TERRORISM AND REPRISALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1920, Page 5

TERRORISM AND REPRISALS.

A TERRIBLE NIGHT. London, Dec. 12. By explosions and incendiary fires in Cork, the City Hall, Carnegie Library, and a number of theatres have been destroyed. The fronts of three blocks, embracing many large business houses in Patrick Street, have been reduced to ruins. Two large drapery shops were blown into the Btreet., There were no fatalities. The outrages arc alleged to be reprisals for kidnapping officers and shooting troops. The people of Cork were in terror all night long through the fires and explosions. Patrick Street, the main artery of the city, was the chief scene of incendiarism. The three destroyed blocks had a frontage to Patrick Street. The block from Cook Street to Winthrop Street, containing 12 large premises, and the bloekfe from Winthrop Street to Maylor Street, and Maylor Street to Merchant Street, were all'demolished.

Grant's and Cash and Company's large drapery shops were blown up by explosives and their entire fronts were blown into the streets

Efforts are proceeding to save another threatened block. Two theatres in King Street and Winthrop Street were destroyed. The Carnegie Library is still burning, but is beyond salving. Only the walls of the City Hall are standing. The fires started simultaneously. There are various theories for the reason of the outrages, the most popular that of reprisals. A Dublin Castle official statement says that 12 auxiliary cadets riding in a lorry were wounded, some seriously, in an ambush in Cork city, within half a mile of the barrack)?. Bombs were thrown into the lorry. The attackers escaped.

James Lawlor, an engine-driver, failing to answer a sentry's challenge at Lismore was shot dead. English newspaper* were seized and hurned at Lismore railway station.

The fire outrages in Cork are now asserted, to be reprisals for ambushing 12 cadets earlier in the evening, one of whom succumbed.

In addition to the City Hall, the Carnegie Library adjoining, and 18 business houses in Patrick Street were burned simultaneously, and the fires were not overcome at mid'day to-day. The fires appear to have gtarted in two buildings only, but spread. The fact that there were no casualties is due to

the warning issued to residents to leave. Large forces of police and military today prevented looting, and are keeping spectators clear of the collapsed buildings. Owing to fears of the renewal of hostilities to-night the people whose premises had been partly wrecked moved their furniture to the country.

DISLOCATION OF TRANSPORT. The Union of Railwaymen after a consultation with their Irish comrades, convened an all-Ireland Conference at Dublin to consider the dislocation of transport resulting from the dispute between the Government and railwaymen over the carriage of -munitions.

The Daily News reports that while the English Labor mission visiting Ireland were proceeding' to Limerick in motor-lorries they passed two lorry loads of Black and Tans, who fired upon the Laborites, Luckily there were no casualties.

The Times, in a leader, declares that martial law in- Ireland is preferable to the present' system, of reprisal. It does not think the death penalty- unreasonable if arms are illegally retained:.

FIND OF BOMBS!

SOME NEW TYPES:

London, Dec. 12.

The switchboard used in connection with the electric motor used in the Parnell .Street factory was installed by the Dublin Corporation. The finds include large bombs, also a new type of bomb containing a glass vessel or capnule llie content*; of which are unknown, likewise incomplete portions of an infernal machine. Heron is a member of the Republican Brotherhood. He was interned after the 1916 rebellion ■ and organised the Irish Transport Workers' Union. Lawless is an extreme Sinn Feiner, who was deported in 1910. He was sentenced after the rebellion to ten years' servitude. He was arrested last week.

Lord French's martial law proclamation refers' to recent crimes, particularly the massacre of Maeroorh, and enjoins all loyal subjects to aid in maintaining peace and ttie supremacy of the Crown and to obey the orders and regulations of the military.