The Walsall anarchists: 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 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Digitization of this work funded by the JISC Digitisation Programme. LSE Library and are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to LSE Selected Pamphlets. http://www.jstor.org 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 m 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-COMMUNISM.Its Basisand Principle. 36 pp. Piice ANARCHISMin SOCIALEVOLUTION. Price Id. By William Morris. 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 SOCIALISM.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. ANARCHY. 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 REVOLUTION. 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 Anarchism.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