MURDER MOST FOUL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1920, Page 12

MURDER MOST FOUL.

V.C, SHOT IN COLD BLOOD. A SINN FEIN CRIME. London, July 20. One of the most sensational incidents in the Sinn Fein campaign occurred last Sqturdhy night, when a gang of men—some witnesses declare they were masked, others' that their only disguises were "slouch" hats pulled well down over their faces—entered th» smoking room of the County Club, Cork mid shot in cold blood Colonel J. G. Smyth, V.C., divisional commissary of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Colonel Smyth, then a captain in the Ludhiana Sikhs, gained the Victoria Cross for an act of bravery on May IS, 1915, near Itichbourg L'Avone. With a bombing party of ten volunteers, he was entrusted with conveying !)li bombs to within 20 yards of the enemy's position, over exceptionally dangerous ground, after the attempts of two other parties had failed. . Eight of his party were killed and wounded, but with the help of the remaining two men he took the bombs tD the desired position. Very recently Colonel Smyth, when addressing certain' policemen at Listowel, where some sort of a mutiny had occurred amongst the K.lX'.'s, was reported by a Sinn Fein newspaper to have told the men that they could "shoot at sight." Questions were raised in Parliament, and the Colonel had to appear before the Chief Secretary in Dublin and also gQ to London. lie claimed misrepresentation, and, waiting a written report, a Commons debate on the whole matter was postponed.. Colonel Smyth only returned to Cork from London on Friday night, and stayed at the County Club. On Saturday evening about 10.30 lie was in the smoking room with Inspector Craig and two other friends. The little party had not been sitting there long when the door opened and six men entered in a body, and covered them with, revolvers.

"Where is he?" asked the leader of the party. "There he is," said another, pointing to Colonel Smyth. Turning to the Divisional Commander, the leader said: "Were not your orders to shoot at sight? Well, you are in sight now, so prepare." Two shots immediately rang out, and Colonel Smyth, who had risen from his chair, was seen' to stagger, but he recovered himself somewhat, and rushed towards his assailants. His movement brought three more shots. The colonel fell against the wall, and tlie raiders, seeing that their object was accomplished, walked out of the room. Colonel Smyth again recovered himself and got to the door,, but he fill ■ once more, and when picked lip was, dead. Two bullets passed through his head. In the firing that took place Inspector Craig was wounded in the leg rather seriously, but it is thought that his injury was the result of a shot aimed at Colonel Smyth going astray.

The moment the colonel fell, his murderers, together with another batch of raiders who had been keeping guard at the Club'entrance, disappeared among a crowd of people just coming out of a picture palace opposite. When police and soldiers arrived the whole gang had disappeared completely, and apparently no one .who was present in the Club premises when the raid took place could give any description of any of the party, beyond the fact that they were "young, athletic-looking fellows." Apart from the deed which gained him the coveted Cross, Colonel Smyth served with much distinction in the war, and rose to tiie rank of lieutenant-colonel in tlie Engineers, and later got a brigade. He was wounded six times, and suffered tlie loss of his left arm. The shooting ot this gallant officer brought the total murders of the police officers in Ireland attributed to Sinn Fein to fifty this year. Thirty-three of these assassinations have occurred in, the last three months. This deliberate cold-blooded murder of an officer of high rank in the constabulary, ranks as one of the foulest crimes of the physical force party in Ireland, but it is only part and parcel of the Sinn Fein campaign to reduce the Royal Irish Constabulary to impotence. By wholesale murder, conducted on the lines which give the unfortunate policemen no opportunity to defend themselves, the Sinn Feiners hope to force men to resign. :nd they have so far succeeded that i: ,!■; olliciaOy stated a few days a»'o Ilia'. 2.">0 men had sent in their resignations since June 1. However, true to the splendid traditions of the It.T.C., tlie great, minority of the force refuse to be intimidated.