“PETER THE PAINTER ”

Evening Star, Issue 19444, 30 December 1926, Page 8

“PETER THE PAINTER ”

IS HE STILL ALIVE? POLICE CHIEF’S THRILLING ( MEMORIES. Is “Peter the Painter,” one of the heroes of the notorious siege of Sidney street, still alive and well? The secret police of the entire world have been unable to ascertain how this amazing criminal escaped from England, or what became of him afterwards. It is known that he got away, and there knowledge ends. This is one of the , many remarkable facts vouched for by Sir William NottBower, Commissioner of Police for the City ;of London up to his retirement a year ago, in his book, ‘Fifty-two Years a Policeman.’

Sir. William’s book is a collection of genuine thrills, the most fascinating of which is concerned with the activities of the armed Russian desperadoes of Hon ndsd itch.

Sir William states _ quite definitely that “Peter the Painter” and two others escaped to France, ■ Gardstein, the loader of the gang amd an intimate associate of Malatosta, the notorious Italian anarchist, was accidentally killed by his confederates when firing on the police, while Jacob Peters, who was acquitted at tho Old Bailey, became an active member of rho Cheka, the Soviet terrorist organisation. But of tho later history of_ Peter Piakon, alias “Peter the Rainier,” there is no word, official or otherwise. If he is dead he carried his secrets with him; if he is alivo he has chosen a veil of anonymity which the police and secret agents of the world have been unable to penetrate. Two squads of the Guards, it will be recalled; took part in the siege of the house in Sidney street which followed tho police murders, and a battery of Horse Artillery arrived, but was not required. Mr Churchill, the then Home Secretary. also turned, up, and Sir 'William defends his muchcriticised visit. He denies that the Homo Secretary ever interfered by givimg “orders” to the police, and says that Mr Churchill’s presence gave the members of the force a feeling of support and of confidence which was highly valued at such a time. PEACE’S CELL SERMONS. Sir William was chief constable at Leeds when “ tho life-long burglar, multiple murderer, and arch-hypocrite ” Charles Peace was brought to the scaffold at Armley Gaol. Whilst in custody in the police cells under the Leeds Town Hall Pence never seemed to lose his vitality or his hypocrisy. Ho constantly gave advice to his warders, pointed to his own horrible example, beseeching them to take warning by it and lead good lives—in fact, he preached far better sermons than are often heard in church. He had a most extraordinary power of Facial expression, and a favorite amusement of his was to put his head out of the coll, saying to his warder; “ Now take a good look at ino so' that you can be sure of identifying me.” He would then withdraw his head, looking out again a moment later, his faco completely changed, and saying: “Now, ns an honest man, will you swear to me?” Sir 'William expresses the view that probably the most repulsive crimes with which the police have to deal arc those of slow and secret poisoning, and ho prefaces a chapter on the cases of Mrs Maybrick and two other women by saying : , ' , . “It seems strange that crimes so odious are so frequently perpetrated, by women, who, ‘when pain and anguish wring the brow,’ are, almost without exception, ‘ministering angels,’ hot who, when they _ adjure the love and tenderness ,of their sex, seem to become the nearest approach to devils that tho human mind can conceive, and kill, with prolonged and aggravated tortpre,. those who are nearest, and should "bo dearest, to them.” Airs Maybrick, wo are told, was a good-looking woman, of ladylike appearance, beautifully dressed in deep mourning, with a musical voice and an agreeable and very pathetic manner. These combined to win tbq sympathy of the crowd, whoso reception of her was in remarkable contrast of that awarded a year nr two_ earlier to Airs Flanagan and Airs Higgins, two low-class and rather repulsive-looking women prisoners who were hanged. G.O.M.’S MYSTERY LETTER. It is not only of dreadful doings and terrible men and women that Sir William writes. Hero arc stories! of Air Gladstone and Lord Haldane. As chief constable of Leeds Sir William made certain arrangements on the occasion of a visit by “ The Grand Old Alan ” “ I received a letter from Air Gladstone which I found to consist of several closely-written pagfcs, filled with an elaborate discussion as to the relative value of the ethical systems of Aristotle and Bishop Butler. . . . “ Afy doubts were solved the same day by receiving from a well-known Oxford professor a very warm letter of thanks which bad been addressed _ to him from Air Gladstone for the services I bad rendered to him in Leeds. So I was able to forward the letter which had come to 1 me to its intended recipient.” Sir William's meeting with Lord Haldane was at the House of Commons some time before tho outbreak of war. A conference was being held to consider police precautions if war should arise “What made the greatest impression on my mind was the clear and decided view expressed by Lord Haldane ns to tho practical certainty of early attack from Germany and tho paramount necessity of being prepared for it. No one who (as I did then) board his strongly-expressed opinion and his urgent desire for preparation could ever have been foolish enough to suspect him of tho very smallest sympathy with Germany or with German aims, and must have realised to the full how earnestly and whole-heartedly he was thinking of working to counteract the German danger.” <c I cannot agree with Gilbert that a policeman’s life is not a happy one,” concludes Sir William, who throughout a. half-century of association with some of the world’s worst men and women has not lost the sense of humor.