Anarchists in London.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 325, 4 January 1911, Page 5

Anarchists in London.

POLICE RAID PREMISES.

FUSILADE FKO.M OCCUPANTS

POLICE 1000 STRONG

■ 60 SOOTS GUARDS ASSIST

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Received January 4, 9.10 a.m

London, Yesterday. Sixty members of the Scots Guards have joined the police in an attack on Anarchists, and are using their rifles. The Anarchists are maintaining a brisk fusilade with automatic pistols behind barricaded windows. The men wanted are secreted in a bedroom on the top of the building.

Firing continues. i 2.5 p.m.- —The siege continues. The i building is nc/w on fire. ! 3.20 p.m.—A number of sheds have ■ been pulled down, the'better to isolate | the position. : Every rush by the police produced a fusilade by the fugitives who are ; roaming the building, firing from ! different windows. j The Scots Guards are in a tower \ at the occupied end of Sidney street, ! and fired kneeling at every opportu- ! nity.

! Other Guards ascended the cooling : tower of the brewery, and fired into ■ the attic. Others are stationed in the | yard, facing the windows, and fire | from the shelter of baulk' 9 of timber 1 providing a natural loophole. j Five or six fuigtives have been seen ! at the windows, firing alternatively. ! Occasionally they give a display of ; dare devilry, by leaning from the ■ window for a hasty shot. ! One policeman borrowed a Guard's ; rifle, and despite the fusilade, ran to the house and shattered tli2 lower window with the butt of the gun. The fire of the Anarchists with ■ their automatic pistols resembled a

, miniature maxim gun. Many of the police have had mar- , vellous escapes. \ 5.35 p.m.—-On Monday night the ] police attempted the arrest of a woj man at a house in Sidney street, but ! were fired upon and withdrew. They I arranged to surround the building, and | attempted to raid it at daylight, hopi ing to catch the fugitives asleep. • This manoeuvre failed, but the people inside were driven into the attic. i Meanwhile other police assailed the •■ back premises. They placed ladders in the yard adjoining the brewery, and attempted to scale the walls, but i a fusillade from the magazine pistols j swept the yard, and compelled them to retreat.

Leeson, who placed the ladder, was shot in the stomach directly he appeared above the wall. The bullet is identical with those used in the Houndsditch affray. Leeson was taken to the London Hospital.

! The police retreated, and every ap--1 proach was closed, neighbours being i ordered to remain in their houses. By the middle of the morning the police were a thousand strong. A ! party, fully armed, occupied Martin's i buildings opposite the suspects' tene- ' ment, and also the neighbouring roof, i including the Rising Sun public house. Received January 4, 9.40 a.m. London, Yesterday. i The police are surrounding the ! buildings behind the Anarchists' Club ■in Jubilee street and Commercial ; road, and reinforcements are continu-

ally arriving. It is believed that Peter, the painter, and Fritz, the remaining men wanted for the murder of the constables at Houndsditch, are concealed in the club. Revovlers are being continually fired. After the seige was in progress for some time the building took fire, the murderers being driven into the attics. The Fire Brigade was summoned to extinguish the fire. Mr Winston Churchill arrived on the scene during the progress of the fight. Detective Cheesham hai been wounded.

Thousands of spectators are watching and some have been struck by bullets. The troops kept up a continuous sniping until the roof fell in. The desperadoes replied despite the fiames. After the collapse of the roof the firemen commenced searching the ruins for bodies. The bodies of six anarchists were recovered. Four iiremen wore injured by the falling walls, and it is reported that two were shot before the building collapsed. Several arrests have been made in the neighbourhood.