The Washington herald., 1922-12-09
FOUR IRISH REBEL
LEADERS EXECUTED
Rory 0'connor, Gen. MeIlowes,
McKelvey and Barrett Are
Shot Before Wall.
Continued from First PageJ

Continued from First PageJ
net If there were any more execu-
tions.
REPRISALS FEARED.
While calm on the surface. Dub
lin Is seething tonight, with threats
of war and bloodshed in the air. A
sanguine struggle for reprisals on
both sides Is threatened.
Liam Lynch. chief of STAIR Of
the irregular army. from his hiding
place. issued a public letter that
''it is now war to the death" Lynch
declared that Timothy Healy. the
governor-general of the Free State.
IL an enemy OF Irish freedom and
must CO." Richard Mulcahy, minis
ter of defense and commander-in-
chief of the Free State army, issued
a proclamation describing how a
conspiracy exists to assassinate men,
bers Of the Dali Eireann and warned
that desperate efforts are necessary
to safeguard Free State officials"
The execution of the four irregular
chieftains had been set for dawn
but 1t was about 9 o'clock before
they were led forth from their cells
in Mount Joy prison to meet their
doom. Immediately afterward. SEN
sational rumors began to fill the city,
but it was not until 1:30 this after
noon that the Free State military
council issued the following commu-
nique at Porto Bello barracks, its
headquarters:
OFFICIAL WARNING ISSUED.
Roderick O'Connor, Liam Mel
soL,
ard Barrett were executed in re-
prisal for the assassination of Dep
uty Sean Hales. Let this be a
warning to all others who plot
assassinations against officials of
the duly established government.
O'Connor and Mellowes were two Of
the most spectacular figures in the
ranks of the Republican irregulars.
Both were adherents of Eamonn De
Valera. When De Valera definitely
broke with Michael Collins and Ar
thur Griffith and proclaimed his in
tention to fight for the Irish Repub-
lie, O'Connor and Mellowes were fore
most in creating an irregular or
guerilla army.
Despite their political fanaticism
they were brave men. They proved
this today when they faced a Free
State firing squad with complete
stoicism. Mellowes refused to allow
the Free State soldiers to bind a
handkerchief over his eyes.
Il want no bandage," exclaimed
Mellowes angrily. Let me see."
He pushed away the handker-
chief that was being held up by
a youthful Free State soldier.
O'Connor and his companions
were arraigned before a secret
court-martial last night. charged
| with plotting the overthrow of the
government. menacing public order
| and being In rebellion. The mill
tary court had been summoned a
few hours after Deputy Hales was
shot to death. The proceedings
were swift and simple.
So far as learned the prisoners
were not greatly disturbed by the
death sentence They spent the
night preparing for the end. All
| were Roman Catholics. Several
priests spent sometime with the
condemned men, giving them spirit
ual consolation. 1t was reported
that O'Connor had left a secret
message for De Valera.
In the gray Of the foggy morn
ing a little group of green-uniform-
ed Free State soldiers stamped into
the cells Of the four men.
Are you ready?" demanded a
boyish looking lieutenant.
| Melowes, Barrett and McKelvey
were ready, but O'Connor, who had
been under heavy strain since his
arrest on June 80. last, was so
nervous that the guards feared he
would collapse. He tried hard to
bear up with an appearance Of out.
ward calmness. but his face was
chalky and his muscles twitched.
The exeCutiona Vara dal,xad .