The Irish standard., 1917-01-20

right across opposite my husbands
name, was No charge When told
he was detained, he asked that should
be informed, for l lived within ten
minutes walk from Portobello barracks
and the soldiers had the telephone at
their disposal; but they refused.
| mo message was ever allowed to
reach me; no notification of my hus-
bands death has ever reached me to
this day. His first and second burial
took place without my knowledge, and
every single bit of information that I
have extracted since has had to be
Wrenched out against their will, from
the reluctant authorities. Why? You
ask why? The answer is plain: the
authorities wished to hide the murder,
and to hush up all trace of it. In the
other cases, having given the men a
so called trial, they could say that as
they were rebels taken in arms that
IL
the case of my husband, whom they
realized that they had done to death.
without any excuse even from their
point of view, they decided that no
notification should be issued.
about midnight the villain of the
piece appeared-Captain Bowen Colt
hurst. You hiss him. But l rather
pity that type than otherwise. should
today prefer to be the widow of Sheehy-
Skeftlngton than the unhappy wife of
Captain Bowen olthurst. l want to
mention his regiment. 1t was the
Royal Irish Rifles, an Orange regi-
ment from Belfast. He proceeded to
tie my husbands hands behind his
back with rope and to bring him as,
what he called hostage, on raiding
party. They took expert bombers
with them, and proceeded down Rath-
mines Road-tring several volleys at
the houses, in order to keep the people
from looking out of the windows lest
they should see what was happening.
When they reached the corner of the
road where there were two boys there;
one was the boy Coady lad of sew
enteen. Captain Colthurst went up
to him and said, DO you not know
martial law is proclaimed, and l have
the right to shoot you like dog? The
boy gave some rather TESTING answer
and turned away, and Captain Colt
hurst gave the order to one of the SOL
diers, Bash him. and the boys jaw
bone was broken by the butt end of a
rifle. He fell on the ground, and as
he lay there Captain Colthurst pulled
out his rifle and shot him. My hus-
band, as was natural, protested. He
was told to say his prayers, as he
would probably be the next. The boy
died that night, without having recov-
cred consciousness.
MY husband was then taken as far
as the bridge and left by Colthurst in
charge Of Captain Leslie Wilson. He
said a prayer for him-for Captain
Colthurst. like Oliver Cromwell, was
deeply religious man-and the pray
err is characteristic of certain ele-
ment of English Bible hypocrite that
still remains among us, and I would
like you to hear it. He said: oh,
Lord, God, if it shall please Thee to
take this mans life, if it shall please
Thee, forgive him his sins, for Christ's
sake He left instructions according
ly that if his party was sniped at from
the road, or if any attack was made
upon them, that Skeffington was to
be shot forthwith; Captain Wilson ad-
mitted at the inquiry that he would
have carried out this order, and that
he did not consider there was any,
thing strange in the request.
MY husband was flung into this
solitary cell with his hands bound be-
hind his back all night. How he was
further tortured do not know, and
have never been able to find out. Cap
tain Colthurst spent the rest of the
night in prayer. That seems eXtraor-
binary but it illustrates a particular
type of fanaticism still found very
flourishing in the north of Ireland. He
found, about three o'clock in the morn
ing, Bible text which seemed to suit
his purpose admirably. 1t is from ST.
Luke, and it runs: Those who will
not acknowledge Me, go We forth and
STAY them Me- he interpreted, sup
pose, the British Empire: and consid-
cred he had divine mission in STAY
ing Sheehy-Skettington.
II want to say few words about
the psychology of Captain Colthurst
He belongs to planter family in Ire.
land-Cromwellian settlers-brought
up in the tradition of rabid hatred of
.