The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-06-22
Authorities Ascribe the
Killing To Sim Fein
Plotters AS An Act of
Reprisal for Events Oc-
curing In Ireland

London. June 22.-(By The Asso
ciated Press.)-Field marshal Hen
ry Hughes Wilson was shot and killed
outside his house in Elton Place, Lon
don, this afternoon.
Two assailants of the field marsha
were arrested.
The field marshal delivered a speech
at the Liverpool street station in the
city this morning in connection will
parently he had just returned home
when the tragedy occurred.
The Central News account of the
assassination says that Field Marshal
Wilson was stepping from his automo
bile a little after three o'clock this
afternoon when two men suddenly ap
peared and opened fire on him with
revolvers. He was struck by three
shots, the account says, and died al
most Immediately.
The death of Field Marshal Wilson
was announced in the House of Com
mons by Austen Chamberlain, the gov
eminent leader who moved the ad
journment of the House as mark OF
iliOui llihS
MIR. Chamberlain stated that the
field marShal's house had been brok
en- into by two men who carried fire.
arms and who were now in the custo.
dy of the police and that he had been
shot dead.
An eye witness who described the
shooting to the Central News said
that when the field marshal alighted
from his car and was crossing over
the pavement the first shot was fired.
The victim staggered and nearly fell
He was reeling when the second and
third shots were fired. Policemen
rushed up and the assassins turned
their pistols on the officers, two OF
whom were seriously injured.
Another eye witness account of the
shooting says one of the assailants
of the field marshal attempted sui
eide. shooting himself when capture
seemed near, inflicting serious injury
Field Marshal Wilson had been un.
der police protection for some time
as the authorities had reason to be-
lieve an attempt would be made OH
his life. The policemen were actually
at the door of his residence when
his assailants approached and opened
fire
The names of the two men arrested
were given as Connolly and McBrien
Field Marshal Sir Henry Hughes
Wilson was formerly chief of the i'm
perial genral staff of the British army
He retired from this post early in the
present year and stood for the i'm
perial parliament as unionist candi
date for Northdown, Ireland. He wa:
1 elected on February 81 for this Ulster
district and shortly afterward was ap
pointed by Premier Craig as Ulster's
prime agent for the restoration of or
derA
n 1eld marshal went to Belfas
30 W>Igland early in March will
for restoring order which he
" lifted to the premier.
while the choice of the field mar
shal as organizer of pacific measure!
was favorably received n Ulster, i
had an opposite effect in south Ire
land. The former British chief of stat
was regarded there with more or lesi
.the same feeling as Sir Edward Car
son, the former Ulster leader, ant
predictions were freely voiced inetht
south that he would be strongly IL
sympathy with the Orange side of thu
feud between the two factions.
A few months ago Field Marsha
Wilson accepted an appointment al
military adviser to the Ulster gov
ernment and made frequent visits t
Ulster. He spent most of his time il
London, however, attending th'
House of Commons.
Field marshal Wilson's career il
the great war was one of high dis
tinction. He went out with the eX
peditionary forces under Lord Frencl
in 1914 and was the backbone of thu
British staff during the long retrea
from Mons. In 1916 he was sent OF
q mission to Russia. returning t
France as special senior liaison Off
Ger at French general headquarteri
and later was promoted to the east
ern command at home.
In 1917, however, his most import
ant work began. In December of tha
year he was appointed British membe
on the military committee of the al
lied war council for the western from
He thus became one of the bes
knowp figures In interallled arm.
/. circles. for while General Sir Dougla
Haig was the British commander Il
the field, Gen. Wilson was the Britisl
voice which spoke in the council a
Versailles which carried out the join
0perations OF the allies. At Versatile
Can Wilson was with Gen. Foeh up 4
II. |.r,. The French took command 3