Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-23
ASSASSINATION OF
COLLINS 0TlRe ALL
LOYAL lRl9HMEN
Continued from PAGE /

Continued from page !
don from Dublin declared that the as
ssAaination OF Collins was forecast In
Ireland. 1t was planned to secure the
removal of tho sole remaining out
standing ngure In tho provisional gov
ernment, and 1t wae said to be also
In part a measure Of reprisal against
tho shooting OF Harry Boland, the
close associate OF Eamon DE Valera,
by Frce State soldiers.
Reared In Atmosphere Of Revolt.
Agitation had been going on for a
considerable time and the wallis OF
Trinity College and other public build
ings bore the inscription Harry
Boland. murdered Posters on tele-
shot by Free Staters when he was un-
armed.
! Michael Collins wae born in Rose
carbery. in county Cork. He grew up
In an atmosphere OF revolt toward
England and when he arrived mt an
age to take his place in the world
nothing was more natural than for him
to throw himself heart and soul into
the cause OF Ireland.
He was educated In Clonakilty, the
national school near his birthplace. His
family wac family OF farmers. He
went to London at the age OF Is, and
obtained position as sorter in the
general postoffice.
; In his early boyhood young Collins
was fred with an ambition to see Ire
land free and later became s;ich a
factor In the 700-year struggle that the
British called him head of the murder
gang" and put price OF $4,000 on
his head.
Within the last few months Collins
had two narrow escapes from assa s.
sins. The latest occurred while he was
on an automobile trip. The machine
broke down and Collins continued in
a train. When his chauffeur had re-
/ paired the machine he continued on
to Dublin. At turn in the road the
ear was riddled with bullets and a
bomb exploded under the engine. The
chauffeur was taken TO a hospital
/ seriously injured.
British Anxious TO Capture Him.
Collins returned TO Ireland from
London just previous to the Easter up.
rising OF 1916 He was one of the
) volunteers who fought In the battles
OF this rebellion, but made his escape
= after the British had put down the re-
l volt. Immediately he began the work
+ OF reorganixing the Irish army. He
travelled all over Ireland addressing 8
D secret meetings and by 1919 had be.
. come the recognized head OF the secre,
army OF the Sim Fein.
All this time the British armed
forces were making every effort tc
effect his capture. but without sue
cess.
Collins escaped many times by dis.
Euieing himself as a woman and or
. one occasion he travelled In the uni
form OF colonel OF the British army
and was profusely saluted by men wht
j. were out TO capture him.
In February Of this year Collins wa
4 stricken with influenza and for SOM
time was confined by the same sort o
illness which killed Griffith.
Collins and Grifith previously ha'
been ardent Republicans with d.
Valera, but they saw In the formation
. OF the free state the best possible wa.
= out Of the civil war and sacrifices II
; Ireland.
"a Just what the effect Of the loss o
II these two leaders win have cannot Il
II any way be estimated at present.
II Intimate Friend of Boland.
O. Collins for many years was an int
& mate friend and co-worker OF Harr,
e Boland, secretary TO de Valera and re
n publican representative in the Unite
= States. who WAS killed recently.
.e William T. Cosgrove, who acted Il
place OF Arthur Griffith during the lat
It ter's illness, will undoubtedly take th
e reins OF the Irish government. tenn
= porarily. at least
( When the debate in the Sim Eel
parliament over the treaty with Grea
e Britain had reached the furious stag
of last year. the Countess Markievic
y taunted Michael Collins by saying tha
. he will probably expect to MARI
= Princess Mary. now"
Collins reported that he would Gel
:. tainly not expect any such thing, as h
~ was in love with an Irish girl. Ths
was the first intimation that most ,
his followers had that romance ha
come to the fiery chief Of the Irish re
publican army.
Was to Have Been Married Soon.
The loved Irish woman" was Mi
ra Kitty Herman, Of Granard, count
60 Langford. The colleen. who was e,
n pected soon to be made "the first lac
a., OF Ireland" is described as a tall AT
20. stately blonde. with wonderful ha
e. and blue eyes. Collins met her fir
D. in 1919, although their families hs
ID. been acquainted for a long time. The
OF had been engaged for a year. Kitty
L. parents died when she was 13 yea
Is old. They were the proprietors of Il
Greville Arms Hotel In Granard.
ce 1t was recently announced that II