BLODDSHED IN IRELAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16739, 22 May 1922, Page 5

BLODDSHED IN IRELAND.

MURDERS AND FIRES. RAIDS ON BORDER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, May 19. When the premises were opened for business armed gangs entered Belfast warehouses and held up the staffs. Petrol was sprinkled throughout buildings which were then ignited. Detective Heslep, while following four men who had raided a shop in Belfast, was shot dead after effecting an arrest. A corn mill and a public house were burned down and two houses partially destroyed in South Durrow. All the premises set on fire were owned nv Catholics. The outrages are believed to he reprisals for recent murders of the constabulary. THE MURDER CAMPAIGN. Nine men this afternoon entered Messrs Garrett and Little’s cooperage works They found five coopers working and, at the revolvers’ point, demanded the religion of each. They shot four Protestants named Murphy. Maxwell. Patterson and Boyd, and left a fifth who was a Catholic. I\vo of the men who were shot died. The affair is believed to be a reprisal for Thursday’s shootings. EIGHT FURTHER FIRES. The situation in Belfast is very grave. The people are in a state of* apprehension and the police and milt tary are patrolling the streets ’n strong force. There were eight further incendiary fires during Friday night. Maxwell, one of the men wounded in the cooperage raid, has succumbed. A man named John Conollv was shot dead in a timber yard at Cork Street EXTENSIVE BORDER RAID. CASTLES DESTROYED. LONDON, May 20. Operating on an extensive scale in County Antrim, Sinn Feiners destroyed the railway at Dunley, cut the telegraph wires, seized or blew up the. police barracks at Glennrm. Martinitown, Cairn lough, Cushendall and Ruthkennv, raided several post offices, an 1 blocked the roads with boulders. They burned down Lord O’Neill’s country seat at Shane’s Castle, situated on the shore of Lough Neagh, neighbours rescuing Lord O’Neill’s wife, who is elderly. The attackers arrived from Tyrone in boats, held up the inmates and sprinkled petrol through the building which was soon a blazing furnace. No fire brigade was available for miles. Little was saved. The destruction of Shanes Castle was carried out at two o’clock in the morning when Lord and Lady O’Neill were in bod. The former, who is eightytwo years of age, is the father of the Speaker of the Ulster Parliament, and had to be carried out on a stretcherHe wept as he saw his beautiful castle containing many historic pictures and treasures blazing. Similar raids were made in County Down. Several railway stations were attacked. They burned G algor ;n Castle (Ballymena), razed Bar guess. Baron de Ross’s residence and Old Court Castle at Downpatrick was des troyed. The police barracks at Castle Wellan were attacked and three of the attackers were' killed and sevc.i wounded. DOWN AND ANTRIM ISOLATED. The Irish outrages were the result of simultaneous Republican risings in Counties Down and Antrim, which are now completely isolated. Telegraphs have been cut, bridges destroyed and lailways torn up. Stations, post offices and police barracks were attacked. Outrages occurred in Roman Catholic and mixed centres; the loyal ist centres were not affected. During the fighting in Antrim a special constable named M’Neill was killed. The police defended the barracks heroically. The raiders brokt through a wall at Mnrtinstown' and threw bombs, but were eventually beaten off. At Cushendall the police defended the barracks for four hour* against 150 rebels who had possession of the village. The residents were panic-stricken. The rebels burned the branch hank there and carried off Hie post office instruments. MR O’NEILL’S LOSS. At Cushenden, the residence of Air Ronald M’Neill. member of the House of Commons, was burned and many valuables were destroyed. A military officer, motoring with his wife to Bally kinder, rnn into an ambush. His wife was killed and the officer was picked up later unconscious. The Ulster Cabinet officially announces that the necessary steps tc cope with the situation have been de cided upon, after a consultation wifi the military and police authorities. STREET FIGHTING. WOMAN AND CHILD KILLED. LONDON, May 21. During a street fight between gunmen and the Grown Forces, a woman aged twenty and a child aged three were shot dead. Two others were mortally wounded.

LADY RHONDDA’S PETITION

By Telegraph—Prc*s Association —Copyrig <t Australian and N.Z. Cable Association LONDON, May 20. Lady Rhondda’s claim before the Committee of Privileges for permission

to take her seat in the House of Lord was defeated by twenty v'otes to four Lady Rhondda’s .petition was presented early in February-