Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-11
ARRESTS FOLLOW
ASSASSINATION OF
O'H|GC|NS IN DUBLIN
Trio in Auto, Guided by Two
Scouts, Shoot Free State
Vice President.
81 GO TO JOIN COLLINS"
/, GAsPS DYING OFFICIAL
Body in State While Grief Is Wide
spread-No Motive Revealed.
Cabinet Session Called.
Nv .he Associated Pros.

! ~ 'he Associsted Press.
! DUBLIN. Ireland. July 11.-Several
arrests were reported to have been
/ made today growing out of the assas-
sination of kevin O'Higgins. vice pres
| Adent of the Free State Council, but
! sno indication has been made that the
actual persons implicated in the crime
] have been found.
An official account of Mr.. O'Hig-
!kins' assassination says that five men
| were engaged in it. two of whom
! acted as scouts. All are believed to
! have been between the ages of 20
/ and 35.
The account says that one of the
men signaled to the others when he
! saw Mr.. O'Higgins approaching and
that thereupon the three men opened
fire. Descriptions Of the men have
been obtained.
Stolen Auto Abandoned.
The official account further states
that stolen automobile, which Is
supposed to have been used by the
essa ssins, was found abandoned at
Ailltown.
4 verdict of wilful murder by three
persons unknown was returned at the
Inquest on Mr.. O'Higgins today.
TestifyinG at the inquest, Prof.
John MacNein told how the first
thing Mr.. .OHiggins said as the pro-
fessor stopped over him was, Il for
give my murderers." The dying man
then gave directions for taking
charge of his papers.
+. He told me-" said the professor,
'"to give a message of love to his
wife. to tell her he loved her-that he
loved her eternally."
The body of Mr. O'Higgins lay in
state today in the Mansion House.
After mass in st. Andrews Church
Wednesday. there will be public
funeral. Burial will take place in
Glasnevin Cemetery. where many lead
ing figures in Irish history are buried,
among them Parnell and Daniel
OConnel.
Says Nation Will Rally.
The Irish Times believes the crime
will rally the whole nation to the gov
ernments support, and inspire all par
ties in Parliament with new sense
of responsibility.
The paper calls for quiet testimony
OF faith in the government $ stock ana
the country's destinies.
The Independent says the country
has not even the solace afforded by
the knowledge that an individual or
unsound mind was responsible because
,"the fatal ambuscade was carefully
planned by men determined on attain
Ing their object"
Mourning Is General.
Signs of mourning were everywhere
today. O'Higgins was 1.-The strong
man. of the Irish Free State. he was
Yfn Nnlai q
walking to mass from his home az
Black Rock, near Dublin, and dled
within a short time with words of for
xiveness for his enemies on his llps.
\ . Mr.. O'Higgins, usually accompanied
kbv an escort of detectives, was alone
his own request, for the first time in
three years. His assailants sped
huickly away after infiicting half a
fioZen wounds. No motive was ap-
3parent. The dying man gave the at
thorities a good description of the men.
OHiggins, who was vice president
of the Free State council, minister OF
Justice and foreign affairs, fell with
bullets in the neck. chest and one ear,
he gasped. II forgive them ALL
Eamon Fleming of the ministry OF
finance and Prof. John MacNe1ll, Tor
mer minister of education, were in the
neighborhood and were soon on the
scene. As the wounded man rested
his head N Fleming's lap, he whis-
pered, They've got me. just as they
I got nv father" Later he said: Il
forgive them. die at peace with my
enemies and my God" Calmly and
tecisively he dictated his will. be-
Oueathing all his possessions to his
wife and baby daughter. Then he
was taken home.
Beyond Surgical Aid.
Dublin's best surgeons came. but
there was nothing to be done. OHig-
gins knew he was dying. He en-
r Traced his wife and child and said
farewell 10 friends and co-WOrkers in
the Free State cause. Shortly before
the end he raised himself from his
pillow TO say: Il am dying at peace
with my enemies. ] die for my coun-
try. go to join Michael Collins"
one of the friends at the bedside
remarked: "KeVin, while there's life
there's hope"
"Ah. there is no hope" he answered
"But was always bit of diehard.
The Free State cabinet was called
into session Immediately to decide on
the necessary steps in what is looked
upon as a serious situation, Tor the
stain official was regarded as bui:
Nark of the Free State cause lie had
returned to Dublin only last Friday
from, a League of Nations Conference
a. Geneva. lie had conducted Wig
orous country-wide campaign in be-
half of the government candidates IN
the recent parliamentary elections
At one time O'Higgins was a
sianch supporter of Eamonn DE
Valera, the Republican leader, and
during the disorders before the sign
ing OF the treaty creating the Free
State he was arrested ana place
III Jail in Belfast. When the treaty
was promulgated. however, he be-
came an ardent worker for the Free
do mi In i2tar OF lllS