Imperial Valley press., 1922-06-22
American Describes Shooting


Scotland Yard announced the names
of Wilson assailants as James
O O'Brien and James Connolly. One of
the assassins declared they were sol
diers. Both gave their ages as q.
They refused to designate their regi-
ment.
One of the murderers carried letter
revealing the fact that he was a mem
ber of the Irish republican army.
An official of the American Relief
Administration assisted III capturing
the murderers.
Describing the attack to the United
Press, this official said:
Sir Henry was alighting from an
automobile in front of his home i'll
Eatons square. The assassins were on
the side walk, waiting for him. They
seized him and shot him dead.
"The murderers then walked into the
center of the street. They waved re
volvers and policeman who attempt
ed to halt them was shot through the
stomach.
Stopped by Unarmed Policeman
"The assassins proceeded about four
They wounded civilian in their flight
"An unarmed policeman ahead of
the murderers waited their approach at
street corner. AS they came to the
corner, he leaped out and struck one
of them on the head with his night
stick, telling the man. Three or four
of us grabbed the other and pulled him
down.
"The GOODNESS of the assassins was
remarkable. Both talked with a de-
cided brogue. One said:
q" you wouldn t have got us if
you'd given us few minutes more. -
Police took the murderers to the
Gerald road police station, where the
larger of the two began to fight. lie
hammered the police with his fists and
was badly beaten before he could be
subdued.
Another witness to the shooting said
Wilson was alighting from taxicab
before his home and the assassins fired
from behind carriage drawn up at
the curb. Wilson leaped up the steps
leading to his home and tried to open
the front door,
A volley was fired, one shot striking
the field marshal in the head. lie
reeled, fell down the stairs and col
lapsed dead in pool of blood.
One of the police wounded in the
running gun fight following the shoot
ing died later in the hospital.
Police combed the Eaton Square dis
trict this evening in the hope of find
ing four men believed to have been
accomplices of o 'Brien and Connolly.
Victim Mailed Fist Exponent
Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson was
Great Britain s representative on the
allied supreme council which dictated
allied military policy during the latter
part of the war He was chief of
staff of the British army.
In the latter capacity, he was re-
sponsible for sending troops to Ireland
during recent trouble.
Sir Henry was an exponent of the
"mailed fist" policy toward Ireland
and was strong supporter of Ulster.
He incurred enmity of Southern Irish
extremists after withdrawal Of Sir Gen
eral Neville MaeReady, who was not
unpopular, despite his position. Wilson
was bitterly hated by republicans.
lie was 5S years old, entered the
service in 1884 and won many decora-
tions in his rise to field marshal. lie
was created a baronet 1919.
In 1914 when the war broke out
Wilson was assistant chief of the gen
eral staff under Lord French lie
served as liason officer with the
French and later represented Great
Britain at Versailles. He was chief of
the Imperial general staff and a mem
Der of Lloyd George IS war cabinet from
1918 until last year.