Ravachol the Anarchist, for whose murders as Anarchist the terrified
Parisian jury found "extenuating circumstances," was on Wednesday found guilty of a private murder at Mont- brison, the victim being a "hermit," and the motive the theft of his large hoard of £600. He was found guilty, and sen- tenced to death. He was not allowed to read his defence, but it has been published, and reads in the Times' translation like a travesty of Anarchism. The writer declares that under the present organisation of society, men wish ill to each other; that productions are abundant, yet some men starve; that working is no protection; that he himself "preferred to be coiner, thief, and murderer ; " that " the distressed should take what there is, and, no matter by what means, satisfy themselves ; " and that a man ought not to be " sup- pressed" who "prefers to take by violence what can ensure him comfort, even at the risk of death." People say it is cruel to murder ; but " the murderer takes his resolve only to avoid death for himself," and the jury is going to put to death for the same reason. The paper, in fact, is a defence of violent crime as necessary to the safety of any individual who is not well off, and while defending Socialism, is really a degraded plea for the divine right of utter selfishness. Anything is lawful so that I may not suffer.
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