u will
scarcely be surprised to hear that these monstrous, wicked, and
disreputable doctrines are becoming popular; that murder and rapine are
eagerly looked forward to under such names as Socialism, revolution, co-
operation, profit-sharing, and the like; and that the leaders of the sect
are dangerous to the last degree. Such a leader you now see before you.
Now I must tell you that these Socialist or Co-operationist incendiaries
are banded together into three principal societies, and that the prisoner
at the bar belongs to one if not two of these, and is striving, hitherto
in vain, for admittance into the third and most dangerous. The
Federationist League and the International Federation, to one or both of
which this man belongs, are dangerous and malevolent associations; but
they do not apply so strict a test of membership as the third body, the
Fabian Democratic Parliamentary League, which exacts from every applicant
a proof of some special deed of ferocity before admission, the most
guilty of their champions veiling their crimes under the specious
pretexts of vegetarianism, the scientific investigation of supernatural
phenomena, vulgarly called ghost-catching, political economy, and other
occult and dull studies. But though not yet admitted a neophyte of this
body, the prisoner has taken one necessary step towards initiation, in
learning the special language spoken at all the meetings of these
incendiaries: for this body differs from the other two in using a sort of
cant language or thieves' Latin, so as to prevent their deliberations
from becoming known outside their unholy brotherhood. Examples of this
will be given you by the witnesses, which I will ask you to note
carefully as indications of the dangerous and widespread nature of the
conspiracy. I call Constable Potlegoff.

[CONSTABLE POTLEGOFF _sworn_.

_Mr. H_. Have you seen the prisoner before?

_Pot_. Yes.

_Mr. H_. Where?

_Pot_. At Beadon Road, Hammersmith.

_Mr. H_. What was he doing there?

_Pot_. He was standing on a stool surrounded by a dense crowd.

_Mr. H_. What else?

_Pot_. He was speaking to them in a loud tone of voice.

_Mr. H_. You say it was a dense crowd: how dense? Would it have been
easy for any one to pass through the crowd?

_Pot_. It would have been impossible. I could not have got anywhere
near him without using my truncheon--which I have a right to do.

_Mr. H_. Is Beadon Road a frequented thoroughfar