The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-11-26
Hopper" Higgins Sheds
 Limit On Black and Tans

Visiting his old home in Bridgeport this week is a native of the Park City who probably has done as much travelling about Europe since the war started as any other Bridgeporter, and the facts which he related to a Times representative this morning of a walking tour in Ireland from Bel fast to Dublin, which he recently completed. contain more sensational features than any description he has heretofo brought of his travels through Germany, France and Bel giuul.
 The observers name is William R. Higgins, a member of the Seamens union of New York, and known to hosts of people in this city and else where as Hopper" He was born on Green street and hts father, Thos. Higgins, worked for many years at the old Sanford hat shop. One of his several brothers is an actor of long experience and another is in the advertising business here.
 He was able to throw much light on the personnel of the mysterious body known as the Black and Tans who have been terrorizing Ireland. MT. Higgins declares that the Black and Tan organization Is composed mainly of the most desperate crim- fnals in the British Isles released from jail on condition that they will terrorize the people of Ireland. In addition to released criminals. he said, the chief source of supply for the Black and Tan ranks was in de- serters from the British army who seemed to be immune from prQSecu- ton if willing to don the Black and Tan uniform.
 "The Black and Tans," he said, "got their name from their uniform. afternoon, take off their English uniforms and put on a black over coat and a black cap, the tan boots of the old uniform equipment com- 14Af 1H ~yic III <NP hn tune and the combination giving them their name of Black and Tan"
 MT. Higgins says that like all criminals the Black and Tans are when there is a crowd of them to- gether well armed. Their favorite method, he said. is to crowd into large motor lorries. each man with bayonet and gun slung over the side, and go up and down the road shoot ing indiscriminately alt anyone at whom it takes their fancy to aim.
 MT. Higgins ship, the Lake Gro- gan of the Moore & Mccormick Com pany, reached Ireland on the 22nd of October, and after a walk through Belfast and a. thorough inspection of that city yhe started to tramp to Dub lin so as to see at first hand just what conditions actually were. On this walk he found the proverbiaI- generosity and hospitality of the Irish people fouishing as of old. and he got many a good meal on the way. All seemed eager to take in a stranger and show him hospitality, he said. but over it all hovered the shadow of the deplor- able conditions with which Ireland has had to contend.
 At Newry. County Down. he was entertained at dinner by the parish priest, a Father O'Hara. who gave him some good advice and told him to be waJbchful, as conditions were so horrible that no one could tell what the outcome would be. When he mentioned that he was from Bridge port, Father O'Hara asked him if he knew a we'll known priest of the Con- necticut diocese named Father Nfhill MT. Higgins replied: "I know him well. He is a. rector of a Catholic church in my home city ,one of the largest in the diocese St. Augustin e's. ."
 To illustrate the type of men who make up the Black and Tans, he cited the fact that while in Dundalk, North Louth, he was told that one desperate character who had been sentenced to IA years in Jail for mur- dering his mother. had been released on condition that he would join the