BELFAST FEUD.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17460, 22 May 1922, Page 7

BELFAST FEUD.

AN ORGY OF CRIME. MURDER AND INCENDIARISM. \->y Cablo—Press Association —Copviigit.) (Australian ird X.Z. Cable Association.) LOXEON", May 19. Incendiaries set on firs six w;ire!ou=es in widely separated areas of' Belfast between 7 o'clock and 9 o'clock this morning. A clothing factory was destroyed, find other buildings were heavily damaged. When the i>rcniisos were opened for business this morning, armed prangs entered the warehouses and held up the staffs. Petrol was sprinkled throughout the buildings, which were then set on fire. Detective Ileslop. while fo'l nvhig four men who had raided a. shop in Belfast, was shot dead after effecting one arrest . A public-house was burned down, -'md two houses partially destroyed by firs in South Darrow. Ail the outrage? against'. Catholics are liolieved to be reprisals for recent murder.* of police constables in Belfast. Armed gan.es, apparently seeking Protestant workers in a cooperage works in Dslfnst, sfiot frur men, two or them fatally. This is believed t-o be a reprisal for yesterday's shootings. Later. Dunne: the afternoon nine men entered Garrett and Little's cooperage works, where tliev found five coopers working. They demanded t6 know the religion of each man. They shot four Protestants named Murphy, Maxwell, Patterson, and Boyd, and left the fifth, who was a Catholic, alone. The situation in Belfast is very grave, and the people are in a state of apprehension. The polico and troops arc patrolling the streets in strong force. There were eight further incendiary 'fires during Friday night. Maxwell, ono of the men wounded in the cooperage works raid, has succumbed. John Conolly was shot dead in a tim!»er yard in Cork street. (Received May 21st. 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 21. During a street figlib between gunmen and Crown forces p. woman, aged twenty, and a child, aged three, were shot, dead, and two others mortally j woundedRAIDS IN ULSTER COUNTIES. CAMPAIGN OP DESTRUCTION.

(Received May 21st, 5.5 p.m.)LONDON, May 20. Sinn Feiners are operating on an extensive scale in County Antrim. They destroyed the railway at Dunley, cut telegraph wires, and seized or blew tp police barracks at Glenarm, Martinstown, , Garnlough, Cushcndall, and Ruthkenny. They raided several post offices, and blocked roads with boulders. They burned down Lord O'Neill's seat, Shane Castle, situated on the shores,of Lough Neagli. Neighbours ■rescued Lady O'Neill. Both dhe and her husband are elderly. The attackers arrived from Tyrone in boats, held up the inmates of the castle, and sprinkled petrol through the building, which, was soon a blazing furnace. No, fire brigade was available within miles, and little was saved. Similar raids were made in County Down. Several railway stations were attacked. The raiders burned Galgorm Castle, «it Ballymena, and razed the Baroness De Ros's residence, Old Court Castle, at Downpatrick. They also destroyed police barracks at Castle Wellan. Three or the attackers were killed and seven wounded. i (Received May 21st, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 21. The outrages were the result off simultaneous Republican risings in Down and Antrim, which are now completely isolated. Telegraph wires have been cut, bridges destroyed, railways torn up, and railway stations, post offices, and police barracks attacked. The outrages occurred in Roman Catholic and mixed centres. The Loyalist centres were not affected. The destruction of Shanes' Castle was carried out at two o'clock in the morning when Lord and Lady O'Neill wore in bed. The former, aged eighty-two, is the father of the Sneaker of the Ulster Parliament. He had to be carried out on a stretcher. He wept as he saw the l>eautifiil onstle, cntaining many historic pictures and treasures, blazing. During the fighting in Antrim a special constable, named McNeill, was killed. The police defended the barracks heroically.. The raiders broke through a wall of the barracks at Martinstown and threw bombs, but were eventually beaten off. The Cushendall police defended their barracks for four hours against 150 rebels, who had possession of the village, the residents of which were panic-striken. The rebels burned a branch bank and carried off the pest office instruments. The residence of Mr Ronald McNeill, a Unionist" member of the House of Commons, at Cushenden, was burned, and many valuables destroyed. A military officer motoring with his wife to Ballykinder, ran into an ambush. The wife was killed and the officer picked up later iinconscious. The Ulster < Cabinet : officially announces .that the necessary steps to cope with the situation have been decidcd" N upon after consultation with the military and pohcb authorities.