The New York herald., 1922-02-13
KILLING OF CONSTABLES
IN CLONES UNPROVOKED
Attacked at Station Before
They Could Drasu Arms.

BELFAST, Feo. IL (Associated PresS)
The total casualties in the affray at
the railway station at Clones Saturday.
when a party of Ulster constables was
attacked, were four special constablcs
killed and eleven wounded. Those cap
tured and marched away were released
to-day, Matthew Fitzpatrick. leader of
the Sim Feiners, was shot dead. Clones
is three miles inside the border Of the
Irish Free State.
From inquiries made among the civil
ian passengers on the train from which
the special constables alighted, 1t ap-
pears the constables had a twenty minute
wait on the platform for the Dublin
train, during which time they paraded
quietly up and down the platform, on
which there also were many civilians.
There was no sign Of any impending at
tack.
When the Dublin train arrived and
the constables moved toward it. however,
firing began from two machine guns
posted on a wooden bridge spanning the
railway track and then from a motor
on the station premises. A large body of
armed men, estimated at 100, rushed
upon the train, and. after some revolver
firing, ordered the frightened civilian
passengers. who were covering on the
floors Of the coaches and under the seats,
to get out.
Only a few Of the special constabIos
had time to draw their revolvers before
they were overpowered.
All the occupants OF the train then
were marched to the station platform
and drawn up in two bodies-civilians
on one side and the special constables
on the other. Everyone was searched
for arms. The civilians were ordered
back into the train while the unwounded
constables were taken away.
In the exchange OF shots. Fitz-
patrick, who apparently was in COM
mand of the attacking party. was shot
dead. A peculiar feature of the affray
Is that couple of regular Royal Irisn
Constabulary men on the train, who
were unarmed, were allowed to proceed
unmolested with the civilians.
Fitzpatrick, the leader In the attack.
who was killed, had an adventurous
career. Before the truce he was twice
wounded in the Irish Republican Army
service, and twice was rescued in excit-
ing circumstances by comrades after he
had been captured by the British. The
last time he was rescued was while he
was in the Monaghan Infirmary. where
he was under treatment with military
surveillance. This was last March. His
COrDIaueS lINdutQ tHC HI "
daring manner overpowered the armed
guard. and took Fitzpatrick away.
There was sharp rifle and revolver
firing in Belfast this Sunday after
noon. These mingled with tho rattle OF
the machine guns on the aTmored cars.
David Boyd. 10 years old, was shot dead
In the Old Lodge road district.
While Mrs. Page was serving CUSTOM
ers in her bake shop in North Queen
street, Saturday night, man entered
the place and deliberately shot and
killed her. District Inspector Michael
Teany OF Cork city was shot dead by
a gang of men at midnight Saturday
while on weekend visit to his family
at Cionakilty. His son, who was with
him, was severely wounded.
The bodies OF two men shot to death
were found late tonight in the Millfield
district OF Belfast. Firing was In pro-
eress there early In the evening.