Jules Bonnot

Jules Bonnot (October 14, 1876 – April 28, 1912) was a French illegalist famous for his involvement in a criminal anarchist organization dubbed "The Bonnot Gang" by the French press. He viewed himself as a professional and avoided bloodshed, preferring to outwit his targets. Often posing as a businessman, his taste in expensive clothing earned him the pseudonym "Le Bourgeois" among comrades.

Bonnot was born on October 14, 1876 in Pont-de-Roide, a town in Doubs, France (the same département in which anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was born). At the age of five, his mother died, leaving Bonnot in the care of his father (a factory worker) and grandmother.

As a teenager, Bonnot served time in prison on two occasions (the latter, for assaulting a police officer) and was compelled to leave his work at the factory after being accused of stealing copper shavings.

At the age of 21, Bonnot was conscripted for service in France's infantry, where he served three years as a truck auto mechanic. He was an excellent rifleman and left the army as a corporal first class.

Bonnot was married to Sophie-Louise Burdet in August 1901, but soon ran into problems at work. He associated with anarchists and was blacklisted as an agitator. After moving to Geneva, Bonnot acquired a job, but was fired after he hit his boss with an iron bar. In 1907, Sophie left Bonnot, taking their child with her.

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