The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-01-05
BATTLE IN LONDON
POLICE AND CRIMINALS FIGHT
FOR HOURS IN DEADLY
STRUGGLE.
REFUGE FIRED AND DESTROYED
Outlaws Refuse to Surrender and
Perish-Six Bodies Found-Four
Story Building in Center of City
Surrounded by Police and Soldiers.

London, Jan. 4.-CriminaIs desig-
mated as anarchists by the authori.
ties, stood siege of hours from
nearly thousand police and soldiers
in the heart of London. The anarch.
lists refused to surrender and died
when their refuge, four-story build
ing. was destroyed by fire.
Six bodies were found in the ruins
Police. firemen and spectators were
injured by the bullets of the besieged
The men in the house were sus-
pected of the Hounds Ditch murder
rhis murder is asserted to have been
the work of anarchists. Three police.
men were killed. Since this murder
the entire London police department
ias been on the lookout for the slay-
ers. The building at which the fight
took place was one of several under
surveillance. 1t was in Sydney
street, a narrow thoroughfare almost
n the center of the city.
Fired on a Picket.
The trouble began when a detective
sergeant who was watching the place
was fired on from a window and shot
through the lungs. In an incredibly
short time a Gordon of police armed
with revolvers approached the house
and was met with volley from rap
ld-fire revolvers.
Police superintendent Ottaway took
charge of the re-enforcements, and
police from the various parts of the
city poured in and took up positions
commanding the house.
Whenever the officers approached a
volley OF bullets spattered the pave
ment and roads. detachment of
sixty men with one officer and three
non-commissioned officers of the Scots
Guards sresa the Tower arrived later
and we're served with ball cartridges.
they fired round after round into the
building. There was lull for five
minutes and then the beseiged re-
piled
The soldiers kept up a fusillade di-
rected at the windows of the house.
and the men within responded con.
tinuously. Meantime loads of straw
were hurried to the place for the pur-
pose of starting fire and smoking
out the besieged men
Piles of straw were lighted near
the building, and the flames soon
communicated to the house. The fire
brigade was then summoned and di-
>yided it's energies between putting
out the blaze and trying to flood out
the outlaws by streams of water
thrown through the windows.
The flames, unquenched, swept up
through the building, driving the oc.
cupants to the top story. and bursting
out of the windows Hard pressed.
the terTorists kept up the grim fight
Vt 2 o'clock the whole building was
n flames, and the desperadoes lad
been driven from within to the roof,
rom where they fired upon the police
and the soldiers below.
Up to the time that the roof gave
way the firemen had made not serious
attempt to stay the flames, but when
Il vas seen that cremation only
awaited the occupants of the house
Police Inspector Mccarthy crept
throrgh the narrow street and forced
the front door. There was no sign
from thin. The last shot of the de.
fende had been fired. Firemen
broug up a hose and presently were
able to enter the ground floor The
place was flooded and a search for
its occupants began.