Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-11-19
PAPERS TAKEN
FROM HIM BY
TROOPS, CLAIM
Father Michael English
Of Whitehall, Witness
at Opening Session.
Military Derided His
Protests That He Was
u. S. Citizen, He Says.

Washington, Nov. 1S.-By the Asso-
ciated Press).-Eye witnesses reports
of disturbances in Ireland connected
with the movement for Irish independ
ence were given Thursday at the open
ing hearings of the commission of the
committee of one hundred investigating
the Irish question.
Four witnesses, including Dennie Nor
gan, chairman of the town council OF
Thurles, ireland, and three Americans
who visited Ireland recently-John f
Martin, Green Bay, Wis; Father Mi.
chaeI English, Whitehall, Mont, anG
Father James Fl. Cotter Ironton, Ohio
we're heard by the commission. All ex-
pressed sympathy for the Irish indie
pendence movement and told of violent
events which they had seen and agreed
that civil processes, except of the pro
visional Irish Republic, were virtually at
an end under the rule of the British
military forces.
Home Bullet RIdded
Mr.. Morgan said his home was rid
died with bullets prior to his arrest and
deportation to England without any def
mite charges being preferred against
him. With 200 other Irish Republican
leaders, he said, he went on hunger
strike until they were released He
also told of murders" of Irish citi-
zens by constabulary and soldiery, in
Guiding the '.black and tan" forces.
Father English asserted that British
soldiers had confiscated his papers. The
military authorities derideds his protests
and he also told of having witnessed the
shooting of an Irishman whose body he
said, was beaten into unrecognizable
form.
Father Cotter, Catholic editor, told
of the, killing of Galway civilian by a
British soldier without cause, he said
The soldier, he said, was seized by an
other civilian and reprisa1s against the
town followed an hour later.
Shot Up the Town.
Soldiers shot up the streets for
several hours he said The aged priest
added that he lay for an hour and a
half under a window ledge of his hotel
to escape the flying bullets. The mill
tary, he added, later set fire to two
houses and fired into a Galway news
paper plant whose management was
friendly to the Republican movement.
Father Cotter and Mr.. Martin, a
Knights of Columbus official, stated that
sentiment in Ireland as they found it was
virtually unanimous for independence.
"Sympathies of everyone I met Cath
olic and Protestant, were for the
Republicans" said Father Cotter The
belief that religious prejudices or differ
ences were involved in Ireland was un-
founded, he added
All for Home Rule.
There was absolute unanimity Of
opinion for home rule" Mr.. Martin said
All witnesses said that civil court pro-
cedure was suspended in Ireland. coro-
ners' inquests prohibited by the British
government and that the only authority
exercised, except for the British mill
tary. was that of the Irish Republic
ans"
About 600 soldiers and 400 police are
stationed constantly in Limerick, Father
English said. Military raids through
Penniwill, Limerick district, were so
frequent, he said, that it had been named
the Penniwill sector" He told of a
fire started by hand grenades or in
cendiaries, which damaged 200 houses in
the Penniwill district and said he saw
many marks of bullets and bombs.
Searched by Soldiers.
Mr. Martin said he was halted and
searched frequently by soldiers during
a journey from Limerick to Cork. He
said there were great numbers of mill
tary lorries in Cork patrolling the
streets continuously.
In the space Of five blocks, Mr.. Mar
tin said, he noted about 80 per cent of
the windows of houses and stores had
been shattered by the activities of the
soldiery.
mo compensation has been made by
the British government for the destruc-
ton of property whose destruction has
been proved against it's own forces" he
declared.
Father Cotter said he spent eight
weeks in Ireland last summer. In Cork.
he said, sister Of Terence MacSwiney
showed him a dum-dum bullet which had
been fired at her but missed
Cork Nights "Hideous."
Nights in Cork are hideous with the
shots of the military" Said Father Cot
ter. He and Father English told also
of seeing intoxicated soldiers firing
their arms in the streets.
In the examination of Mr.. Morgan,
Frank P. Walsh and Dudley Field
Malone, counsel for the commission for
Irish independence, participated, but
Frederick G. Howe, chairman; Senator
Walsh, of Massachusetts, and other
members of the investigating committee
questioned the American witnesses.
1t was made clear by Senator Walsh
that all Of the witnesses were summoned
by the commission which pays their ex-
penses, without relation to any other
organization in the country.