THE IRISH VICEROY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1707, 23 December 1919, Page 5

THE IRISH VICEROY.

FURTHER DETAILS OF HIS ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION. A .DETERMINED ATTACK. ARCHBISHOP WALSH’S CONDEMNATION’ By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright Australian-New Zealand Cable Association :. ■ ■ LONDON; Dec. 19. A detailed account of the attempt to assassinate Lord French states that the Viceroy was returning to Dublin from Drumdoo Castle, Roscommon, He left Aahtown statiop in a motor car, which, happily, had armoured sides. Ho was accompanied by his aide-de-camp and a lady. Two motor cars followed, and lastly came the military guard, which had barely loft the station when the shooting .commenced. An empty, horseless farm cart was drawn partly across the road, in an attempt to stop the Vico-regal car, behind which a young man was seen ; throwing bombs. Other Sinn Reiners wore shooting from high walls, the hedges on either side giving excellent cover for an ambuscade. The mofor car swerved to avoid the cart, and half pulled up. It was immediately a mark for a number of bombs, which were flumr from the sides nf the

»uiuu wore nung.irom mo sides oi tho road, five bursting near it. Many of! tho bullets glanced off tho armoured sides of the motor car, tho bombs making' deep holes in the roadway, and wrecking tho second motor car. . ‘ The occupants of .the motor cars opened fire in every direction, and promptly brought down a man who was throwing bombs from the farm* cart. Ashe lay on the ground two Sinn Foinors |ashed out and endeavoured to drag the body away; but wore driven off by shpts from the esCbrt, who meanwhile rushed lip and cornmenced firing. , i The dead man had boon drinking at a neighbouring public house, and had arranged to bo called when Lord French’s motor car approached. Ho ran from the public house, leaving a : glass of port untouched, and at once commenced throwing bqmbs. A few moments later ho was dead, with bullets in thq neck and head. Wien picked up the dead mant was still clenching a grenade in his right hand, and ho had automatic pistols in his pockets. / ' Meanwhile tho Viceroy’s ipotor-car pawed the obstacle and went on at full speed, and reached tho Vico-rogal lodge. An ominous fact is that tho men wore loitering on tho spot for a considerable time without attracting attention; Shortly before tho shooting they warned Constable Loughlin, who was on duty at the cross roads, to keep clear, os his life was endangered. Loughlin disregarded tho warning and was tripped up. Ho was still lying on tho ground whom wounded by a bullet, ' Detective Halley, who was fitting in front of Lord French’s motor car, was twice wounded. Tho impunity with which tho outrages are plannecl and carried out gives a sinister indication of the temper of the Irish people. , Four of the bombs wore of military pat-1 torn, including the • familiar ■ Mills bomb, I together with several crudely home-made ! ones. A ■ number of undischarged bombs were found behind the farm cart tnd in tho fields. Tho attackers apparently were armed with revolvers, ■ the sound of rifle shots coming only from the military. All the attackers escaped across the fields 'in the direction of Dublin. They were chased by the escorts, but no. arrests were made. Tho searchers wore augmented by many soldiers and constabulary, who were hurriedly summoned. The thoroughness of the preparations is shown by tho fact that tho arrival of Lord French was signalled from an observation post up a tree. The torn walls and miniature shell holes in thp roadway recalled scenes in France. The: police promptly barricaded the street from sightseers and souvenir hunters. , . ~ Archbisop Walsh, in a letter read in the Dublin churches, severely condemns tho attempted assassination, and recalls the Phoenix Park murders of 1882. which brought the system of coercive government; the like of which all must hope and pray may [never recur. THE ATTACK ANTICIPAJED. COMMENT IN ENGLAND. Australian -New Zealand Cable Association. B ~ i * i LONDON DcS!'2o. Lord French had anticipated the attack for weeks. Recently he had. declared that he was governing Ireland with a pistol at his head and was not going to evade tho danger. “If they, want me they will find me doing my duty,” ho had stated. 1 won’t alter my routine for all tho throats in I Ireland.” . ~.. , Savage, tho assassin who was killed was a well-known seditionist. He canned a j Gorman jiistol. . . , , Documents found on his body give important clues to the conspiracy. Mr Bonar Law, in a speech at Liverpool, said that the position in Ireland was terrible, ' but tho Government would not permit the establishment of a Republic. The attack on Viscount French was a significant indication of the spirit in which a section of the Irish welcome the Cabinet’s ( new attempt at a settlement. _ The Times, in an editorial, says: Tho Sinn Fein must repudiate tho attempt to assassinate one of tho greatest Irishmen, or take the jiolitical consequences.” A CURIOUS FEATURE. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association Received December 23, 12.10 p.m. LONDON, Dec, 20. Lord French’s personal escort wore unable to give chase is strict standing orders provided they must not leave the Viceroy on any pretext. All the attackers apparently wore. young and well-dressed. The dead man, aged about twenty, was a B-rocor’s assistant named Savage,. residing

tfrouor a wfliavam »«»«•« in Dublin. Unlike his accomplices he emerged from the hedge and stood in full view on the footpath, firing his revolver. He was shot by a policeman in' the escort. His accomplices dragged him to a house ■where blood-stains wore afterwards found. Apparently, when they found Savage was dead, his friends decamped. A curious feature of the attack was the complete knowledge possessed of the Vice- . toy’s movements, though every precaution 4-ob-Atv Kir fK« jint.horitios. who might

•vvtvs taken bv tile uuuiom •••• o-r select any of throe available stations, and the order of the cars was never decided beforehand, The remaining An wow exactly similar in appearance to that occuPl Ono acwunt V of°the Phoenix attack states that Viscount French “ 1118 car briskly returning his assailants nio. ANOTHER OUTRAGE. FURTHER TROUBLE EXPECTED. VISCOUNT FRENCH’S BRAVERY. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. TiftPAmlwr 23. 12 S5 p.m.

Received Uecomoer yg. LONDON,. Doc. 20, An attempt was made to derail a tram at Corrofiri, in County Clare. Stones were placed on the track and the tram ran into the obstruction, which did some damage to the rolling stock, but no one was hurt. It is reported that the police have taken special precautions against the malefactors, It is possible that an outrage may occur during the Irish debate m the House o Commons, which is fixed for Monday, A sinnTfeio RAID, Australian-New Forty Sinn Feincrs raided the office o the newspaper, Irish Independent, an< broke up the machinery. Their a protest against an article published callm; the Sinn Feinera- “ savage assassins.