The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-11-09
A Startling Revelation.
CHICAGO FlRED BY THE soCIETE RATIONALE
CONFESSION BY A MEMBER,

CONFESSION BY A MEMBER
The following extravagant narrative which
we give in abbreviated form,is taken from the
Chicago Times, which paper devotes column
and half in fine tpye to its excited details
and adds: Though it appears at first to be
utterly romantic and improbable, there are
not wanting confirmation circumstances. The
official explanation of the origin of the fire has
been conclusiyely disproven. It can be at
tested by evory one who listened to Train, at
Farwell Hall, on the night of the fire. that he
used the language rected below, &c. Little
doubt remains that the city was fred in sever
al places"
The informant, protesting to be moved BY
| remorse, does not diyplge his name.
He states that the Societe has its headouar-
ters in Paris, and branches in London, Edin-
burgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Dublin, Ber-
lin, st. Petersburg, Naples, Florence, Vienna,
and other cities in Europe, and in New
York, Boston, Washington, New Orleans.
Baltimore and Chicago. The Societc organ
lied during the political exeitements which
preceded the election Of Louis Napoleon to
the Presidency. It's object was the promo
tion Of commune, with equality of rights
and riches, poor and wealthy, ignorant and
learned. The coup detat, which Napoleon
on the throne temporarily defeated its pur-
pose; yet its organization was intact, aud the
| alleged evils of the Emperor's reign caused
the attraction to its ranks Of all malcontent
elements. lie proceeded to say that the
miserable results of the late war invited them
to trial of their terrible principles, and the
gorgeous city Of Paris becomes the scene OF
bloody orgies, and, as the. torch of Hecate
the fame Of destruction wasted the relies Of
grandeur end the trophies of national power
| The horrible record Of devastation and woe
the century will take down to futurity he
charges to this Commune. It's final defeat
did not extiuguish it, and now yet strong in
trembling France, its members, whom the
whips OF the Furies must urge on, are scat
tered throughout our own prosperous cities.
He states also that strikes, in Great Britain
have been instigated by thcm and men pow
ertul to influence crowds BY fiery eloquence
added to their body everywhere, and they
have failed in many attempts to foment strife
between employers and laborers, and as uz-
TINA ratio they determined to burn Chicago
as the city where rapidly growing wealth was
widening the social distinctions in extreme.
George Francis Irain, as a member, and
reminds that he stated in lecture in Far
well Hall, Sunday evening before the FIRE:
:" This is the last public address that will
be delivered within these walls A terrible
calamity is impending over the city of Chi
cage. More cannot, dare not say" He adds
that another word would have ended his
life, as there were scores Of pistols pointed
at him.
Petroleum mines had been laid by plots in
secret concsYc beyond the reach of morta
observation. Mines in various streets were
simultaneously fred. and in order to contra
vene any possible effort to stay the conhagra
ton by explosion of buildings by gun pow.
der, train communicating with the maya
zine could at a moment destroy it
Tie first barrels removed by the powde
brigade were those with which the train com
municated. and hundreds of lives we're saved
who would have been killed by explosion.
Il Many Of these mines started new fires, an(
the water works were also undermined. HI
asserts that the men executed the design
and that buildings destined by the Societe t.
be spared fell. Concluding, he says that tw
of the original founders of this fearful fra
ternity in Chicago found their death in tn
flames, and he the narrator, is exposed t
!, hdeous death for treachery; that other cit
les are threatened in like manner, and tina
, every circle of society has the sworn member
of the Soctete .Aationa1e in its midst. Th
, Thugs Of India had no parallel power in tn
; numbers he estimates as belonging to tn
Commune.
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