Kaufmann

[lynn cates]

frequency

Hello Simon. Thanks for that. It really makes one wonder about the frequency of people acting as informants for the police. The attitude now seems clear.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for an interesting thread with much to think about. Here's a little something–

Irish Times, Monday 17th September 1888–

" . . . Amateur detectives and amateur constables hardly meet with the support of the general public in cases of this serious magnitude, and the opinion of a police officer with a long experience of street work in the East End of London is worth giving.

"With regard to the proposed Vigilance Committee's prospects he remarks, "It won't last a month. They'll get little help - at least no more help than anyone else - from our chaps: and if they get interfering with respectable people our men will 'run them in' as a caution for future behaviour. With regard to the roughs, well all I can say is 'they will have a high old time of it' and to the benefit of our men. They can, to use their own words, 'smell a fly copper' - i.e. plain clothes man; and when they get hold of an 'amateur' or two, God help the amateurs! Kicking a regular policeman is a pleasure at any time not lightly to be spoken of, but the chances of 'booting' the head or ribs of an amateur 'slop' will afford a new and indescribable pleasure, and one to be indulged in on every possible occasion. These 'vigilants' will be looked upon as 'copper's noses' or 'copper's narks' - i.e. police informers - and to use the roughs own words, 'a copper' is bad enough, but his 'nark!' - we'll kill him, and that is about what he will get, or something very near it. They have forgotten one thing in their outfit, and that is an 'ambulance' - that will be wanted oftener than truncheons. At least I think so."

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

Tennyson anyone?

Hello All. Something there is that doesn't love a Socialist. Here is the Orthodox Jewish lampoon of the Berner st Socialists and Anarchists. It is from a March 1889 issue of the Jewish Standard.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

socialists in action

Hello All. Here is an interesting account about Russian Socialists. Interesting that the nose and ears were amputated.

This is taken from "The Centaur" p. 6, May 3, 1879.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

agents provocateur

Hello. Here is an interesting article touching on the subject of the "agent provocateur."

http://libcom.org/library/06-walsall-anarchists

LC

[lynn cates]

ah!

Hello Phil. Ah, yes! THAT Aleister Crowley! Small world, eh!

This whole subject of police spying is fascinating to me. It seems to be more widespread than I had thought.

In particular, the anarchists seem to provide many members for that activity. They are the chaps who believe in the provoking act. Seems they wanted ACTION not just rhetoric.

At any rate, it is difficult to sort out all the warring socialist/anarchist factions. It reminds one of John Cleese explaining all the Judaean factions in "The Life of Brian."

Cheers.
LC

[Phil Carter]

Who is his friend Aleister Crowley? That name rings a bell.

Hello Lynn,

Ding-dong...you're not wrong. He of Black Magic fame huh? Nice find!...

best wishes

Phil

[lynn cates]

Reuss

Hello All. Here is a write up I found on another of the police spies denounced by
Morris, Theodor Reuss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Reuss

Who is his friend Aleister Crowley? That name rings a bell.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

Hello All. I was wondering if anyone had information on a certain Kaufmann (AKA Karl Morff)?

I have recently come across several documents from William Morris’ Socialist League along with some research sites related to Morris. Morris narrates the story of a police spy named Kaufmann who hired 2 thugs for murder on the continent. After they were caught—having committed some murders—they were hanged and Kaufmann fled to London where he was employed by the police (German?).

Here’s the whole story as told by Morris.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/morris/works/1888/commonweal/01-police-spies.htm

There is some elucidation concerning Kaufmann and his thugs Stellmacher and Kammerer in this speech:

http://www.marxists.org/archive/bebel/1898/11/02.htm

Of interest to me are the following 2 paragraphs:

During the summer of 1883 Schroeder and the police-Anarchist Kaufmann called and held in Zurich a conference participated in by thirteen persons. Schroeder acted as chairman. At that conference plans were laid for the assassinations which were later committed in Vienna, Stuttgart and Strassburg by Stellmacher, Kammerer and Kumitzsch. (Commotion) I am not informed that these unscrupulous scoundrels had informed the police that those murders were being contemplated. Men like Stellmacher and Kammerer paid for their acts with their lives, on the gallows.

When Johann Most was serving a term in a prison in England, this same police spy Schroeder had Most’s Freiheit” published at Schaffhausen, Switzerland, at his own expense. The money surely did not come out of his own pocket. (Laughter)

What, precisely, is a police-Anarchist? Norma—who is the expert on things of this sort—inclines towards an agent provocateur. Was this a common practice?

The events with Stellmacher and Kammerer are described here.

http://books.google.com/books?id=5ixMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA194&lpg=PA194&dq=Stellmacher+and+Kammerer&source=bl&ots=axNO79hKsz&sig=tIQBeghil4zZL61NjdeuWPMDDVA&hl=en&ei=gm3sS43CCsHflgeBlqS1CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Stellmacher%20and%20Kammerer&f=false

Any information would be appreciated.

The best.
LC