Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-24
COLLINS DIED
FIGHTING FOR
FREE IRELAND
Story of Assassination
Reveals Heroism of
Army Chief.

Cork, Aug. 23.-(By The Associated
Press. michael Collins fell fighting to
the last against what seemed at first
an overwhelming force of irregulars
who ambushed his little party in wild
mountain road between Macroon and
Bandon
The commander-in-c chief of the ma
tional army had been visiting Cork
and, accompanied by the members of
his headquarters staff. left at q o'clock
Tuesday morning to inspect the mill
tary positions south of Corn. He was
escorted by light armored car and
lorry carrying soldiers. Altogether,
the party is believed to have numbered
about a score, including General Zan
O'Conneli, commander of the body
guard, and Major General Dalton, COM
mander of the Free State troops in
Cork
A dispatch rider preceded the large
touring car with Collins and other Of
ficers; then followed a whippet armored
car, while an open tender brought up
the rear. The party visited nearly all
the posts to the south of Cork occu-
pied by the national army, among them
Skibbereen, Rosscarberry and Clonak;
at each place the officer commanding
enthusiastically greeted.
Took Roundabout Road
Owing to the interruption of COM
munication on the main road the party
towards evening took roundabout
route for Cork from Bandon. Bealna-
blath, which is eight miles from Ma
road on the south side of the River
Lee, in hilly, rugged district. While
proceeding by road near the village at
$3.50 in the evening the party was am
bushed by about 200 irregulars.
The battle opened with a few shots
fired by the attacking forces; the ma
tiohals were taken by surprise and
one of the first bullets nearly struck
Collins before his car stopped, missing
him only by an inch or two. The ma
tionals hastily dismounted and General
Collins himself assumed leadership. A
han of bullets sweeping the road left
him quite unmoved, his first thought
being for the safety of his men, whom
he ordered to cover at the fences on
both sides of the road
at the very outset, the dispatch rider
IN front was badly wounded in the
lungs and under the direction of the
commanderin-c chief, was removed to
temporary safety. Then the nationals
settled down to reply to the fire. The
fact that they were faced by far SUI
prelor numbers did not daunt either
Collins or his officers and within few
minutes the attack developed into a
grim engagement fiercely contested.
Guards We're Picked Men
Every man of the ambushed party
had been tried repeatedly and had
proved his bravery and coolness in ac-
ton, and all Of them showed steadi-
ness in the battle. which lasted close to
an hour. 1t was in the very last stages
that Michael Collins was killed.
For 40 minutes the only casualty
on the side of the nationals was the
dispatch rider. The fighting was nearly
ended when suddenly Collins fell. He,
still fired from the ground and eneour-
aged his men by his unflinching
bravery.
In feeble voice the commander
asked for Major General Dalton, and
Dalton and General O'ConneI. both
greatly distressed, comforted their dy-
ing chief. His body was removed under
fire to the armored car. The irregu-
lars in retreat left many dead and
wounded. The nationals were Obliged
to leave the touring car taking their
dead chiefs body in the armored car,
which reached Cork about midnight.