Evening star., 1923-08-15
Republican Leader Seized in
Market Square at Ennis,
County Clare, During Ap.
peal for Election.
TROOPS FIRE VOLLEYS
OVER HEADS OF CROWD
Platform Surrounded by Armored
Cars After Sinn Fein Chief,
Long ION Rum" Had Been
Cheered Tumultuously on First
Appearance for Long Time.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ENNIS, County Glare, Ireland,
August 15.-Eamonn De Valera. the
republican leader, was arrested by
Free State troops here today on his
appearance to address a republican
meeting in the election campaign.
The arrest was made under sensa-
tional circumstances. De Valera was
addressing a meeting of electors in
the market square when Free State
troops came on the scene and fired
several volleys over the heads of the
crowd.
A stampede occurred and several
arrests were made. The troops then
surrounded the platform and took the
republican leader into custody.
Cheered BY Crowd.
When De Valera appeared on the
scene there were many thousands of
people around the platform and he
was given a tumultuous welcome.
Then voice was heard shouting:
The soldiers are coming" and i'm
mediately a large body OF military
with armored cars surrounded the
platform.
The crowd stampeded in all direc-
tions. The soldiers fired volley after
volley over the platform and over the
heads of the crowd.
The great gathering became more
panic stricken as the shots were fired.
Women shrieked and tainted and some
of them were seriously injured in the
confusion. 1t was reported number
OF people were wounded. DE Valera
was taken to the county jail.
Fell ON Platform.
At the first volley De Valera was
seen to fall on the platform, and his
collapse added to the excitement. He
was unhurt, however, and his fall
was ascribed by those nearby to his
lodging at the sound of the shots,
but the people on the outskirts of the
crowd believed him to be wounded.
De Valera at the outset was sur
rounded on the platform by man and
woman supporters, but soon after the
first yolley the square, which had
contained thousands of men, women
and children, was almost deserted.
Additional shots were fired. however,
and the few civilians who still lin
gered were turned away at the point
of the bayonet.
+ People Clear Square.
After a lapse of ten minutes De
Valera was brought down from the
platform and found to be uninjured.
He was promptly surrounded by the
military and armed plain-clothes men.
Hundreds of persons who bad fed at
the firing rushed out of houses along
O'Connell street, pressed through the
,-an lxS Of fha nd Sho lo
with the captured leader. 1t was with
difficulty that the troops made their
way to the barracks with their cap
route.
Intense excitement prevails in En-
mis-.
The arrest of De Valera comes as a
dramatic climax to the republican
leaders persistent opposition to the
Anglo-1rish treaty and the Free State
government set up under it,
"On Run, for Months.
The first armed opposition by his
party to the Free State regime was
in the seizure of the Four Courts and
several buildings in Sackville street
Dublin, in July, 1922. These strong
holds being taken by the government
troops dlter nedSy HSntlnS' ne He0
to the country. and for several
months was ION the run"
One by one his chief lieutenants, in
cluding Austin Stack. Erskine Chill
ders and Rory O'Connor. were cap
tured, and it was even asserted in
some quarters that De Valera him
self remained at liberty only because
his arrest would cause the govern
ment embarrassment by making him
appear as a martyr. He was several
times reported to have escaped
searching parties by the narrowest
of margins.
The search for him apparently end
ed with his proclamation of April q
last, ordering cessation of hostilities
His appearance in Ennis today was
in pursuance of his announcement
that he would contest the elections.