Phil Ruff on Peter The Painter: two talks

The truth about ‘Peter the Painter’
The ‘Houndsditch Murders’ of December 1910, when five policemen were shot and three killed by Latvian anarchists, are still regarded as the single worst police murder in British history. The men responsible entered into East London folklore when they took on Winston Churchill and the British Army in ‘The Siege of Sidney Street’.  But no one ever accounted for the mysterious leader of the gang: ‘Peter the Painter’. Phil Ruff reveals the violent events in London to be part of a much bigger story of class war, revolution and survival. 
Organised by: Phil Ruff Saturday 24th October 2009 http://www.anarchistbookfair.org/whatson.html
Queen Mary & Westfield College, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS. (time to be announced)

The Siege of Sidney Street: A talk by Philip Ruff

"On 16th December 1910 five City of London policemen were shot and three of them killed, when they were called to investigate suspicious noises coming from a property adjacent to a jeweller’s shop in Houndsditch. The “Houndsditch Murders” are still regarded today as the single worst police murder in British history. The Latvian anarchists held responsible entered into East London folklore when, trapped inside a house in Stepney, they took on Winston Churchill and the British Army in 'The Siege of Sidney Street'. Two died, but no one ever accounted for the mysterious 'Peter the Painter', popularly supposed to be the leader of the gang and to have escaped the burning house during the battle.
 
"Philip Ruff’s detective work in Latvia since 1988 has resulted in proof positive on the real identity of Peter the Painter and unearthed the real story of his life and revolutionary career. But more than that, he has opened window on the hitherto unknown history of Latvian anarchism and of the 1905 revolution in the Baltic which gave rise to it. This wider story reveals the violent events in London – shocking as they may appear – to be part of a much bigger story of class war, revolution and survival.
 
"Philip is a historian of the anarchist movement. His book on the true identity of Peter the Painter will be published next year."

Tuesday September 22, 7.30pm at The Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Place, North Soho, London W1 (off Oxford Street, near Tottenham Court Road underground station).
Entrance fee: £3 www.sohemians.net