The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-04

BRITISH POLICE AND
TROOPS BURN TOWN
Tubbercurry, Ireland, Wrecked
by Men in Uniform, Com
ing in Lorries.
SHOOTING AT CHILDREN
60 About Country Destroying
Creameries and Terror
izing People.
SHOOTING AT CHILDREN
BIZ the Associated Press.


TuBBERcURRY, ireland. Oct (De-
layed).--A town half in ruins and its
remnant OF inhabitants living in dread
OF a return of the raid of last week and
handful of seemingly nervous police
who had shut themselves inside bar
racks with the body of the slain Dis
trict Inspector Brady, were what the
correspondent found when he reached
this remote place I'm Ireland late to-day.
And he heard q remarkable story OF how
the wife of u manager of one OF the
creameries destroyed escaped from pui-
lets with her., three children and also
how she, while facing four rifles pointed
at her head, contrived a ruse TO sare-
guard her husband.
For MANY weeks, the correspondent
was told, the local police had been SUD
jected to boycott by the townspeopie,
the shopkeepers even refusing to accept
their trade. For fortnight preceding
THURSDAYS raid on the town the people
were declared to have been hred on
from the roofs of large general store
adjoining the barracks.
When the news on Thursday after
nooa of the ambushing Of police lorry
reached Tubbercurry, two-thirds OF It's
500 population fled In panic. anticipating
n speedy reprisal About midnight four
IL Is said. included Acting County Com
missioner Russell, arrived in Tubber-
curry Two of them came from the
direction of Ballymote and two from the
direction OF Sligo.
wreckers Arrive in LOrries.
Accounts of what happened afterward,
as given to the correspondent by various
townspeople. follow:
The lorries stopped in front of n
public house, and when the occupants
OF them got out Commissioners Russell
begged them not to destroy property.
One man answered the commissioner
with an oath, and all the men rushed
toward the saloon. which quickly was
broken open. An orgy of drinking,
bottle smashing and wrecxing ensued,
after which the men broke UP into
groups. and proceeded systematically
with the work OF destruction. With In
cendiary bombs and petrol they set fire
TO the towns largest general store,
which was entirely destroyed. Two other
stores were burned, and fifteen smaller
shops and residences were more or less
damaged The total material less Is esti-
mated at about a half million dollars.
The raiders remained in Tubbercurry
for nearly three hours. Refugees who
had been crouching in distant fields said
they had witnessed the spread of the
conflagration, heard the detonations of
bombs and of fusillades of rifle shots
and the shout of Come out you Sim
Feiners." Around the watchers of these
events were women and children scream
ing.
Police and Soldiers Attack.
Those who came in contact with the
raiders said some of them were tall
wore long black coats and policemen's
caps others, small In stature, were
dressed entirely in khaki.
Shortly before o'clock in the morn
Ing the men reentered the lorries and
were driven off. one lorry going toward
Ballyara several miles to the southwest
About that time. II was said, a neighbor
awakened Thomas hurricane, manage,
OF the Ballyara creamery. who residence
stands several hundred yards from the
big cooperative plant. hurricane aroused
his wife and children and a priest who
was visiting the family, and ran towarf
the creamery. Hardly had Mrs Murri
came hustled the children downstair,
than she heard n lorry approaching