A SYDNEY SENSATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 20

A SYDNEY SENSATION.

CHINAMAN RUNS AMOK. FIFTEEN PEOPLE WOUNDED. MANIAC. SHOT DEAD. 'SYDNEY, June 2. An armed Chinaman ran amok. He entered a Chinese Christian church in the city, lighted two small smoke boxes, and when the fumes filled the church he drew a revolver and fired indiscriminately at the oongregation. Nobody was struck, but a panic ensued. The congregation climbed through the windows on to the verandah roof. The lunatic leaned out of a window and fired again, wounding two Chinamen and missing Mr Dyson, a European, who was conducting the service. The noise and smoke caused an alarm of fire' to be given. The fire engines were quicldv on the scene, but were met with, a fusillade of bullets, none of them, fortunately, taking effect. The madman then bolted, pursued by a crowd, on whom he turned and fired. He escaped Up a laneway, where he barricaded himself in a house. The police and firemen, with a searchlight, occupied a neighbouring house, and a battle of revolver! was kept up from 8 o'clock last night, the Chinaman possessing a large quantity of ammunition.

Altogether 15 people were wounded, 10 of them being now in hospital, three seriously injured. The lunatic is still holding the besiegers at bay. A tremendous crowd witnessed the last stage of the siege of the Chinaman. Hia ,' refuge was a small weatherboard cottage in East street, in the centre of the Chinese quarters. The police kept up' a heavy fusillade with rifles and revolvers, and to this the madman frequently replied. The fire brigade got several hoses to work, but in attempting to secure a better position two firemen were shot, though not severely injured. The siege- continued till 10 o'clock, when, after pouring in great quantities of water, the police made a, sudden rush and burst the door. A civilian accompanying them shot the Chinaman through the head, and he dropped dead. The two firemen who were shot moke, the total number of victims 17; most are slightly wounded. • Preparations had been. made to bomb the maniac out, but the final rush made this unnecessary. Pres» representatives, running the gauntlet of several bullets, participated in the final rush.

A returned soldier named Ryan,' borrowing a police revolver, and -waving asidte their admonitions to be cautious, rushed the Chinaman, who fired two shots bvi missed Ryan, who, with a single shot, killed the desperado. The latter had kept the police at bay for 15 hours.