Ireland

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 90, 24 March 1924, Page 5

Ireland

The Queenstown Outrage

MUTINEERS DISCLAIM RE-' BPONSIBILITY.

A MYSTERIOUS Al-TAIB. (By Cable.—Preee AeaociatioD.—(Jepyright.) London, Mur. 22. Four Free Staters turned machine guns on British soldiers at Queenstown and 17 were wounded. One soldier subsequently succumbed.

The War Oilice has announced that one officer was seriously, seven men dangerously, six seriously and three slightly wounded. Five civilians, of whom two are women, were wounded. Major-General Liam Tobin has written to the Dublin papers disclaiming the responsibility for the cowardiv act.

The Free State Government has offered a reward of £lO,OOO for the capture of the men concerned iu the outrage.

The details show that a large highpowered motor car, containing four men dressed as Free State officers, drove to the pierhead at seven in the evening. Without warning they opened fire with machine-guns on a party of about 50 people, mostly British soldiers, just landed from the Spike Island military launch, centring the fire on the soldiers. The motor car then raced out of town, firing as it went at the destroyer Scythe, but failed to hit it.

Free State patrols arc scouring the district for the perpetrators of the outrage.

Mr Cosgrave has telegraphed Mr MacDonald expressing the Government’s horror and detestation of the cowardly crime, assuring him no effort will be spared to bring the criminals to account. A DASTARDLY OUTRAGE. WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRED ON. (Received 24. 9.30 a.m.) London, March 23. The Queenstown outrage is rendered the more dastardly by the fact that the soldiers who were fired upon were accompanied by women and children. Tlie press is bitterly condemnatory of the outrage.—(“Sydney Sun” cable) RELEASE OF MUTINEERS. Dublin, Mar. 22. Eight officers arrested on Tuesday were released on parole.—(A. and N.Z.; THE BOUNDARY QUESTION. (Received 24. 9.20 a.m.) London, March 23. The “Daily Mail” says the Free Stat© and Northern Ireland conferences with the object of defining the Ulster boundary have broken down, and the British Government is considering the appointment of a representative boundary commission in accordance with the Free State treaty. It will probably invite a dominion legal authority to act. thereby avoiding the possible suggestion of partiality. The position is complicated by the fact that Ulster refused to do so.— (“Sydney Sun” cable). JIM LARKIN FORMING A NEW PARTY. (Received 24, 10.5 a.m.) London, March 23. Jim Larkin, expelled last week from the Irish Workers’ Union, has decided to form a new Labour Party ir Ireland.