The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-28
DUBLIN CUSTOM
HOUSE FIRE
Important Papers and Records
Relating to- London Lost
Number Killed and Wound
cd in Fighting With Many
Persons Captured

I Dublin, May 70 (By the ASSOCIATED
| Press).-The Dublin custom house is
IN ruins tonight and all the most inl-
portant documents Of the govern
alent relating to Ireland. with pa
pers and records. the value of which
can not be estimated, have been de-
stroyed.
This Dublin Castle officials an
aounccd. is the work Of Sim Fem
forces, which at All early hour this
tafternoon, made the most formidable
attack against government property
that has been engineered since the
present rebellion began.
The employees of the various de-
partments housed in the building
were made prisoners, vast quantities
of petrol were poured over the in
terror of the building and the light
was applied. Soon military lorries
appeared and pitched battle en-
sued.
The Sim Feincrs occupied the GUS
tom house and from the windows
met the soldiers with heavy fire.
Machine guns and rifles responded
NOi
around the building.
When. the flames became too. hot
the raiders attempted to make their
escape through the various doors
but several were shot down and kill
ed and many were wounded. Accord
ing to the official statement. seven
civilians were killed. II were wound
ed and Ill captured. -Four Of the
IauXiliaries were wounded.
Crown forces in sortie entered
the building and made many cap
lures. Some of the raiders were
saturated with petrol and it is be-
lieved that several met their death
in the raging f1ames.
London, May 35 (By the Associated
Press The Irish office tonight is
sued the following official report on
the custom house fire at Dublin.
Three tenders carrying auxiliary
cadets and accompanied by an ar
mored car, approached the Dublin
custom house shortly after ~
o'clock this morning. AS they ap-
preached the building number of
bombs were thrown at the leaders
from the railway bridge. while re-
volver fire was opened on them fronl
the windows of the custom house
which was occupied by a large force
Of Sim Feiners.
THE cadets dismounted under
heavy fire and surrounded the Gus
tom house which was seen TO bc
burning. Fire from the auXiliarie2
and the machine gun Of the arplored
car was poured into windows
of the custom house from which the
rebels replied vigorously and Sc
ries Of desperate conflicts followed
between crown forces and seven on
eight parties Of rebels who rushed
from different doors Of the building
making dasheS for liberty and firing
as they ran. The first party to
emerge consisted of three men. only
one Of whom escaped, the rest be
ing killed or wounded.
Some of the auXiliarics then
Stormed the blazing building. where
many of the rebels surrendered
Some of them were found TO be sat
urated with petrol and several We're
probably burned to death before the
crown forces entered.
'The fremcn were held up at the
first station by rebels SO that the fire
engines did not arrive until , o'clock.
by which time the fire had taken hold
of the entire building.
''At the conclusion of the hsht.
InI hal ia,- 1lnI n
on all sides Of the building, where
the ground was strewn with broken
glass and empty cartridge cases.
-Four auxiliaries were wounded:
seven civilians We're killed. II
wounded and about III captured
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