The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-03
Reprisals for Irish Murders Or
dered by British.
Property Holders In Cork
Warned by Proclamation.
TWO TOWNS PAY PENALTY
New Distinctions Came Follow
ing Ambush of Police.
One Killed On Each Side and
Several Wounded.

London, Jan. 3.-Reprisals against
the Sim Fein were official today.
This Interpretation, received even
here with great deal of misgiving.
was placed upon an official report of
burnings OF buildings at Middleton
and Knockgriffen where crown forces
were ambushed last Wednesday.
Constable Francis Malone was
killed Saturday and two constables
were wounded when Sim Feiners
fired on two patrols leaving Ballybay
barracks in County Monaghan. One
Sim Feiner was killed and three
wounded by return fire.
Property Holders Warned.
In addition, there was a proclama-
ton by General Strickland, command
ing at Cork. 1t warned that those
who fail to prevent damage to gov
eminent property are as liable to pun
ishment as those who inflict the dam
age. Tho penalty will be inflicted
against either persons or property,
the proclamation said.
This announcement threw conster-
nation into property holders in Ire
land, already torn by fear of unoffi-
cial repriSals and in constant fear of
renewal of the outbreaks which
have marked Cork's history in the last
few months.
Much Damage Done.
The severity of the Middleton dam
age was not known until Sunday when
it was found that the house of John
O'Shea, chairman of the towns board
of guardians, had been wrecked by
explosives. The home of Edward
Carry, chairman of the Urban council,
was similarly treated. In all, six
houses there and in nearby Knock
griffen were wrecked.
The charge against those house,
holders was that they had not given
testimony against the ambushers of
last Wednesday which they We're
bound to have known"
Middleton residents were driven to
their homes before the reprisals and
compelled to draw their blinds. Those
warned and no personal violence was
done. .A
New Years Fighting Small.
Fighting between the crown forces
land Sim Feiners was limited over the
New Year observance. Boris O1Lefgh.
a Tipperary constable, was wounded
when Sim Feiners fired upon a group
of five police.
| Comment here on the new policy OF
open reprisal was varied. but most
papers agreed that in the Middleton
cases, the guilt of the victim had not
! been determined and that the mill
tary's action was open to question. A
] few approved the principle of prop
erty punishment.
The Daily News was most critical OF
the policy, hailing the act at Middle
i ton with "amazement and despair"
! Policy Is Condemned.
Were the buildings burned thru
Z military necessity" the News quer-
: led. 1t declared that there should be
an inquiry and the arrest of the guilty
I if the case against them was proven.
! IF there is no case against these men
nothing Greenwood or General Mac
Ready can say will excuse the act"
the paper said. 1T is a savage out
rage against human decency. The
credit of the British people is at stake
"Altho property punishment is a
| drastic measure, We do not question
that there was ground for it." the
; Times said. 1t pointed out, however
that there was no reason to believe
that the Middleton victims could have
given warning against the ambush
| 1t doubted the men were bound to
| have known" of the act