Written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels between 26 and 29 April 1853.
From the English.

[“New-York Daily Tribune” No. 3768 of 14 May 1853]

London, Friday, 29 April 1853

A few days ago, the notorious Police Director Stieber arrived here from Berlin, accompanied by Police Lieutenant Goldheim and Criminal Councillor Nörner, with the special mission of connecting the gunpowder conspiracy of Rotherhithe with the Calabrian hat conspiracy in Berlin. I know from a private source that they met at Fleury’s house in Kensington, and that the former commercial assistant Hirsch was also present at this meeting. A day later, the said Hirsch had a secret interview with the Russian Consul, Mr. Kremer. If your readers recall my article on the occasion of the Cologne trial, they will at once perceive that the same people who hatched the conspiracy of that time are again at work.

On Saturday, the 23rd of this month, the judicial examination of Mr. Hale, the owner of the rocket factory in Rotherhithe, where the arrest had been effected at the instance of the Government, was continued before the Police Magistrate, Mr. Henry, in Bow Street. The question dealt with that day was confined to ascertaining whether the seized explosive material was gunpowder or not. Mr. Henry, who had reserved his decision until yesterday, now declared, contrary to the opinion of the celebrated chemist Mr. Ure, that it was gunpowder. Accordingly, he fined Mr. Hale 2 sh. for every pound of gunpowder found in his possession beyond the officially allowed quantities. The quantity involved totalled 57 pounds. W. Hale, his son R. Hale, and J. Boylin then had still to answer on a subsidiary charge; they were accused of having manufactured, or caused to be manufactured, between 13 September 1852 and 13 April 1853, with several interruptions, various quantities of rockets. Mr. Bodkin, as the Government’s legal representative, announced that Mr. W. Hale had several times, unsuccessfully, made applications to the Government in connection with his rockets, that since October 1852 he had employed a larger number of workers, among them some foreign refugees, that their entire activity had been carried on under the seal of the deepest secrecy, and that the shipping registers at the customs authorities refuted Mr. Hale’s assertion that he was known at the customs house as an exporter. In conclusion, Mr. Bodkin remarked:

“The value of the rockets found in Mr. Hale’s possession is estimated at between £1,000 and £2,000. Where has the money come from? Mr. Hale had recently gone bankrupt and was only able to obtain his discharge from bankruptcy by paying a full 3 sh. per pound.”

Sergeant J. Saunders of the secret police reported that he had seized “1,543 loaded rockets, 3,629 rocket-heads, 2,482 base-pieces, 1,955 empty rockets, 2 iron projectiles, and 22 launching devices for rockets.” The next witness to appear was Mr. Uzner, who, as he testified, had been an officer in the Prussian artillery for 15 years and had served as a staff major during the Hungarian war. He had been engaged by Messrs Hale in Rotherhithe to manufacture rockets. Before coming to the factory he had sat five or six months in Maidstone prison for theft; utter destitution had driven him to such a step. The most important part of his evidence ran literally as follows:

“It was Mr. Kossuth who had introduced me to the Hales. The first time I met Mr. Kossuth for this purpose was last summer after his return from America. Around the middle of September I saw the elder Mr. Hale in company with Mr. Kossuth at his house; his adjutant, a Hungarian, was also present. Mr. Kossuth said, with reference to my person, to Mr. Hale: ‘This man served in the Hungarian army; he is a former Prussian artillery officer, and I can recommend him to you for your work, to help make
our
or
your
rockets.’ I cannot remember the precise words he used. Mr. Kossuth said that my wages would amount to 18 sh. a week, and recommended me to keep the affair completely secret. Mr. Hale, he said, would give me instructions as to what I had to do. Mr. Kossuth spoke partly Hungarian and partly English. I believe Mr. Hale understands no German. The word
secret
was said to me in German. I was sent by R. Hale to Pimlico to look for Mr. Kossuth. I met him in Pickering Place. W. Hale and another Hungarian were also there. We met in order to test a machine for firing the rockets. When we had all assembled, the machine was set up and a trial was made with the rockets. The conversation was carried on partly in English and turned chiefly on the quality of the rockets, etc. We remained about an hour and a half, and when all was over, Mr. Kossuth and Mr. Hale insisted that we should leave the house cautiously, one after the other. At the street corner Mr. Kossuth came up to us, and on this occasion he repeatedly begged us to keep his connection with the rockets secret.”

