The Bomb | Page 2

others to death.
But such magnanimity and sweetness of spirit is not as American, it
seemed to me, as Lingg's practical heroism and passion of revolt In
spite of Miss Goldman's preference for Parsons, I still believe I chose
my hero rightly, but I idealized Lingg beyond life-size, I fear. No
young man of twenty ever had the insight into social conditions which I
attribute to him. I should have given him less vision and put in a dash
of squalor or of cruelty or cunning to make the portrait lifelike. But the
fault seems to me excusable.
The whole book is probably too idealistic; but as all rebels--socialists
and anarchists alike--are whelmed in these States in a flood of furious
and idiotic contempt and hatred, a certain small amount of idealization
of the would be reformers is perhaps justified. On the whole I'm rather
proud of The Bomb and of Elsie and Lingg.
In a pamphlet published by the police, shortly after the execution of the
Anarchists, it was stated that "Lingg's father was a dragoon officer of
royal blood, but he only knew his mother for whom he always showed
a passionate devotion. Four years after her liaison with the handsome
officer, his mother wedded a lumber-worker named Link. When Louis
was about twelve his foster-father got heart-disease through exposure

and died. The widow was left in poverty and had to do washing and
ironing in order to support herself and a daughter named Elise who had
been born of her marriage.
"Louis received a fair education [I continue to give the gist of the
police record] and became a carpenter at Mannheim in order to help his
mother. In 1879 he was out of his apprenticeship and went to Kehl and
then to Freiburg.
"Here he fell in with free-thinkers and became an avowed Socialist. In
'83 he went to Luzern and thence to Zurich where he met the famous
anarchist Reinsdoff to whom he became greatly attached. He joined the
German Socialist society "Eintracht" and threw his whole soul into the
cause.
"In August 1884 Mrs. Lingg married a second time, one Christian
Gaddum, in order, as she said, to find support for her daughter, she
herself being in poor health; she asked Louis to return home if only for
a visit.
"But Louis had now reached the age for military service and as his
whole being revolted against German militarism he decided to emigrate
to America.
"After the wayward boy had taken ship at Havre he and his mother
corresponded regularly. All her letters breathed encouragement; she
sent him money often and concluded invariably by giving him good
counsel and urging him to write frequently.
"That Lingg had a great love for his mother is shown by the fact that he
kept all her letters from the time he left home till he killed himself.
"His illegitimate birth appears to have annoyed the youth; he worried
his mother to give him his father's name. In one letter she says: "It
grieves me that you speak of your birth; where your father is I don't
know. My father did not want me to marry him because he did not
desire me to follow him into Hessia and as he had no real estate he
could not marry me in Schwetzingen according to our laws. He left and

went I don't know where."
"A little later Louis appears to have asked her to get him a certificate of
birth, for a later letter from her satisfies this request. I reproduce it word
for word as characteristic of their relations:

MANNHEIM, June 29, 1884.
DEAR Louis: You must have waited a long time for an answer. John
said to Elise that I had not yet replied to your last letter. The officials of
the court you cannot push. For my part I would have been better
pleased if they had hurried up, because it would have saved you a great
deal of time. But now I am glad that it has finally been accomplished.
After a great deal of toil, I put myself out to go to Schwetz-ingen and
see about the certificate of your birth. I know you will be glad and
satisfied to learn that you carry the name of Lingg. This is better than to
have children with two different names. He (the first husband) had you
entered as a legitimate child before we got married. I think this was the
best course, so that you will not worry and reproach me. Such a
certificate of birth is no disgrace, and you can show it.
I felt offended that you took no notice of the "confirmation." Elise had
everything nice. Her only wish was to receive some small token from
Louis, which would have pleased her