OUTRAGES IN IRELAND

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 68, 14 December 1920, Page 7

OUTRAGES IN IRELAND

• *- —— NIGHT OF TERROR IN CORK EXPLOSIONS AND INCENDIARY FIRES GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY

By Telegraph—Pre»« Aiioolation—Oopyright • London, December 12.

A night of terror followed a series of explosions and incendiary fires in Cork. ■The Ci;(y Hall, the Carnegie Library, and two theatres wore destroyed, the fronts of "Jhree blocks, embracing many laigc business houses, were reduced to ruins, and two large drapery shops' were v 'r'i ■ There were no iatalitios.. The outrages are alleged t'o no reprisals for the kidnapping of officers and the shooting of troops. .Patrick Street, a main artery of the city,, was the chief scene of tho inccnaiarism. The three destroyed blocks liad a frontage to Patrick Street. A block from Cook Street to Winthrop btreet, containing twelve large premises, Mid the blocks from Winthrop Streetl to I ?f° : r , Street , an <l from Mavlor Street to Merchant Street, were nil demolished. orant s and Cash and Co.'s large draper 3' shops were blown up with explosives, T \ , en ' ; ' l '. e fronts were blown into "no street. Efforts are proceeding to fiave (vnother threatened] block. 'l'wo theatres in King Street and Winthrop otreet were destroyed. The Carnegie Library is still burning, and is beyond salving. Only the walls of the City Hall are standing. •The outrages are asserted to be reprisals for the ambushing of twelve cadets earlier in the evening, one of whom succumbed. In addition to tha yit.v. Hall and the Carnegie Library ad•l? 1 " 1 ?? *£• eighteen business houses in -ratnek ' Street woro burning simultaneously, and the fires were not! overcome at midday to-day. The fires appear to have started in two buildings only, but spread. The fact that no casualties occurred: was duo -to a warning issued to residents to. leave. Largo forces «f police and 'military to-day provented looting, and kept the spectators clear of (ho collapsed buildings. Owing, to foal's of a renewal, of hostilities to-night, people whose premises. were partly wrecked have moved their furniture to the coun-try.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

• DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £3,000,000 DTfjF »™' "" T ' v ' vr! AR-UNST AMBUSHING •'CROWN FORCES. I lite. JJutauibL-r 13, V'.'JO p.m.) London, December It. Four hundred and fifty, houses wero destroyed in Cork. The damage is estimated at three million pounds. Tho city presents a spectacle worse than Dublin did after the rebellion. Following the ambushing of the cadets there was an outbreak of revolver and rifle fire all over the city, 'and people were dragged from trams and searched and boa ton. Tho- strcofs wore deserted at 9 o'clock, but the firing was unabated an hour later. The centre of -Jhe city was illuminated by tho burning buil'dings. Several persons connected with destroyed buildings are reported to be missing. The Roman Catholic Bishop, preaching at the cathedral, stated that lie would issue a decree ex-communicatSng everybody identified with the ambush of Crown forces. Brothers named Delaney were shot in their beds at Cork. One was killed and the other is not expected to recover.— Aub.-N.Z. Cable Assn. IMPOSING BLOCKS DESTROYED. (Rec. December 13, 8.35 p.m.) London,.December 13. It is still impossible to assess the damago at Cork, but the destruction includes some of the most imposing blocks in the city. The entire area of Patrick Street for a quarter of a mile, and a depth, of a hundred yards,; was razed to tho ground. Tho military now control isie streets, and pickets with machineguns are stationed at the principal points. This was done at the request of the townsfolk.. A most hopeful factor Is tho prolouncement by Bishop Cohalan at tho Cathedral, imSmating that ho will ■ excommunicate any persons participating in ambushes. An authoritative act like this might restore peace, which, tho people generally ardently desire. Two other ambushes of troops took ]lace yesterday, including one at Garryspellan, County Limerick, where i several Sinn Feiners are reported to bo wounded. -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu. FIRES DUE TO ANARCHIST ELEMENT IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE BEEN .STARTED ON SPUR, OF MOMENT. (Rcc. December 13, 7.10 p.m.) • .„, London, December 13. Tho 'Morning Post" says:—"lt is impossible that such vast fires could have been started on the spur of the moment OR a reprisal. It is evident tha'il the fires were- due to an anarchist element, who is only concerned in tho break up of the Empire." . The "Daily News" .says a fire started in a small shop near the ambush. The shonowner, an old lady, appealed to the men who set the placu on fire,,and they helped to extinguish it before much damage was done. Another fire burned itself out. The houses of two prominent binn Feiners were then burned, though the men who caused the fires worked hard to prevent them spreading to adorning premises. Meanwhile fires com. meuced in the centro of the city.—Aus.a.A. Cable Assn. AUXILIARY JjSADKTS AMBUSHED London, December 11. Dublin Casijo has issued an official statement that twelve auxiliary cadets, who were riding on a lorry, were wounded, some soriously, in an ambush in Cork City, within half a mile' of tho barracks. Bombs were thrown into the lorry. Tho attackers escaped.—Aus.-N.55. Cable Assn. BOMBS THROWrToVER A WALL PEOPLE OF CORK STRICKEN WITH FEAR, (Ree. December 13, 8.10 p.m.) ,_, London, December 13. Ihe cadets were ambushed at cvmi.ng at a sharp corner, where the lorry was obliged to go slowly, and the Sinn Feinera were able to throw bombs over the wall into the lorry. The first intimation of the attack was a series of explosions. People near by hurried lo the spot, and found the cadets writhing in agony, horribly injured. Operations were necessary in several cases. A number of arrests were made from neighbourins houses. Half an hour later parties of auxiliaries, with special constables, began to clear the streets, which were crowded wißh shoppers anxious to got home before the curfew at 10 o'clock. Auxiliaries held up all males, lined them up against walls and searched them, but allowed women and girls lo go unchallenged. AVhen the news of tho ambush spread the pooplo of Cork were stricken with fear. People in the district where the outrage Hook place fled from their homes and spent tho night in a field, some of them in the scantiest of clothing. About this time lorries began to dash through the city. Explosions were heard, aiid then Mio fires commenced. The authors of Iho fires are still doubtful. The "Daily Telegraph" correspondent, who was an eye-witness, says he saw fifty men, in all kinds of rnipinnl, armed with rides, burning buildings. They succeeded in ovading tho curfew troops. When these had passed by men with rifles fired' shots into the windows of houses, and continued lihe work of destruction. The "Daily Chronicle" und the "Morning Po?t" assert that there is no evidence that the fires were due to soldiers or police—A us.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . martial" law BETTER THAN REPRISALS. London, December 11. "Tho Times," in a leader, declares that martial law in Ireland is preferable tb

