Nebraska Newspapers

    TJTE SUNDAY BEE: OMAHA. OCTOHER 1, 1922.
'Story of Skeffington Tragedy Told by Widow
Unfolding with remarkable force and clearoe the tale
of early events In Ireland' struggle, three Installments of
"Michael Collins' Own Story" have been presented to read
ers of The Omaha Sunday Dee.
How this Irifh patriot, slain by an asuassin'a bullet
shortly after he told his life story to an American newspaper
correspondent, was Instilled with love of country from his
earliest boyhood days were recounted In the first chapters.
It was this lovo of country that held him In Ireland at a
time when he had an allurintr opportunity to go to America.
Collins and Prof. Koin MacNeil also have explained in
preceding installments how the Easter week uprising, in
stead of being an ignominious failure, Inspired Irish patriot
ism because England treated the disturbance seriously and
the perpetrators went to martyrs' deaths.
Casement, although he had attempted to enlist Ger
man aid in the rebellion, used every effort to halt the upris
ing when he failed to obtain this support, according to Col
lins and MacXeill.
Erskine Childera' asinine scheme to get England to con
sent to a "hands off" policy toward Ireland, deportations of
sinn feiners, the devotion of Boland for Do Valera and the
sinn fein convention in October, 1917, also are detailed In
preceding chapters.
Exoneration of Lloyd George from more than nominal
blame for the British government's policy during the period
of 1917-21 was expressed by Collins in a startling statement,
in which he says that the prime minister's whole attention
at that time was absorbed by the world war.
In last Sunday's installment, Collins tells how the Eng-
CIIAITER X RUCTION 1.
"The on great lesson which the
Irian peopl might have learned
from tha result of our fight in th
three years from to 1921 seems
to bo forgotten today. That lemon
was th unbeatable assent of unity.
Under the black and tan terror we
were a united people and we
smashed the black and tuna. Are
we ao blind w will not ae the
truthT Must we have the enemy
on our backa before we will work
together In the common cauae of
Ireland?"
Colllna wa continuing his nar
rative of the gradual approach of
Irish victory over the British aecret
service and began on thla occasion
by referring to exlMtlng condition.
"One of our great concerna dur
ing the earlier atagea of the fight
aglnst the black and tana." Colllna
continued, "waa to keep the national
aplrlt at the highest pitch possible.
The Irish republican army by thla
time had grown to be a national In
atitution. There waa not a village
In aouthern Ireland without Ita con
tingent. Maintaining a high morale
among these potential aoldlera went
a long way toward enaurlng good
morale among the civilian popula
tion. Beat of all. it served to keep
before ua all the thought we were a
united people.
Office Raided
Twice in Day .
"Among the Instruments we used
! to this end waa An t'Oglac, a min
iature newspaper published every
week during the terror by the Irish
republican army. An f Oglae Ce- -Ho
for Th Volunteer was devoted
to the education of the young sol
diers In military matters and to
strengthening their moral fiber.
"While a British army of 80,000
and half as many more black and
tans and police left no stone un
turned in their determined efforts
to crush the publication the little
four-page sheet waa in the hands of
each soldier of the republic every
week as regularly as clockwork.
"It lias been said the greatest
endeavors were put forth to effect
my capture, but I am 'sure equal
gratification would have followed
the destruction of our national or
gan. The fact that not once in
three years was a single consign
ment of the papers ever found by
the British Is to my way of think
. Ing one of the most striking
proofs of the efficiency of the In
telligence Staff of the I. R. A.
An t'Oglao was printed in a build
ing less than 100 yards distant from
O'Connell street, Dublin's main
thoroughfare. In this building,
Pearce Beazley, editor of the paper,
had his offices. The black and tans
knew or If they didn't they at
least had reason to believe that
Beazley was the active brains be
hind An t'Oglac. Furthermore,
they knew that his headquarters
were In the building mentioned.
