THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 4, 1940.
POLICE STORM FARM WITH GAS AND GUNS
AS RAYMOND WARDEN, 66-year old farmer, slumped to the floor behind the rose-decked porch of his farmhouse with a fatal gunshot wound in the temple, there ended one of the most amazing sieges Britain has known since the Battle of Sydney Street, writes Harold Whittal, special correspondent, who was under fire with the police when they besieged: Borough Farm, Itchen Stokes, Hants.
For the first time, police-all country beat". men-brought into action the methods of America's G-men-tear gas bombs, revolvers and rifles in an attack on the farmhouse in which Warden had bar- ricaded himself for eighteen hours to prevent ejec- tion for not having ploughed his land.
A young police-constable, crou- | I took in my car Police Con- ched against the wall beside the stable Ward, with slight wounds porch with a six-chambered in the leg, and Sergeant Long- revolver, had exchanged 'shot for man bleeding from the neck, to shot which flashed from the farm- a local doctor. Their injuries are house. But the police guns were not serious.. silent when the final shot was fired, and Warden hit the floor with a thud, a shotgun clattering
beside him.
Tear Gas
of
watched the final stages the siege as dawn broke, tears streaming down my cheeks from the acrid fumes of tear gas bombs which had been hurled through the window panes. The fumes filled the house, and hung all around it in the flower garden as we advanced,
Armed with rifles and revolvers, ten. police constables, headed by Inspector Hatcher, of Basingstoke,
surrounded the house,
..
We went stealthily, for the previous day Police-Constable Draper, of Ropley, had fallen wounded in the legs and arms when shots rang out as heap- proached the farm to serve an ejectment order on Warden.
Every door and window of the farmhouse was covered by the police rifles, 1914 service "sniper" models. Inspector Hatcher carri- ed a six-chambered revolver.
in, the district. The farm, which
The firing had passed unnoticed! covers flity acres and lies on the estate of Sir Anthony Tichborne, is in a lonely spot three miles from Alresford.
:
"Mr. Warden had lived at the farm all his life," a friend told me.
"He was passionately fond of the farm." Warden was a backhelor. His sister, Mrs. Ross Killy, a widow, who had lived at the farm for ten years looking after him, had left is staying at Alresford. the farm the previous night, and
scene at my brother's ejection," "I didn't want to see a tragic
with friends." she told me "so I went to stay
Ann Rutherford, Hollywood starict; gives · Hong Kong's non-evacuees a hint on how to keep fit with dumb-bells (no esoteric pun intended!). Touch the toes with the dumb-bells ten times each. The back, shoulder and hips. benefit,
seemed unreal countryside.
in the English
Police-Constable Cripps was the hero of this first attack. After the tered in he crept inside, and lis door in the porch had been bat-
tened. He heard the sound of stockinged feet behind the stair- case door.
midnight attempt.
The dawn attack followed a farm with the aid of tear gas.
to enter the
Then came a terrific concussion in the confined space as shots missed police, firemen, a news a miracle he escaped unhurt,
Several shots, which narrowly were fired through the door. By photographer and myself, were fired. }
attack was like an episode from The scene during the midnight
an American film thriller, ·
P. C. Hero
Cows in the byre bellowed with pain. Their master had not milk- ed them for hours. Chickens The creeping forward through picked their way across the line dewy grass and plants, the flashes of.fire. An old sow waddled which stabbed the darkness of away as a police officer, lying full-length between the rows of potatoes, peered through the sight of his rifle.
But there was no sign of life from the farmhouse..
Then a police-sergeant and a constable rushed forward, grabbed ladders near a window, and using them as a battering ram, smashed open the door in the porch.
Shot For Shot
Cautiously, while other officers covered the doorway with their weapons, they peered into the hall. Then a constable climbed on to the roof of the kitchen and sminshed a bedroom" window,
Suddenly shots in rapid succes- sion from the farmhouse caused us to flatten against the well,
Police-Constable Ward, a young Basingstoke officer, grabbed a revolver, and for a few seconds exchanged shot for every shot which flashed from the hall. Poking the revolver arcund.the- porch the young constable fired and then jumped back from the
nswering shot.
Locul firemen who assisted the police, dropped to the ground. I ducked behind a barrel. ..Meanwhile other officers had forced, another door, and got in-. side the farmhouse. They found an empty gas-mask case. The gos-mask had been used by War- den as a protection against the tear gas.
Sergeant Longman shouted ́ùp the staire: "Coma down!. Put down your gun, put up your hands and we won't shoot!"
+ Polica
The only reply was another burst of gun-shot: fire. Hun kom
Police Constable Ward put his helmet on a stick,pushed it around the porch entrance to draw fire. There came. another shot-and then silence. Inspector Hatcher gave the order "Cense
Lying sprawled at the foot or the staircase; we found Warden bleeding from a head-wound He was unconscious, Gently he was placed on n soft,, and later re- moved to Winchester Hospital, where he died.
the undergrowth as revolver and rifles blazed, the pungent odour of tear gas, the lowing of the cattle, the squawk of nightbirds
By the fire, it was obvious that two guns were being used in the shooting. farm-house to facilitate quick
Several times,: once aftor Inspector Hatcher, had replied to shote with his revolver, we had to fall flat on the ground as gun-shot whistled through the leaves just above us.
Once in the curly morning _w3. saw that. Warden had lit a fire, and watchers at the rear said he appeared to be making tea.
For
"IT'S SUCH A RELIEF
TO PHONE MY ORDERS
THESE HOT DAYS!":
GROCERIES, BUTCHERIES, FRUITS, GREENS AND
SUNDRIES.
THE ASIA COY.
YOUR FOOD HEADQUARTERS
Oi Kwan Bullding.“
Des Voeux Rd., Central.
Tel: 20416
22338
I DOZLER