Four Just Men | Page 4

despots and
tyrants. We know that in England opinion is divided upon the merits of
your Bill, and that upon your strength, and your strength alone, depends
the passing into law of the Aliens Political Offences Bill.
Therefore it grieves us to warn you that unless your Government
withdraws this Bill, it will be necessary to remove you, and not alone
you, but any other person who undertakes to carry into law this unjust
measure.
(Signed) Four Just Men.
"The Bill referred to," Sir Philip resumed, "is of course the Aliens
Extradition (Political Offences) Bill, which, had it not been for the
tactics of the Opposition, might have passed quietly into law last
session."
Sir Philip went on to explain that the Bill was called into being by the
insecurity of the succession in Spain.
"It is imperative that neither England nor any other country should
harbour propagandists who, from the security of these, or other shores,
should set Europe ablaze. Coincident with the passage of this measure
similar Acts or proclamations have been made in every country in
Europe. In fact, they are all in existence, having been arranged to come
into law simultaneously with ours, last session."
"Why do you attach importance to these letters?" asked the Daily
Megaphone representative.
"Because we are assured, both by our own police and the continental
police, that the writers are men who are in deadly earnest. The "Four
just men", as they sign themselves, are known collectively in almost
every country under the sun. Who they are individually we should all

very much like to know. Rightly or wrongly, they consider that justice
as meted
Out here on earth is inadequate, and have set themselves about
correcting the law. They were the people who assassinated General
Trelovitch, the leader of the .Servian Regicides : they hanged the
French Army Contractor, Conrad, in the Place de la Concorde--with a
hundred policemen within call. They shot Hermon le Blois, the
poet-philosopher, in his study for corrupting the youth of the world
with his reasoning."
The Foreign Secretary then handed to our representative a list of the
crimes committed by this extraordinary quartet.
Our readers will recollect the circumstance of each murder, and it will
be remembered that until today--so closely have the police of the
various nationalities kept the secret of the Four Men--no one crime has
been connected with the other; and certainly none of the circumstances
which, had they been published, would have assuredly revealed the
existence of this band, have been given to the public before today.
The Daily Megaphone is able to publish a full list of sixteen murders
committed by the four men.
"Two years ago, after the shooting of le Blois, by some hitch in their
almost perfect arrangements, one of the four was recognised by a
detective as having been seen leaving le Blois's house on the Avenue
Kleber, and he was shadowed for three days, in the hope, that the four
might be captured together. In the end he discovered he was being
watched, and made a bolt for liberty. He was driven to bay in a cafe in
Bordeaux--they had followed him from Paris: and before he was killed
he shot a sergeant de ville and two other policemen. He was
photographed, and the print was circulated throughout Europe, but who
he was or what he was, even what nationality he was, is a mystery to
this day."
"But the four are still in existence?"

Sir Philip shrugged his shoulders. "They have either recruited another,
or they are working shorthanded," he said.
In conclusion the Foreign Secretary said:
"I am making this public through the Press, in order that the danger
which threatens, not necessarily myself, but any public man who runs
counter to the wishes of this sinister force, should be recognised. My
second reason is that the public may in its knowledge assist those
responsible for the maintenance of law and order in the execution of
their office, and by their vigilance prevent the committal of further
unlawful acts."
Inquiries subsequently made at Scotland Yard elicited no further
information on the subject beyond the fact that the Criminal
Investigation Department was in communication with the chiefs of the
continental police.
The following is a complete list of the murders committed by the Four
Just Men, together with such particulars as the police have been able to
secure regarding the cause for the crimes. We are indebted to the
Foreign Office for permission to reproduce the list.
London,October 7, 1899.--Thomas Cutler, master tailor, found dead
under suspicious circumstances. Coroner's jury returned a verdict of
'Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.'
(Cause of murder ascertained by police: Cutler, who was a man of
some substance, and whose real name was Bentvitch, was a sweater