W. Gerlach, another German, was then examined with the aid of an interpreter. He had been engaged in Mr. Hale’s factory to manufacture rockets. Besides him, three Hungarians were working there. He had been recommended to Mr. Hale by Mr. Kossuth, but never saw them together.

Mr. Henry had two possibilities: he could summarily sentence the accused to a fine of £5 or refer the case to the assizes; he took the second course, but was prepared to release the two Hales on bail. Mr. W. Hale declared that he refused to ask any of his friends to give security for himself or his son, and so they were then taken to the prison in Horsemonger Lane.

It is clear that the witnesses’ depositions stand in violent contradiction to the letter of Mr. Hale senior, the contents of which I have already communicated to you, as well as to the letters Kossuth has addressed to Captain Mayne Reid and to Lord Dudley Stuart, in which he assures that he knows nothing of any Mr. Hale nor of his rockets. It would, however, be unjust to draw any conclusions from these circumstances before further explanations have been given by Mr. Kossuth. But is it not a disgrace that so gifted a fellow-countryman of ours in exile as Mr. Uzner, who is thoroughly willing to work, as proved by the fact that he consented to work as a simple labourer for 18 shillings a week, was driven by utter destitution to steal, while certain German refugees, notorious idlers, presume to squander the scanty means intended for the revolutionaries on their self-sought missionary journeys, ridiculous conspiracies, and tavern meetings?

On Friday, the 22nd of this month, an insurrection once again broke out in Fribourg in Switzerland; it is already the fifth since the former Sonderbund war. The rising was to begin simultaneously throughout the whole territory of the canton; but at the appointed time the majority of the conspirators failed to put in an appearance. Three “columns” that had promised their cooperation in this affair did not appear. The insurgents who actually penetrated into the town came mainly from the district of Farvagny and from the communes of Autigny, Prez, Torny, Middes, and other neighbouring places. At half-past four in the morning a troop of 400 peasants, all wearing the colour of the Sonderbund and flags bearing the emblem of the Holy Virgin, marched along the road from Lausanne to Fribourg; they were led by Colonel Perrier and the notorious peasant Carrard, the leader of the rising of 1851, who has since been amnestied by the Grand Council. Towards five o’clock they entered the town through the “Porte des Etangs” (town gate of Fribourg) and seized the College and the arsenal, from which they carried off 150 muskets. After the alarm had been sounded, the town council immediately proclaimed a state of siege, and Major Gerber assumed command of the assembled citizen guard. He ordered the street behind the College to be taken up with cannon, and advanced with a body of riflemen in a frontal attack against the insurgents. The riflemen fought their way up the two flights of stairs leading to the College and soon drove the peasants from the windows of the buildings. After a struggle of about an hour, in which the assailants already counted 8 dead and 18 wounded, and after the insurgents had vainly attempted to escape through the back streets, where they were received with grape-shot, the insurgents sent forward a priest with a white flag and declared their readiness to surrender.

A committee of the citizen guard at once formed a court martial, which sentenced Colonel Perrier to 30 years’ imprisonment; the sittings of the committee are still continuing. The number of prisoners amounts to about 200; among them Messrs Wuilleret, Weck and Chollet. Mr. Charles, the President of the well-known committee of Posieux, was seen at the gates of Romont, but was not captured. Besides the pastor from Torny-le-Grand, two other priests are among the prisoners. As for the material damage caused by the affair, the canton seems to be secure; half the fortune of the patrician Weck would be sufficient to make it good again.

Karl Marx