Evening star., 1922-03-24
SEVEN SHOT DEAD
lin BELFAST FAMILY
Wholesale Murders Said to
sBe Reprisals for Staying Of
! Ulster ConStabIes.
~ thu Associated 2re.s.

y the Associated Press.
{ BELFAST. March ga band OF
men forced their way into the home
OF Owen MacMahon. a saloonkeeper,
early this morning and shot seven
members OF the family. News OF the
raid has stirred the city.
MacMahon and three OF his sons
were killed outright, another son died
If his wounds and two others are
near death. The crime is thought to
have been in reprisal for the shooting
sf Q number of special constables in
May street yesterday.
At about 1880 O'Clock the raiders,
who are reported to have worn uni
forms, smashed the door OF the Mac
Mahon home in the north end of the
city and rushed upstairs, where the
nine occupants OF the house were
sleeping. The male members Of the
family were taken down to the living
room, lined up against the wall and
riddled with bullets.
Ambulance Attendant Fnints.
!. The shootings were heard by occu-
pants of a nearby house. who notined
the Glenravcl Street barracks. Mrs.
.MacMahon and her daughter rushed
down to the living room when the at
tackers departed and found the seven
lying on the floor in pools OF olood'
three of the bodies in a heap.
When the police arrived they found
the women In a STATE of collapse. AM
fbulances took the victims 10 the
hospital. where it was found that four
already were dead. The matron OF the
hospital reports that the two wound
ed sons are very weak.
n Another son, who was ordered into
the room, escaped by throwing himself
under q lounge and was un!noureo'
although two shots were dred At him.
! An ambulance attendant collapsed
after helping carry the bodies into
the hospital, although hardened with
scenes of bloodshed.
i. Mothers Plea Ignored.
=. The son who crawled under the
lounge was a six-year-old child, who
had been taken from his bed at the
same time as the other members OF
the family.
i Mrs. MacMahon pleaded tearfuily, but
in vain, with tho assassins to spare
the family. Then she screamed from
che window to nursing home ad-
Joining to summon help.
!; The MacMahons are a Catholic fam
Gy.
II Raining Fight On Border.
!; A six-hour running fight occurred
between Ulster special constables and
!sinn feiners In the vicinity Of Car
'fickmore. County Tyrone. yesterday.
The fighting started when fifty Of the
police. in two motor lorries. were am
ibushed outside the town. The am
pushing party was concealed behind
4 gorse bank on the roadside and
opened fire At q distance of 1,eo0
yards.
Tho police Immediately jumped out
Of their cars and engaged the attack
ing hard. which retreated across the
nils. The pursuit continued for sew
sbal hours with frequent exchanges OF
ihots.
! AT least i've Slim feiners are believ.
I'd to have been hit. One with bull
lat in the leg was found under bed
II . house which was raided during
tlSe chase. Bullets pierced the capea
of several Of the specials, but mono Of
them was wounded.
i A quantity Of equipment dropped by
the ambushing party was captured.
( More Deaths Reported.
The special constable who was
wounded in the May street shooting
lfed lato yesterday in q hospital. An
Sye-witness declared the attacking
party followed the specials until
abreast Of them before firing. When
the eonstablss fell the sunmen bent
over and riddled them with bullets.
Margaret Weaver. aged fifty, who
recently was wounded by a bomb,
died yesterday.
The house Of commons of the Ulster
parliament yesterday added q new
clause to the restoration Of order bill
death penalty for bomb-throwtng.
I, British Troops Arrive. =:
The Y. Al c. A. hail here was COM
lnandeered today for occupancy by a
British regiment: Another British
stationed at .Clandesoye, near Bel
ta6t.
At q unionist meeting here last
evening Lady Craig. wife Of the pre-
nief, announced that she had re-
ceived q letter from q friend in Lon
don stating that in greater London
there were already $1,000 men wait
ine to take up arms in defense of
Ulster.
PR0F. SMIDDY NOW IN q. S.