The Washington times., 1920-12-15
PROVE KINGS men
DESTROYED CORK
Newspaper Correspondent Gath
ers Evidence Against Black
and Tan Forces.

The removal of the auxiiiaries. who
had incurred the most extreme anil
mostly OF the citizens OF Cork not
only because OF tho reign OF arson
and pillage during last Saturday night
and Sunday but by acts OF brutality
to individuals. has had the effect OF
apparently quieting the populace.
This eject. however. Is believed 10
be only temporary. as the feeling OF
indignation against all forces Of the
crown 10 high.
Among the most revolving acts Of
uniformed vandals on last Saturday
night was the torture of two Catholic
prtests--one OF them the Rev. Pat
rick McSwtney. a relative OF the late
lord mayor of Cork.
PRIEST WAS MIsTREATED.
Father McSwiney was dragged from
a street car by members of tho Brit
ish forces near billions Cross. where
les was ambushed earlier Saturday
night. He was returning from a
mass at the Diocesan Seminary and
wore his vestments beneath an over
coat. i...
Discovering that he was a priest
when they threw him to the street
and tore on his ovcrcoat. his attack
ers stood him against a wall and
threatened him with death unless he
knelt and said: ITO hell with the
Pope" When he refused his vest
ments were torn from him and he
was badly beaten before he was al
lowed to depart. ....-
The Rev. Father Mccarthy. an
other priest. who was on the same
street car. also was so badly beaten
he 10 confined to his home.
In addition to a detailed and vivid
description of the sacking and burn
ing of Cork, by a special correspond
ent. which hxes the onus unmistake-
ably on the Crown forces the Man
chester Guardian in editorial COM
mcnt says:
"Surely 1t was hardly worth while
for Hamar Greenwood (Chief Sec
rotary for Ireland) to play off
cheap make-believe In the House OF
Common at a time when the tragedy
Of Ireland Is filling every patriotic
Englishman with such disgust. As
all the world knows, the weekend
has seen in Cork the most revolving
crimes and counter-crimes yet carried
out in Ireland"
Similar sentiments are expressed in
other newspapers. all of which urge
a speedy and sweeping investigation.
NO PROBE Is WANTED.
wants no investigation other than
General Strickland, the British COM
mander- in chief at Cork. The re-
suit and extent of this promised in
vestigation can be forecast by the
statement as to General Strickland's
attitude made by q personal friend
in the House of Commons Monday
night He quoted General Strickland
as saying to him: what does the
most damage In Ireland are these
repeated debates in the House Of
Commons"
Describing tho reign of horror in
Cork. the special correspondent of the
Manchester Guardian says:
'"The destruction was deliberately
caused. In the House OF Commons
We may hear It was a Sim Fein out
rage, as II even the most determined
rebels would fire their own city for
fun or by accident It was neither.
The people have known in Cork that
something like this was to happen
before long. A free hand was given
for tho reduction Of the city to
quietude and respect for authority.
and one has heard in the last few
weeks much ominous and threatening
talk from members OF his majesty's
forces Of the fate that was to -befall
tho city If anything happened to
policeman or soldie-
THREATS PUBLISHED.
THE chief Nationalist paper IN
Cork. the Examiner. has been com
toh ,,p0Nirto1 fhrnofS M
damage to the people. There have
been four of these threats In three
weeks. but not a word Of remon-
STRANGE or a move for protection came
from the authorities. Then came the
ambush on the outskirts. of Cork Sat-
urday evening, the bombing of a
lorry full Of auxiliary cadets, killing
one and wounding eleven Others. Dis
order broke out Immediately. A row
of shops was burned. Several large
houses were selected and fired.
People were shot at. Men were taken
out of their homes and threatened by
the auxiliaries.
"As news of the ambush spread
among the police there was retalia-
ton on civilians in other parts OF the
city. Men in civilian clothes carry
ing revolvers moved about among
the people, firing occasional shots and
creating panic. A tramcar was
boarded by the police with carbines
and auxiliaries in plain clothes, who
brought it back to the tram center
where It was burned. and its twisted
framework stands in the middle of
Patrick street today. Several people
are reported to have been hurt or
wounded during tho hold-up. The
firing went on internationally until 10
o'clock, the curfew hour.
"The occupants of one house, to my
knowledge, and probably others, were
warned about Q o'clock. before any
fre had began. to clear out. The
warning was given by a party Of men
mostly in civilian clothes and a few
in the royal Irish constabulary uni
form-an incident of some signifl-
canoe. At the curfew hour no one
remained on the streets but the aux
iliaries and military patrols who
have charge of the city during the
night hours. Just before 10 o'clock n
party of twenty or thirty men In
civilian clothes came to the large
drapcry stores of Grant & Co., and
broke the boarding and wire netting
recently put up to protect the win
dows from night attack. They en-
tered and spent some time In carry