IRELAND

Southland Times, Issue 18839, 4 June 1920, Page 5

IRELAND

SENSATIONAL AFFAIR AT DUBLIN.

A MILITARY GUARD DISARMED. NAVAL STATION RAIDED. (By Telegraph. Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, June 1, A sensational affair occurred at King's Inn Henrietta street, Dublin. About 50 Sum Feiners surprised 25 soldiers guarding the Inn, deprived them of their arms and ammunition and two machine guns. Tin- sen try was surprised to get the word of command. "hand? up.” He promptly obeyed and was deprived of his rifle.

The Sinn Feiners then darted to the guardroom and overpowered the soldiers, covering the 24 with revolvers. The party escaped in motor cars, telling the soldiers to remain where they were at least ten minutes or they would he shot. The raiders were loudly cheered as they left bv the crowd which assembled outside the Inn.

Police and soldiers are now semiring Dublin in search of the raiders. Raiders attacked Queenstown naval station. igniting and destroying portion of the buildings. Other raiders destroyed five coastguard stations on (he south coa-4. The defence of these stations is. difficult owing to their isolated positions. It is believed in sonic quarters that the attacks on them are connected with f>inn Fein plans to land war material. A party of Sinn Feiners raided a large garage at Cork and seized a number of motor ears, blindfolding the garage mechanics and keeping them in a field throughout the night while the Sinn Feiners attacked the police barracks at Blarney. The police resisted for two hours until a flying column of soldiers arrived and put the Sinn Feiners to flight. ATTACKS ON POL'CE BARRACKS. AN EXTENSIVE CAMPAIGN. MANY FIERCE BATTLES. LONDON, June 3. (Received June 3, 11.35 p.m.)

A series of determined attacks on police barracks were made in Ireland yesterday. Two hundred men attacked the Clare barracks, in King’s Country, with rifles and bombs for two hours, shattering the walls. The police refused several demands for surrender, and eventually repulsed the raiders. who in addition tc placing the usual impediments on the roads and cutting telephone wires, tore up the railway in a number of places. Raiders at Fenit, a few miles from Tralee, in County Kerry, penetrated two houses adjoining the barracks, scattered petrol and ignited the buildings. They then opened a fire lasting two hours. Bluejackets on a destroyer in Tralee Bay, seeing the flames, landed and rescued the p-olicc. Two of the defenders were wonnde i.

Many incendiary bombs were used in an attack on Fivemilcbourne barracks, in County Leitrim. Some were hurled through a hole in the roof. It is bel oved that several raiders were wounded. Three hundred men attacked Cross-gar barracks, in County Ibwn They entered adjoining houses anti attempted to make a breach in the barracks walls with dynamite, but failed. Meanwhile some of the attackers began rifle fire from a house opposite. This lasted for two hours. At an early stage a bullet penetrated a police sergeant’s lung, and a constable was wounded. The attack ceased at daybreak. The battleships Valiant and Warspite have arrived at Devonport. from Iwiugh Fovle, and are embarking 1290 murines for Queenstown and also a battalion of the Devonshire Regiment.