"Sometime! his office was raided
twice in a single day but nothing
whs ever found of type or any of
th other usual impediments of a
newspaper office. And without evi
dence of any kind even the black
and tans hesitated to arrest Ba
ley. Beazley Tclh
of Jail Escape
"A remarkable rhtnu-ttr Ba-1-y!
Ills pluck In covering a rear
guard action in the Kaster week r
belliun earned h.m the rank o( gen
eral commandant. A journal!! by
lrf'Miin and an able writer (n
both tinglis and tl v l c. h Is to
iHy one et the mo! tiitWM
mn working in lr.-ln.t rau,
ieiiy wa on ff th sncn who
'l4 from Man. htr Jail
wheat A'4'ln Ku.a and w ether
I h I rt a dl aKmi
th ap t -rad) t Villi. fe
Iti wttol , but a frttily
ti a.l.
' tht wM t- tut wi," a
ltt -l. f kewwitif It b t
h - It is !-. f..i It to
! 111 tl '
! kf f I VrdJ Ik Vai! (
f in I i.'r k:.if It t una
' tk .! l It al-I-
a fc-r th n t i.o m tt ! vt all
!a . r,f ; I t ;n j hrt
4 IHe ft t., .. e
it ' 't i'. l i .-l in tk
it,
k-f tk fl I ,
t s t.-H ty l'' 4 tt
iM sj t,tj in
r k I ki, 1 ,tk t ia
.iit (j-,H ktf f t t In I t
his companions were at liberty! The
escape had been planned with all of
Colllna' usual skill. From start to
finish there was not a single hitch.
Key Smuggled
to Prisoners
A mastar key of th cell doors
had been smuggled Into th prison
In a cake, and word passed to
Beazley to be prepared at a certain
hour to go to a corner of the prison
yard where on a moonl night
the shadows were deepest. That
was the only Instruction sent to
Beazley, The other prisoners con
cerned In the escape were each
notified separately. And so It waa
the quartet of Irishmen found them
selves at the appointed place in
Bide the prison wall, And then
A rope ' ladder was suddenly
thrown over to them. Up this they
clambered and down another al
the bottom of which were Collins
and his aides.
Ten seconds later a hlghpowered
motor car was speeding them away
to Irish friends In various parts of
Manchester. As they were alt much
wanted men, their escape was e-"
peclally exasperating to the British
government. Their descriptions
wero published broadcast, and for
weeks every port and every ship
leaving for Ireland were watched by
English detectives.
And yet all four of them were
hark in Dublin within four days of
(heir escape!
"Beazley went back to his work
of editing An t'Oglac and for a
long time was unmolested," Collins
continued. - The fact -that he was
in Ireland was scouted by Dublin
Castle. He could not have slipped
by the watchers at any English
port! Therefore In the logic of
British officialdom he must still be
In England. However, Beazley did
take the precaution of keeping out
of sight when raids were made
raids of which we never failed to be
Informed in advance.
Unable to Find
Any Machinery.
"The reason the black and tani
could not believe that the paper was
published on these premises was
that they could never find any of
the machinery with which to pro
duce a newspaper. The truth did
not ocour to them. It was simple
enough. Every night of the week
a few Dublin printers devoted their
time to hand setting the sheet. They
came singly, unostentlously, and set
a few 'sticks' o type which they
brought with them.
"Immediately a page was thus set
and printed they took the type away
with them and the pages well hid
den. Between 70.000 and 80,000
copies of An t'Oglac were turned off
a little hand press every week.
"Every Tuesday night would be
gin circulation of the paper. This
was obviously the most difficult
part of the whole undertaking. The
black and tans knew It was being
sent to every town and village In
Ireland and they were bent on
finding out how it was done. They
knew discovery of the method would
bring them a substantial reward.
"But o secur did Betuley feel
that h ven risked meeting certain
trusted Journalists every day to In
form them of th progress of the
war In all !rl of th country.