tlio present system of reprisals. Tt does not think tho death penalty is unreasonable if arms are illegally retained. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

HOPE OF CONCILIATION. London, December 12. Sir John Simon, in n speech at Spon valley, said that in martial law, baton law, lynch law, and the accompanying announcement, of intensely repressive methods, camo the hope of conciliation in Ireland. The proposal to discuss peaco with the most responsible Sinn iem leaders was at any rate a hopeful sign. It behoved the Liberals to recognise this patch of blue in the sky, and to denounce violence on both sides.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. "KEEP WITHIN THE LAW" ADVICE OF ARCHBISHOP KELLY. Sydney, December 13. Referring fa the Irish question, Dr. Kelly, Archbishop of Sydney, said it was better to live for Ireland than to dio for it. > "If we cannot got Home Rule, we won't set much by standing out for absolute independence or separation. We must keep within the law and bo practi-cal."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. LABOUR MISSION FIRED ON r London, December 11. n. v "■ l ? ni '- V News" Tepofts that while the English Labour Mission visiting Ireland was proceeding to Limerick In motor-lorries, it passed two lorry loads of "B!ack-and-Tans," who fired upon the Labour party. Luckily there were ao casualties—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ENGINE-DRIVER SHOT FAILURE TO. ANSWER SENTRY'S | CHALLENGE. London, December 12. • James Lawlor, an engine-driver, failed to answer a sem-ry's challenge at Lismoro. and was shot dead. English newspapers were seized and burned on the Lismore railway station.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE DUBLIN EXPLOSIVES FACTORY NEW TYPE OF BOMB FOUND. London, December 12. The switchboard used in connection with the electric motor at Heron and Lawless's factory in Parnell Street, Dublin, was installed by the Dublin Corporatfion. The finds include largo bombs, and also a new type of bomb containing a glass vessel or capsule, of which the contents are unknowji. Incomplete portions of an infernal machine were also found. Heron is a member of the Republican Brotherhood, and was interned after the 1916 rebellion. He organised the Irish Transport Workers-' Union. Lawless is an extreme Sinn Feiner, who was deported in 1916, and' was sentenced afifer the rebellion to ten years' servitude. Ho was arrested last week.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. DISLOCATION OF TRANSPORT TO BE CONSIDERED BY CONFERENCE OF EAILWAYMEN. London, December 12. The Union of Railwaymen, after consultation with their Irish comrades, have convened an All-Ireland Conference at Dublin to consider the dislocation of transport resulting from the dispute beifween the Government and the railwaymen over the carriage of munitions.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. TRANSPORT OfIJnT FEINTS' ARMS London, December 12. Three brothers have been committed for trial in Glasgow for organising a motor transport system for the conveyance of Sinn Fein firearms and explosives to various parts of the Kingdom.— N.Z. Cable Assn.