COMPANY DIRECTOR SENT TO PRISON

Southland Times, Issue 24164, 28 June 1940, Page 6

COMPANY DIRECTOR SENT TO PRISON

EMERGENCY POWERS ACT IN IRELAND (Received June 27, 6.30 p.m.) ' LONDON, June 26. A special Criminal Court in Dublin sentenced Stephen Carroll Held, described as a company director, to five years’ imprisonment on each of two charges under the Emergency Powers Act, also to three years’ imprisonment for possessing a wireless transmitting apparatus, the sentences to run concurrently. The prosecutor stated that a code was allegedly found in Held’s house, also a German air force cap, a swastika, some decorations, four maps, a telescope, a wireless transmitter and a telegraphic tapper. Held allegedly declared that he knew nothing about the transmitter. Also, when asked to account for a parachute found there, he said he did not know what it was. The Court postponed the trial of Mrs Iseult Gonne Stuart. The Irish Roman Catholic bishops have sent a message to their people commending unity among the political parties and calling on the people actively to co-operate in all measures for the common safety.

An open and used parachute, together with a radio transmitting and receiving set, and military equipment of German origin, was found by the police in a house in the county of Dublin. This was revealed -in a special criminal court when the occupier of the house was remanded on charges under the Emergency Powers Act. The police raided the house on the night of May 22, and found also documents and maps referring to Irish harbours, aerodromes, roads, bridges, the disposition of defence forces, a secret code and a box containing 20,000 United States dollars. The occupier of the house allegedly made a statement saying a stranger came to the house on the night of May 19 and asked to be accommodated for a short period. The stranger disappeared on May 22. A later message said a woman, Mrs Stuart, had been arrested.