Home of the newtaper men Beailey
thu trusted with Ma personal
safety wr Englishmen but not
one was hi confident- abused"
CUAITKH X. ACTION ?,
'Many d ingenious r the
Dieth.HU of distribution ft An
t'tif Collin continued "At en
im a fnignment "I our P-tP'
iWHiad fr a distant rM f bb
y would b cwBi-Mle-l In a "f4
from tilth th u.hiMrti b
ha renovt A fftm
trl hue-It! she! would t
h lie In a b f ur
limine Knou n
by ConlgnC
' T tt th
et,itl tT.-i i. l know lktr
ku-.'x ( e thiti .f ' r-
it K t'i a ki ha and
K ....it .( tk I U A Tt
.It I th itl k.HM l ! w il!
I 1 1
rif .n i
th Mt.it . aw ' ( k -
f th h t - t
"l -lit el ')
' '. tM 4 tk t't.t-i
Im A 1 1 a 4 f
i.it t -t . t is t
Loved
mr
i i i . 1 1 j
Those who loved him best, member of III ImnieiUale family and his closest assmlnles, lingered for Usl faieuill
In foreground, with Sean Collins," brother; Miss Collins, and Sinter Celestine, sister of the hero.
handle munitions intended for the
British forces.
"Time after lime engineers re
fused to run (rains In which I here
were black and tans. Ity close co
operation will) these railway men
we were frequently able (o organ
ize a successful ambush when (lie
foe, forced (o reach (heir destina
tion by road, were hound to pass
a known point.
Power Rests on
Military Might
"If It seems that this citing of
our ability to outwit our enemies
places me In the category of those
who imagine that in time we could
have routed them out of the coun
try, let met dissipate that Idea,
quickly. I hold no such opinion.
English power rests on military
might and economic control. Such
military resistance as we were able
to offer was unlmportRot. had Eng
land chosen to go at the task of
conquering us In real earnestness.
There were good reasons for her
not doing this. About them I shall
presently have something to say.
"At the general election of 1918
British government had been re
pudiated by the Irish people by a
majority of more than 70 per cent.
The national government was set
up In a quiet, orderly and unag
gressive fashion. Dail Eiieann
came into being. British law was
gradually superseded. A loan of
400,000 pounds was raised. At last
the issue was knit. The struggle
was definitely seen to be as be
tween our determination to govern
ourselves and get rid of English
rule, and the British determination
to prevent us from doing either.
"It was all this this slow build
ing up of an orderly self govern
ment, this Ignoring of English civil
power which was becoming an in
tolerable provocation to the Brit
ish government. Whitehall was
coming to realize that ordinary
methods would no longer do. Vio
lence alone would meet the situa
tion. But England as yet thought
It unwise to make these facts
known.
Only Bloodshed
Work of British
"Thus far the British had been
content to ridicule us. Then grow.
Ing tanned at the Increasing author
ity of our new government, attempts
wer made to check cur activities
by wholesale political arrests. But
neither ridicule nor arrests accom
plished their purpose. Th final
phase tf the atruggl was at hand.
"Vr two years such, violent- as
th l.rttmh armed forces h.id been
guilty of tit tltftr eSort at suppres
sion hd rt-oult-d In the killing f 15
Irishmen Had th Wtuin liitg f nwtr
lv mn. women and children.
I.rl It h ri"?nitr-l th.t In (hi)
.m period tW ti H"t lv In
une if reprlwl hi kind ty Ilia
IrUh republican amtv. Ther I not
aa aulhvntli itted rn rf vi.ilt.m-
!tit n KnaiishiiMOj In this pr
kt in th lt itllt rrt.
"the tl kl.KJ.hrd w the emit
at Ik lhNi.lt. k kUtlk an
! set wmI lit IrrUttil by lh
lltllutt ( rnitil In h i ia
sr t( f'tdlitt th pruple itttq
tt4 rMm. I kl ttll in
lbm the tltnx thry 4iit.il (Nw
rw tit ttiiKif.nn attaik) n4 f
Kr k, kiwai lu ktuai, ly ritU fmt
eVoa ttt) tt in 4kJ
kl tt kt ktk4.M t 1 hl W4
ikettkrd h-o
i. kt tok
tk Mwk J t u itJ.
