Dublin It is to be hopedthat the gentlemanto whosegenins we owe " the ideaof an " IrishMatrimonial Agency has mendedhis moralssince he left Dublin.; If somestories are true, Coulonmay be a splendidspy, but as a teacherin an academyfor youngladies—Well, we wouldrather be ex¬ cused. Perhaps,however, he hasgiven over his naughtyways sincehe enteredyour s-ervice The secretpolice have a moralityof theirown.

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 19 Butlet us finish. Fourmen are languishing in prisonfor a crimeto whichthey were led by an agentof the Police. Theprincipal has escaped; nay,has been richlyrewarded for his sharein the plot: his victimsare buriedalive. And this a land of equaljustice I This is free England Ourfreedom is a lie if this is to go on withoutprotest. If it is a crimeto believein a free Societywhere there are neither rulers,judges, detectives, or informers;then these fourmen to whose goodnessand nobilityeven theiremployers testify, are criminals. If it is not, they have committedno crime. Butsurely, those who wish to rid us of such an infamoussystem as this, whichneeds wretches like these (Melville,Coulon, & Co to support it, have deservedwell of the people. Will you then raiseyour voicewith oursin demandingthe release of theseinnocent victims.

Printedand Published by DavidNicoll, 194, Clarence Road, KentishTown, London, N.W.

This content downloaded from 146.87.136.26 on Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:22:06 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions "POLICK SPIKS AND ?j Informers.

READ

at the Bar" "/\r\arck\j A SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE OLD BAILEY,

ON FRIDAY, MAY 5th, 1892,

IN REPLYTO A CHABGEOF

"Incitement to Murder'' BY

DAVID NICOIvL.

Post Free ltd., 1/4 per Q,uire.

194, CLARENCE ROAD, KENTISH TOWN, LONDON. N.W.

1

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