Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-27


crossing north in the North Division from
the river, she saw a man walk up to the
side of the primary school, frame build
ing, in the rear of the Franklin school, turn
out lot of shavings from bag, and i'm
mediately after the man had turned his
back upon them, saw the shavings flaming
up. With these observations, the alleged
confession is given in the precise language
| that it was received, as follows:
| THE CONFESSION.
! am a member of the Societe Interna-
tionale. The headquarters of the organiza-
| ton are in Paris, and its ramifcations ex-
| tend all over the world. There are branches
| in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liver
| pool, Dublin, Berlin, st. Petersburg, Naples,
| Florence, Vienna, and other cities in Great
Britain and on the continent, and in New
York, Boston, Washington, New Orleans,
Baltimore and Chicago, in this country. Its
members are bound by fearful oath
never to divulge any of the plans
or operations of the society, and
were it known that | was about to
! relate the story have commenced should
never live to finish it, while if the author of
| this ever becomes known will die death
more horrible than that which met any of
the victims of the inquisition. II is, there
fore, with fear and trembling thai / sit
| down to write the true story of the origin
of the Chicago fire, and nothing but the
sternest sense of duty, and a desire to clear
my conscience of load that is too heavy
! for endurance, would induce me to pen
| these lines.
| fancy the sneer of incredulity with
which some will greet my announcement
| that the destruction of Chicago was accom-
plished by the international Society. or
| Commune, but, when have unfolded the
details of
THE PLOT
and the motives that prompted its cOncep-
ton, incredulity will give place to astonish-
ment that human beings could be found
who were so blinded by flnaticism
as to become parties to so great and over
whelming a crime. The events of the past
two weeks have awakened me from dream
50 wild aud improbable that, were it not
for the dreary evidences of its reality that /
see about me, | could scarce believe, and
still more reluctantly can believe, that in
| the terrible tragedy that has been enacted
was one of the principal actors; that, though
| blinded by fanatieism more fearful than
| he worst form of lunacy, permitted my
! self to become the cause of SO much misery
and woe.
During short residence in Paris in 1867
| | was thrown much into the society of
| leading members of the commune. Being
an American, it was supposed that would
| favor anything that would tend to bring
| about an absolute equality between all men.
At first / laughed at all such notions re-
garding them as not only utterly impracti-
| cable, but as tending to overthrow all law
and order. But as expedient after eXpedi-
| ent was suggested, some of them seeming
to be feasible, caught the infection that
animated my associates, and soon became
blind enthusiast in the cause of socialism.
While there, / became a member of the
! SOciete InternatiOnale, aHd it is not surpris-
ing, therefore, that on its
FIRST ORG ANIZATION IN CHICAGO.
! some eight months ago, | was selected as
one of the prime movers. Since l had re-
| turned from France had been in cores
! pOndence with some of those prominent in
the movement there, among whom were NJ.
Henri Martin, who was among the first to
fall victim to the Versailles troops at the
capture of the city; NJ. Asst, whose tragic
fate is so fresh in the minds of ali, and NJ.
Julius Garadine, from whom | learned the
progress the society was making and many
Of its future plans.
The organization in Chicago was formed
! under the direction of two communists who
had fed from Paris, and myself. As else
! where, none but the most daring and trust
! worthy were admi ted. The avowed pur-
poses of the society were harmless in them
| selves. They were to endeavOr to elevate
| the workingmen to the level of the rich; to
| promote cOmmunistic sentiments among the
! masses, and, as soon as possible, to inaugurate
| the reign Ofsocialism, when everybody should
| enjoy equal benefits, and poverty and want
| should be unknown. To these declarations
| there was a codicil binding the members, if
/ it were found impossible TO secure the re-
| suits by peaceable means, to resort to what
| ever measure should be deemed advisable
by the directors of the organization.
! The first two months of the existence of
/ the society were consumed in
FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS
/ TO stir I'D strife between the mechanics o.
the city and their employers. But the dis
astrous consequences of the eight-hOur
strikes in 1867 were yet fresh in remem-
brance, and for once the labor unions re-
fused to do the bidding of their prompters.
This was adiscOuTaging blow, but the men,
bers of the society were determined. In
no city of the union was more to Ue feared
to communism from continuance of the
existing condition Of affairs, for colossal
fortunes were being amaSsed in an incredi-
bly, short space of time, and an aristocracy
of wealth was springing up that threatened
to become so strong as to defy overthrow.
Plan after plan was suggested, and aband-
Oned as impracticable. Finally, the
BURNING OF THE BUSINESS PORTION OF
THE CITY
was suggested. Appalled, by the thought
of working such desOlatien in the fairest
city on the continent, at first shrank from
participation in the transaction. l protest
ed that instead of promoting the objects Of
the society it would only retard them. But
all the others were firm, and, weakly, ]
yielded. Gradually the insanity produce
by being a prOmpter of a calamity that
would shake the world to its centre took
possession of me. Sleeping or alking, my
thoughts were filled withshe plan.
To mature the details of the plot required
the utmost caution. The project of raising
a mob by means of some popular excite
ment and TO burn and pillage the city was
debated at length, but at last abandoned
because of Its hazardOusness and the inevi-
table loss of life that it would involve, for to
take life was not our Object was only to
humble the men who had waxed rich at the
expense of the poor The incendiary's
torch was finally fixed upon, and on the
ninth day of August preparations were ac-
lively begun to carry it into execution.
Several times day was fixed for the aw.
full tragedy, but as often abandoned.
THE COOPERATION OF THE ELEMENTS
was needed. The torch was first applied tC
tho warehouse on the corner of State anf
| Sixteenth streets on the gllsty morning o.
! the Both of September. 1t was hoped thai
, the high south wind then prevailing woulC
carry the flames TO the row of frame build
ings to the nOrthward, but sudden change
in the wind defeated the project by enabling
e the fire department to quench the flames
e Again on the Saturday night preceding the
= catastrophe match was applied on Cana
Ea... Lnr,.- Ill q. 4.