Hut U 4 ru4
lH,t WiV.IH,
Jl'lMlt I I ,
l
tt -t ti IMtir tt t 14.
vt US!
Ones' Last Farewell to Michael Collins
eiaily admitted' that a dellberati
policy of violence had been 'con
ceived and sanctioned by an Influ
ential section of the cabinet.' Of
course this admission was not mud
in Whitehall.
"Excuses, evasions and lies wer
still necessary to conceal the real
object of the reign of terror which
was about to begin. In August,
1920, a measure had been passed in
the Westminister parliament 'To
restor law and order in Ireland'
whlnjj In effect meant the abolishing
of all law In Ireland. It was pre
paring the ground for unbridled
license on the part of th black
and tans.
"Next, England had to choose
carefully the men to do Its work.
Again see what the Times had to
say In this connection. In one of
' Its leading editorials It stated:
" 'It is common knowledge that
the black and tans are recruited
from ex solrtlers for a rough and
dangerous task!'
."And Just what was this 'rough
and dangerous task?" To begin
with, there was the planned killing
of certain leading Jrlshmea and of
ficers of the Irish republican army.
The names of thesp men 'were en
tered on a list for definite clearance.'
Then all who worked for or sup
ported the national movement were
to be imprisoned. The general popu
lation was to be terrorized to what
ever extent and by whatever means
might be necessary to Insure their
beging kept in submision.
Army Called
Murder Gang
"To accomplish these things It
was the part of wisdom to pretend
to have justifying causes. So we
find Lloyd George in a speoch at
Carnarvon In October, 1920, talking
about the Irish republican army as
'a real murder gang.' It had be
come 'necessary to put down a
murderous conspiracy' to 'get mur
der by the throat.'
"The 'murders' that we commit
ted were legitimate acts of self de
fense forced upon us by English
oppression. After two years of for
bearance we had begun to defend
ourselves and the life of our nation.
Let It be remembered that we did
not Initiate the war, nor were we
allowed to choose the methods
along which the war developed,
Let the" facts spe.ik for themselves.
"England mad It a criminal in
liii-Re areas a capital offens to
enr-y arms. At the same time he
inaugurated a brutal and murder
ous campaign against us. By so
doing England forfeited any right
(o complain against the Irish people
for whatever means they took (or
their priitm tion.
"Our only may t carry on the
fight w,t by organised and bold
KUi-rrllla ttsrfure. lUtl this In Itself
not enough. However auec
ftil our odoih. KniUud emilt
siy reinforr b-r army. Hh
c.oill l,t) rrpltf etery toldter
ah tt. And (till .' Ih real
rti fr lh tniln Int., being
f our litt!Ui!ti !u.
BritUh Spits
Put Out of Way
' l i purttlit lb In link ttktthm
t is Bwr t sti.k al !
I.I. I U.lh Ul br W,tt !
. k ' f t the . t i. t( tit
i , .rl.i I h i !- It
. 1. 1 t motim i f Ihut A.vutou
ltis t t i unul'otaj kit"-
IK.it ti, - t H h..4ttt'Ut et'tti ( tit
..! S ih.ul tllfi (... iM-.tk
al It-
tvtiti
tl Tf ll 4 !' .! !
H.. I
tMd' ,-
iriut.wnw) !.( lit n i.et
l it it h , ( t -1 tr
one, lie could not step Into (lie
old one's knowledge!
"I know that the English spies
who cuine to their death at our
handa deserved their deaths. I
know also that a world press re
ported these murdiTB as the limit
of coldblooded villainy. But it is
not true. We have to strike st In
dividuals, and by so doing shake
the morale of the organization-that
meant to crush the life of the Irish
nation.
