1892

Saint Ravachol

A Beautiful Nihilist (Vera Figner, 1892)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
A Beautiful Nihilist Boston Advertiser Vera Figner is one of the Nihilists lately condemned to death at St. Petersburg. She is described as of rare beauty. She is 27 years of age, and has been active in all nihilistic conspiracies since 1878. It was she who with Sophie Perowskaya succeeded in starting the propaganda in the army, and organized terrorist societies in several regiments, including the 16th Grenadiers. It is believed that the Czar will commute the death sentence. The Daily Commonwealth (Topeka, Kansas) no. 4860 (November 27, 1884): 3.  
fiction

A Hunt to Death (1892)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
A HUNT TO DEATH. A Beautiful Nihilist’s Contrivance to Elude Justice. I had settled myself in my corner and the train was already swinging at a good pace down the “Golden Valley” before I noticed, first, that I was not alone, and, second, that I was not in a smoking compartment. My fellow-traveler was a lady, clothed from head to foot in a traveling ulster with a deep cape, and closely veiled. I wanted a smoke very badly, and so I ventured to ask her if she had any objection. Imagine my astonishment when, instead of replying to my question, […]
Saint Ravachol

Emile Henry, “Comrades of l’En Dehors” (1892)

May 26, 2016 Shawn P. Wilbur
COMRADES OF L’EN DEHORS I read in your last number an article from the compagnon Malatesta, entitled “A Little Theory.” Please be so good as to insert these few lines of personal reflections on that subject. The compagnon Malatesta, after having elaborated upon the imminence and the necessity of a violent revolution, and considering the role of the anarchists to contribute to its imminent arrival, said that “any act of propaganda or achievement, by word or by deed, individual or collective, is good when it serves to bring nearer and to facilitate the Revolution… » Then, speaking of acts of revolt […]
Saint Ravachol

The Interview of the Two Brothers (April 18, 1892)

July 11, 2015 Shawn P. Wilbur
THE RAVACHOL CASE Publication of the indictment. — Proceedings against “La Lanterne.” In our issue bearing the date of April 16, we published the indictment against Ravachol. For that, our manager today received a summons to appear, Wednesday, April 20, before the 8th district court. We will, moreover, have lots of company; for, as we have informed our readers, we have sent that subpoena to the Temps, and many of our colleagues have done as we have. ________ THE ANARCHISTS INTERVIEW OF THE TWO BROTHERS Henri Kœnigstein and Ravachol. — In the visiting room of the Conciergerie. — Attitude of […]
Saint Ravachol

Octave Mirbeau, “Ravachol” (May 1, 1892)

July 10, 2015 Shawn P. Wilbur
Ravachol by Octave Mirbeau Translated and introduced by Robert Helms Francois-Claudius Koeningstein (Oct. 14, 1859 — July 11, 1892), known to posterity as Ravachol, was born to Dutch and French parents at Saint-Chamond, near St. Etienne in Eastern France. He was angered by two actions taken by the French government on May 1, 1891. One was at Fourmies, where the newly designed Lebels machine gun was used against a peaceful May Day rally at which women and children were carrying flowers and palms. Casualties there numbered 14 dead and 40 wounded. The other incident was at Clichy, where police attacked […]
Saint Ravachol

Pierre Quillard, “Conversation on the Life and Death of Ravachol” (1892)

July 10, 2015 Shawn P. Wilbur
[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] CONVERSATION ON THE LIFE AND DEATH OF RAVACHOL I see only condemnation to death which distinguishes a man, thought Mathilde: it is the only thing which cannot be bought. (de Stendhal — The Red and the Black.) These voices were heard near the sea, on a peaceful summer evening: half-naked, on the blond beaches, some men were lying lazily beside beautiful young women, and, although they lived today, the dying rays of the sun, the soft caress of the waves, the harmony of the twilight gave to their words and gestures […]
Saint Ravachol

Paul Adam, “Eulogy for Ravachol” (July 1892)

July 10, 2015 Shawn P. Wilbur
[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] [/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] EULOGY FOR RAVACHOL Paul Adam In these times, miracles and saints seem set to disappear. We can easily believe that the souls of contemporaries lack the spirit of sacrifice. The martyrs of this century have always been obscure citizens, maddened by the din of political words, and then gunned down without mercy, in 1830, 1848, and 1871, for the benefit of certain parliamentary situations arranged by a few violent and shifty advocates. And it would even be imprudent to claim that no wish of individual interest committed these unfortunate combatants […]
fiction

“Jacques Bonhomme’s Vision,” a short story by Dyer D. Lum

September 20, 2011 Shawn P. Wilbur
Through one of the narrowstreets of old Paris late one evening a man was carefully picking his way. Pavements, sidewalks, gutters, street-lamps were then unknown, save to the fewwho had penetrated into MoslemSpain. Save fromthe dimlight-shadows which occasionally flickered in the darkness before some open wine shop, there was no visible guide for a stranger, which evidently he was not, for he moved swiftly, passing the noisy mirth which came with the sound of clinking glasses, and only pausing to hug the wall when some carriage or cavalcade came rushing past, and then resuming his way in the street as if to avoid open cellarways near the houses.

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