Jacob Lapidus managed to climb over the fence and get on to the railway. He crossed the railway lines on to a building site, with civilians and police still in pursuit. These included PS Hart and PC Zeithing. He fired at PC Zeithing, missed, and the bullet entered the chest of Frederick Mortimer, a builder who had thrown a brick at Jacob, missing its target.

Still firing his gun, Jacob ran from Beech Hall Road, across fields bordering Preston Avenue, to the rear of The Royal Oak Public House where he crept behind a hedge bordering some cottages. With PC Hart close behind him, Jacob leapt over the hedge of Oak Cottage, the home of Charles and Eliza Rolstone and their children.

Mrs Rolstone was at her front gate, having heard the police whistles and wondering what all the commotion was about, when a policeman ordered her and her neighbours to go back into their homes and lock themselves in because there was a murderer on the loose. However, she could not get back inside because her front door and the door of the cottage's lean-to had been locked. As she pushed the lean-to door she saw through the building's window a wild-eyed bloodstained face staring back at her. She could hear her children screaming inside the house and her dog, which was chained up in the back yard, barking furiously.

Hearing Mrs Rolstone's frantic cries for her children, the pursuers, carrying chunks of wood, poles, and even guns, converged upon Oak Cottage. Jacob, panicking, attempted to climb the parlour chimney and failed, bringing down a deluge of soot. Threatening the children with being shot (the eldest being only 6 years of age), he went into the front bedroom of the cottage and was seen at the window peering round a curtain. The window panes and much of the Rolstones' possessions were shattered by the bullets being fired by Thomas Brown and the other pursuers. Jacob was asked to surrender three times but responded each time with more gunfire.

Armed policemen Detective Dixon and plain clothes PC Charles Eagles attempted to flush out Jacob with the aid of the Rolstones' dog. Together with PC Cater and Thomas Brown, they called once more to Jacob to surrender, and hearing no reply they cautiously ascended the staircase. They were keenly aware that if Jacob fired upon them, they would have no escape on the narrow staircase. To find out what happened next, buy OUTRAGE! An Edwardian Tragedy.