Arizona republican., 1920-11-19
EYE: WITNESSES RECOUNT ACTS
 nT ll AnnnT T0nInkI Uf A66n[1jiUiiVi ii
 AGAINST IRISH
Americans Tell Of Disturb ances-All Express Sym pathy For The Irish Inde- pendence Movement
Republican A. p. Leased WIreJ

ness reports of disturbances in Ireland connected with the movement for Irish independence were given today at the opening hearings of the commission of the Committee of 100 Investigating the Irish question.
 Four witnesses, including Dennis Morgan, chairman of the town council of Thurles, Ireland, and three Ameri- cans who visited Ireland recently John F. Martin, Green Bay, Wis; Father Michael English, Montana, and Father James H. Cotter, Ironton, Ohio were heard by the committee. All expressed sympathy for the Irish inde- pendence movement and told of events which they had seen and agreed that civil processes, except of the provis- ional Irish republic, were virtually at an end under the rule of the British military forces.
 Says Soldiers "Murder" Irish Mir. Morgan said his home was rid dled with bullets prior to his arrest and deportation to England without any definite charges being preferred against him. With 200 other Irish republican | leaders, he said. he went on a hunger strike until they were released. He also told of murders" of Irish citi- zens by constabulary and soldiers, in cluding the black and tan" forces. l Father English asserted that British 1 soldiers had confiscated his paper. The
 military authorities derided his pro-
 tests that he was an American citizen he said, and he also told of having witnessed the shooting of an Irishmar whose body, he said, was beaten into unrecognizable form.
 1 Father Cotter, a 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 citizen and reprisals against the town followed an hour later. Soldier,
 shot up the streets for several hours,
 he said. The aged priest added that h,
 lay for an hour and a half under {
 window ledge of his hotel to escape tn,
 flying bullets. The military, he added
 later set fire to two houses and fire'
 into a Galway newspaper plant who's
 management was friendly to the repub
 lican movement.
 Father Cotter and MT. Martin,
 Knights of Columbus official. state that sentiment in Ireland as the found it was virtually unanimous fo independence.
 l Denies Religious Prejudice "SympathiesA of everyone I me
 Catholic and Protestant, were for tn
 republicans" said Father Cotter. Tn . belief that religious prejudice or diff p ferences were involved in Ireland wa 2 unfounded, he added.
 o There was absolute unanimity ( t opinion for home rule," Mir. Marti 8 said.
 : All witnesses sad that civil cour e procedure was suspended in IrelanC
 coroner's inquest prohibited by tn . British government and that the onl 0 authority exercised, except for tn r British military forces, was that of tn 0 Irish republicans.
 r About six hundred soldiers and fou d hundred police are stationed constant y ly in Limerick, Rev. English sai' e Military raids through Penniwill,
 Limerick district. were so frequent, h y said, that it had been named the "Per r niwill sector He told of a fir
 started by hand grenades or incendi
 aries, which injured 200 houses in tn . Penniwil district and said he sa' e many marks of bullets and bombs. d MT. Martin said he was halted an
 searched frequently by soldiers durin
 a journey from Limerick to Cork. H = said there were great numbers of mil e tary lorries in Cork patrolling tf e streets continuously.
 ! In the space of five blocks, MT. Ma " tin said, he noted about 80 per ceI v. of the windows of houses and store e. had been shattered by the activiti, $ of the soldiery.
 l. No compensation has been mao r, by the British government for u a destruction of property whose d
 struction has been proved against 1 le own forces" he declared.
 .- Scores English Military Rule re Father Cotter said he spent eigI re weeks in Ireland last summer B 1 Cork he said a sister of Terance Ma f. Swiney showed him dunn dunn bull d which had been fired at her b in missed.
 ut Nights in Cork are hideous wi l. the shots of the military" said Fath es Cotter. He and Father English to
 also of seeing intoxicated soldie
 firing their arms in the streets. L In the examination of Mir Morga ,C Frank P. Walsh and Dudley Fie
 Malone. counsel for the commission c Irish independence, participated, b O Frederic c. Howe. chairman, Senat
 Walsh of Massachusetts and oth is members of the Investigating comml ad 1 tee questioned the witnesses. It " nt l made clear by Senator Walsh that TIT of the witnesses were summoned n the commission which pays their e or penses without relation to any oth
 organization in the country. i'd In opening the hearing, Chairm ,1N Howe said the commission was ce conduct an impartial inquiry into mn the facts, both from Irish and Engli of sources and later send a commit nd to Ireland for further inquiry.
 The hearings here are expected o continue for several weeks TomC in row John Deerham. Republic y,s leader of Balbriggan, Ireland, will se heard together with other Americ a~ visitors to Ireland including MT a bo Mrs. Frances Hackett of New YoI ,t Mrs. William King of Ironton, Oh IN rnF