DYNAMITE OUTRAGE IN DUBLIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4579, 27 February 1893, Page 2

DYNAMITE OUTRAGE IN DUBLIN.

[FBOM OUB LONDON CORRESPONDENT.] London, Dec. 30. A diabolical attempt at public intimidation by some incomprehensible ruffian took place in Dublin on Christmas Eve. Aa the clocks were chiming the hour of eleven, and whilst the crowdo of happy people, finishing their marketing for the morrow, were thronging the streets, and the joybells above them were announcing the great festival of "peace and goodwill to all men," a terrific explosion occurred under the very windows of the headquarters of the detective police. Passers, by were hurled to the ground, a man was knocked off a car he was driving, the windows of every establishment in the vicinity were shivered to bits, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the concussion walla were cracked and pavement torn up as if by a cannon ball. _ Worse than all, when the first great panic had subsided, a mangled mass of clothes and flesh on tbe pavement showed that the explosion had been attended by the death of a human being. At first, so mangled and torn about, was the body, that some doubt existed as to whether the victim^ was a man or a woman. A cursory examination proved the thing to be a man, and the first thought of thoEe around (and probably the wish was father to the thought) was that the dastardly perpetrator had met with the fate he deserved. But unhappily this was not the case. The awfnlly dis-

tective officer named Synnott, who had. been on his way to report himself to the department after a long period of illnessSynnott was breathing when picked up, but died almost bb soon as placed on an ambulance. The originator of the disaster had got clear away, and so intense was the force of the explosion that scarce a trace of the material employed or the case that held it was revealed on the closest examination of the surroundings. A Dublin correspondent gives the following acconnt of the explosion and its consequences :—

Whether the object was to destroy "at one fell ewoop" all the members of the force, or to destroy compromising evidenoe respecting secret societies stored in their archives, is not known, and probably never will be known; but the latter theory is considered the more plausible, as it ie known to the police that the secret societies, Fenians, Invincibles, &c, which, furnished such dark tales of crime to the criminal calendar a few years ago, though " scotched," are not killed. Whatever the motive, tbe outrage resulted in the death of a clever young detective-sergeant, Synnott. He w.s only twenty-eight yeara of age, aud had seen about seven years* service. He had been on sick leave "on account of a sore leg, and had been discharged from hospital only the preceding day. He had been taking a drink inthe licensed premises of Mr Behan, opposite ! the entrance to Exchange Court, in com- ! pany with the caretaker of the City Hall, Mr Clancy. He took two half -glasses of whisky with the latter, and then left .lot the detective office to report himself.

Mr Clancy parted from tbe detective in order to enter the City HaU door. He had ' barely passed through tbe latter and closed it when ha heard a report like a buret o£ thunder in the conrt, accompanied by a violent con oussi on. As he rushed out, the detectives in the deteotive office also appeared. The flat* way under the window of the deteotive office waa broken and torn up; the window itself, framework, glass and all, waa blown in, and what appeared to be the lifeless body of a man lay on the ground, with one of the lege blown off. The first impression of those who rushed to the spot was that the prostrate figure was that of the author of the outrage, and that he had fallen a victim of his own dastardly act, but the impression was' soon dispelled. The unfortunate man was found- to be Deteotive Synnott, who had parted but just a moment be* fore from Mr Clancy. He was shockingly injured. One of his legs was almost blown away, hanging 'to the trunk merely by a piece of flesh. Part of the forearm also was blown away. Synnott was removed to. Dr Smith's establishment in Parliament street, who amputated the leg, and thenoe the patient was taken to Jer vis street Hospital, where he died in a quarter of an hour, never having recovered consciousness. ' When all the faots connected with the occurrence had been ascertained 1 it was found that this was the only injury to life or limb, and that injury to property was not so extensive as the s^und and volume of the explosion would lead one to suppose. The framework and glass of tbe window nest the scene of the explosion were blown in, so waa aU the glass in the other windows of the building, and the Bame applies to the windows Of a portion of the City Hall and other neighbouring structures. It is probable that to the arrival of the deceased on the spot at the critical moment iB due the limited I character of the effects of the explosion. It is supposed that the explosive (which ie believed to have been dypamite) was placed on the footway against the wall of tbe detective office, that Synnott kicked it with his foot, thus removing it from its position against the wall, and the explosion, following immediately, blew away his foot. If this theory be well founded, it wonld explain the absence of the awfally destructive effeota that so powerful an explosive as must have been nsed would cause if it met with the necessary resistance, such as the wall of a building would offer.

If the explosive was really co placed hi tbe first instance as to meet with tliis resistanoe if. not disturbed, tbe design, bad the Bchome ran smoothly, must bare produped very serioua consequences. The hour was one at which, nearly all the. men who uae the premises would have been within the' building. The spot at Which the explosive was deposited was the best at which it could be placed with regard to the safety of the man who did the deed. It was at first thought that an attempt had been made, to blow up the Castle, and wben the. crowds were Been centred round the City Hatl the fear went round that tbe municipal buildinga were tbe object of The excite' ment continued until long after midnight. The explosion had a terrific effect. In addition to the windows of the detective" building being all completely shattered, the glass' of nearly all the windows ' in Exchange court were broken. The effect' of the explosion was carried across Dame street, and the premises of Messrs Henry and James, clothiers, at tbe corner of Parliament street, and the adjoining house of Mr J. Behan, grocer and publican, suffered. The.c premises face Eichange court, and inMesars Henry and James' the fanlighfcanc. eight windows wereß_na?hecl. The effectof. the -explosion at this dutauce wa? n^oet intense. 'At a height of thirty-five feet." the fron b windows oh tlie second floor were all broken, while on the first and third floors there were only two windows in each instance broken.

Four people were knocked senseless on the street, and a considerable sensation was caused among the other passers-by^ who fancied that the3e men had been killed. They, however, soon rallied. Judging from the condition of the footway, the explosive must have been plsced near the door of the det. ctive office, almost under the window adjoining it on the Dame street side. On the ground floor there are three windows, two of them at the Dame street Bide and the other at lhe inner corner of Exchange court. Ifc is,, believed that the deceased man was entering that door at the moment of the explosion to answer at the roll-oil. The flagway under the windowwhere it is supposed the explosive was laid was torn up for a distance of 6ft or 7ft, and a larf?» hole was-excavated. The wall is injur, dup to tbe window sill. It ia believed that the explosive was deposited on the footway some distance from the wall, and it is supposed that if it bad been put close under tbe wall tbe building would have been blown up. A quiet inspection of the neighbourhood shows how terrible mnat) have been the explosive made use of. Fragments of glass are strewn by the thousand on tbe stones of the etreet and footway. The granite stones in the footway have suffered, their faces are smashed and indented indicating the terrible force of the explosion. , Above in the Chief Secretary's library there are plentiful indications of the disaster. Glasß of the windows there was scattered about ; the' solid and thick wall inside was cracked in two places, one crack being fully a yard in length, and the other about a couple of feet. Detective-officer Montgomery, one of the shrewdest memberß of the G division, stated thar, he was alone in the prinoipal office, at tbe time of the explosion. The noise was sharp and exceedingly loud. A shower of glass fell around him in the large nnd lofty room. There were hundreds of fragments over the floor. The police refuse information, except that they acknowledge that they know nothing. The guards all around the neighbourhood have been tripled, and a sort of panic seems to possessthe authorities.