IRISH REBELLION

Otago Witness, Issue 3593, 23 January 1923, Page 15

IRISH REBELLION

MR COSORAYE'S HOME DESTROYED. LONDON, January 14. Armed men burned Mr Cosgrave’s country home near kathfarnham, after pouring petrol on the furniture. Others burnt Senator Sir John Keanes’s home at Cappoquin (Waterford). Mr Cosgrave’s house, a beautiful Georgian mansion, was practically wrecked. The house was unoccupied and unguarded. The caretaker was asleep in the lodge, and was not aware of the fire. Mr C’osgrave says that a priceless collection of letters and many valuable records and books were destroyed. MORE EXECUTIONS. LONDON, January 14. Three men who were found in posses sion of arms and ammunition were exe cuted at Dundalk (Louth) Prison. Four executions were carried out at Roscrea, and one at Carlow, for possessing arms. NEW TYPE OF SCOUT. LONDON, January 14. The Limerick correspondent of the Sunday Express says that the rebels have formed a kind of Sinn Fein Girl Guide movement, which has attracted hundreds of romantically-inclined girls, whose heads have been turned in the belief that they are saving their country. These Scouts are immensely valuable to the rebels. They coquette with the Free Staters, learn as much as they can, and report to the rebels. They also carry food and ammunition to the men, who burn and pillage unprotected towns. These girls will never be detected till the Free State employs women searchers. All women are now immune from search. TRAIN WRECKERS. LONDON, January 15. The rebels continue their relentless firing and wrecking campaign against the railways. A passenger train from Sligo to Dromahair (Leitrim) was held up and the passengers expelled from the carriages. The rebels set fire to the train and despatched it ablaze without a crew. The steam failed and the crew hurried afoot plutkily and resumed charge. The Morning Post’s correspondent paints a lurid picture of conditions in the south Tire shopkeepers are ruined and have no redress. The Free State troops are confined to their barracks. The Arigna coal mines at Roscommon, which were once prosperous, are now the rendezvous for roving bands. Protestant communities during the raids are compelled to spend the nights in the churches and schools. DUBLIN DOCTORS SUFFER. LONDON, January 15. There was an extraordinary series of raids on leading doctors’ houses in Dublin on Saturday night. Armed men visited Dr Macauley s home, and declined to accept an assurance that he was absent. They searched the house, and said that they would return every night till Dr Macaulev appeared. Later they repeated the visit, searched exhaustively, smashed the telephone, and tore a knocker from the door. They visited Dr Macauley’s brother's house, 'and When told that he wag absent they became excited. They ordered the servants into the basement, and searched the house, stealing jewellery valued at £IOO and damaging much furniture. Thev said that it was a good job for the doctor that he was absent. Armed men visited Dr Brennan’s house at Black Rook, in the absence of the owner, searched the house, and damaged the furniture. A PHYSICIAN’S ADVENTURE. LONDON. January 15. The escape of Senator Cogarty from a party of rebels by whom he was kidnapped and taken to the mountains is said by Senator Cogartv, who is a prominent Dublin physician, to have been most thrilling. Four men called at his house and demanded his attendance at an urgent case. When he appeared he was faced with four revolvers. The armed men led him to a waiting motor car, and drove him to an empty house near Island bridge. The doctor, on asking to be allowed to go out for a breath of air, was accompanied bv guards. As soon as lie was outside the door Eh- Cogarty stripped off his coat, flung it over the guards’ heads, and fled, the armed men pursuing him.

