Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-05
FLAMES WEAPONOF
THE S|NN FE|NERS
Scores of Government Buildings
Destroyed and Sixty Police
Barracks Blown Up.
TAX BUREAUS SUFFER MOST
Belfast Cut Off, While Masked,
and Armed Men Become
Pyromsniacs.
,D- Universal Se-v:ce.l.

i%o.NbDN, Aprll i.-EaStcr SUNDAY,
fourth anniversary OF the bloody up
rising that led to the foundation OF
the island-widc movement for-an In
dependent reprblic. Is nearing It's end.
without the threats of "A repetition OF
the revolt having been carried out.
However. incendiarism throughout
the whole Of Erin. beginning yester-
day evening, is the Sim Feiners' re-.
ply 10 the governments Easter dis
play of force. With the same cum
ming. system and secrecy with which
the many raids on police and mill
tary have been carried out during the
last few months. the rebels-or
group Of cxtremists-appiied the
torch 10 government buildings anu
offices. especially tax bureaus in Dub
lin. Belfast. Cork and many other
towns
Police and fire guards were kent
very busy throughout the day, though
in most instances they came too late
TO save important official records
from perishinS in the flames.
Belfast rs Isolated.
Belfast was Isolated from the resi-
o. the world. The land wires and
cable to England were cut, aud the
only means of communication was the
telephone. The Grand Central Hotel,
In winch arc located the Pensions
Labor and other departments and tho
l'ank or Ireland. were entered during
the night and large number Of doc
uments were destroyed. The raiders
then tried to burr the buildings. but
fire brigade prevented this. @
Three separate .biazes were found
In the INCOME tax -nf1ces. The cityr
post offices and public buildings were
under strong guard today.
Attempts also were made to sot
fire 20 the Belfast custom house ana
two excise offices. In every case firo
was started by pouring petrol over
floors and furniture and then apply-
ing a match.
Most OF the men who started the
blazes were disguised as postmen.
Some were masked and armed.
when communications with Belfast
were partially restored this evening
II was discovered that wave OF de-
struction had swept over tho entire
Province OF Ulster.
Police Barracks Blown lin.
Police barracks in all parts of the
province had been burnt down or
blown up. The conspirators sought
out mostly the smaller towns Reye-
nue. offices also were ignited on a.
large scale. Belfast tonight is still
cut of from Dublin. and tho latest
r"po.ris that more than sixty police
barracks have been destroyed and
twenty-one revenue houses burned.
~ Londonderry men singing repub-
lican songs cut tho hose lines as IRE
men were trying desperately to save
the revenue offices and the pension
once from burning to the grouad
The Irish republican flag wss
hoisted wherever the conspirators
carried out their work of dcstruct,on
~ Queenstown. Sim Feiners raised
the republican colors on the flap-
staff in front OF the harbor commis.
sioner's official residence Then thew
cut the halyardS and creased the no.,
10 nrevcn; the removal of the S,nnF
Finn emblem
throughout Counties Cork and Clara
disguised and armed men DESTROYED
more than score of police barracks
~ this cabling the record OF poIic.
barracks destroyed in the various
counties Is as follows:
l.imcrick. six: Clare. twelve. Down
nre' Armagh. two; Roscommon, four
Cork. eleven; Tyrone. -
for;y-one.
There was feverish police and nil,
itary activity all day at Cork. Large
forces constantly patrolled all streets Z
All automobiles were held IN and
the occupants closely questioned
raiders invaded the pos.-ohlce at
eircnagh and seized much mail.
Arrests In Newry.
The incendiarism near Belfast, the
ulster stronghold. was most yirulent
in the Newry district, accordinr 10
later message.
Ten arrests were made followinr
an attempt 10 destroy the custom
house and the barracks at Nswrv
where rebel raiders also ATTEMPTED Ia
burn down the revenue collectors
private residence. In this they were
baked by the pluck OF the colleetor,.
daughter, Mrs. Mansfield, who held
one OF the attackers by the nose
half-st!tlins him. until the polica
arrived. Among the ten prisoners +.
Councillor Patrick Lnvery.
The Dublin correspondent OF fhe X
London Daily Herald quotes a sim
Fein leader as saying there will he
no rebellion in Ireland, IL being een-HS
orally realized that a rising wouid
simply result in massacre. .Tha
Sim Fem" the leader added "now5
has discipline which even Noske,s z
iron guards could not emulate. The
people are deeply cmbittcred over tf,a
Incredibly stupid policy OF DnbIIn
Castle. which they believe was de-. Il,
lioeraieiy adopted for the purpose OF &
provoking tnsurrection,. Il 3 is&
England's military machine ha, ,hs II
island in an iron grip, but. uniikalSs
the fanatics OF 1915. tho present-day
leaders Of the rebel movement know