New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-24
Ireland, Crieving, Seeks Ne,o
Leader for Collins Place
Continued from page one,


kidnapped. Others mentioned are Cen
eral o'Connell, Assistant Chief of
Staff; Kelvin O'Higgins. Minister of
Economic Affairs in the Dali Eireann
Cabinet, and General Gerald O'Sullivan.
McKeown also is one of the popular
figures with the Irish people, for one
opponent of De Valera Of the five
signatories to the London treaty only
one. f. j. Duggan, remains member
OF the provisional government.
Mourning insignia draped ali Dublin
to-day, even the Offices of the Irish Re-
publican party flying flags at half-staff.
While the public was thus displaying
its grief, ministers of the government
We're meeting to face the situation.
Michael Collins is slain, but he can
not die" declared the official statement.
He will live in the rule of the people
which his colleagues undertake as
solemn charge TO maintain"
Talk of Reprisals
The reaction to Collins's death on the
political situation is viewed with anxi-
of leaderless Ireland tonight is that
public opinion on the death. of the idol
lied chieftain will SO rally popular
sentiment behind the Free State that
his successor or successors will carry
to completion through all difficulties
the work that he had undertaken.
There is talk Of reprisals against
the irregulars. 1t is known, however,
| that Collins refused to sanction indi-
,yidual acts which some of his support
ers favored. 1t is possible that his
, death and the manner of it may lead
to virtual war of determination be-
tween Free Staters and Republicans.
News of Collins's death affected Dub
lin far more than any other event on
the long and rocky road to home rule.
Groups collected before the newspaper
offices before dawn, seeking details of
the tragedy, while others knelt in the
streets reciting prayers for the dead.
There was grief over the passing of
a beloved leader, and there was an out
ragged sense of decency that he should
die so shockingly almost within sight
of the place of his birth.
Inspected Posts
CORK, Aug. % {By The Associated
Press .-Collins fell fighting to the
last what seemed at first an over
whelming force of irregulars who am
pushed his little party in wild noun
tain road between Macroon and Ban
don. His last words, addressed to one
them
The commander in chief of the ma
tiopal army had been visiting Cork,
and, accompanied by the members of
his headquarters staff, departed at 6
O'Clock Tuesday morning to inspect the
military positions south of Cork. He
was escorted by light armored car
and lorry carrying soldiers. Alto
gether the party is believed to have
numbered about score, including Cen
eral Sean O'Connell, commander Of the
bodyguard, and Major General Dalton,
commander Of the Free State troops
in Cork.
A dispatch rider preceded the large
touring car with Collins and other off,
GERS; then followed whippet armored
car, while an ordinary open tender
brought up the rear. The party visited
nearly all the posts to the south Of
Cork occupied by the national army,
among them Skibbereen, Ross Carbery
and Clonakilty; at each place the off,
GER commanding was interviewed and
the party enthusiastically greeted.
Taken by Surprise
Owing to the interruption of COM
munication by the main road the party
toward evening took roundabout
route for Cork from Bandon. Bealna-
blath, which is eight miles from Mac
room, lies to the south of the main
road on the south side of the river Lee
in a billy, rugged district. While pro-
ceeding by road near this village at
$3.50 in the evening the party was am
pushed by about 200 irregulars.
The battle opened with few shots
fired by the attacking forces. The
nationals were taken by surprise, and
one of the first bullets nearly struck
Collins before his car stopped, missing
him only by an inch or two. The ma
tionalists hastily dismounted and Col
Inns himself assumed leadership. A
hail of bullets sweeping the road left
him quite unmoved, but his first
thought was for the safety of his men,
whom he ordered to take to cover at
the fences on both sides Of the road.
At the very outset the dispatch rider
in front was badly wounded in the
lungs and, under the direction of the
Communicated was removed to
temporary safety. Then the nationals
settled down to reply to the fire. The
fact that they wereN faced by far SUI
perior numbers did not daunt either
Collins or his officers, and within few
minutes the attack developed into a
grim engagement fiercely contested.
Every man of the ambushed party
had been tried repeatedly and had
proved his bravery and GOODNESS in &c
tion and all of them showed steadiness
in the battle. which lasted nearly an