Tweet
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.
There is some elucidation concerning Kaufmann and his thugs Stellmacher and Kammerer in this speech:
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.
Any information would be appreciated.
The best.
LC
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.
There is some elucidation concerning Kaufmann and his thugs Stellmacher and Kammerer in this speech:
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.
Any information would be appreciated.
The best.
LC
Comment