IRISH REPUBLICANS ARRESTED.

Shannon News, 13 March 1923, Page 4

IRISH REPUBLICANS ARRESTED.

DETECTIVES MAKE CLEAN SWEEP. IST BRITISH CITIES. LONDON, March 11. The “ Daily Express ” states that Scotland Yard detectives and police made a series of raids in almost every borough of London early on Sunday morning, and captured 114 Irish Republicans. The men include Art O’Brien, president of the Irish SelfDetermination League, and Shaun Magratli, its secretary. Most of those arrested wfere in bed, and they protested vigorously. The women sang Irish songs and shouted, “ Up, Republicans,” as they were re. moved to the central police station, from whence they were motored to Euston and placed on a special train and taken to Liverpool, en route to Ireland.

Similar raids in Glasgow resulted in the capture of over 30,' who were put aboard two destroyers and transferred to Ireland.

SHIPPED OFF ON. CRUISER.

TWENTY-FIVE WOMEN INCLUDED

1 (Received Monday, 7.20 p.m.) LONDON, March 12. At . least 100 arrests were made in Britain. In every case the detectives were armed, as it was known several revolutionary leaders in Britain were desperate men, who carried arms and threatened to use them. Accordingly, it was arranged that the arrests in par. tically all cases should be made when the wanted m;en were in bed. The ar_ rangement was excellently carried out. Important documents were seized, showing that some, of those arrested were engaged in traffic in arms in Brixton, Camberwell, Islington, Walliam Green, Netting Hill and Hackney. In some London districts, which were raided those arrested were taken to the nearest police station before they were sent to the Liverpool Street sta. tion for entraining to Liverpool. In Glasgow each arrested person was presented with a paper signed by Lord Novar, stating that the accused was charged with acting in a manner prejudicial to the restoration of law and order in Ireland. i Another raid was made in Dundee, where Pat O’Neil, a teacher in a Roman Catholic school, was arrested. Doncaster and Sheffield were among the English -towns where irishmen were taken. Most of the arrests in Liverpool were made in the Scotland Road quarter of the city. Men and women were taken to Bridewell, which is the chief gaol of Liverpool, and then driven in prison vans to the cruiser Castor,, which had been lying in the Mersey for two or three days. Every detective in the Liverpool force was engaged in the raids, which were carried out with astonishing secrecy. In some cases husband and wife and igrown up son and (daughter (fvvarfl? taken. In each case they were told to pack up their clothes, and other be. longings as it was unlikely they would

be allowed to return to their homes in England. Meanwhile, special trains were arriving from other parts of the country. Processions of deported persons passed along the quays through an avenue of fixed bayonets to the Castor, where, the landing stage was specially barri. cad,ed off. Twenty .five girls and women, who were among- those arrested, were escorted by police, who carried their suit cases. They were, also accompanied by six women police and wardresses. Most of thes(e women were smartly dressed and seemed in I good spirits though one gin was highly f hysterical and clenched her lists and j waved her hands wildly. One woman i was a doctor, with a Liverpool prae. ' tioe. Each man was escorted by two I policemen, who held his arms tightly. ! Art O’Brien was living in a flat in J Drayton Gardens, London.- He took ; no notice of the police until they shat-'-tered a glass fanlight. When the door / was opened, O’Brien was arrested and J

given a few minutes 1 to pack his .bag and bid his wife farewell. Another man arrested was Peter Murphy, aged 70, who was a news agent in Liver. where he kept a shop known as The Irish House,” where Irish literature and papers Avere sold. The last sight of the deportees was,the heads of pretty girls and matronly women poked from the port holes of the Castor as she steamed down the Mersey, when all were singing Irish airs.

REPRISALS CONSIDERED. .» (Received Monday, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, March. 12. Two destroyers arrived at the Clyde in' darkness and quietly drew up at Queen’s dock, and the Irish Republicans were surprised in their beds and in a few minutes were hustled into the waiting police motor vans and hurried to the docks. They were on the high seas going to Ireland before they realised what had happened. ~ The raid was due to the suggestion of the -Free State Government. Glasgow Republicans, who were not arrested, met on Sunday evening to consider possible reprisals. MORE MANSIONS BURNT. LONDON, March 11. Sir Thomas Esmonde’s mansion, at Ballynastrogh, County Wexford, was destroyed by lire. Fifty fireraisers gave the occupants ten minutes to leave and then used gas bombs and petrol. Rebels burnt Clony Castle, a magnificent Norman building belonging to the Greville-Nugent family.