ANARCHY IN LONDON

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10130, 5 January 1911, Page 5

ANARCHY IN LONDON

SENSATIONAL FIGHT WITH THE POLICE SOOTS GUARDS GALLED INTO REQUISITION. FUGITIVES BURP TO DEATH. (By Electric Telegraph—United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received January, 4, 9 a.m.) LONDON, January 3. A great sensation is being caused by an exciting sequel to the burglary, on 18th December, at a jeweller's shop in Houndsditch, and the subsequent killing of three policemen, the wounding of two others, and the death, supposed to have been accidental, of Goldstein, a Russian Pole with several aliases, who was one of the assailants of the police, and, as well as his comrades in crime, a member of an Anarchist organisation.

ANARCHISTS' CLUB SUR- j ROUNDED. 1 ■ .1 SEVEN HUNDRED POLICE. l HUNT FOR MURDERERS. (Received January 4, 9 a.m.) LONDON, January^. Seven hundred police are surrounding the buildings behind the Anarchist Club in Jubilee- Street and Commercial Road, and reinforcements are continually arriving. It is believed that Peter the Painter and Fritz, the remaining men wanted for the murders of tho constables at Houndsditch, are con- ' coaled in, the club. Revolvers are being continually fired. Detective Leeson has been badly grounded. ', Sixty Scots Guardß.have reinforced Hhe police. '. They are using rifle's. The- Anarchists are maintaining a brisk fusillade with automatic pistols from 'behind barricaded windows. The wanted men are secreted in a bedroom at the top of the building. After the siege had been 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. I Mr Winston Churchill, Home Secretary, has arrived on the scene. During the progress of the fighif Detective Chesham was wounded. j Thousands of, spectators are I watching the spectacle. Some of I them were struck by bullets. , The troops* kept up a continuous sniping until the roof of the building fell in. The desperados replied to the shooting despite the flames. BODIES FOUND IN THE RUINS. After the collapse of the roof the firemen commenced searching the ruins, u and .the remains- of six anarchists were discovered. , Four firemen were injured by falling walls. It'is reported'that-two ft ere shot "before the-building collapsed. , " Several arrests have been made in the neighbourhood of the scene of the exciting occurrence. SHEDS PULLED DOWN. FUGITIVE3~REPLY WITH *"* FUSILLADES. "* (Received January 4, 9.10 a.m.) ' LONDON, January 3. "•f-A number of sheds were pulled down the better to isolate the position. Every police rush produced a fusillade, the fugitives roaming about'the building and firing from different windows. The Scots Guards, who were summoned from the Tower, occupied the ends of Sidney Street. Kneeling, they fired at every opportunity. , Other Guards ascended the cooling' tower of an adjoining brewery, and fired into the attic, while others' took up a position in a yard facing the windows and fired from the shelter of baulks of timber, which provided natural loopholes. Five or six of the fugitives were seen at the windows. They fired alt6rnately, and occasionally, out of dare-deviltry, leant from a window for a hasty shot. A policeman borrowed a Guard's rifle, and, despite the fusillade, ran to the house and shattered the lower windows with the butt of the weapon. The fire of the anarchists' automatic revolvers l-esembled the sound of a miniature Gatling gun. Many of the police had marvellous escapes. WHAT PRECEDED THE FIGHT. AN ATTEMPTED ARREST. I (Received January 4, 9.15 a.m.) I LONDON, January' 3. J On Monday night last the police attempted to arrest'-a woman who I was residing in the house in Sidney Street, but •■were- fired upon. They withdrew and then arranged to surround the building. \ They attempted to raid it at daylight, hoping the fugitives would be sleeping. • The attempt failed, but they drove the fugitives to the attics. '■''■.•' ' Meanwhile, other police got to the back of the premises, placed ladders in the yard of the adjoining brewery, and attempted to scale the walls. However, a fusillade from magazine pistols; swept the yard and compelled them ; to retreat. Detective Lesson placed a ladder in position, but directly he appeal ed above the wall he was .shot in the stomach. The bullet: which hit him is identical with those used in tlie fight at Houndsditch. The detective was taken to' the London Hospital. Th 6 police then retreated, and every approach to

: the house was closed. , %->;■ The are confined to their houses. ~. The police, in the middle of the! morning, mustered a thousand strong. A party fully armed becupied Martin's buildings, opposite ' the suspects' tenements; while other parties got on to neighbouring roofs, including that of the Rising Sun public-house. FURTHER DETAILS. HOW DiD THE FIRE OCCUR? (Received January 4, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, January 3. The building took fire at one I o'clock in the afternoon, whether I from the rifle fire or otherwise is not known. Half an hour later a rattling fire was-'directed by the police and military against the building/ i with a view to drawing .out the * besieged, but the latter did not reply. ''• The windows a'n'd brickwork wore demolished. As the flames arose from the doomed building men were seen on the roof. They fired indiscriminately at the military. The fire spread. Its progress was 1 accompanied by loud explosions. . The roof then collapsed. t Tho, fire brigade extinguished the | fire after the buhumg had been guttI ed. Later in the afternoon the ruins' were searched, and the bodies of two men, hardly recognisable, were found. One had been -reTnoved when a portion of the building fell, burying the second and injuring six fire- , men, one critically. . The .other casualties' were:— Detective Leeson, shot in the chest I but not seriously. j <A sergeant of the Scots Guards, ] shot in the hand. ! -A policeman, wounded in the . hand. Three civilians, wounded in the I,head. ■ ... •.■.-,.. ■ ■■■-&;■ ■'■: ■'-■■■ J i ' A ~T,he police are satisfied that two of^'the men wanted for the 'HoundsI'dif'ch crime perished.' ■ The police.detained several persons taken in tne-lower portion of ! the building. | ' Before the siege a force of hosi pital nurses was in readiness at the i scene. , ! Mr Churchill arrived at noon, dar--1 jngly surveying the house. Subsequently he was persuaded io seek" [*-shelter. ' ... ' | '• RUMOUR DENIED. , (Received January 4, 1 p.m.) ! j ; ' LONDON, January 3. I A rumour that Mr Churchill ord- ' ered the house to be burnt has been authoritatively contradicted. The pouce are convinced the fire was due to the fusillade cutting the gaspipes, or, what is likelier, that the miscreants fired the premises to avoid capture. ' As regards the. two bodies found, there are' indications that one of the men committed- suicide.