The Washington herald., 1921-05-25
ULSTER STOPS
irish VOTE BY
WILD RIOTINC
Sim Feiners Kept from
y Polls by Reign of
Terror.
BOOTHS WAMPED
BY A r M E d MEN
Black and Tan General
Says Crown Is Guilty
Of Murder.
Especial Gable to The Washington HsrAl'
and United Nevs.)


and United News.)
BELFAST, May 24.-Election day
in Ulster was a day of riots, IN
which men were stabbed. clubbed.
and shot at.
Voters known to be opposed to
the partition of Ireland as provided
under the home rule act. declared
they were taking their lives in their
hands in going to the polls at all;
Saloons were closed in Belfast.
and the city was gay with afgs, but
there was a sinister motif in the
decorations. for voters on their
way to cast their ballots caught
the suggestion meant to be con.
veyed by efhgies dangling from
lamp-posts.
City Is Decorated.
As morning dawned, and the citi-
zensu turned out, the sidewalks
were found to be painted in the
unionist colors-red. white, and
blue-and later on even the dogs
appeared on the streets wearing
the colors. Before the polls were
declared open, there were long files.
four abreast. some of them extend
ing for 200 or 800 yards, waiting to
vote under the protection of police
men carrying rifles and of armored
cars which rolled slowly through
the streets.
The first outbreak occurred when
The first outbreak occurred when
two taxicabs filled with sim fein
voters came down a street and ran
afoui of a crowd of Ulster union
lists. The cabs were surrounded and
wrecked in a few minutes. armored
cars rescuing the sim feiners. In
other outbreaks seven voters were
stabbed, and in the Ballymacarrett
shipyard district of Belfast, where
the widest scenes and most vio-
lent Intimidation were reported, sim
fein voters were stoned as they left
the booths. The situation got so
dangerous for antipartitionists in
this region that the latter finally
quit going to the polls. The ar
mored cars were kept busy rescuing
isolated voters from mobs and es-
corting them to safety.
Irish Train wrecked.
A number of men were reported
to have been wounded in pistol
fighting in the Newton road district
The police restored order.
In northeastern Ulster chaos hSi
frequent reign in the holding of the
plebiscite. In Lisburn a large crowd
M cd
rallied train loaded with work.
men, wrecking the train and beat
ing up several of the passengers.
rolling booths in county Down
were swamped by armed men, who
pulled out Sim fein and nationalist
agents. Serious disturbances re-
suited and the special constables
were unable to quell the violence.
In Belfast the Sim Fein colors
were observed flying in some
streets, although not in the profu-
sion OF the unionist emblem.
Recognized by British,
LONDON. May 24.-with the Ul-
ster elections concluded both the
Forth and south of Ireland will have
their own parliaments, recognized
by the British government, and a
peculiar feature of the situation is
that the defiant dali eiream, or rebel
southern parliament, is the recog-
nized parliament as well. Its leader
Eamon de Valera, will be recoe-
nized also as the spokesman for the
recognized parliament
Although the Sim Fein remains
adamant in its refusal to permit
its duly elected representatives TO
function as the southern parliament
under the home rule act, these MEM
bers being elected through processes
prescribed by the act. will be re-
garded by the British government as
the southern legislature until july
IL. By that time if these members
sill refuse to take the oath the king
will appoint Legislative assembly.
Owing to the fact that de Valera
now wears the Observation-Disclosures
of leader of the official southern
parliament. any future negotiations
between him and Sir James Crafs.
the Ulster leader. will have official
standing. 1t will be assumed that
each speaks for his own govern
ment.
Charges Murder to Crown.
Gen. Crozier. former commander
or the black and tan police in Ire
land In an article printed today by
the ally News charged that crown
torces in ireland were guilty of
murder. arson. lootine and terrorism
Crozier resigned from his COM
mand when his senator's sbrdlu II
mand when his sentences for black
and-tan looters were oyerruled nv
higher authorities.
Crozier said that during the six
months he was in charge the black
and-tans continually murdered the
lrisn, burned their dwellings and
stores and practiced other forms of
terrorism
The general also charged that
nigh officials in Dublin Castle had
framed evidence against Irish
prisoners and that they had hushed
up three cases of murder which he
mentioned specifically. Two of these
were prisoners whose deaths were
n