MAD ANARCHISTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1168, 1 July 1911, Page 3

MAD ANARCHISTS.

A FIERCE AFFRAY. Some graphic particulars are sent by Router's St. Petersburg correspondent of tho. fight with Anarchists which occurred at Lodz en Easter Sunday. The police ascertained that four notorious criminals had housed themselves in a building situated at the corner of Widzewska and Pusta Streets. Among tho exploits of the band to which these men belonged were various murders of policemen and gendarmes, robberies of all kinds, and the holding up of railway trains. • ' . ' -Two companies of infantry and a large detachment of police surrounded tho house at an enrly hour in tho morning. Most of the inmates belonged to tho honest working class. At half-past four they were awakened and ordered by the police to leave the building. Many of them left behind them what small valuables they possessed. ■ Immediately afterwards the chief of the secret police, accompanied by three police officers, entered the building, and knocked at the door of the flat of the first flcor where the criminals were staying. They called upon the men to surrender. The answer was a hot revolver fire, necessitating a hasty exit and tho adoption of more stringent measures. _ _ A regular siege began. The principal room in tho flat looked out on to the street, and possessed a balcony. A furious fusillade was exchanged for some hours, tho besiegers firing seme 6000 shots and the besiered 2000. Suddenly, through one of the windows, it was seen that fire had broken out. Firo engines were summoned, but could not approach tho building ,owing to the incessant shooting. Soldiers and police were posted at the windows facing the doomed house, and poured volley after volley into the burning room. Tho answering firo became weaker by degrees, and eventually one of the bandits, with a Browning revolver in ono' hand and a cashbox in the other, showed himself on tho roof of a neighbouring bouse. He was laid low by two shots in the chest. His accomplices bad evidently perished. They had committed suicide at the last extremity. Ono and all had shot themselves through the mouth. Apart from -this, all the three bad been wounded by rifle bullets.

Some of the accounts received from Lodz state that the police themselves set fire to the house. According to other versions, three of the Anarchists were so incensed against their loader Dluzniewskv when they found that their fate was" sealed that they poured spirit over him and sot fire to him. Dluzniowsky at once shot himself, but. the flames spread and enveloped the whole house. It is said, that the Anarchists had nearly .£6OOO with them. The whole amount was lost in tho conflagration.