FIELD-MARSHAL KILLED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 432, 24 June 1922, Page 6

FIELD-MARSHAL KILLED.

CAPTURE OF ASSAIUAXTS. TOUCHING St 'EXE IX HOUSE OF CO.MAIO.XS. By Electric T'elegraph.—('opyrighf. Received June 23, 2.3 p.m, * LOXDOX, June 22. One of the captured men after the shooting nt Field-Marshal .Sir Henry Wilson, with blood streaming from his face by someone striking him with a bottle, declared that lie was ini oflicer. When the news reached tin- House of Commons .Mr Asquith, at Mr Lloyd George's request, crossed the House and conferred with him. .Mr Austen Chamberlain and Mr Asquith, speaking with emotion, deplored the loss which the country had sustained of a titan who contributed powerfully to our success in the war. Air Chamberlain, In moving the adjournment, after saying a few words broke down, lie said Eield-Alarshal Wilson's death was not only a national, but a personal tragedy. A Scotland Yard communique slates that O’Brien and Connolly were chased by Con stable A lan-It, who was seriously wounded. ( unstable gayer comniued the pursuit and received a shut in the leg and, also a civilian was wounded. Constable Push joined in the chase and succeeded m knocking O’Brien down with his list. A revolver fell from O’Brien’s hands. It contained (our live and two spent cartridges. The oilier man, who was overpowered by a constable, had a revolver in which were two spent cartridges and one live one either in ins hand or his pocket. The revolvers were of the Webley service pattern. Field-Marshal Wilson was shot three times, once through the body, once through a leg and once through an arm.—A. and X./,. cable.

D‘RIDDLED WITH BULLETS.” PI 'RSI ’ IT THROI’OM SI KELTS. 11“ci 1 i \ (ni Ji! in' Li 2.10 j).iu. LONDON. .1 rn.i 22. Earlier in ili' l afternoon Field-Marshal Wi 1 -iiii unveiled a memo! i.il at I,i verponl Sin i Station u> 1220 employees ol ihe Great Eastern Railway who fell in _l lie fur. ill’s la-1 word' there were ex lines <>: Kipling's Reces-ional, beginning: "Tumult ami slioinimi die.-.” A;- h" tliiialu'd ihe lines main - women who were ililii 11 ” gently, hurst inio tears, lie iheii lef' ini hi.- jonrner liomeward, which terminated so tragically. O.ii eye-witness, tlcsi-ri I >iii ty Ihe iminliT, -aid that ihe mo av-as-ins weiaj lying in waii for Field-Marshal Wilson, who drove to his house in a taxi-eah. Tie- door had hardly heeii opened when ihe two men lushed forward and drew revolvers and lired live or six shois at Field-Marshal Wil.-on as he stepped from the call. Field Alar.-!ial Wil-on tell on the pa•. e meni riddled wiih huileis and died hefore assistance could he rendered. The a-sassiiis then pointed their weapons a, the eahdi'ivcr and ordered him to (hive away. Ihe driver refused. The -hois had attracted many people to th" scene, ’I nu assassins boiled, pursued by the policemen. In Khnry .-(reel six policemen had joined in the cha.se and liurled tlicit - li nut heons at the assassins, who were dodging behind motor-cars and taxis tiring at the pursuers. The assassins lired a number of shots and badly wounded one policeman. The murderers’ ammunition was < xhanstod and one ol them fell from a blow.—A, and N.Z. cable.

LONDON STUNNED, 'ITIK KING’S SY-MPATIIV. Received Juno 23, 2.3.3 p.m. LONDON, June 22. Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson’s as.-asTnalion has .it mined London. The fad lhai ihe crime a]jpi*ai’s to lie political lends poignant emphasis to Field -Marshal Wilson's lasi speech less than an hour before, when unveiling the soldiers’ memorial, lie said: “These men fell while doing their duly; in doing what they thought was right they paid the penally.” These prophetic words cun now he applied to Field-Marshal Wilson himself. Even hi.- enemies never doubted him. FieldMarshal Wilson throughout the recent events acted with a deep sense of duly. Three bullets struck Field-Marshal Wilson, His sister and others in the house rushed out and bore him inside. lie breathed his last in a few minutes. Constable Marsh heard the shooting and chased the assailants who tired and shot Marsh in the stomach. The constable tiled in the hospital. Doth the captured men refused to give an account of themselves beyond saying that they were soldiers. Connolly was dn possession of a copy of the olilcittl organ of the 1.R.A., and also a letter apparently in connection with it. The prompt action of Parliament in rising in honour of Field Marshal Wilson's memory was followed shortly afterwards by the' King’s announcement, that he had cancelled a private dinner party at the Palace in honour of the Prince of Wales’s birthday, which was intended to be the Roval Family’s own celebration of the Prince’s ret urn. , It is many years since London witnessed such a chase as that after the assassins. It took place in the very hear! of the peaceful aristocratic West End. Policemen in a nearin' station in Gerald Row heard the hubbub and rushed out in shirt sleeves and | ( . dthe infuriated cmwc on the murderers' ■ Some constables commandeered IS and’ motors. The fugitives turned into

South Eaton Place and thence into Ebury Street, where they were run to earth. A smart battle preceded their capture. The police took no risks with the armed assassins and some tiling their batons in the murderers’ fanes. One of the assassins was a big- man over six feet high and lb .stone in weight. Me whipped out a revolve!- and was aiming when a police truncheon descended on his wrist. The revolver fell and the crowd then attacked him. A man hit him on the head with a shovel. A cartel- flung a bottle which broke on the assassin's head and blood streamed down his face. The police were compelled to protect, the prisoners, the crowd shouting: “Lynch litem.” A powerful hotly of police arrived on the scene and enabled the prisoners to bo taken to Gerald How safely.— United Service.