The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-26
Cork County Organization
Starts Fight After Mass
for MacSwiney.
POLICE SWEPT BACK
Bricks, Stones, Iron Bolts
and Other Missiles Used
in Bombardment.
PRIEST PLEADS IN VAIN
Outbreak Lasts an Hour With
Union Jack Still Flying
Mob Rule Defied.

The Union Jack of Great Britain
continued TO swing until sundown
yesterday from the Union Club, at
Fifth avenue and Fifty-1 first street.
with the flags OF the United States
and France beside it. but it stayed
there at the cost Of one of the widest
and most spectacular riots New Yori;
ever has seen.
The house which is the home of the
second oldest club in the city. pat
tern of conservation. and noted as
we'll for it's patriotism. was mobbed
within and without by raging men
and women who had been drawn 70
the spot because of the memorial
-rass for the late Terence MacSwiney.
celebrated at 1870 a NJ in s.. Pat
rick's Cathedral. just across Fifty
first street from the club.
The granite building 90 the club
was bonbarded by bricks chunks ot
limestone and even iron bolts. Nearly
all the wirdows on the main floor
great windows dozen feet high from
which the club members are accus-
toned to view The passing show-wero
smashed. The missiles flow crashing
into the main reading room causing
general exit Of the Cnionists TO
safer parts Of the house
Disregard Plea of Rector.
Not even the almost prayerful ap-
peal of their spiritual counsellor Mgr
Lavelle. rector of the Cathedral.
his black cassock Mgr Lavelle quietetl
the rioters for a roment while N
stood on the Cathedral steps and in
plored them. in the name of tfeU
homes. OF the church and OF the
American flag. TO desist. Then with
shriller and more abandoned cries
they resumed their bornbardment and
their pressure against the lines OF
police struggling to force them back.
First so then 100. then $50 police
men tried in vain 10 throw the bom-
bardiers down the avenue. up the
avenue. far east or west on Fifty
first street. TO get them beyond the
possibility of doing more harm. But
it was not until 300 policemen. all
lined up together. with ten mounted
men riding their horses into tho
crowd that the blues got the better
OF the battle.
All this followed the MacSwiney mass
ana the outpourins from the Cathe-
1ral Before the mass there was n
royal hst fight in the clubhouse
Twenty or thirty Irishmen and two
women. going 70 the entrance on Fifty
first street to demand that the British
Gag be hauled down in five minutes
swept past the doorman and were met
on the marble steps just inside the
door by dozen members OK the club.
Battle on the stairs.
The demand was refused Blows were
exchanged. The Union clubmen. sonc
OF whom have been amateur boxers IN
heir time. struck out right and left as
he Irish Republicans tried TO sto~m
p; Sc them and get upstairs. where Il
was necessary TO go IL the fag was to
be pulled in.
Two women were among the in
vaders This was the battle Of the
stairs. as the later one was the battle OF
the streets The clubmen believe they
would have won anyway. but two or
three policemen jumped in TO help
them. The policemen tossed the women
out, one Of the club members says "as
II they were bags Of dust" That was
part OF a walloping. club swinging drive
which finally ent the last follower OF
De Valera. who by the way attended
the mass for Macswiney. into the street.
While the melee in the clubhouse
was going on Major Murphy. superintend-
,nt Of the club. ran upstairs on his own
account and yanked IN the flag which.
floating from STAFF over the Fifth
avenue sidewalk provoked the rurnpus.
uch officers and members OF the house
committee as were on hand hastily as
s.mblcd ~ The call OF Arthur d.
Weckes. chairman Of the committed.
They ordered the British flag displayed
again. and II was so done Later.
while the street fight was in progress,
Police Inspector Underhili and Mgr.
Lavclle Of the Cathedral entered the
clubhouse and begged that for the sake
OF peace the banner be removed. This
tho clubmen refused TO do.
Club UphoIds n Principle.
II was explained last night in behalf
Of the club that It persisted as a matter
Of principle. The American flag Is al
ways displayed on holidays. The Brit
ish flag was with IL yesterday in honor
OF the three hundredth anniversary OF
the landing OF the Mayflower To them
was added the French flag because OF
the recent return to this country Of the
French Ambassador. Jules Jusscrand
Not until paraders OF the Cork County
Mems Association marched down tho
avenue. between 10 and IL A. M did
tho club know Of the NlacSwiney memo
rial meeting that was TO take place in
the Cathedral. they said. They said
they had no thought Of affrontng or
irritating the Irish. but when the mob
came at them they refused to yield be-
cause that would be yielding to the
spirit OF mob violence and would a. an