23rd January 1909: The Tottenham Outrage
Paul Hefeld and Jacob Lepidus (or Lapidus), Latvian Bolshevik refugees, attempted to steal the payroll of a rubber factory in Tottenham, London. They killed two, including a child, and injured 21 others including seven policemen, in a six mile chase which involved the hijacking of a tram. When they were cornered Lepidus committed suicide, Hefeld was shot by the police, dying of meningitis two weeks later. This incident led to a general climate of fear of all left wing political organisations and anarchists. |