News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-02-15
MANY KIDNAp PINGS
IN ULSTER AREA
Four Officers Seized in Ferma-
nagh; Party of Nine Taken
in Monaghan.
TREES FELLED BY RAIDERS
Many Trenches Also Dug, AppaI entity
in Preparation for LawIess Opera
tions-UIster Frontier Guarded
by Force OF 5000 Men.

Belfasr.-Additiona kidnapping oc-
Cured in County Fermanagh, one Of
the counties in which other raids were
carried out Four class "B" special
constables were kidnapped in the
Rosslea district They were taken in
the direction Of Ballybay, where it Is
believed other prisoners are being
kept,
Five special constables and four
| soldiers, fully armed, while on their
way to Enniskillen in an ambulance
to bring back the men wounded at
| Newton Butler in the early morning,
were captured while passing through
Monaghan. The car was surrounded
and seized by party Of armed llen.
| The wife Of Ivan Carson, former
| high sheriff of Fermanagh,, who was
| kidnapped Wednesday, received a let
| ter from him. The mlssive, which
bore no address, said the writer was
well and had no cause for anxiety 1t
| develops that he IL a relative of Lord
| Carson, the former Ulster leader, and
commanded a patrol of specials in the
Fermanagh encounter with the raid
ers.
In some instances, according to
Unionist sources the leaders Of the
raiding parties wore Irish Republican
army uniforms and asked the persons
they kidnapped to sign petitions for
the release of the Londonderry pris-
oners.
Many trees were felled over a wide
area, apparently in preparation for the
rading operations. Many trenches
were dug along the Fermanagh and
Monaghan borders. The operations
were 50 extensive it is believed hum
dreds of men were engaged In them.
Major Miles, oe South Donegal, one
of the prisoners taken by the raiders
of Northern Irish counties, returned
to his home. Others from the same
area are reported to have been re-
leased. Some of those released said
a number of the kidnapped UniOnists
were taken to Ballybay, County Mon
Afghan, and lodged in the police 1ar-
racks there. Robert Jervlsg one of the
released said he saw two orange
sashes taken in rad, placed against
a tree, riddled with bullets, and theE
pulled down and trampled underfoot.
Two men of Aughnacloy, County Ty.
rome, who were taken prisoners by
raiders, were released.
listers frontier was virtually line
of steel today, following the raids.
From Portadown, County Armagh, to
Belleek, on the Fermanagh-Donegal
border, forces of specials" are on
guard. as well as heavy contingents Of
the regular constahulary
1t was estimated that 5000 me7
were engaged in policing the line.
The roads leading southwark from
Belfast. presented scenes CT activity,
motor trucks and armOred cars bear
ing the so-caled "A" and "B" spe-
Gals. Accompanying them were other,
trucks with stores and ammunition.
High tension prevails at all points.
Strangers travelling through the six
counties are subject t the closest
scrutiny, and in some cases are halted
and Intercepted. no communication
was possible with Enniskillen, in con.
sequence of the wiirs from this city
being cut.
Colonel Wickham, commanding the
Ulster specials, has received a COM
msnication from Dublin. Castle stating
thar the Provisional government is
sendag special officers to investigate
the kidnapping.
The telephone and telegraph wires
were cut In the affected districts. and
communication was still uncertain to-
day, but county Inspector of police
who returned from Il tour Of the lines
said no reprisals had been attempted
overnight by the Unionists.
Sir Dawson Bates, the Ulster home
secretary, addressed a further strong
remonstrance to the viceroy about de-
lay in releasing the kidnapped Union
lists. and demanding that they be set
free Immediately. Sir James Craig,
the Premier, also made similar repre-
eantotfons IN tho British Cabinet