ECHO OF EXECUTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22505, 25 February 1935, Page 18

ECHO OF EXECUTION

SINN FEINER'S LAST LETTER EFFORT TO SECURE DELIVERY POLICE CHIEF AND *DE VALERA. Through a police chief's, goodwill a letter written by a man just before hi? execution 18 years ago may at last be restored to the person to whom it was Shortly' before Christmas, Captain. Athelstan Popkess, chief constable >of Nottingham, sent to Mr de Valera, president of the Irish Free State, the last letter of one of the Sinn Feinners who were executed for their share in the 1916 rising. , Captain Popkess* also sent the following covering letter to Mr de Valera:— "My dear President,— During the postwar troublous times in Ireland, I was in Ireland with my regiment, during which, if I remember, rightly, my duties included a hunt for yourself. Probably the most repugnant duty of the soldier is the carrying out of raids upon civilian householders. During one of these I came by the last letter of a patriot written before his execution. To-day, when going throui;.! an old box, I discovered it. "This is the season of peace and good-, will. Mr President, and I return Heuston s letter in that spirit for disposal as you may think fit. 'May I also hope that this action may help to promote a better feeling between races who, though secretly admiring each other, have tragically misunderstood each other for so long? The chief constable received the following letter in reply:—Dear Sir,—l have received your letter and enclosure, for which I am very grateful. I, too, look forward to the 'establishment: of relations of cordial friendship between our two peoples, and.l am glad to have evidence that there are Englishmen ot the same mind. I shall endeavour to trace Mr Walsh (mentioned in,the letter), to whom Sean' Heuston's letter was addressed, and restore the precious document to him. Wishing you a very happy ( Christmas and New Year—Yours sincerely, ' ',_ .■ ■ „ E anion de Valera.

The letter which the -chief constable sent to Mr de Valera was as follows:—: "Kilmainham Prison, Sunday, May 7, 1916. , , "Dear Mr Walsh,—Before this note reaches you I shall have said farewell to this vale of tears, and have departed for what I trust to be a much better world than this. "I take this last opportunity of thanking you and all my railway friends for their.kindness over the past year. I ask you all to forgive me any offences which I may have committed against you, and I ask you to pray for the repose of my soul. '. ' , "Whatever I have done, I have done it as a soldier of Ireland, in what I believed to be my country's best interest. I thank God I have no vain regrets. After all, "It is better to be a corpse than a coward.'- ,' ' .- " Will you see that my mother gets all the assistance you can get her, and refund her. the money from the superannuation fund? She will badly need it all.—Gratefully yours, . ;..■.■•■.. H. J. Heuston."