IRISH MURDERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10546, 24 March 1920, Page 6

IRISH MURDERS

THE CORK TRAGEDY ARE THERE "BLACK HAND" SOCIETIES? EXTRAORDINARY POSITION. By Telegraph—Press Asan.—Copyrig-kt Australian .and N.Z. Cablo Association. ~ ~, LONDON, ..March 22. The- ''Daily.-/jMail'*,'».>-D.«blin correspondent' states "that' ther public of Cork aro mystified by' the murder of the Lord Jlayor, and aro asking what was the motive for killing a man who is praised as iT'Simr' Fein' leader. Tho "Daily Mail'' "con'siderT'that this and other recent reveal the existence of secret "black hand" societies, sworn to kill those who aro considered traitors to the Irish Republic.-Re-cently a notice was posted in the Catholic Church...... at M-i.tchelson,' County Cork,, thrc.axen.ing...4 c »J-h to an >' CJVII " iaus who gayo.info.rma.tion to the police or soldiery, and mockingly signed. "A competent military authority. Similar notices have since freely appeared in the southern and western districts. It is, significant to recall that a well-dressed man was mysteriously murdered in a Dublin street two ~days K ,aftiex,.ihe tf seJ3Hce...of JDublin Castle, correspondence containing secret Government reports. OOMMONEIRS ASK QUESTIONS. CHIEF SECRETARY DEFENDS THE SOLDIERS, LONDON, March 22. Speaking, in the House of Commons, Mr J. I. Macpherson, Chief Secretary for Ireland, in reply to Lord Robert Cecil, said he had no further mfor ■mation regarding the murder of the Lord Mayor of - Cork .- Mr T; P. O'Connor asked if shortly after the crime a number _of soldiers visited the residence and insisted on examining the'whole of the premises. in epite of the bereavement and of protests. He inquired if it was in order to destroy evidence. Mr Macpherson replied reflecting his general resentment at the latter part of the question. It was a monstrous suggestion, he said, to—condemn 601diers who"*-were-*merely- acting under orders.

Mr McVeigh (Nationalist, Down County): "A police murder!" Mr Macpherson said: "If the authorities had not entered the scene the accusation would have been made that the British Govrenment had not attempted to detect the murderer because the deceased was a Sinn Feiner. A, thorough _ search was made in order to discover evidence likely to trace the murderers."