Fruits of Peae
Within Reach
"We went at the grim business,
difficult as it was, not because we
reliahed It, but because the enemy
left us no other course. And so
far as It was possible, we observed
the rules of war. Only the armed
forces, the spies and the criminal
agents of th British government,
. ...i..j r,.i .
were attacked. Prisoners of war
we treated honorably and consider
ately, and they were released un
harmed after they had been dis
armed, "Murders cnmmltteed by .the
English forces were justified on the
grounds that the perpetrators were
but 'enforcing the law' 'restoring
law and order In Ireland.' Murders
committed by us were" murder!
"In the end the British govern
ment awoke to realization of the
fact that Its policy of violence was
as futile as It was conscienceless.
Eventually, the day arrived when
the British prime minister invited
the Irish leaders the 'murderers'
and 'heads of the murder gang'
to discuss with him terms of peace.
"The fruits of that peace seemed
to be within our reach in the treaty.
It Is possible that the dawn of
peace is yet a long way off In the
future? Are the Irish people to
struggle through long years of new
misery, because a minority insists
on proving that we are still unfit
aud unable to govern ourselves?
"I cannot bring myself to believe
that."
CHAPTER XI SECTION 1.
Collin's disinclination to dwell on
instances of cruelty practiced by
the British armed forced in Ireland
led to niy making Independent in
quiries. Quickly I learned in a
general way of the murder of Fran
cia Hhechy Fkeffington nt I'orto
Iwllo barracks. April 19. lfl. by a
firing squad of aevrn men under the
command of ('apt. J, C, llowen
Colthurst, Boyal Irish ltifles. It
seemed to be the one instant- that
cam to every Irshman's mind
when asked for authentic cases of
brutality,
Th murder and a British court
marshal's flndinf Coliliumt "guiltv.
but lnwiif," were elicits. vrly coiii
mentrtt upon by th world pr.
but th ret I storr ht never been
ptihl,hd. I obtain.-! th story
from tk (fusion's w.it.w-a nn'iti
f i,r fu In-kind .Ur In Hint sit
I th only w. nil u whos l.imhnd
went to a martvr'a imve ho dtw
lot tttar miiurn i'K ' I wlm iir
tnd tu b ehvl. l !t K'rmon
It tKM.ni to in In ttir I 1m lj"t in
the ftg If only b.u II ia
Imlttiily another ! iii'-n nt In
tVtl ' Benin ( hf,i- i.ihrr lu
.1 I th !' I oil --t" t t
ItxHtnd Mt tkWn'.n' rt
(.. titd,f l-1 i fr.Mn
ltlll kef I t t A:. .1..H tl
. i-f r..,,i if ,t t,i,.r-.H
tkee ! th ttltini on-ft ef fuliifi'
kMtk It lVM:t kt
. i Hi
H Itttl f
tfn ,.,ielii -m. t i- k iU
Facts Told by
Widow Verified
(o Michael Collins, ( apt. O.IC iJ!
gentle and kindly even to his bit
terest opponents who always ranged
himself on the side of the weak
against the strong, whether the
struggle was one of cluts, sex or
race domination. Together with his
strong fighting spirit he had a mar
velous, an inexhaustible good
humor, a keen Joy of life, a great
faith In humanity and a hope In
the progress toward good.
- "Several months prior to the
Easter week rising my husband,
was sentenced to one year's im
prisonment for making a speech
calculated to prejudice recruiting.
Ho went on hunger strike and was
out In six days with a license under
the Cat and Mouse act. Shortly
after his release he went to the
United States where, In February,
1916. Century magazine published
his article entitled 'A Forgotten
Small Nationality.
