New-York tribune., 1919-12-20
One Assassin Is Slain,
Others Flee Af.er Shots
Pierce Vic~r1sa. Cz~:
Many Bullets Axe Fire.
Clews to f'iotters
Found on Dead Mar
Tanks Seen in Streets as
Hunt for Band Opens;
Policemen Wounded

DUBLIN, Dec. 19 (By The Asso-
ciated Press).-A determined but
unsuccessful attempt was made to-
day to assassinate Viscount French,
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
The attack evidently had beer.
most carefully organized at spot
in a narrow, winding road with high
walls and hedges, affording the as
sassins good hiding places. One Of
the attacking party was killed and
q detective seated with the chauffeur
of the vice-regal car was slightly
wounded in the hand. Viscount
French was not injured. Some dis
tance away a policeman, patrolling
his beat, was shot in the ankle.
Bombs and revolvers were used by
the assailants, the number of whom
is estimated at from five to fifteen.
The smaller number, however, is
considered more probable The vice.
regal party fred on the assassins as
they fled across the fields, but all
made their escape except the one
man killed, who was shot through
the head and died instantly.
Assassins Place Distractions
Vscount French had been visiting
Boyle and Roscommon and returned to-
day by train at ] o'clock He alighted
at the suburban station at Phoenix
Park near the spot where in 1882 Lord
Frederick Cavendish. Chief Secretary
for Ireland, and Thomas II. Burke, his
under secretary, were assassinated
The station is about a mile from the
vice regal lodge.
The ambuscaGe had been carefully
planned, the assassins placing obstruc-
tions in the narrow part of the road,
hoping to compel the motor cars IN
which the vice regal party was travel
ing to stop. Behind the hedges and
walls, in favorable positions, they had
stationed themselves for firing upon
the Lord Lieutenant and his party.
When the automobiles approached,
revolvers were fired and some bombs
were thrown. The assassins evidently
expected Niscount French would be in
the second csr in the line. and at it
most of the shots were aimed. He.
however. was IN the first car. into
which only a few bullets penetrated.
A shot, however. directed at the first
car, struck the detective who was sit
ting beside the driver. in the hand
Almost Immediately the Viceregal
party opened fire on the amouscaded
men, who took fight on bicycles across
the field. During this shooting one
of the men, later identified as having
fired directly at Viscount French car,
was seen to throw up his hands and
fall. Several of his friends stopped
and lifted the body, intending to carry
it away, but they abandoned It when
they found the man was dead.
Slain Man Identified
Around the fingers Of the fallen man
was found the ring of discharged
hand grenade and in his pockets were
two reVolVerS Of Spanish make
and the other an Old German. model.
Also there was found in his pocket a
handbook which identified him as Saw
age, the clerk OF spirit and grocery
dealer, employed on North Strand,
Dublin. From this book it was ascer-
tanned that he had deposited sum
of money early in the day belonging
to his employer. The police hope
through this identification TO track the
mans associates
The entire affair lasted about half
L.
firing from both sides was rapid.
Niscount French proceeded immedi-
ately to the Nicercgal Lodge. where
he had luncheon as usual The police
vent out and searched the roads and
fields in the neighbo-hood OF the shoot
ing. but late tonight they had not re-
ported making any arrests. although
they found some undischarged hand
grenades in the vicinity. Viscount
French received numerous kilograms
during the day congratulating him on
lis escape. Among the first of these
were messages from King George and
Premier Lloyd George
That the attack on Viscount French
had been carefully and coolly planned
is indicated by the fact that his as
sailants played handb il at public
house near the scene of the shooting
while awaiting the Viceroy's arrival.
Further evidence Of this j. conveyed
by the fact that the assassins carefully
flung carr across the road at the
scene of the ambnscade, which stopped
the vlceregal procession of four cars.
Bombs Found in Roadway
After the attack a case of Mills
bombs, similar to those used in the
war, was found in the thoroughfare.
Late tonight the police said that
there might have been thirty men en-
gagged in the attack, deployed at inter-
vals of more than ,wo hundred Yards.
One sniper with revolver. fired from
an ivy covered tree
The Viceroy had with him only four
armed policemen. These men had or
ders not to leave the Niceroy. no mat
ter what happened. Accordingly they
were unable to pursue the miscreants.
LONDON, Dec. l9.-News of the at
tempt to assassinate Viscount French
in Dublin was confirmed this after.
noon by the Irish Office.