BRUTAL MASSACRE

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1922, Page 3

BRUTAL MASSACRE

family shot to death. BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS . TSN., COPYRIGHT. LONDON, March 24. A barman at McMahon’s saloon, Belfast, has died from wounds inflicted by assassins. This; makes the deaths at McMahon’s five and two other sons are not expected to survive Not since the murder of 16 officers in Dublin on Black Sunday (when the Croke Park shooting also occurred), has such a thrill horror stricken all Ireland, as that created by the murders of the McMahon family in Belfast City this week. 'Hie Protestants alike with the Catholics, condemn the murder. It .is explained as being clearly a reprisal for the assassination of two constables in Belfast, yesterday. Mr McMahon, the father was a Nationalist in politics. He also was a keen sportsman, and was very popular with all classes. The murderers gained admission to his place by smashing the-glass hall door and lifting the latch. An inner door which barred the way, was then smashed in with a sledge hammer. The house was in darkness at the time, Mrs McMahon, hearing the noiise j said:—“lt is a bomb!” The wife and husband got up at the same time, and they went down stairs. They met some masked men on the stairway. The murderers then collected the \vomen j Mrs MacMahon, her niece, her daughter (14 years of age) and all the maidservants. The muri derers put them in a back room on ‘ the first floor. The murderers then went up stairs. They awakened seven men itfcluding the sons of Mr MacMahon at the revolver’s point. They compelled them to collie downstairs in their shirts and Ito join their father. The. masked men j were carrying candles, which they I brought with them. When all the men . were gathered together in the parlor there was a pause. ■ The leader of the murderers told the 1 terror stricken men to use a few nioI ments to “pray for their souls.” They , then were all lined up against the I wall. On one side of the fireplace was Mr MacMahon, and his third son, and I their barman. On the other side of I the fire place were two other sons, I and on a chair near the door was Mr McMahon’s fourth son. All the men were shot, one by one. Jeremiah MacMahon, aged only 15 years, died immediately, but the others lingered on. The masked men missed one MacMahon, a boy of 11, who, shrieking with fright ran around a table. . Two other shots were fired at this boy, but they ricioehetted off the surface of the table into the walls. This boy was finally found under a sofa, petrified with fear. All was over in six minbtes. The murderers lhen climbed over a paling fence into the garden, and they disappeared into the darkness. Then the police, hearing Mrs Mae- ; Mahon's screams from a window, entered at the front door, as the murderers passed out. On a chair in the hall they found one young man, in his night shirt, gasping out his life. The scene in the parlour was even more horrible. Mr MacMahon himself was writhing in agony. On the floor were five men dead or dying. Before they left, the murderers unlocked the door on the upstairs room where the women were placed and when the mother came downstairs and saw the horrifying spectacle, she collapsed. Mrs MacMahon remains still unconscious. One boy is expected to recover.

It was adopted at the instance of the Attorney General in Ulster Parliament, which added the death penalty for bomb throwing and manufacturing bombs. The Attorney General asked that if these powers were not sufficient, he should be empowered to advise the Government to enact the death penalty, even for carryinlig bombs.

Tlie nsnssination of two members of the Constabulary in broad daylight, in the heart of Belfast caused a sensation in the city. The constables were named Carnduff and Cunningham and were on beat duty, when a gang came up behind and discharged 1 revolvers into them. Carnduff was killed instantly, and Cunningham was mortally wound., od lui t the assassin fired further shots into tliein and then ran to a motor, which drove off furiously. Civilians pursued the ear, but it escaped into a. Sinn Fein district, where a search was made, but without result. An angry crowd would have lynched the murderers if caught.