SAVAGERY IN IRELAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 96, 24 April 1922, Page 5

SAVAGERY IN IRELAND.

FOURTEEN MURDERS IN BELFAST.

POLICE PATROL ATTACKED.

REBELS SEIZE MULLINGAK. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.)

LONDON. April 28.

Savagery and crime continue in Belfast, Dublin and other parte of Ireland. Fourteen were killed and twenty wounded in Belfast streets in two days, including children who were at play, women and peaceful citizens, the majority being Protestants.

.The ugliest fact is that massacres have been going on for months, and thus far not a single murderer lia<s been brought to justice. The outrages recommenced on Friday with an attack upon a patrol of seven police in Sliortstan_. Belfs.t. After several volleys the patrol located tbe snipers among chimney stacks. The •Sinn Feiners continued lo tire, the police replying until an armoured car drove up and opened fire with its machine gun. 'Hie snipers escaped, but one policeman was wounded. A liad feature was that the police could i-ce people in tbe Shortstand district s'gnaH'utg to trp concealed gunmen the positions of the Crown forces..

Sinn Keiner* aho brutally murdered Thomas Best, a youth of seventeen, bus bony being found still warn) in a doorway in Belfast Street.

Elsewhere minor outrages occurred, sometimes at the expense of the I'lsterttien, sometimes at the expense of the Cotliiurites, Nationalists, and other moderates.

Republican troops arrived at Mullingar, in Westmeatli, and seized the public ; buildings, j.ater Free State forces arI rived and demanded possesion. Thus far there hug been no collision, though large republican reinforcements are arriving. Business in Mullingar has been suspended and the inhabitants are terror stricken. Republicans raided the railway shops at Ennis and disabled the engines, no trains leaving to-day. Several other similar railway raids occurred. Sometimes the episodes were more coml'c than tragic. Armed Sinn Fein republican held ii.,. a British Kaison commission on tbe Vlster frontier, and deprived tjiem oi two motor care flying white flag-.- *

He Yaleraite troops seized the Buhbeg wireless station on tbe Donegal coast, simply informing the British naval men in charge that they required the building. The invaders provided vehicles to bake the naval men to the nearest railway station.

It is not improbable that the Dublin Provisional Government will assent ta the Labour party's demand for an enlarged peace conference, including Rory O'Connor, the Republic Army commander, as that would imply recognition of this irregular body, which is not the policy of the Free State Government.-— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) ATTEMPT TO KILL COLLINS.

OBSTACLES ON RAILWAY LINE. BULLIES OF THE NIGHT." LONDON, April 23. When Mr. Michael Collins, Minister of Finance in tbe Provisional Free State Government, was travelling to Killarney }t was discovered that the railway line had been interfered with. The train proceeded to Headfort, M'l'cre it was found that armed men had locked the gates and damaged the points. After the line had been restored the train proceeded, and on nearing Killarney a goods wagon on the line was found just in time to prevent an accident. On Mr. Collins' arrival at Killarney an officer of the Irish Republican Army, brandishing a revolver, warned him that he would not be allowed to speak. Mr. Collins and his party walked to Market Square, where they found the platform surrounded by uniform-id men amicl with rifles and revolvers. Mr. Collins had to go to a resident's bouse, and addressed a cheering crowd from the window.

The Anti-Free State Army Council has forwarded a letter to the secretary of the Dail Eiraiwi. stating the conditions on which the unity of the army may be attained. The terms include: First, the maintenance of the existing republic;' secondly, the Dail Eirann to be the only Government in the country: thirdly, the present Irish Republican army to be maintained under an elected independent executive: fourthly, no election on the issue before the country to be held until the threat of war by _:i;?land l* icmovcd.

It is improbable that the Dublin Provisional Government "ill assent to *>'0 Labour party's demand for :in enlarged peace conference, including Rory O'C.mnor, the Republican army commander, as that would imply recognition of this irregular body, v_£ch is the policy of the Free State Government.

The judges in the Dublin High Court sat without wigs, which Rory O'Connor, commandant of the Republican army, is detaining.

Two men on behalf of the Belfast Boycott Committee demanded money from the Irish Needlewprk. Company, Dublin. When this was refused they threatened to close the place. Later eight armed men appeared, cleared out the stock, and closed the shop. The company. was working on Princess Mary's trousseau when the threat wa6 mode, and the management hid her orders.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, speaking at the corporation meeting on Friday, said diabolical transactions were happening nightly. They had got rid of the British Army, but could not get rid of the Irish arnties. Tf these bullies of the night would clear out, the people would see they had peace.

Fifty armed men boarded the Ulster Steam" Navigation Company's steamer Rathlin Head, which was berthed at the North Wall. Dublin. They shot the watchman, and then set fire to the ship, which they had sprinkled with petroleum. The crew extinguished the .flames. (A. and N.Z. Cable.)

BULLET, BOMB, AND KNIFE.

AMENITIES IN BEEFAST. (Reeeiveil 1 p.niJ LONDON, April 23. Two boys and a man were wounded in York Street, Belfast, by bullets on Sunday afternoon. Three men were stabbed at Bridge End. Two bombs were thrown. ■but without causing damage, except a few broken windows. — (A. and N.Z.)