"Although as a socialist and a
....... . u nnnn.iil In all mill.
i""-.'-" ' ,
tarlsm even Irish his great sym
pathy for and belief in the general
movement for Irish freedom led him
to return to Ireland, where he be
Levefl he was most needed. He felt
the British authorities realized per
fectlyas of course they did that
ho was resolutely opposed to the us
of force, and therefore, In their eyes,
a relatively unimportant figure. His
record as a publicist for many
years as special correspondent of
labor pnpers such as the London
Herald, New York Call, Manchester
C uard an and as author of the "Life
of Mchael Davitt," and as editor
and founder of the Irish Citizen, a
pacifist and feminist Dublin weekly
established him as a man to whom
the thought of militarism was ab
horrent. Opposition to
Griffith Known
"Equally well known was his op
position to Arthur (iriffith, whose
ideals were nntisoc'allst. Altogether
then, although he was openly asso
ciated with James Connolly In the
revolutionary Irish labor movement
and was one of the founders of the
Irish socialist party, he waa not an
undesirable It) British eyes in the
same sense that rehel suspect were.
"Of course, he nor I would have
buen surpr'si-d had he been deport
ed to England on h.s return from
America. But murder without trial
we did not foresee. .
"By brother, Eugene Sheehy, an
attorney, volunteered ns a follower
of Ketlmoli'l fur service lri the Hilt
ih army during th war. lie bet-am
a lieutenant In the Imbl n Fusiliers
and Inter won a captaincy. My i t
ter's Mixhand, I'rofessur Toni Ket
tie. also was a lieutenant in th
imm r.ni-nt and was kllr. In
action In Frnnce In Heptemhrr,
101. Mv fnth-r tht-n a member
of piirbment fr ttnuth Mnth
upwrle d Ket'lihd in Ihn allrd
f ht for einiill rstion Tho biy
tiu.t.iinil ,io1 I n in mull ml
n.-r ' v m fir 1 m ly
Sympathetic tn
Idea of Republic
' r" iirtlti-, tor butod nti
(wlhstl.t t.t Ida .1t i t n I h r
put I f In ! fir it n l f-f
vttM km it-ti.tm-insftbh it. it k.i
ll ntltt. Itv el., , t , tl of III I
I' ir v it!.l 1 1 lido, tbit ,i. I
t ii. ft Hi . i l I n. ll
U' it d 1 1 . ! on i li t . it
I--..i 'e .u i , ! t th ii.
b f it'll a ! .-.iim I I'n,l-R.
i. 1 1 1 t i , tt i- i Ni l ttn a
. tl t ill at
"Aat lt(V . b t l' t.. .
Jitti t t ntt'om ktt .r K a I. ir,
itt iiKii. t i iM k. an ,hi W
liilj attitude rettulteii in a nwe united Irelantl ami thu driv
ing1 of the Irish peope to meet dcupcrntc methods with de
perato rprnt'tlif.
Then came the Kmakhirit: of tho JJriti.th gpy ttyntem, tho
greatent necrt't at'nice in tin world. Jiisdi traitor, houmht
oiT by llritinh money, fpund the lonjf arm of the Irisii repub
lican brotherhood could reach out to the furthermost end
of the earth and mete jiistice. The reult waa that, goon,
many of thoee who had come to xpy on Ireland turned their
allejrifince to Ireland.
How thoroughly ho wn kept in touch with movement
of the black ami tan i shown by Collin' rucape from
raiding party which Mirrounded a buildinjr in which Irih
leaders had met for a conference. While the raiders
gearched every nook and cranny of the building. Collin wan
hldinif in a chimney over a roarinjf fire. When the intruder.
had jrone, Collin, attiretl in a black and tan uniform which
hi bodyguard had obtained, "lipped through the truurd hur
ruundintr the houe and tlisappeared.
"Irihmen anxious to aell information to Dublin C.tl
learned that the very black and tan to whom they gold it
was one of our agent," nay Collin. "From then on they
took pain to acquaint other who wtre considering betray
ing u that in all probability they would offer information to
one of our men,"
Raiding of mail and tapping of telephone line wna
another method used to discourage I.ritish secret nervice
agent. .
