The Washington herald., 1922-07-06
De Valera Escapes When
Three Hotels Held by
Insurgents Burn.
FREE STATE OFFICER
SHOT UNDER TRUCE
500 Republicans Fortify
Selves in Ulster Castle
For Long Siege.

DUBLIN, July 5.-The last rebel
fortress in SackvilIe street has sur
rendered. bringing an end to one
of the bloodiest and most spec
tacuIar engagements in the history
of Ireland's internal troubles.
The rebels surrendered at s
o'clock tonight after resisting a de-
termined four-day attack by the
regular Free State troops.
Only six insurgents were left to
defend the rebel position when the
fight ended. Eamonn De Valera,
who was supposed to have been in
personal command of the Defend
ing force, escaped.
CathaI Brugha, commanding the
last ditchers. refused to surrender
himself and was fired on and
wounded before being taken pris-
oner.
The endurance of the rebel re-
sistance was amazing. Flames
sweeping down Sackville street
forced the final surrender where
Free State bullets. which had rained
down on the group of rebel hotels
for four days. failed.
Flames Force Surrender.
When the last of the rebels sur
rendered they were in imminent
danger from perishing from the
flames which had driven into the
cellar of the Granville Hotel.
The structure had caught fire
about $50 p. m. and an hour later
ha
the cellar refuge of the little rebel
band. The heat became intense and
there was danger of suffocation.
Shortly after 7:3O p m. the rebels
decided to surrender. They dashed
out through the burning hotel, with
blazing embers dropping all around
them waving a white flag as theey
ran. Free State soldiers had sur
rounded the hotel and seized them.
Fights sinEIe-handed.
But Brugha, the small belligerent
leader of the squad. baked at sur
rendering and remained behind,
alOns in the fry refuge-true to his
promise to fight to the finish. The
scorching heat soon drove him out
He refused TO quit even then and.
drawing his revolver rushed out Of
the hotel to fight the Free State
army singlehanded. He tried to
break through the patrol line. A
Free State soldier fired, wounding
BruGha n the leg. He fell to the
ground and was taken prisoner. Sill
struggling to the last.
Ten buildings were burning in
the vicinity when the fight was
over. The roof of the Gresham
Hotel. collapsed shortly afterward,
and the structure was roaring like
a furnace.
The Free State government in
tends to issue a national call to
arms Thursday. according to inf r
nation obtained by the press asso-
cation.
Three Hotels Burn.
The Hammam, Gresham and
Granville hotels, the principal in
surgents' forts, were torn with
ragged shell holes through which
the Free State machine gun squads
poured sprays of bullets For four
DAYS the hnal surrender of the
rebels had been expected hourly.
but it was not until the smoke of
the encroaching flames began to
smart their eyes that they were
willing to admit defeat. When they
surrendered they could feel the
heat of the fire.
The FIRE could be seen from all
parts of Dublin. Starting in the
% Hammam Hotel the flames spread
furiously through the entire block.
To picture the scene, one should
ina gine Pennsylvania avenue COM
pletely closed to traffic for ten
blocks east of the Treasury with
shops on each side occupied by
hostile forces with windows and
doors barricade1 and piled with
sandbags and the advancing forces
directing field and machine gun
cross fire. snipers planted on the
roofs exchanging fire occasionally
o. hurling bombs and hand gre
nades through the burning win
dows, and armored cars racing up
and down the avenue splitting a
rattling fire from their turreted
machine guns.
Small rebel groups are gradually
evacuating the burning buildings,
indicating that a complete sur
render Is inevitable. There is
much confusion. the troops on both
sides often being unable to dis
tinguish their enemies.
Bombardment Is Fierce.
Free Staters, after occupying a
building were more than once
forced to retire to escape the bonn
bardment which their comrades
across the street continued to lay
down on the rebels positions ad-
joining. Huge breaches in the
rebel hotels torn by the Free State
shells offered opening through
which the regulars poured ma
chine gun fire most of the day.
Needless of the stray bullets
from the guns of the snipers, huge
crowds gathered around the fringe
! of the danger zone to watch the fire
| and The fighting.
Capt. Stapleton, of the Free
State army. was shot and wounded
seriously when he advanced to the
Hammam Hotel in response to a
white flag signal from the rebels,
according to a communique from
Free State headquarters. Capt.
Singleton went to the hotel to re-
ceive the surrender on behalf OF
the Free State goversment.
Among the occupants of the
IL arSr w ho