TRAPPED BY GAMBLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20427, 2 December 1929, Page 13

TRAPPED BY GAMBLERS.

POLICE RAID iIN CALCUTJ& DANGEROUS CROWD BEATEN,] SUCCESSFUL FIGHT FOR SAFETY# [From our own correspondent.] BOMBAY, Oct. 22. The thrilling story of how a European police officer and a party of 17 men were trapped in one of Calcutta's worst gambling dens and had to fight their way" out, narrowly escaping death, shows the spirit of the Indian force, and indicates tha reason for the remarkable peace which reigns in India's vast cities. On the night of Friday; Octobor 18, Mr. C. S. Buekner. a police superintend-! ent, received word that gambling was going on at a certain house known to ba frequented by "high-stake" men. As Friday was pay day Mr. Buekner believed that the stakes would, -therefore, be high, and he decided to raid the house immiidU ately. Two motor-lorries were sent for and Mr* Buekner and an assistant Mr. Paul, with 16 Indian constables,, clambered into one and 20 more men into the second. The second was to follow tha first after an interval of two minutes. Tha men were instructed that, led by 'Mr .Buekner himself, the first party should enter the den, arrest all persons found in it and collect evidence. The men in tha second lorry were to arrive after the housa had been entered and form a cordon round it to prevent anyone escaping. On the arrival of the first party it was considered advisable to send for reinforcements, so one man was sent away. Mr.Buekner, his assistant and the 15 men then crept up to the house and rushed it* They found 15 men in the gambling room.! These men showed fight and at the same time a crowd of workmen surrounded the building and entered from all sides, Tha raid had been anticipated and the littlq party of police were trapped in a-hole from which they would be lucky to esdapa with their liyes. Police in a Tight Corner. The 15 men actually in the room were quickly overcome but all exit was cut off and suddenly heavy tiles began ' to rain from the roof. Gamblers outside had been ready to strip the roof and only the fear of killing their fellows prevented them annihilating the police, in a few minutes. Tha prisoners were herded into jona corner and the police crouched\into whatever shelter they could find, hoping every minute that the second lorry load would arrive and attack the crowd in the rear. But the second lorry had broken down a mile away and the men were laboriously trudging along the road-. wny toward their objective. Inside the house persistant attacks"wer« being made on the door of the ''room and Mr. Buekner realised thr s t the time had come for desperate measures id ba taken if they were ever- to leave..the building at all. Accordingly, lea\jing their prisoners, they all made a dash'for j the roadway. The superintendent and his assistant reached the verandah but had to return as the men failed to get away from the room. A second sally was more successful and the entire party reached the roadway where they found a dangerous crowd of over 200 men armed with pointed stakes and other weapons waiting for «hem.To reach the lorry they had to fight their way down a narrow la noway, packed with men, but the heavy odds wera tackled, and finally some of them got through, dragging the others who had been so severely wounded that they could not move. Arrival of Reinforcements. As the party reached the safety of tha lorry the reinforcements which had beea summoned arrived, dashed into thil building, and made 50 arrests. Twelve at least of the men will stand their trial on serious charges. Mr. Buekner was so badly wounded that he did not recover consciousness for two hours. He had sustained bruises all over his body and a severe gash on his right Leg. His helmet, pierced by - tha sharp point; of a stake, had probably, saved his life. Mr. Paul /was severely wounded in tho head, and is in hospital in a serious condition, and every one of the' constables engaged in the raid sastained severe head wounds and bruises. Later, when the police, :i_n< augmented numbers, visited the area, it was found that almost all the inhabitants had ab' sconded in haste. There is little doubt but that the news, of the raid had leaked out and a death trap had been prepared for the raiders. Insufficient allowance, however, had been made for the pluck ar.d bravery of tho leader and each of i liis men.