THE DUBLIN OUTRAGES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2115, 24 November 1920, Page 9

THE DUBLIN OUTRAGES.

SCENE IN COMMONS.

MAJOR MOLSON APOLOGISES

B)l Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, Nov. 22.

Though the Speaker left the Chamber of the House of Commons, members continued an angry discussion, some continuing to surround Mr Devlin, but quiet was eventually secured. Fifteen minutes later the sitting was resumed.

Major Molson apologised to Mr Devlin, saying that he allowed his feelings to get the better of him. Mr Devlin accepted the apology and repeated his request that details of the murder of civilians should be given. Sir Hamar Greenwood then detailed the official account of the occurrences concerning Croke Park. MORE MURDERS. WIDESPREAD RAIDS. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, Nov. 22. The Chief Constable of Kearney was fatally shot at Newry while returning from church. Captain shot degd on a road near Cork. Fifty men ambushed police leaving a hotel at Leap. Two of the assailants were killed. A shot fired from a passing motorcar severely injured Constable Rea while he was talking to a girl in the doorway of her house in Cappoquin. There have been widespread raids in Ireland, and scores of people have been arrested. Curfew has been fixed at 10 p.m., instead of midnight. CROKE PARK SHOOTINGS. THE OFFICIAL VERSION. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, Nov. 23. The official version of the Croke Park shootings states that it had been arranged, when the ground was surrounded, that an officer should proceed to the centre of the field and megaphone the crowd, announcing that a search would Jae made, and there would be no danger if the people stood still, but armed Eickets fired on the Crown forces efore the latter were able to approach the ground. The firing caused a stampede. It is also believed that persons within the ground fired shots to provoke a stampede, hoping to escape during ,the confusion. An unofficial account states that the plaving area was surrounded by a 10ft "fence, the grandstand taking up the entire length of one side, with high banks on the three other sides, one of which was blocked by a 30ft wall. An examination revealed pools of blood on the banks, and in the grandstand there were trails of blood where the wounded had crawled. The .military did not participate in the firing, which was confined to the auxiliaries. When the firing began thousands fled hither and thither along the banks or swarmed into the field. Women and children screamed and were trampled underfoot. Men and women fainted, and others prayed as they ran.

Some of the spectators deny that there was any firing until the "Blaok-and-Tans" entered the ground. The club officials deny that any pickets were posted. One account states that the 30ft wall was pitted with bullet marks to a man's height. The players were subjected to a severe fire. Bullets chipped the field. The players crawled to cover. One player was killed.

A policeman says shots were fired outside before the auxiliaries appeared. A woman living at the entrance to the grounds says she heard shouts of "They're coming 1" and saw the roadway filled with rushing "Black-and-Tans," who scrambled over the turnstiles. She did not hear shots until they entered the park, and declares that a cadet told her it was a reprisal for the morning's murders. A ground official states that when he saw the auxiliaries coming he and others warjied the crowd. The auxiliaries lined up along the bank and fired volleys at the panicstricken' crowd. Some swarmed over the palings\at the back, but most of the people became confused and, struggling in a mass along the high wall, made an easy target. It is estimated that the crowd numbered 15,000. The father of a dead boy says that he died of a bayonet wound.