Winston Churchill (circled) at the Siege of Sidney Street in 1911

THE deadly trouble came in three separate incidents, and the finale culminated in a violent shoot-out in the heart of the East End.

The Siege of Sidney Street in 1911 saw two anarchists exchange gunfire with police officers and soldiers in front of hundreds of curious neighbours, the press, and even the home secretary, Winston Churchill.

What happened that day, and its build-up and fall-out, are the themes of a comprehensive new study by historian Andrew Whitehead.

For the author, the book led to an unexpected ending to a tragic tale.

Gun-slinging Fritz Svaars, one of the anarchists who died in the blaze that engulfed 100 Sidney Street, penned a last letter to his family, a moving goodbye. Now, more than a century after the letter was handed to detectives, Fritz’s relatives have it in their possession.

As Andrew researched the story he found the letter in police files and tracked down family members in Latvia, and flew to meet Fritz’s great-great granddaughter.

“I travelled to Riga to hand the family the letter, 112 years after it was meant to arrive,” he said.

Andrew is a historian and journalist, and brilliantly recounts the events which began with the “Tottenham Outrage”, a hold-up gone tragically wrong, perpetrated by Latvian anarchists.

They stole a factory payroll and attempts to escape turned into a violent chase, ending in four deaths – a boy, an officer and the two robbers.

Then came the murder of police officers at Houndsditch, when a family heard strange noises coming from a jewellers next door. The noise was such they went to tell a policeman.

Firefighters tackling the blaze

The unfortunate officer uncovered a gang of armed men tunnelling their way in. Once disturbed, they fired their pistols. Three police officers died, and the gang’s leader, George Gardstein, would succumb to wounds two days later, after one of his gang’s bullets hit him.

William Sokolof and Fritz Svaars were two of the robbers and they went to ground, knowing a furious manhunt was under way. They holed up at a lodging in Sidney Street, where Sokolof’s girlfriend lived. It was here they made their last stand.

Andrew’s research included meeting police officer Donald Rumbelow who had been a junior at the Snowhill station in the City in the early 70s. He found a pile of mouldy files about the case.

“He said, ‘Sarge, these are really important, we must keep them’ – but the sergeant said they were to be got rid of. Donald knew they should not be destroyed, so every day, at the end of his shift, he would take a bag of notes home.”

The files were voluminous and it took Donald months to get them into shape. He wrote a book and gave the files to the London Metropolitan Archives. The notes include witness statements, scraps of paper from officers, tips, and photographs.

Other research included translating Yiddish language anarchist newspapers, while fire brigade records cast further light. “They were told the fire was to smoke out burglars,” adds Andrew. “We still don’t know for sure how the fire started, but we do know Winston Churchill told the fire brigade not to douse the flames.”

Andrew provides a comprehensive background to Svaars’ and Sokolof’s road to Sidney Street and violent death.

“Political turmoil in Russia and Eastern Europe had brought many to seek safety in the UK,” he explains. “The 1905 Russian Revolution had spread to Latvia and had support from young intellectuals.

“It was put down with great brutality – Cossacks conducted wholesale executions and used sexual violence. In Riga there were big demonstrations and soldiers opened fire on protesters.”

The Czar’s troops represented a threat that had to be met with force, many believed. “Some felt the best way to keep alive was to fight back. They bought semi-automatic pistols and set up a militia.”

Political machinations saw the Social Democrats – a Marxist Party – back down as promises to liberalise and hold free elections materialised. Not everyone was convinced, and they turned to anarchism.

“Thousands went into exile, travelling to London, Berlin, New York,” says Andrew.

It did not mean abandoning the cause – many embarked on armed robberies to raise funds for revolutionaries back home.

“They brought Balkan politics with them. They had friends being held political prisoners, friends killed,” he says.

“They were hardened.”

The Sidney Street incident lit up the public’s imagination. “Here was a six-hour shootout taking place just three miles from Fleet Street,” says Andrew. “It meant journalists, photographers and newsreels came quickly. One publican charged them a guinea to use his roof as a vantage point.” He made around £2,500 in today’s money.

Andrew Whitehead

“The tabloids were still finding their feet, and news photography was very new,” he says. “They went mad. The Daily Mirror printed a photograph on the front page, and in that same issue there were 20 others and maps. Everything was covered, every eye witness account. There was a feeding frenzy.”

A backlash was feared as tabloids stirred up unrest against Jewish people. It was assumed the Yiddish-speaking anarchists were Jewish.

“It lead to poisonous anti-Semitism,” he says. “The People published an awful anti-Semitic cartoon and with racist doggerel to accompany it. There was pressure on the government to take action on immigration and the right to asylum.

“The government had a lot on it plate at the time – the Suffragettes, Ireland, syndicalism, the German dreadnought programme. Asquith’s Liberal Party let the fuss die down. The only change was the police upgraded their firearms.”

While there was some sympathy for those stand­ing up against the Russian empire, there was none for those who chose to shoot guns on London  streets.

Other anarchists wanted to distance themselves from the Sidney Street group, aware that it would lead to immigrants being tarred as trouble makers.

The resonance of the story today is striking as we face both anti-semitism and a demand that “something be done” about immigration.

“People spread poison but the government did not have to respond,” adds Andrew. “Many in the Liberal Party were determined not to relinquish or dilute the right of asylum. They saw this as a vital part of the British tradition of providing a safe haven for political or religious reasons. They would be deeply dismayed about the discourse around immigration today.”

• A Devilish Kind Of Courage: Anarchists, Aliens and the Siege of Sidney Street. By Andrew Whitehead. Reaktion Books, £15.99
• The Friends of Highgate Library present Andrew Whitehead talking about his book on Tuesday, May 21, 7pm, in the Chapel at Highgate Cemetery, Swain’s Lane, N6 6PJ – and on Zoom, at 7pm. No need to book to attend in person; but register to join on Zoom via Eventbrite