1940-10-04 — Page 41

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

I 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,

in the district. The farm, which;

The firing had passed unnoticed covers fifty acres and lies on the estate of Sir Anthony Tichborne, is in a lonely spot three miles from Alresford.

a

"Mr. Warden had lived at the farm all his life," 'friend told mc.. "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 the farm the previous night, and

Armed with rifles and revolvers,s staying at Alresford. 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 he ap- 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.

Cows in the byre bellowed with pain. Their master had not mill-

"I didn't want to see a tragic scene at my brother's ejection," she told me "so I went to stay with friends."

The dawn attack followed a midnight attempt to enter the farm with the aid of tear gas.

Several shots, which narrowly missed police, firemen, a news

fired. photographer and myself, were

The scene during the midnight attack was like an episode from an American film thriller,

P. C. Hero

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 stubbed the darkness of away as a police officer, lying the undergrowth as revolver and full-length between the rows of rifles blazed, the pungent odour potatoes, peered through

the of tear gas, the lowing of the sight of his rifle.

cattle, the squawk of nightbirds

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

s weapons, they peered into the - hall. Then a constable climbed on to the roof of the kitchen and smashed a bedroom window..'

Suddenly shots in rap.d 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 hail. Poking the revolver around the porch the young constable fired and then jumped back from the answering shot.

Local Tiremen who assisted the police, dropped to the ground. 'I ducked behind a barrel.

** Meanwhile other " officers had forced another dopt, and got in- side the farmhouse. They found an empty gas-mask case. The gas-mask had been used by War- den as, a protection, against the teur gas

Police Sergeant Longman shouted up the stairs: "Come down! Put down your gun, put up your hands and, we won't shoot!!!

The only reply was another burst of gun-shot fire, ....

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 firo

Lying sprawled at the foot of the staircase we found: Warden bleeding from a head-wound. Ha was unconsciou Gently he was

and later re nove

Winchester Hospital,

die

Ann Rutherford, Hollywood starlet, gives Hong Kong's

non-evacuees a hint on how to keep fit with dumb-bells (no esoteric pun intended!). Touch

with the the toes dumb-bells ten times each. The back, shoulder and hips bonefit,

seemed unreal in the English countryside.

Police-Constable Cripp's was the hero of this first attack. After the door in the porch had been bat- tered in he crept inside, and lis- tened. He heard the sound of stockinged feet behind the stair- case 'door.

Then came a terrific concussion in the confined space as shots were fired through the door. By a miracle he escaped unhurt.

By the fire, it was obvious that. two guns were being used in the farm-house to facilitate quick shooting.

For

"IT'S SUCH A RELIEF TO PHONE MY ORDER

THESE HOT DAYS!”