"According to admission made freely by Dublin Cas
tle, not one message was received that waa not heard by us,"
ays Collin.
nit Hie point of Joining oii. I
am Khtd now Hist I did ind. For, a
tmr Inf. ml iiinieiiii.nl grow to
ward the statue of a full grown
militarism ll exsenir preparation
to kill trims more ri-prll.int in me.
"High Ideals undoubtedly animal
you. It nt lias not nearly every mill,
larisjic system stalled tt It It the
same high Ideals? You are not nut
In exploit or to oppress; you are out
merely In prevent riploilaf Ion and
o defend. You justify no war ex
cept a war In end oppression. In
enliilili-li Hie right. What in'litiir
Isnt ever avowed other aim In Its
beginning?
Adovcates New
Form of Fight
"I advocate no mere servile lay
acquiescence In injustice.
"But I want lo see the age-long
fight against Injustice clothe Itself
In new forms, suited to a new age.
I want In see the manhood of Ire
land no lotiqer hypnotized by the
glamor of I he glory of arms, no
longer blind lo the horror of or
ganized murder.
"We are on the threshold of a
new era In huuiRn h'story. After
this war nothing ran he ns It was
before. The foundations of all
things must be re-examined. For
merly we could only Imagine the
chaos to which we were being led
by the military spirit. Now we re
all;. It. And we must never fall
Into that abyss again."
"Surely there was nothing in this
openly distributed document to
earn British censure. On the other
hand there was his arrest to prove
that he was none the less offensive
to the British authorities. Ills ar
ticle In Century magazine waa not
calculated to Improve his standing.
In that article he had referred to
the sentence of a fortnight meted
out to a Dublin boy for kicking a
recruiting poster. As a matter of
fact subsequent events proved that
his description was circulated to
the military Immediately after the
Easter Monday rising.
"So much for my husband and
his record.
"Capt. Bowen-Colthurst had had
18 years' service in the British
army. His family bad settled In
Ireland in Cromwell's time and
given grants of land confiscated
from the Irish. At the court-martial
held in Richmond Barracks,
Dublin. June , 1S10. fellow officers
of Colt hurst's testified to his cruelty
to natives in India and to his hav
ing tortured dumb anlmnls while on
service there. After the battle of
Mons, according t the testimony of
MaJ.-Oen. Bird,. Colthurst's ec
centricity (which had expressed it
' self in his recklessly sacrlfliclng his
men and practicing cruelty on
German prisoners) resulted in his
being sent home from the front.
"When the Easter week rising
took place Colthurst was stationed
with the Third Itoyal Irish Rifles
in Portobello barracks. Tho battal
lon's commanding officer, Col. Mo
Cammiid, was absent on sick
leave. Capt. Colthurst, nJthonrh
not the equal In rank of MnJ. Ros
borough, was the senior officer In
point of service, and according to
all th evidence considered himself
l liberty to Ignore his brother of
ficers. Husband Xear
Dublin Castle
"If this statement set-ma tneteil
Hie to pcrnoti V.I1.1 bv Ipipllrit
filth In th iinVFityiiie itisiiplme
enfoited In ail nulls of the !r:tmh
aniiv, let It 1m reuienil.ei e. iH.tt
is hn I I tin put mi.l lalr,
bv a 1'iiiisli eff ii-r t t'l.i'humli
i .mi t tii.irtl .1. M.ire It I iy lo
piov thnt tlrf-r ji n ai io.ns
l Iwlimeii nil 'lie lilli rvgiioeitla.
a itsnU ll.. r-tu.i... in u
ii. Hh.tt ii, In ll, a..itti ,.f I
l.nd A'lht-UKh Ih'V 'l r (,
lllllll unlf.iiti i. krioil lip
no kf''. tttv i t- iln!v i-.
til l"i fi ai-t.ibrr. lit.) w,. n Hi
! ! In li ft, f r I
' " I ' ' ii ,,,'. It :t
( t. n t t, t t' ',i t.tt 1 i,4 f u,f t
' t 't t h. wt It ifi.i
i .i H tor f .r .. i ( h
il h ,
I M . .
l ,l t II
Cult I i pi
lit I,
T ii
' i-l it ,i, ' 4 ,
!--! I.i
h - ft
t lM ! t4 I I -,..!.
