MICHAEL COLLINS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVII, Issue 1647, 11 March 1922, Page 7

MICHAEL COLLINS.

A QUIET-LOOKING YOUNG MAN,

MARVELLOUS ESCAPES. Michael Collins, the Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Volunteers and Minister of Finance to Dail Eireann,

is certainly one of the most romantic and interesting figures in the Sinn Fein movement, writes Mr J. Macaffrey in the London Daily News. Born in Cork 35 years ago, Michael Collins, like most men from the South, is a passionate but a practical idealist. In early youth he entered the service of the Post Office as a junior clerk. He subsequently resigned and took a post in the London office of an American insurance company. After a few years he came to Dublin and entered a chartered accountant’s office, where he gained a thorough knowledge of finance. It is quite possible that he had a definite object in view during these early years. In any case, the experience he gained in the different offices in which he served must have been of great service to him as Sinn Fein Minister of Finance.

Michael Collins is a quiet-looking young man. He is tall, dark, and good looking. His face is pale, and the pallor is accentuated by his unusually black hair. A casual observer would never suspect that he is the hero of numerous daring exploits. A Narrow Shave. Before the truce the redoubtable “Mike,” as he is affectionately called by his friends and admirers, was certainly the most sought after man in Ireland. The R.1.C., the Auxiliary Police and the military were constantly on the look-out for him. Men who bore a slight resemblance to the Sinn Fein leader had a particularly anxious time. One day it was rumoured that Michael Collins had been captured in a fashionable restaurant. However, the man who was arrested turned out to be a Dublin municipal official. On another occasion a young English Excise officer, serving in Dublin, was arrested as Michael Collins and conveyed to the Castle in charge of a heavily armed escort. He vigorously protested that it was a case of mistaken identity, that he was a Government official and a loyal Englishman. His protests did not impress his captors, as it was rumoured that Michael Collins was a most accomplished mimic, who could successfully imitate several accents. However, when the prisoner was interrogated by the Intelligence officers he was immediately released. Many interesting stories are told in Dublin concerning the Sinn Fein leader’s marvellous esca]Des. He was certainly in many tight corners on several occasions. But his coolness, resource, and daring helped him to elude capture. Only a year ago he was dining in one of Dublin’s best hotels. In the midst of the festivities the Crown Forces entered. One of the officers actually took out a photograph of Michael Collins and remarked to the original that he was like the photograph. Michael Collins treated the matter as a huge joke, but it was a narrow shave.

Fools the Soldiers,

On another occasion he entered his office while the Auxiliaries were raiding it. As this was the very reverse of what a hunted man would be likely to do, he escaped by posing as an insurance agent, and avoided capture. He is also said to have got through a cordon by adopting a Cockney accent, and telling one of the soldiers that he was a commercial traveller anxious to get back to London as soon as possible from such a dreadful country. A relative of Michael Collins recently told me that a military lorry accidentally knocked down “Mike” while he was cycling in Grafton Street. The soldiers helped him to his feet. They offered to drive him home. However, he assured them that lie was not hurt. I am sure he breathed a sigh of relief when they drove oIT,