IRELAND

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 17 February 1921, Page 5

IRELAND

"POLICE BEWARE."

ESCAPE OF REBELS.

AN APPALLING AFFAIR!

_V CABLJG—IRESB ASSOCIATION—COPY IMG lia (Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, Feb. 15A farmer driving cows to a field outside Cork found the body of Beale with four wounds and a card attached to his neck inscribed: "Convicted as a spy, the penalty for all associating with auxiliaries and hlack and tans; police beware!" J In addition to the incidents at Teeiing, two rebels escaped from the E_ilmainham gaol, and Carty, a wounded Sinn Feiner, escaped from Londonderry prison hospital. By wrenching an iron bar from a window he let himself down by a rope, scaling the prison wall. He then climbed into an empty house and reached the street. Carty I previously escaped from Sligo prison. The Inishannon fight was an appalling affair. When the train reached the station at least fifty armed civilians were drawn upon the platform. Soldiers were travelling in carriages next to the engine, and there were a number of civilian passengers with them. The Sinn Feaners directed a volley hito the carriages largely occupied by civilians, and the soldiers immediately replied vigorously. A battle of fierce intensity followed for twenty minutes, and eight civilian passengers were killed outright and several others wounded. Apparently only two soldiers were wounded. Two Sinn Feiners iare known to be killed, and two were taken prisoner, but it is not known how many were wounded.. The whole train from the engine to the guard's van was riddled by """rifle fire. The compartments into which th e first volley was fired were a ghastly (spectacle when the train arrived at Skibbereen.

A. motor lorry full of troops was ambushed near Mourne Abbey, Mallow. Th e attackers used bombs, rifles and revolvers, but the bombs missed. The military returned the fire, routing the attackers. Other lorries were cut off from retreat, and a desperate fight ensued. ' ' .„

An official report states that one attacker was killed, six taken prisoner, and one seriously wounded, while a number of subsequent arrests were made. The military suffered no,casualties. An unofficial report states that' seven attackers were kilied. '