Ill Dublin at the time of th Easter
week rising.
"When lliet outbreak brgsq on
Fssb-r Monday my liuhand ms
near Dublin Castle. He learned that
a III It Mi iiflict-r had been gravely
wounded and was Mi eiilng to deal It
on the t-obbleslunrs outside. Hie cas
tle gate. .My luikhaiid persuaded s)
bystander In go ttith hint lo the rr.
rue. Together Ihey ran acros ilia
squure under a hail of fire. Ib-foro
jllii-y reached III spot, however,
sum lli iiihh J roups ru-lird nut and
ilnicfi-d Hie wounded man to cover
iuslil the gate.
"Tlirouk-liout that day and th
m-xt my husband actively lutr-reiitel
himself In preventing looting. H
was Instrumental In saving several
chops, he posiid civic guards, and
enlisted the li Ip of many civilian
and priest. Jf pleaded with th
ernwda and persuaded them to re
turn to their homes. Hut by Tue
diiy evening the cmwds were get
ting out of hand. Everyone feared
the worst. My husband called a
meeting for that evening to organize
a civic police. We met at S;30 and
hud t'i. I wont home by a round
ulKJUt route, for I was anxious about
my T -year-old boy. I never saw my
husband again.
Arrest Ordered,
by Lieutenant
"it was between 7 and g that
evening that my husband passed
Portobello bridge on his way home.
At this point Lieut. M. C. Morris.
11th East Surrey regiment, was In
charge of a picket. Recognizing my
husband from the circulated descrlp
tlon of him. he ordered his arrest,
lie was unarmed, carrying a walking
stick, and was walking quite alone
in the middle of tho road. At Porto
bello barracks whither two soldiers
escorted him, he was searched and
questioned. No papers of an Incrim
inating character were found r
hlm. "Lieut. S. V. Morgan, Third Royal
Irish Rifles, the adjutant at Porto
bello barracks, reported the arrest
to headquarters, saying there was no
charge against my husband, and ask
ing whether he should release him.
Orders were given to detain him.
But the charge Kheet produced at
Colthurst's court-martial showed
the entry against my husband's
name was no charge.
"Told he was to be detained over
night, he asked that I be Informed,
but the request w.is refused. No
message was ever allowed to reach
me no notification of his death no
announcement of hiB first or second
burial were ever issued.
Boy Shot Down
by Colthurst
"At about midnight Cant. Bowen
Cothurst came to Lieut. AV. P. Dob
bln, Third Royal Irish Fusiliers, cap.
tain of the guard, and demanded
that my husltind be tinned over to
him. This, of course, Dubbin had no
right to do, but he did it. Colthurst
had my husband's hands tied behind
his back, and thin led him out wit
a raiding party nloiiif the Itiilhmlnt a
road the raiders firing at houses ua
tlmy went along.
"Opposite Itiithiiilm rat hollo
eh tire h the column isuie upon two
bojs Mho bad been attending th
servlte that evening ami were re
luming to their Inane,. (',ihiir
tloplH-d and altid lliem If ihiv
tlliln'l know lhat tiiarii.il law ,mt
been proclaimed and thai Ihey i mild
be shttl like dog. The el.b r of Hi
' . J t oadf, a lad uf 17. iii.il.'
no repl, hut started u ,lk usi,
'lUh blm,' riilthuml imb ri d. ami a
kolilirr britb I lie hti' jaw Willi the
bull ruil of hi. rifle, l.n sl,ing blm
down. I ulth m uli,,M-, ,,
rrvllver aud lml hint ttead. lb
tl wa Utrr ratt'M lo the tMr.
till k,
' M bUsbiiol protetlt-l n tti.at
thu w inttttt murder, n ! , t 1
I'V I". I'l-or t,i I. a i i ii r , , tt(
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