The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-10
By JAMES LYNCH
 In America.


 This n1orning.by the merest chance a met with a Napper Tandy in the person of a distinguished American Journalist. who took me by the hand and inqutred: What about Ireland How goes it now?"
 It is just four months to a. day since last we met On that occasion we stood for several hours, between mid night and dawn, in the shelter of the caves at No. 10 Downing street. Out Wa-dly. all was cold dismal and cheer t4eSS, but 1nwardly our souls were afire with a new hope, a new joy, a new gladness. It had been whispered to us by member of the British Cab met that an agreement had been treached between the representatives of His Majesty's government and the i1rlsh plenipottentaries and that peace HOT Ireland had come at last. I can Ifeca1 how enthusiastically I pointed Eout to my friend the glorious possi- splity Of an Ireland peaceful and was tempted to run away. But I sdidn't. I tried to look him squareIy Tn the eye l summoned up all the courage at my command and I said, !dfstressful country that ever I have seen, For they're hanging men and women for the Wearing of the Green"
 And that is exactly what they are doing in Ireland today. Never mind ssSotT this nose recent agreement be- tween the representatives of the Pro-
 
 Craig. The fact is that for several months now and up until the very day on which this is written they are hanging and shooting and blackjack en in Ireland. Why? For tic Wear Ing of the Green''-in some parts, for protesting the ancient Catholic Faith of Ireland; in some others, for ad- herence to a. particular political pro- gram either for or against the new Free State.
 ea%, South of Ireland. It is distinctly bad in the North In the city of Belfast and throughout the Ulster territory hardly a. day goes by that murder is not committed openly or covertIy, Sometimes it is the men who are murdered At other times it is the women Or girls, and not infrequently it is the children Occasionally, little babies, hardly able to creep about are shot and killed. More than once recently, in the heart of the city of fants, and even unborn babes. have been slaughtered in less time than it takes to teiff Of it A Catholic mother, because she is a Catholic and the wife of a Catholic workman fs called to the front door and without warning Is shot-not onca but tw1ce-once in the head and once in the abdomen She falls forward and down a flight CT five marble steps. Writhing in agony on the pavement and struggling With convuisions, she gives birth to a,
 
 girl.
 The other night party of men wearing the uniform of the Eelfa e4 police and who spoke with a strong Belfast accept exploded 9 bomb in the hallway of the home of one of the I9ost respected Catholic families in the city The time was about 1.3O Tn the morning Here are the details as given under oath by one of the members men cf the family on his death-
 Rushing up the stairs the men. wearing the police uniforms, dragged everybody from bed and down the stairs to the first floor The women were locked in the kitchen The mother. fearful of the irnpending . tragedy, got down on her knees ana begged fin ''the name of the Cructfied Christ" for mercy. She was struclC on the side of the head and felIed to : the floor The men of the family, ! the dfn1ng-room and told to say thi1- prayers The father, 50 years old : and responsible business man of Beifast, who has never been known : Irish politics, begged to be told why he was to be slaughtered. The an. 1 swer he received. couched in the viii | est kind of language, was to the effect that he was Papist, a respected : Papist. Papfst prominent as such and looked upon as a leader among | the Iap1StS of his city.
 The men wearing the uniform of 1 the Belfast police" then proceeded to ! shoot the eight members of the Pap- i ist family. Four were killed instant : Iy- One died few hours later in ! the hospital Two others. at this writing, hover between life and i death One, a lad of eleven years of age, though fired at half a dozen | scratch He managed this by dodg- i ing behind his father and brothers ! ann hnalIy by creeping under a sofa The murderers escaped and though ! me Belfast police have stated that ! they are making a determined effort ! 10 identify and apprehend them it is : as certain as the Judgment Day that : way with the Belfast police when ' Catholics are murdered.
 Last Sunday afternoon the funeral or these latest victims of hate was held at the Milltown Cemetery The commanding officer of the British forces in Belfast. fearful of an at tack upon the cortege, lined the streets with cordon of British sol 1 diers. Preceding the first hearse- 1 there were five of them all told-was large armored British tank-car with ; loaded guns protruding from front !: riage loaded with flowers was smaller armored car, while at the : gate of the cemetery two large ar ; mored cars were stationed. Along the line of procession at points be 1 Ieved to be dangerous armored cars were drawn up, manned by Bri- , tish soldiers in trench helmets. Now, in order that this record may be kept straight and free from any possible misunderstanding or doubt, : 1t should be here noted that the names of the Catholic gentlemen : who were so brutally murdered on the morning of Friday, March A, 1922, are as follows: Owen McMahon, age 50; Frank McMahon, age 24; : Patrick McMahon. age 22; Jeremiah McMahon, age Is, and Edward Mo Kinney, age 25. Mir. Mckinney was an employe. of the McMahons and resided with them at their home in the fashionable section of Belfast known Bruce Park. The address of the McMahon home is No. 5 Kin nard Terrace.