FATHER PROTESTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19070, 18 July 1936, Page 6

FATHER PROTESTS

DISGRACE TO AGED WIFE 5 POLICE VISIT BANNIGANS 'SEARCH FOR INFORMATION THREAT T() Till-: KING (British Oflicial Wireless.) - Reed. 1.40 p.m. RL'UBY, duly 17. J Congratulations to the King and , messages of thankfulness that no, harm 1 pa mo to him as a result, of yesterday's incident near Hyde Park corner included . messages from all the Dominion (lovernments. j At the London Sessions to-day the chairman. Sir Percival Clarke, expressed thankfulness that the incident on Constitution Hill had not been more serious. ' "It is right that, we should express ' our great satisfaction that the incident; ' turned out to be harmless," lie said. ' Searching inquiries are being made ' by the authorities into the incident, ' which has created alarm for the safety 5 of the King. Scotland Yard has issued 1 an appeal for evidence from persons - who witnessed the occurrence, about - which there as yet is little exact infor- > ination. The result of the inquiries so - far confirms both the belief that the i arrested man is unconnected with any J organisation and the general impression that his behaviour was the result of the effect of some fancied grievance on • an unbalanced mind. CIJIv.KBS BKFOHF PA LACK Large crowds gathered outside Buck- '• ingham Palace to-day and expressed, in repeated cheering, their relief (hat the • unhappy incident, had passed without harm to the King. Police visited the house of the parents of the man arrested. .Jerome Bnunigun, alias George Andrew JNlcMahon. The lather is almost blind and the mother is dr;it'. The news was 'kept from her. The father explained that bis son had suffered I: hu a foot affliction from birth. lie was banned from the usual participation in games and normal school activities "It is a shame thai this disgrace has •.nine in the evening of niv wile's life." he said. A school friend of the accused says i hat as a hoy Bannigau took' a great, interesl in the Irish question. "1 consider lie was too delicately balanced for the !'U-ain of London life."' said the school Mend. A message from Paris states that t.hr , French" Chamber of Deputies, all stnndi 'g. resolved to send a message to the House of Commons associating itself with the joy of the British people at the vfety of their beloved and respected ■ ivercign, adding warm greetings and • pressions of friendship. The French ' enalc, in a message (o the House of L.irds, expressed similar sentiments. SINN FEIN WORKERS I I BANNIGAN FAMILY ] KNOWN TO FEILDINC MAN (Pur Tress Association.) FEILDING, tins day. Jerome Bannigan, alias George Andrew McMahon, the alleged assailant of the King in Thursday's incident in London, is well known to a, Feilding resident. fiiterviewed lliis morning, tin l I'Vildi;.g man said lie had l'I) years of personal knowledge of (lie Bannigan family, who were well known resi- | dents of Cookstown, County Tyrone. 1 The family had been carrying on business in the spirit trade for years and ■ owned tin hotel in Cookstown. They ' a 'ways look a great interest in politics, and in the activities of the Sinn Fein ' question, and were active followers of t.'ie late John Redmond. The house was always a meeting place of Sinn Fein, tire family being ardent Republicans. Jerome Bannigan, a cousin of the L.innigans in the hotel, was a keen | worker for the cause he espoused. A number of the Bannigan family had j ; ■resided for years in Ardboe, on the i, s' ores of Lough Neagh, which was the j, seal of all the Sinn Fein agitation, i being chosen because of its easy ac- \ c,i ss and the scope offered for watch- i iug for tin; approach of the police. \ "The Bunnigans slam! with those \ who tire for the complete severance ;- ; o.' Ireland from Urilain, and il is sad l t.i note that this happened when .Mr. : - K. de V.alera was working hard for I i.:ore agreement with Britain," said I the Feilding man. "Many Irishmen ?' w-ijl dissociate themselves' from Die •' happening in London on Tluirsdav."

GREATEST DEMOCRAT HUMANITARIAN MONARCH FRIEND UP THE PEOPLE MU. SEMPLE'S TRIBUTE (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHUROII, this day. A striking tribute to King Edward as "Iho greatest democrat who has sat on tin; throne of England or any other throne in tlie world." was paid by the lion. U. Semple, the -Minister of Public Works, this morning when expressing his great relief that the attempt on the king's l life had failed. 1 "It is a blessing that the fanatic did not fulfil his murderous mission." said Mr. Semple. "The British Empire would have, suffered u terrible shock if he had'. •'The present King is the greatest democrat who has stit- on the throne of England, or any other throne in the world. As 1 have said on former occasions, in other countries where democracies have perished and desperate dictatorships have emerged out of the ruins. England is the one country which has stood steadfast for democratic principles and has played a wonderful part hi ''attempting to' keep the peace of (he world. "The King is a man of the people. His attitude towards the Welsh coal Strikers proved him to be one of the most, humane monarchs who has ever lived, a'lid he is primarily responsible for the great activity in clearing away the shun conditions In the great cities of the Old Land. "It is indeed fortunate, in these changing times when democracy is at the crossroads, that we should have as our King a man so beloved of his people, ami who has been standing for years for the rights of citizenship, from the poorest to the richest, The attack on the King's life is a warning to the

authorities in the Old Land to be more careful. "It is not always the tyrant who is assassinated. Great humanitarians, such as Abraham Lincoln of the United States and Jean .laures of France, were assassinated, and this ought to be a warning, because these fanatics never attack a man when he is protected, but usually shoot, him in the back."