Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-05
ePEcTAcULAR AND DEADLY BAT.
TIE or POLICE AND SOLDIERS
WITH ANARCHISTS ENDS WHEN
FLAMES TRAP BANDITS.
ENTIRE POLICE FORCE
IN DESPERATE BATTLE
EMPTY RAPID FIRE
RIFLES AND REVOLVERS INTO
RANKS OF OFFICERS; KEEP UP
FIGHT UNTIL ROOF FALLS.

| London, Jan. 3.-After a desperate
battle today. with several hundred
police and soldiers and refusing to
abandon their refuge, which had been
fired, a number of robbers and their
friends went down into fiery furnace
| when the roof collapsed It was re-
ported after the fire that six bodies
had been found. Recently three police
men were killed by anarchists and
burglars Almost the entire police
force of London has since been watch
ing for the assassins and last night
| they were located in house in Sidney
street. While recommending a shot
from the house struck Sergeant Les
son in the lungs.
Reinforcements were called for and
200 men were 1T once rushed to the
scene and tight Gordon drawn about
the, place. The battle then continued,
the besieged using rapid fire rifles and
revolvers and pouring bullets into the
ranks Ut officers from windows. The
police response seemed to have no ef-
feet on the robbers and scores more
of officers were hurried in and with
them detachment of Scots guard
from the tower. After the soldiers
commenced firing there was a brief
lull on the robbers side, but they re-
sumed the fight and whenever the
officers attempted to approach they
were met by a shower of bullets from
the house.
Building Is Fired.
Meantime nurses were brought in to
care for the wounded officers and an
other company of soldiers took posi-
ton on the firing line. Machine
guns were also placed in position to
lombard the house il found necessary.
Thousands Of people flocked to the
neigh borhood and the situation be-
came so serious the onlookers were
driven back for radius of half mile
from the scene. ..
Finally piles Of straw were lighted
near the building and the flames were
communicated to the house. The fire
brigade then was summoned and di-
vided their energies between saving
the surrounding property and an at
tempt to smoke out the outlaws.
In the face of terrific odds the
trapped men continued their desperate
resistance and every few minutes ap-
peared at the windows and emptied
guns at any one in sight The flames
unquenched swept through the build
ing driving the occupants to the top
story and bursting out OF the windows.
Hard pressed the terrorists kept up
their grim fight
Terrorlsts Drop Into Seething Flames.
At 2 o'clock, the whole building was |
in flames. and the desperadoes had |
been driven to the roof from where |
they fired Unfortunately upon the !
police and soldiers below. AS the fire |
enveloped the house an explosion oc-
Cured, apparently of ammunition with
which the men seemed to have been |
we'll supplied. The roof fell in, the
last shot of the defenders had been
fred and they went down into the
seething flames. The f1remen then got !
control Of the fire and entered the
building, but there was no sign of life.
List Of Casualties Unknown.
Owing to the excitement the police
report Of the extent of the casualties
Is lacking in exactness. They show six
criminals killed in the final collapse of
their fortress, but the extent Of the
fatalities and injuries great and small
during the hours of continuous fusil-
ladies' Ia being gathered slowly as the
injured are carried away to widely
separated hospitals.
Only two bodies have been recov-
cred from the house ruins and they
have been identified as the remains OF
Peter Painter" and Dutch Fritz"
They were wanted for the assassina-
ton Of three policemen two weeks
ago. It is believed four companions
persisted with them but their remains