The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-23
ASSASSINATION OF MICHAEL
COLLINS CAUSES FEELING OF
GREAT ANGER AGAINST REBELS
Shot Down In Cold
Blood a Martyr To the
Cause of the Irish Free
State and a Friend To
Irish Peace-Dail Fire
ann Is Summoned In
Special Session

SpecIaI SeSSlOn
Cork, Ireland, Aug 23.-(By the AS
sociated Press -"Forgive them
! These were the last words of Michael
Collins, head of the Free State army
as he lay dying from an assassin's
bullet last ng ght. They We're addressed
to Major General Dalton. The assas-
snation occurred between Macroom
and BandOn, about 20 miles from this
city. lie was accompanied by mem
bers of the Free State headquarters
staffs who were visiting various mill
taly positions in the south of Ireland.
Large numbers of republic irregu-
lars ambuShed the cOmmander-in-
chiefs party enroute to Bandon.
Just as the attack was beaten off a
bullet struck Mr.. Collins in the skull
and he expired a few minutes later.
The body was brought to Cork this
morning and transferred to Il steamer
for conveyance to Dublin.
Cruel Assassination
London. Aug 23-(By the Associat-
ed Pre- ;sl-The assiO sination of
Michael Collins, at Bandon, Cork, yes
terday. comes directly on the heels OF
the announcement by the Irish lrregu-
lars, of a policy of ambushes and raids
in their fight against the Free State
government. Collins was shot down
from ambush only a few hours after
he had been given an ovation by the
,uhi III
/ freed less than two weeks ago by the
! military under Collins command. The
place where he fell is part of the con-
! stituency which he represented in the
| Dali Eireann.
News of the outrage. only meagre
| details of which have been received
! here, came too late for publication in
! the morning newspapers. the majority
( of which comment on the breaking up
of the organized warfare in Southern
Ireland. The assassination was pre-
ceded in Dublin by kind of battle
in propaganda, both the Provisional
! government and representatives of the
irregular army posting placards which
! set forth their respective aims ana
] claims.
Americans reaching London after
attending the funeral of Arthur Grif'
fifth say they found curious crowds as
! sembled about these posters. One man
ifesto charged that the provisional
government had secretly dispatched
an emissary to the south to assassin
ate Eamon de Valera.
Beside this was another plac-
ard in big letters, an ironical interpre-
tation of a manifesto which the enc
mics of the Free State imagined was
being sent out by Michael Collins and
members of his staff. 1t was wOrded
something life this;
Men of ireland: Your king and
your country call on you. You who
have fought so bravely for the cause
of the Empire in Egypt, India and else
where now are needed again for the
defense of the Empire"
Another and longer poster appar-
emily by the governmental officers
/ dealt in detail with the cause of the
irregulars throughout Ireland.
! 1t argued that the irregular move
ment was destroying every reasonable
hope for Ireland's prosperity and hap
| piness and appealed to the citizens
/ generally to stand solidly behind the
provisional government. Grief over
the death of Arthur Griffith was ac.
companied by an expression of public
admiration and affection for Collins
whose three-hour march through the
streets of Dublin behind the body OF
his colleague, was one of the most i'm
pressive incidents in Irish history be
cause everybody believed that Collins
himself had been marked for death.
At the funeral everybody was talk
ing about Collins, now that he was
left alone as the great, outstanding
figure in the Free State movement.
"All the girls of Ireland are in love
with Michael Collins" whispered an
Irish woman. "but they are all toe
late, I fear, because I have heard he
has a sweetheart down in the country
and one of these days when Ireland
is more tranquil Michael Collins will
lead her to the altar"
ct was announced last May that
Miss Kitty Kiernan, member of a
leading family in Longford, was en-.
gagged to marry Collins.)
Eamon de Valera has become a cav.
alryman and consequently is more
elusive than ever, says the CORE
spondent of the Daily Mail with the
National army in the field. The Re-
publican leader and all the members
of his contingent are reported to be
mOunted on huntars ha addq