Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-11-26

as they got drunk they got out in the
streets fighting among themselves
and battered each other with bottles
and glasses.
This was kept up until evening,
when they shot Mr.. Burke, their own
inspector, and also his brother, Ser
geant Burke.
Tried to Shift Blame
Those of them who were the less
intoxicated sought to put the blame
of the murders on the Sim Feiners.
Of course it was impossible for the
Sim Feiners to do it as the streets
were full of Black and Tans. How
ever, the Black and Tans withdrew
and went to Gormanstown, eight miles
away, the training camp of the Black
and Tans.
| might say here that Germans
town was the American aviation field
in Ireland, and when the Americans
withdrew they left the field, buildings
and equipment to the British Govern
ment, who turned it into a training
camp and school for the Black and
Tans recruited in England. According
to a Scotland Yard report 5000 were
recruited in September last.
! Those who went to Balbriggan that
evening reported that the inspector
and sergeant had been murdered by
Sim Feiners. The result was that
250 men, fully armed and with motor
lorries, petrol, hand grenades and
trench bombs arrived in Balbriggan
at midnight.
Town Made a He'll
Then hell broke loose in Balbriggan.
Thirty-fve of the principal houses and
stores were blown to atoms and the
Balbriggan Hosiery Factory was
burned. This factory employed sew
eral hundred people, mostly girls.
The house of Mr.. Gibbon, a young
farmer, who resided with his widowed
mother and three sisters two of whom
were invalidated, was visited. Glib
bons got out Of bed and opened the
door; then the visitors rushed up
stairs. Gibbons asked permission to
take an invalid sister who was sitting
at the top of the stairs away. She
had lost her crutches in the excite
ment.
One of the demons said: "WeIl
attend to her." then pushed her with
his foot, threw her to the bottom of
the stairs, where she was trampled
upon.
Gibbons was dragged across the
street to the police station and was
asked to tell all he knew about the
Sim Fein movement in the town. He
denied knowing anything. He was
prodded with bayonets and begged of
his tormentors to be men; to put down
their rifles, unite his hands, and that
he would fight them three at time.
Instead they battered his face with
the butt ends of rifles and finally
struck him heavy blow on the back
of the head which dazed him and put
him out of his misery as far as pain
was concerned. Sometime later they
dragged him to the street and round
the corner and put bayonet through
his body.
The body was left there until day
light. was taken to the spot and
saw the blood marks.
He "Needed No Shoes"
About the same time that Gibbons
was dragged out another gang went
to the house of Mr.. Lawless. Lawless
rushed down in his bare feet to open
the door and was dragged into the
street. He asked permission to go
back and put on his shoes and the
reply was: you'll need no shoes by
the time we are through with YOU"
And they made good their word.
Lawless was tied by the arms to
two Black and Tans an the process of
making him confess was resorted to.
His wife and eioht children and his
mother, 80 years of age, were brought
down to witness the performance.
Two of his children were suffering
from measles. The poor old mother
had to witness the spectacle, and
ruffan standing by said: "Now, you
old -, see your beautiful son! Why
don't his Sim Fein friends come out
and rescue him 2"
He, too, was taken to the station
house and was put out of his misery
about a o'clock in the morning by
driving a bayonet through his throat
and severing his windpipe.
Mrs. Lawless, the widow, showered
blessings on me for coming to see
them. The word went round like
wildfire that an American was MAX
ing an investigation of the destruc-
tion, and the cry of the people who
gathered round me was: "What is
America doing? Is America going to
help US? If we don't get help from
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