HOAXED IN DUBLIN

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 26 May 1923, Page 24

HOAXED IN DUBLIN

LOOKING FOR DE VALERA | ADVENTURES OF AN IRISHAMERICAN rA WOTJLD-BE PEACE-MAKER. j the 12th March' was cliock full of romantic adventure for Mr. Francis Lowe, the envoy who arrived from New York * ten days previously with an assortment \ of trade samples and original peace proposals, says the Dublin correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian." Early in the day ho observed darkly to the British journalists who are staying in his hotel that within twenty-four hours he would have real live news for them, adding the request that it might bo published under the headline "Who's loony now?" He went to bed in the proud consciousness that he had kept,his word, and it was only the following morning that he reached the conclusion that some of his fellow-guests might have been rather more intimately concerned in his edventures than he had been aware. It all arose out of Mr. Lowe's desire to meet Mr. de Valera. He had reoeived from Republican headquarters a letter regretting that Mr. de Valera .would be .unable to see him. That was all it said; "An ordinary man would have been depressed, but Mr. Lowe declared that reading between the lines he felt distinctly encouraged: Before very long he was provided with much more substantial grounds for optimism. '.' At' midnight on the previous Friday, there reached him the firsji of a chain of mysterious communications. A telephone message ■ delivered to him in bed advised him to make no appointments for Sunday. This was followed late on Saturday night by a remarkable letter. It .was signed Cathal M'Haffy, a nape which nobody here remembers having heard before, and it informed Mr. Lowe that Mr. de Valera, having changed his mind, would see him on Sunday at a rendezvous half an. 1 hour's run but of Dublin, whither he would be _ taken by car.. ■ '

The procedure which Mr. Lowe was to follow was set out in minute detail. He was to leave his hotel at 11 a.m. precisely and go to a house in Merrion square by way of Harcourt street and Merrion street, "passing the offices of the Colonial Government" in Merrion street on the opposite side of tho road. He was instructed: "You will'*kindly wear a red tie and a bunch of shamrock in your buttonhole. Carry a walk-ing-stick in your left hand, and from time to time finger your horn-rimmed spectacles with the right hand. This is in order to facilitate your recognition by- our agents en route and prevent all possibility of "mistake. A description of your appearance has been circulated to Dur intelligence corps in advance, co please observe these details closely. On arriving at the door give a low whistle and ring the bell three times. Pa\jse. Then knock four times deliberately, with additional emphasis on the third knock. The door will then be opened. Walk straight in. When you are inside, but not before, ask for Mr. O'Donovan. The servant will say, 'He does not live here.' You will give the password, 'No, but Stid does.' The servant will say, 'Siki.' After that the servant will take you to a guide who will conduct you to the President. Please regard these directions as confidential and come along." Mr. Lowe was up betimes to make his preparations. He is to be pictured as setting out on the stroke of eleven complete with shamrock and with red tie—which he had some little trouble to borrow, as the shops were closed — and taking with him, on his own initiative, some specimens of the Irish music of which he is so prolific a com-

poser. He was followed at a distance by a mysterious closed cab, which kept him under observation during the journey. 'Apart from a slight deviation from the route laid down —which seemed unimportant at the time—he followed his instructions impliciJfly. The first hitch occurred when he reached, his destination, for it happened that the door was already open and a maidservant was standing on the threshold. Nevertheless, he whistled valiantly at her and at-

tempted to go on with the prescribed

ritual. It was checked abruptly by the servant, who closed the door in his face. Beginning anew, he whistled, rang, and knocked several times in succession, but in vain, nor was there any more favourable response when he called to two other domestics whom he saw washing dishes in the basement: "Say you—come , up and let me give you the sign."' Disappointed, Mr. Lowe left the house, which, as ho was afterwards to learn, is occupied by a perfectly inoffensive surgeon. He returned to his hotel still buoyant, having concluded that some unforeseen hitch had occurred to upset Mr. de Valera's arrangements, and with this one might have thought the adventure at an end. But no! Just as he was leaving the hotel in the afternoon he was fetched back hurriedly to receive another telephone message. A voice which declared that its jwner belonged to the Eepublican In- J oelligence Service conveyed the startling • news that Gathel M'Haffy, whose signa- J ture was appended to Mr. Lowe's letter of "instructions, was a renegade from the Republican cause and that a sinister ! purpose underlay those instructions, j These statements were confirmed by another document which reached Mr. Lowe in ' the evening. TVs document * called itself the "Republican Bulletin," but there is certainly something fishy aboi* j this ..particular, issue, for only a few copies seem to have been typed and circulated. '.Under the headline "A Traitor to the Republic," it gave'the text of the letter- received by. Mr. Lowe, together with this explanation: "Agents of ■ the Republican Government last night raided the rooms ■ occupied by Cathal M'Haffy and seized a number 'or documents which prove that this traitor is still posturing as a servant of the Bepublic. The following letter is published to show the depths of the infamy to which this man has sunk since his -dismissal from the Government service. It will be seen that the letter is drafted with devilish ingenuity, which quite naturally deceived the distinguished neutral ;to whom it was addressed. He is Mr. Francis J. Lowe, whose sincere and balanced proposals fir peace deserve, the attention of all right-thinking citizens. Mr. Lowe states that he, received the letter a few hours before the seizure of the duplicate which is here reproduced. The evident purpose of this letter was to decoy Mr. Lowe into a trap. He informs us that he followed out the instructions to the letter with the exception that instead of going down Merrion street he made a detour round the square. To this sagacious move he probably owes his life, for our agents have learned that an ambush had been prepared for him ip the bushes overlooking the street: A closed cab full ot armed men followed Mr. Lowe round - the square and kept him under close observation. Our agents are making every effort to trace the occupants ot the cab. Our sympathies are all wiju A-iUl'iiUlVi'^.t'" "' • ' "• ■ a'

Mr. Lowe, who is to be congratulated on his fortunate escape." Late at night Mr. Lowe's ■ mind was set.at rest by a final message informing him that the Intelligence' Department ai the Republicans and the Free State, acting in co-operation, had arrested the elusive M'Haffy, and that for the future Ho need fear no danger from any quarter whatsoever. It was a triumphant climax to the latest chapter which Mr. Lowe has contributed to "Irish Nights Entertainments."