Finding that his only hope of escape was to cross the Liffev, Dr Cogarty dived into the icy water. The current carried him downstream, hut eventually he reached a weir, by which he managed to struggle ashore. When he reached the Phoenix Park Civic Guard station he was exhausted, and he took refuge there overnight. DUBLIN TERRORISED. LONDON, January 16. The rebels are successfully terrorising Dublin. All the telegraphs have been destroyed between the city and Cork, Limerick, W’aterford, and Sligo. Armed gangs are scouring the streets in powerful cars. Train wreckers are continuing their activities. The main line from Cork to Dublin iu blocked. Troops are being rushed into the Roscommon and Sligo areas. Lite o-n Monday night Irregulars in Dublin carried out fierce attacks on the Free State military posts for an hour. The crowded streets resounded to rifle and machine gun firing and bombing. The chief attacks were made against the City Hall and the Collins Barracks. The garrisons returned the fire and drove off the attackers. At least eight were wounded, including pedestrians. IMPORTANT SERVICES SUSPENDED. LONDON, January 16. As an indication of the damage done by the rebels to the railways, the Great Southern and Western Companies have submitted claims amounting to £640,000. It is expected that they will reach £1,000.000 when the damage i 3 fully assessed. Services over a wide area, including three important lines between Dublin aud Cork, have been suspended. STREET FIGHTING IN DUBLIN. LONDON, January 17. Irish rebels piled a motor-lorry with grey blankets, in which rebels, armed with rifles, were hidden. When the lorry reached College Green, barrels and rifle* appeared from the blankets and firing commenced. Women shrieked, and, following the example, of the men, threw themselves on their faces in the street. Meantime the motor driver went at full speed down Grafton street and other parts of the city. The F ree Staters replied to the rifle and bomb fire with rifles and revolvers. Several civilians were wounded, and at least one woman was killed. The rebels delivered three other attacks in Dublin, including one each on Freeman s Journal office, the Broadston railway station, and the Portobello barracks. Thousands of people who were leaving the theatres and cinemas were endangered. Free State soldiers were wounded ; also a priest and other civilians. THE DEATH PENALTY. LONDON, January 17. Mr Johnson, the labour leader in the Dail Eireann, moved a resolution disagreeing with the Free State Army Council's orders imposing the death penalty by court-martial for aiding a,nd conspiring murder, manufacturing arms, possessing arms, uniforms, or documents endangering the safety of the State national forces or ]wlice. and for assisting any prisoner to escape. TRAIN LEAPS CHASM. LONDON. January 19. How a Dublin mail train carrying 200 passengers leapt a yawning chasm and miraculously escaped destruction has iust come to light. Irregulars on Thursday dynamited a culvert bridge between Lisdtiff and Templemore. The explosion left the skeleton rails badlv twisted, and the train, which was travelling at a speed of 45 miles an hour, jumped a 12ft chasm, The driver tried to reverse the engine, hut he wa.s too late. The passengers were severely shaken. COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS SHOT. LONDON. January 19. Irregulars who were hidden in the hills shot two commercial travellers who were motoring betw-oen Swineford (Mayo) and another town. Thev killed one and wounded the other. The Irregulars told the driver that they shot the men because their command to halt was unheeded. The driver said he heard no erv to halt. The attackers did not allow the driver bo go for a doc-tor or a priest. ANOTHER TRAIN WRECKED. LONDON, January 20. Thirty armed rebels were responsible for a desperate train-wrecking mcident in Ardfert (County Kerry). They removed the line over a culvert, and held un the linesmen, so that they were unable to warn the driver (J a goods train from Limerick. The train fe’l over an embankment, killing the driver and the fireman. The crime will probably be followed hy the execution of certain oersons, under sentence of death at Tralee, who were spared on the understandum that the railways would not he interfered with. FOL'R EXECUTIONS IN REPRISAL. LONDON, January 20. Four men have been executed at Tralee, after conviction bv court-martial, for possessing arms and ammunition. ULSTER’S POSITION. LONDON, January 19. Lord Glenavy, in the chair of the Southern Irish Senate, said that on behalf of the F'ree State Government he had written to the Ulster Government urging it to throw in its lot with the F'ree State, promising ample safeguards, and more facilities for Ulster to trade with South Ireland, but in view of the chaos in the south he expected that Ulster's answer would be in the negative.