The Washington times., 1922-06-30
By DANIEL 0'CONNELL.
international News Service.

International News Service.
DUBLIN, June 80. 8 .. NJ
The Republican irregulars, under
Commandant Roderick ("Rory")
O'Connor, were driven from their
chief stronghold today when the
Free State troops blew up the
eastern wing Of the Four Courts
building. s.. I.
This building has been the cen
ter of fighting which has been
in Dublin since Wednesday
morning.
Shell Is Dropped.
Failing to dislodge the irregulars
with light artillery and machine-gun
fire, the Free State artillery dropped
a high.explosive shell into the Four
Courts building, wiping out the sec
ton that O'Connor and his men had
been holding. The fate Of O'Con-
nor is unknown.
Heavy fighting broke out early IN
the day in Talbot and O'Conneh
streets. Both thoroughfares were
swept by machine gun fire.
Reports from the south and west
are meager. but there are indics-
tions that fighting is in progress in
the eastern part OF County Cork and
in County Limerick.
1t was generally believed that the
Free State troops could easily nave
captured the Four Courts building
earlier. but Michael Collins, chief OF
the Irish provisional government,
in order to save life. decided to wear
down the resistance Of the defend
ers with slow artillery fire.
The storming Of the western por-
tion OF the building was compare
lively easy. Only three Free State
soldiers were killed and three of.
ficers and ten men wounded. The
attackers were under orders to use
precautions to prevent bloddshed.
Thirty.three republicans were cap.
tured.
Twelve mines and large quantities
OF ammunition were captured. The
interior part OF the building had
been mined but the mines were rot
exploded.
The rebels did not make any re.
port of their casualties, but they are
believed to have been light.
SympathiZers of the Republicans
asked permission to send Red Cross
nurses into the building. Each
volunteer nurse was examin ed and
one of them was found to be Thomas
Barry, chief Of staff of the Sepub.
liCan irregulars. He was arrested.
Talk Of Surrender.
Following the lull in the artillery
firing a messenger was sent into the
portion of the building still held by
O'Connor and his followers. II was
| believed that he bore terms Of sur.
render.
During the night there was much
sniping and a number OF attacks
were made against Free State troops
by civilians. The regulars were held
under restraint, however, and In
many instances failed to return the
fire directed against them.
The English Belfast cable has been
cut.
Before the western end Of the
Four Courts building was taken, II
was under systematic bombardment
/ from cannon firing eighteen pound
shells. The guns were planted In
distant streets. making II necessary
to put down an indirect fire.
The cannon were worked by boys,
stripped to the waist on account OF
the heat. The sweat poured from
| tnelr pOWuer'stalneu pOules AZ tney
methodically loaded and fired the
pieces. All the adjacent streets
were deserted. Regulars prowled
through the buildings In search Of
snipers who might be seeking an
opportunity to pick off the young
artillerists.
During ths night there was q
sharp skirmish In O'Connell street,
when Communists, led by the
Countess Marklewics. attacked a
bank building which the regulars
had barricaded. The countess and
her followers were driven of by
rife fire.
| Despite intermittent rifle and
machine gun fire, the business men