BOMB OUTRAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 January 1939, Page 7

BOMB OUTRAGES

WIDESPREAD I.R.A, PLOT

POLICE PRECAUTIONS

[BY CABLE—TRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, January 18

Three sacks, containing nearly a hundredweight of dynamite and gelignite, were found fastened to a big electricity pylon carrying the main electricity supply from Manchester to Warrington over the Manchester Ship Canal at Barton. The sacks were connected by means of a wire with an alarm clock set- to go off at 6 a.m. The clock had stopped, but it started again when picked up by the police, who immediately cut the wiring. Precautions are being taken in London, where the underground railways arc guarded. Police are parading Downing Street, and several Cabinet Ministers have been given bodyguards of plain-clothes police. At Whitehall the Ministries are also being watched. A country-wide search has begun for six Irishmen who are believed to he the ringleaders. The Eire Civic Guards and the Ulster Constabulary are co-operating in an attempt to intercept two notorious terrorists who, it is believed, went io London last week. It is known that they joined four Irishmen who were on Scotland Yard’s suspect file. Detectives made house-to-house visits in the Irish colonies of Paddington and North Kensington, and also in the provinces. Many deportations are likely. North London is being combed to discover the bomb clear-ing-house. A Dublin message says a special meeting of the Eire Cabinet discussed the bombings. A spokesman declared that the Government was very perturbed. Three home-made bombs were discovered tied to the legs of a pylon at Frankley, near Birmingham, connected by a flex to a suitcase, containing an alarm clock, which stopped, preventing an explosion. The Police Pensions Association is guarding Westminster Abbey as a precaution against bombing.

ARRESTS AT MANCHESTER.

(Received January 19. 8 a.m.) LONDON, January 18.

After a night of ceaseless activity by the C.1.D., the Manchester police announced that seven men had been detained, and would appear in Court on a charge relating to the Explosives Substances Act. Meanwhile, three special officers concerned with political crime, who made nightlong inquiries in London, called at a house in northwest London, whereafter three men, believedly Irish, accompanied them to a police station, where they remained. Another outrage occurred in the. Midlands, near Coleshall, Warwickshire, where a pylon was discovered with one leg cut off. The ether was intact. Explosives attached thereto had not exploded. LATER. Seven men were charged at Manchester with “knowingly being in possession of or having under control six barrels, each containing one hundredweight of potassium chlorate, a quantity of powdered charcoal, forty sticks of gelignite, a box of candles, a solidified composition of parafin wax and potassium chlorate, and other substances, in such circumstances as to give rise to the reasonable suspicion that they did not have possession for a lawful object.” Five gave addresses in Manchester, and a sixth at Belfast. The seventh refused his name and address. All were remanded for a. week. The arrested are Michael Roy Campbell, 21, of Belfast, Patrick Deviney, 25, Jack Glenn, 23, Patrick Walsh, 32, Joseph Broderick, 30, Denis Dugan, 00, Patrick O’Connell, 23. All residing in the Manchester neighbourhood. A police superintendent gave evidence that he found literature in certain of accused’s houses. They were remanded tor a week.

Glenn protested, declaring they were not associated with the explosions. “Apparently we were arrested because we are Irish.” Campbell, on leaving the dock, shouted: “I must protest against the English occupation of Ireland.” The police intimated that they would probably ask for a further remand.

ARRESTS IN LONDON.

ARMS AND THE MEN

(Recd. Jan. 19, 11.30 a.m.). LONDON, January IS

The police arrested seven men in the London area. Later at Bow Street, Lawrence Lyon, against whom a police sergeant gave evidence that he had discovered a rifle and ammunition in his residence at Willesden, was remanded. George Brandon Kane was remanded, after evidence was given that a revolver and three cartridges were discovered under his bed. Charles James Casey was remanded after evidence that two revolvers, a pistol and 70 rounds of ammunition was found in his flat. Daniel Fitzpatrick, Jack Logue, and Francis James Burns were placed in the dock at Bow Street together. De-tective-Inspector Bridges gave evidence that they were arrested owing to what was found in a room they shared in Camden Town. Fitzpatrick said: “I am the only. one knowing anything about the stuff.”

John Francis Wharton was remaned on evidence submitted by the police, who did not specify the discoveries’in his rooms at Camden Road. Lyon. Kane and Casey were charged with being in possession of arms and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Fitzpatrick. Logue and Burns were charged with being concerned together in possession of explosives, also five copies of an I.R.A. proclamation. Wharton was charged with being in possession of an explosive substfiiice. AU were remanded until January 26. GERMAN TRESS COMMENT.

LONDON, January IS. The Berlin correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” reports that Hie Gorman newspapers give prominence to the bombing outrages. “Der Angriff” comments: “When the satiate' English read the news over their opulent breakfast tables they were in such a panic that their beefsteaks fell from their forks.”

The more serious newspapers consider the outrages represent a. new episode in Ireland's centuries-o.d fight for freedom.