THE IRISH CRISIS

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160736, 24 August 1920, Page 5

THE IRISH CRISIS

MORE POLICEMEN MURDERED 30 HUNGER-STRIKERS IN BAD WAY. By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Received Aug 24, 10.10 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 22. District-Inspector Swanzy, who was recently transferred from Cork, was murdered while going home from church at Lisburn to-day. Three men, armed with rifles, shot Swanzy as he was walking beside his mother and sister in the street, which was crowded with worshippers. The assailants entered a waiting taxi-cab, firing at_ but not injuring, Captain Woods (commandant of the local Ulster Volunteers), who, unarmed, attempted to stop them. Subsequent rioting in Lisburn resulted in the Hibernian Hall and several shops being burned. Sergt. Craddock, while patroling in Athlone, was shot dead. The courthouse at Bantry was burned. The police evacuated the adjoining barracks the previous day. Dr. Mannix, responding to a request from the Freeman’s Journal for a message to the Irish people, urges them' to be calm and firm under the insult offered to them, and to him. Ireland though suffering much can afford to be patient. Her cause was almost won. The recent English naval victory added fuel to the flame it meant to extinguish. Sergt. Maunsell was shot dead at Macroom.

Thirty Sinn Fein hunger-strikers in Cork gaol are in a weak condL tion. The Government refuse to release them. Two prison doctors have received unsigned letters from the commander of a Cork brigade of the Irish Republican Army threatening them with death if any hungerstriker dies, but pointing out that they can evade responsibility by immediately resigning.

SERGT. SWANZY’S MURDER. CROWDS DEMAND VENGEANCE. Received Aug. 24, 11.50 a.m. LONDON. Aug. 23. Swanzy was a marked man. He was among those found guilty of McCurtain’s death by the Cork jury, and was transferred to Lisburn, which is a Unionist artisan town. Excited crowds demanded vengeance and searched several houses believed to contain Sinn Feiners. They looted a number of houses. The fire brigade refused to extinguish fires.

RAID ON SINN FEINERS’ RESIDENCES. LONDON, Aug. 21. An Order in Council excludes from the Restoration of Order Act such districts in Ireland where the ordinary law can be administered. The residences of Arthur Griffiths, the acting Sinn Fein President, and other leading Sinn Feiners were raided and a quantity of documents secured. REPRISAL BY POLICE AND SOLDIERS. LONDON, Aug. 23. -Assailants fired on a police patrol in Dundalk. A constable was killed and two wounded. In reprisal for the murder of Constable Foley at Oranmore the police and soldiers burned three public houses to the ground.' SINN FEIN’S “SUCCESS.” DUBLIN, July 16'. If the Sinn Fein victories are to be measured in terms of murdered policemen, the republicans may well claim this as a highly successful week. Since Saturday five constables have paid the extreme penalty, while the wounded and seriously injured number nearly a dozen. Despite the presence of 60,000 troops in Ireland the assassination campaign goes on unchecked. Republicans are also showing themselves intensely active in the holding up of mails. Sinn Fein’s first essay in applying taxation is reported from County Roscommon, where the District Council has decided to levy a shilling rate to finance the administration of the local volunteers. It was also stated that this council contemplated introducing a measure of conscription, and every able-bodied man between 20 and 40 would be compelled to join the republican forces.