The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1922-07-14
0'CONNOR TAKEN;
FORT BLOWN UP
Liam MeIIoWes Taken by Free
State Troops With All Chief
Staff Officers.
GREAT BLAST SHAKES CITY
Burying Fifty Attackers in Four Courts
Ruin-British Troops Attacked;
New Buildings Fortified-Dub-
lin Cut Off From South.

Dublin, June 30.-Irish rebels, who
for two days held the Four Courts
Building, in the center Of Dublin,
against a steady bombardment from
Free State Troops, surrendered uncon-
6itionally. The Four Courts structure
had been blown up by explosives.
The explosion was terrific, killing
thirty Free State Troops as well as an
number of the rebels
within, scattering bits of iron, mortar
and official papers all over the city,
and wrecking the building.
The defeat of the Dublin rebels Is
believed to foreShadow the end of
armed resistance in South Ireland to
Free State authority. Severe fighting
was reported from two or three locali-
ties, chiefly in County Donegal, where
irregular forces attacked the Free Stat
ers at Buncrans and Letterkenny with
bombs, rifles and machine guns. The
Republicans were quickly surrounded
and forced to capitulate. Those not
killed or wounded were taken prisoner.
The provisional government troops
have tremendous superiority in both
arms and ammunition and, as they hold
all roads and other means of communi-
cation, it Is felt that the rebels cannot
hold out long.
The cause of the explosion, which
occurred about noon, was not definitely
established. One report was that the
Free Staters had mined the building.
Another was that the large supply of
ammunition which the rebels had ac-
cumulated had been fired by Free State
Shells There also Is the possibility,
not now eXplorable, that the rebels
themselves, hopeless of longer with
standing the terrific attack from all
quarters, decided to blow up their
stronghold because of the toll it would
take on the attacking forces.
Even before the explosion the build
ing was largely in flames. The Free
Staters had gained foothold in it
before dawn, and at-that time the Re-
publicans sent out emissaries asking
for terms. These were fatty refused,
and as the battle went on the Repub-
licans withdrew into the rear of the
building. Several subterranean pas
sages lead out of the structure, and
through these some of the rebels are
believed to have fled as the Free Stat
ers advanced.
After t. explosion a temporary
truce was arranged during which the
dead and wounded were removed from
~, h,1iI6 q
nurses and stretcher-bearers appeared
quickly on tie scene and evacuat |
the fallen. Finally, giving up all hope,
the rebels hoisted the white flag over
their rampant and an order tn lease
firing was given. The surrender was
made by Ernest O'Malley on behalf
of the rebels and was accepted for
the Free State by G -,r:' O'Daly.
Rory O'Conntr and Liam Mellowes,
leaders of the revolving forces, were
among the prisoners taken.
Irregular snipers In other parts of
the city, unaware of the urrender,
continued firing, and the Free Staters
kept pedestrians off the strets. The
irregulars seized more buildings near
the center of the city, and til-re were
indications that they expected assist
ance from the country. Snipers were
most active around Trinity College
Sackville street and Stephens Green
Several lorries containing bandsmen
of a British regiment bound for Eng
land were fired On while travelling
to Queenstown, but none were
wounded.
Crowds collected at Grttan Bridge
whence the copper dome of the -Four
Courts was barely visible through the
smoke. Near the Four Courts physi
clans in white overalls attended to the
wounded, while closely guarded stood
13O republicans, mostly wearing civil
ian clothes with trench coats. In 9
very few minutes the task of marching
them away began, leaving the Free
Staters free tc fight the fire in the
courts and the snipers in the rest OF
the city.