HOW THE TROUBLE BEGAN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1017, 5 January 1911, Page 5

HOW THE TROUBLE BEGAN.

UNSUCCESSFUL RAID, WANTED. MEN OPEN FIRE; London, January. 3.'_ On Monday night tho police, in pursuit of the criminals wanted in connection with the Houndsditch outrage, went to a house in Sidney Street, Stepney, whero they attempted to arrest a woman. They were fired upon, and compelled to withdraw. • At daylight this morning an attempt was .made by tho police to raid the houso. A force of about 700 constables had been got together, and tho block of buildings between Commercial Road, Jubilee Street, and Sidney Street was surrounded. Houndsditch Suspects. It .is believed that tlio two remaining men wanted in connection with the Houndsditch affair-known as "Peter the Fainter" and'"Fritz"—were concealed in an Anarchists' Club which had its quarters in one of tho buildings. . The police hoped to surprise tho fugitives while they were sleeping, but the attempt failed, tho occupants of the building escaping to the attics. Here they barricaded themselves, and opened firo with magazine pistols on a party of polico who had got to the back of the premises, and wero attempting to scale the walls with ladders placed in the yard of an adjoining brewery. However, ■ a fusilado from the pistols swept the yard and compelled the police to retreat. ' ! A Detective Shot. Detective Leeson placed a ladder in position, but was shot in tho 6tomach directly he appeared above the wall. The bullet which hit him is identical with those used in the fight at Houndsditch. , The detective was taken to .the London Hospital.. The polico then recreated, and every approach to the house was closed, the neighbours being confined to their houses. One Thousand Police. Polico reinforcements arrived at short intervals during the siege, and in the middle of tho morning tho force mustered a thousand strong. One party of police, fully armed, occu-' pied Martin's Buildings, opposite tho suspects' tenements; while other partios got on to neighbouring roofs, including that of the Rising Sun publichouse. A detachment of sixty Scots_ Guards, armed with rifles, was summoned from tho TJ-jwer, and occupied the ends of Sidney Street. - Kneeling, they, fired at every opportunity. Brisk Fusillade. The Anarchists maintained a brisk fusillade with automatic pistols from behind barricaded windows. The wanted men were discovered to be secreted in an attic bedroom at the. top of the building. Troopers from tho Scots Guards ascended the cooling tower of an adjoining brewery, and fired into the attic. Others took up a position in a yard facing the windows and fired from the shelter of baulks of timber, which provided natural loopholes.

Tho lower portion of tho building was now well alight', and tho windows , and woodwork were being rapidly-demolished. Defiant to the Last. Amidst tho flames and smoke arising from the doomed building men were seen on the roof. Defiant to the last, they fired indiscriminately on the polico and military. ' The finale of tho tragedy was now rapidly approaching. As the fire spread it was accompanied by n series of loud explosions, and soon after tho . besieged men took to the roof it collapsed, and those upon it were hurled down on to the burning ruins in tho interior. Tlio building was now gutted, and nothing remained but to search for the bodies, as soon as the fire brigade could extinguish tho flames sufficiently. Search for Bodies. ' Later in the afternoon tho search began, and the bodies of two men, hardly recognisable, were found in the ruins. One of tho bodies had been removed when a portion of the building fell, burying the second and injuring sis firemen, one critically. Thero aro indications that one of the men committed suicide. Another account states that six bodies have been discovered. The police are satisfied that two of tho men wanted for the Houndsditch crime perished. Tho police detained several persons, taken in the lower portion of tho building. ' Attackers' Casualties. Casualties on tho attacking side were reported as follows:—' Detective Leeson, shot in the chest, but not seriously. Detective Chesham, wounded. A sergeant of the Scots Guards, shot in the hand. A policeman, wounded in tho hand. Three civilians, wounded in the head. Six firemen, injured by a falling wall, one of them being in a critical condition. Two firemen, wounded by pistol shots. Mr. Churchill Arrives. Mr. Winston Churchill, Homo Secretary, arrived on the scene at noon. He daringly proceeded within the firing line, and surveyed the house. .Subsequently ho was persuaded to seek shelter. A rumour, that Mr. Churchill * ordered ,the house to be burnt has been authoritatively contradicted. The police arc convinced the fire was duo to the fusilado cutting the gas-pipes, or, what is likelier, that tho miscreants fired the premises to avoid capture.

Thousands of spectators watched tho spectacle. Some of them were struck by bullets. .

A desperate resistance had been expected by the polico, and before the siege began a force of hospital nurses had been stationed in- readiness to attend to any wounded.

A Daring Constable, Five or six of the fugitives were seen at tho windows. They fired alternately, and occasionally, out of dare-devilry, leant from a window for a hasty shot. A policeman borrowed a Guard's rifle, and, despite the fusillade, ran to tho house and shattered the lower windows with tho butt of the' weapon. The fire of tho Anarchists', automatic revolvers resembled tho sound of a miniaturo Gatling. Many of the police had marvellous escapes. Building Takes Firo. At one o'clock in the afternoon tho excitement increased. The building in which the Anarchists were barricaded was discovered to be on lire. The fire brigade wad summoned, and as the flames gained and the besieged men showed no signs of, emerging, tho polico half an hour later directed a rattling fire against the building. It was hoped that this would draw out the men, but there jvm no reply from them,