The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-25
FIGHTING RACES IN
HEART OF DUBLIN
In Fierce Battle Sim Fein Cap
ture Customs House.
Many Civilians Caught in Fire
Lines and Killed.
IRISH REDS BURN BUILDING
CniOniStS in Belfast Claim Vic
tory at the Polls.
Many Charges of Illegal Voting
Are Made.

Dublin, May 25.-Fighting between
Sim Feiners and British forces ragged
in the heart of Dublin today. The
rebels captured and fired the customs
house.
General panic reigned in the center
of the city. All business was sus-
pended.
The fire department was helpless TO
combat the flames in the customs
house while the Sim Feiners and the
military forces fought around it.
Many civilians were killed in the
fighting between the Irish republican
army and black and tans.
Operating with the utmost boldness,
a large band of Sim Feiners rushed
the customs house and took possession
of the government offices there. Bot
ties of petrol were broken and the
inflammable material poured over the
floors and furniture, then ignited.
Citizens Caught Between.
As they emerged from the building,
the Sim Feiners We're met Dy ae-
tachment of black and tans looping
thru the streets, their rifles and bay
onets ready for instant action.
The Sim Feiners hurled hand
grenades. The black and tans opened
fire with their rifles. Caught between
the fighters, many civilians were
killed. Other spectators fled without
attempting to carry away the wounded
Unionists Are Victors.
Belfast. May 25.-Altho official
figures were lacking, a triumph of
unionist candidates for the Ulster par
lament was considered certain today.
Despite the furore in yesterdays
oil in I1r1i ipf a
of persons sustained injuries. Sim
Fein candidates apparently drew lit
tie support.
Charges Are Made.
Wholesale charges of intimidation
" and personation during the balloting
Northern Irish parliament are being
made by both the nationalists and the
unionists. A nationalist newspaper
cites dozens of incidents, with names,
in which it declares nationalist voters
in Ballynacarret, across the river
Lagan from Belfast, were beaten on
their way to the polls, or after vot-
ing. thus preventing others from at
tempting TO cast ballots.
Charges Are Made.
The unionists likewise claim their
supporters were prevented from eXer-
cisiug the franchise in nationalist dis
tricts. As reports come in from the
provinces, the number OF cases in
which children voted yesterday in
creases but there was only one any
where which matched that of the child
of two and one half years, who voted
for Noes, a candidate in South Belfast.
That was the case of a girl just un-
DIR three years. who cast her vote for
J. NJ. Barbour, a unionist candidate in
Antrim. who is we'll known in the
United States. 1t is not unusual for
Ulster children to get on the voting
lists and a case is recalled in the last
elections where a family of eight chill
dren, ranging from sixteen years down
ward, exercised the franchise.
Heavy Vote Cast.
Election officials began this morn
ing at o'clock to count the votes
cast in Ulster yesterday in the cleo
ton of members of the new north
IRISH parliament. 1t was expected
that when the canvassers adjourn at
o'clock tonight the results in this
city and possibly many districts out
side would be known. Estimates were
made that fully 90 per cent of the
voters here went to the polls. Reports
from Stradane and other important
towns in Ulster indicated that the vote
would be very heavy.
Belfast had returned to almost nor
NAL after night of widest excite
ment, reports reaching this city indi-
eating that many districts in Ulster
were similarly affected. The compli.
Gated system of proportional repre-.
sentation provided for under the Irish
act made it doubtful, it was said this
morning whether the complete return,
would be known under the end of The
week