THE ANARCHIST IN LONDON.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 210, 11 May 1909, Page 7

THE ANARCHIST IN LONDON.

THE AUTONOMIE CLUB. The infamous Club Autonomie was founded, says a special correspondent of The Times,' m. the later eighties.. This club first met m Stephens mews, Fitzroy square, W., whence it moved as the result of a public riot, m which many of its members used knives, and firearms against the police and public. It then established itself at Windmill street, m Tottenham Court road. The club became the centro of anarchist propaganda m London, and, although its originators were Germans, it soon became the meeting-place of the mo6t> desperate characters, of all European countries. Its roll of membership numbered between six and seven hundred. At its meetings lectures were given encouraging assassination, whilst its official organ, ' Die Autonomie,' was circulated all over Europe, and preached m violent language the gospel of the Red Revolution. At first practically the whole of the anarchist movement was centred m and around ' the district of Soho, but gradually many of its members drifted into the suburbs, and, i consciously or unconsciously, the adherents of the various sections located themselves } to a large extent m the same quarters as j their own friends. Thus the Russian Nihi- | lists established themselves m HammerI smith, m the East End, m Leytonstone, and m Tottenham ; the Armenian Revolutionists found a home m Shepherd's Bush ; and the anarchists, Avhose mission was against society m general, also removed to a large extent to suburban districts, notably to Forest Hill and Camdentown. The Autonomie Club, however, still remained the centre of the movement .m London, more especially as regards the " inter-' national" anarchists, as distinguished from the Nihilists and Armenian Revolutionaries. These latter were of a better class than the

"internationals," and, indeed, had little m common with them, although the two fraternised to a large extent. The strength of the Autonomie Club lay m its German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and Belgian members. But even among these harmony and good-wilt were often wanting. The activity of the club ' extended also to the provinces, arid its assistance was readily given to thq( promotion of ciime and the spread of an.-irchism. — The Police Intervene. — In February of 1894 London was startled by the iact that a French anarchist. Bourdin, had been blown to pieces m Greenwich Park by the premature explosion of a bomb wlicli he was carrying on his way to blow up the Observatory. Fortunately, the explosion, which was only a short distance irom the Observatory, occurred just m time, and the only sufferer was the criminal himself, who was immediately recognised as a prominent member of the Autonomie Ciub. This caused the police finally to take action. They had long kept observation on the club and its members, and were conversant with its proceedings. Accordingly, a few days after the Greenwich explosion the club was raided by Chief-inspec-tor Melville and half a dozen of hie stall, who searched the premises, took possession, of the club's papers, and interrogated over seventy of its members. The police held possession of the dub for several hours, and before they retired obtained information of lasting value. This raid was the death blow of the Autonomie Club. Within a month its doors were closed, and they .were never opened again. Its members drifted into various other clubs, but the loss of the older club struck at the strength and activity of the whole organisation. The I doctrines of anarchism, however, did not lack preachers, and m London there went ' on, as before, meetings m which the most I revolutionary sentiments were applauded, and m which the destruction of. society waspassionately advocated. In 1894 Francis Polti and Giuseppe Carnot were both nrrested and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment m London for having explosive bombs m thei.r possession, which they admitted were for the jmrpose °f blowing up the Stock Exchange and its members ; whilst another anarcliist was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude for wrecking by explosives several post offices m the «outh-east of London. Ihe "international" i anarchists have acquired a Aery wholesome respect for the police of London, who have j frustrated their designs, and lty whom men J such as Meunier, Polti, Carnot, and others I were arrested. — The Disguise of Socialism. — The anarchist body m London consists chiefly of foreign artisans, employed for the { most part as cabinetmakers, tailors, electricians, shoemakers, and. waiters. .These ; men, as a rule, are m receipt of good wages, and contribute freely to" the cause." Their clubs meet m Soho, Hammersmith, Tottenham, m the East End of London, and some other places. For the most part they prefer to refer to themselves as Socialists, although the disguise is a very thin one. Their numbers m London may be estimated at from 700 to 1,000 ; but it is, of course, difficult to calculate the numbers of an oi'ganisation which is of such a nebulous and shifting character. Nor is it suggested that among this number can be found many to undertake the active and dangerous task of committing outrages on society. Nevertheless, at appropriate times the money and men are always forthcoming m anarchist circles. As to the money, it must not be forgotten that the proceeds of bulgaries and highway robberies have always been welcomed as supplies for the anarchist war chests. This doctrine has been frequently declared, and a notorious disciple of this school wa6 the anarchist burglar Pena, who successfully committed a long series of burglaries m Paris m the ear'y nineties before being arrested and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment. It was known to the whole anarchist body m Paris that Pena committed these burglaries, but the fact that he contributed freely from the proceeds of his crimes to the funds of the movement caused his secret to be kept, and instead of being looked upon as a criminal outlaw he was regarded as a hero. Furthermore, hi 6 example was followed by others. It will also be remembered that one of the most cherished ideas of the Walsall anarchists was the use of chloroform m the robbing of capitalists ; indeed, a bottle of chloroform for this purpose was actually found m possession of one of the prisoners. The proposal was that men known to possess money or valuables should be followed into railway carriages, or when going home at night, and chloroformed and robbed. This may seem strange m this country, but the device is much employed m robberies on the Continent. The Lettish revolutionists m England chiefly reside m Leytonstone, Tottenham, and the East End. Theyr^re well known for the method of terrorism they employ. Within the past two years these revolutionaries have been carrying on a campaign of robbery m Russia similar to the recent outrage m Tottenham, the proceeds being devoted to the funds of their party.