SURRENDER

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1922, Page 5

SURRENDER

THE REBELS BEATEN. DUBLIN BATTLE SCENES. TERRIFIC EXPLOSION. INSURGENTS IN CUSTODY, By Telegraph —Press Ami- Copyright. Received Joly 2, 5.5 pjn. London, June 30. fhe battle of the Four Courts &t Dublin came to a melodramatic end at four o’clock this morning, when Rory O'Connor (leader of the rebel forces) unconditionally surrendered. The buildings were then blazing over ; the defenders’ heads, and part had been i blown up, while shots were pounding in from the guns; bo there was no alternative between surrender and death. It was 60 hours after the attack commenced that a white flag appeared and an officer demanded the terms. “Unconditional surrender” was the reply. Ten minutes later a white flag appeared again, and : Rory O’Connor and 130 men, headed by J i priest, came out with their hands up. I With them was General O’Connell, whose | rapture caused the fight. He was un- ; harmed, and immediately went to the headquarters of the Free State troops. The most dramatic incident in the final ' stages of the fight was the explosion at 12.30. It shook the whole of Dublin, and broke every window in the district of the Four Courts and was the origin of the fire, which is still burning and threatens to ’ destroy priceless archives. The explosion threw masses of masonry across the River Lifley. while documents from the Record Office were flung sky high, and some fell I in St. Stephen's Green, a mile away. I Commandant Barry, one of the signa- i tones to the rebels’ proclamation, attempt- 1 eu to dodge through the attackers’ line in ■ the guise of a nurse, assisted by a woman with him, who ran into the thick of the troops and made a frantic appeal to the Free Staters to allow her companion to i enter. “For God's sake, allow her to go in!” cried the woman. Meanwhile, a tall, angular figure in the uniform of a Red Cross nurse awaited permission to risk her life on a human mission. The ruse nearly succeeded, but an officer became suspicious I and arrested the supposed woman, who confessed “she” was really Barry. About 13‘‘ surrendered. They were mostly youths—some only boys—but their haggard faces spoke dearly of the ordeal they had passed through. They were surrounded by Free State troops and march-Ni to Mount joy Prison. The insurgents’ ammunition was practically exhausted, and the garrison was half starved and went without sleep for two days.—Aua-NX Cable Assn. OFFICIAL REPORT. THE FIRE STILL RAGING. COURTS CANNOT BE SAVED. Received July 2, 11-5 p.m. London, July 1. Dublin Free State headquarter;: anBounced last evening in a communique that O’Malley, on behalf of the execu- I tive in the Four Courts, surrendered . unconditionally to Brigadier-General O’Daly. The entire garrison was taken prisoner, including O’Connor, Mellower and the principal officers of the rebel executive. O’Connell, who was kidnapped. was set free. Mr. Winston Churchill, in the House of Commons, stated the explosion at • the Four Courts was caused by the springing of a mine laid by the insurgents under part of the building which had been occupied by the Free Staters, j Thirty of the Latter were killed or injured by the explosion. A number of British soldiers belong- J ing to a border regiment went to the Bank of Ireland to get some money, and insurgents fired on them, wounding two. A Central News telegram from Dublin states the Four Courts fire is still raging to-day unabated, and nothing remains of the magnificent dome except the pillars and supporting masonry. No effort can save the buildings. The surrender of the irregulars was not marked by any sternness of war. As the saptured men emerged the Free Staters shook hands with them, and there was B general atmosphere of smiles, laughter and goodwill.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable A«n. DE VAT.T-.R A FIGHTING. ! London. Jane 30. i The Government has received news, • that the Four Courts has been blown up. The insurgents surrendered at four o’clock. Rory O’Connor was taken pri-j loner. A Republican bulletin announces that 1 de Valera has joined the Dublin Brigade and k fighting for O’Connor. The explosion at Four Courts occurred at 12-30 in the afternoon, the Republicans leaving the Courts by tunnels which had been prepared in case of emergency. Fierce fighting occurred in the neighborhood of Talbot Street, the irregular troops sweeping over a wide area. British soldiers parsing through the city had to lie down to escape the bulletsMr. Chqfiphili. in the House of Commons. were strong rumors that the insurgents, when they asked for terms, were informed that the surren- ■ ders must be unconditional. Regarding the blowing up of the Courts, it k believed the irregulars left mines, one of which exploded when the building took fire. The explosion shook a great part of the city.