The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-04-28
REBELS SEIZE
DUBLIN COURTS
Party of 800 Armed Men Also
Take Hotel Near BY and
Fortify Both Buildings.
NEED THEM, THEY EXPLAIN
Say They Needed Headquarters-Pub-
lie Buildings in Sligo Are Occupied.
Disorders Are Renewed
in Belfast.

Dublin. Shortly after midnight
armed rebels seized the Four Courts
Dublin's law courts-and a large hotel
adjoining. This coup was carried out
by a detachment of 800 or 400 men,
some of whom were armed with rifles
and revolvers.
Entrance to the Four Courts was OBJ
tanned by means of a ruse. A few
I. r. A. scouts diverted the attention
of three policemen who were on duty
inside the courtyard at the front en-
trance while a small body of invaders
climbed the gates at the rear. The po-
lice, going to the front gates to in
quire into the presence Of the men,
were faced with revolvers pointed
through the iron bars and were COM
PEELED to put up their hands.
Immediately the men who climbed
the gates at the rear came on the
scene behind the police guard and re-
lieved them Of their keys.
The police and caretakers were then
confined in small telegraph Office at
the side entrance within the precincts
Of the courtyard. Detachments of /. R.
A. Immediately arrived in motor cars,
lorries and on foot.
Taking possession of every room a
the building, the invaders proceeded 10
fortify the place. Windows and doors
were sand-bagged and furniture used
for barricades. By daybreak the whole
building was in a state of complete
defense
A police station adjoins the Four
Courts, but the officials Of that estab.
lishment, although aware of the coup,
were powerless to act.
Inhabitants in the locality are leav-
ing, fearing a conflict with the Free
State troops.
The invaders are fully equipped with
war material, and commandeered large
supplies of bread and meat from the
various local factories.
There was considerable alarm In the
city in consequence of the dramatic
coup, and the activities of the armed
garrison were watched by large crowds.
The Four Courts, which occupies d
prominent position at the North Quay,
was one of the chief centers of fighting
during the Easter rising. Trenches
were dug around it and the garrison
was among the last to surrender to
the British troops on that occasion.
Commandant General Rory O'Connor
explained that the occupation Of the
Four Courts and the large hotel ad-
joining, from which the guests had to
depart, was carried out not as coup
d'etat, but because his forces had not
enough room in the Fowler Memorial
Hall occupied several weeks ago. He
added that he knows nothing Of a revO-
luton and that his publicity depart
ment viii be set up in the seized prem
iSes.
Republican activities are reported
from other parts. 1t will be difficult
to avoid a conflict at Sligo. Arthur
Griffith is determined to keep his Ell
gagement to address a meeting there.
A strong Free State party with an
armored ear arrived in the town AMI
took possession of the county jail.
Later armed Republicans occupied the
Victoria Hotel, formerly military bar
racks, the Court House, the Town Hail,
the post Office, the evacuated police
barracks and other buildings.
At an extraordinary meeting Of the
Sligo Corporation the mayor appealed
for the safety of the citizens and asked
all to assist to a avert civil COM
motion. He said Commandant General
McKeOn wired:
'As the competent military authority
of the midwestern command / know
nothing of the proclamation"
This refers to the Republican procla-
nation forbidding Griffith's meeting.
Brig. Gen. Devins said the prOcla-
nation was issued solely in the in
terests of peace and that the last
thing they would do would be to fire
on the soldiers of Ireland. The mayor
proposed that all citizens should be
urged to avoid a public demonstration
and to cooperate in maintaining good
order.