Jean-Pierre François

Jean-Pierre François, nicknamed 'Francis', (3 December 1855, in Reims-after 1907) was a carpenter and individualist-illegalist anarchist terrorist. After a youth marked by poverty and repeated criminal convictions, he was sent to a disciplinary battalion in French Algeria, where he was again imprisoned for theft. Upon his return to the métropole, he married the anarchist activist Victorine Delanoy, and together they became involved in Parisian anarchist circles.

Close to figures such as Théodule Meunier and Pierre Martinet—one of the leading theorists of individualist anarchism—François became active in several anarchist movements and groups, including the Pieds plats group. He is best known for his participation during the Ère des attentats (1892–1894). In this context, he took part in the Véry bombing, which targeted its owner, Jean-Marie Véry, an informant for the police and the denouncer of Ravachol. Arrested shortly thereafter, he managed to be freed and fled to London, where he was arrested again. During his detention, Louise Michel or Peter Kropotkin intervened on his behalf for his release. Extradited back to France, he was acquitted in 1893.

After his acquittal, François remained an active participant in the anarchist movement, engaging in actions up until the early twentieth century and being accused of other bombings he may have committed—for instance, a bomb attack against two police officers in 1905. Overall, while he was convicted several times, he systematically escaped any sentence or even conviction in terrorism related cases.

Biography

Youth and anarchist trajectory Jean-Pierre François was born on 3 December 1855 in Reims. A carpenter, he left the city in 1872. In the following years, he was frequently convicted for acts of theft or vagrancy. His convictions, in chronological order, include: François developed a close friendship with Martinet, who visited him every Sunday with his two dogs, occasionally accompanied by a “young” companion whom François referred to as “Madame Martinet”. who alerted the café’s owner, the very Jean Marie Véry. Véry then informed the police, leading to Ravachol’s arrest. Authorities heightened security around the restaurant, fearing retaliation. François openly condemned Lhérot and Véry’s collaboration with the police. At a meeting of the International Anarchist Circle on 10 April 1892, he declared: —in a suitcase left at the Véry restaurant. The explosion killed Véry and another person. In response to the attack, the anarchist newspaper Le Père Peinard published an harsh pun targeting the slain owner:

Legal proceedings and arrest On 27 April 1892, François was arrested at the Africain bar on 6 Boulevard de Sébastopol alongside another militant named Lapeyre.

Despite these efforts, François was extradited to France on 1 December 1892. —whom he accused of being a 'chatterbox and jester'. During this period, he threatened to go to the Labour Exchange and open fire on anyone who tried to stop him from speaking.

In February 1894, Delanoy, François, and their son attended an anarchist meeting at the Temple Hall. According to police, days later, he visited the grave of Auguste Vaillant—executed on 5 February 1894—and made his son swear: ‘Vaillant, you will be avenged!’ over the tomb. After his arrest, he denied these accusations. He was searched again on 26 February 1894, but no incriminating evidence was found.

On 5 March 1894, police arrested François at his home. He refused to open the door, insulted the police commissaire, and declared:

Officers were forced to call a locksmith and break down two doors to arrest him. As they seized him, he struggled violently and shouted:

He was sentenced to three months in prison on 24 April 1894 for insulting the police commissaire. During his incarceration, his home was raided again, and Delanoy was evicted. When she visited him in prison, he passed her a letter, sparking a clash with guards.

In July 1896, the couple discreetly relocated and clashed with their building’s concierge, giving him a few ‘shoves’. His wife, however, reported them to the police. François was arrested for attempting to leave his residence without permission—after being beaten by officers—while Delanoy and an anarchist comrade, Lefèvre, were also detained. François received a two-month sentence, and Delanoy eight days.

On 1 February 1905, during a socialist rally against the Tsar, a bomb was thrown at police in the Tivoli-Vauxhall bombing, injuring two Republican Guards. François, seated at a nearby café terrace, was arrested but later cleared of charges.

On 20 January 1907, he was arrested during a protest for weekly rest days after allegedly insulting a corporal at Place de la République. He was acquitted.