"PETER THE PAINTER."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1206, 15 August 1911, Page 5

"PETER THE PAINTER."

A SUSPECT ARRESTED. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyrielit Perth, August 14. A Russian student working oil a farm at Kellerfcerrin, 151 miles east of rerth, has been arrested. lie is supposed to 1)9 identical with "Peter the Painter." who is wanted in connection with the Houndsditch murders in January last. The man arrested recently gavo evidence against another Hussion on a charge of stealing a gun. After being imprisoned, the other man declared that the informer was "Peter tho Taintcr." THE PRISONER IN COUET. (Eec. August 14, 9.10 p.m.) Perth, August 14. The Court was crowded to-day when August Maren, alleged to be "Peter tho Painter," was ■ charged with falsely swearing. . The case was adjourned. The authorities refuse information, although they are communicating with Scotland Yard.

AN ANARCHIST ORGANISER. A foreign resident in London, who has an extensive acquaintance with the alien population from the Baltic, some time ago gavo the following information regarding "Peter the Painter":—"Peter's real name," ho said, "is Peter Straume. Tho name he most frequently used in the past ten years is Piatkow (pronounced ratkoff). He was born in Riga thirty years ago, and was brought up by his uncle, learning tho trade of a signwriter awl scroll painter. I first met him in. London eleven years ago, when he was living in Eed Lion Street, Kingsland Road. I lived in tho lodgings with him for two months. Ho went for quietness to Queen's Buildings, Prince's Place, Gossett Street, Bethnal Green. Of very reserved maimer, he was, distinctly intellectual. Lettish was his native tongue, but he learned Lithuanian in London from immigrants. He spoke a little French and quickly acquired English, which ho could read per-, fcctly and speak colloquially, but with a distinct accent, He has always been a great organiser among the Anarchists. Ho often visited Paris, Belgium, and Switzerland. In Paris he lived in tho Rue d'Uirn and in the Eu-e Lacepede. He was a voluminous contributor to Anarchist papers published secretly in Zurich and in New York. There is no doubt that ho was one of the chief organisers of tho revolution in Russia in 1905. He returnedto Libau then and organised 'flying columns for tho Lettish Socialist revolutionary party, whose chief business was to smuggle anus into Russia. He was associated with a man Strauss, who was executed at Libau in 1906. Peter is still wanted by tho Russian police." A story was published in April that "Peter 'the Painter" was a Russian police officer who was dispatched on a mission to compel England to close- her doors against revolutionaries, and that with this object in view he sought to organise a reign of terrorism in the East End", of London.