Evening star., 1942-09-02
be|fast0utbreak
Hanging
Of IRA Member
Two u. 5. Soldiers
Appear in Streets,
Jeered by Crowd
r: the Associated Press.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland
Sept. 2.-The appearance of two
United States soldiers on Belfast
streets touched off the first dis
orders today soon after Thomas
j. Williams, 18-year-old member
of the outlaWed Irish Republican
Army, was hanged in a heavily
guarded jail for killing police
man.
When police sought to disperse q
crowd of about 300 persons, angrily
shouting at the Americans, "Why
don't you stay at homer" two dem
onstrators hurled missiles.
The police charged with drawn
batons and the crowd quickly scat
tered. Other throngs had collected
outside the Jail where Williams was
hanged, but. save for mild street
demonstration, there had been nc
other outbreak.
Later an angry crowd threw stones
at an automobile of Capt. C. Turner
a United States Army officer, on &
Belfast business street. The driver
sped up and none of the occupant.
was hit.
This Northern Ireland capital hac
been declared out of bounds fol
United States troops, and the pres.
ence of the two soldiers, neither
of whom was harmed, was not i'm.
mediately explained.
Nazi-Style Salutes.
The crowd was singing Irish Re.
publican songs when the soldier.
first were seen. The American.
were greeted with stiff armed Nazi.
style salutes and jeering comment.
Two demonstrators were arrested
on charges of rioting and were sen.
fenced to three months imprison.
ment.
United States troops had been or.
dered to stay out of Belfast to avoie
any violence against them on the
part OF IRA members who bitterl,
opposed the execution of William.
and have claimed the right to cleal
Northern Ireland of the AEF anc
British forces by whatever meas.
ures present themselves"
Fearing that the hanging woule
be the signal for widespread vio.
lepce, especially after the discover,
Sunday outside Belfast of a cache o.
explosives and arms, police wer,
modified and a special force wa.
posted around the prison early to.
day. Only residents of the immedi.
ate area were permitted within 2O(
yards OF the prison gate.
y When an official posted the notice
OF Williams execution on the prisor
wall. a crowd of hundreds of womer
began procession toward the cen.
ter OF Belfast, singing God Saw.
Ireland" AS they passed police the,
gave what spectators described as 5
Nazi salute. Police broke up tn,
procession, but the women reas.
sembled and continued the march,
Crowds Sing Songs.
While the IRA sympathizers gath.
cred on one side of the street, an.
other crowd gathered on the oppo
site side and sang the British an
them and "There1l Always Be Al
England"
The Duke Of Abercorn, governo,
OF Northern Ireland, refused a. tlna
plea to reprieve Williams last nigh
and said "the law must take it
course"
FIVE other Belfast men. convicted
with Williams for the Staying of tn,
policeman last Easter, had bee,
granted leniency. Williams took full
responsibility for the shooting q
the policeman. Patrick Murphy
Four of the men received life term
and one received 15-year sentence
The order making Belfast out o
bounds for United States troops wa
issued after police statement tha
an IRA manifesto made it plai,
that this illegal organization ha
been preparing for attacks on tn
armed forces of the crown and tn
United States forces stationed il
| Northern Ireland"
The munitions dump found Sun
day was said to contain enough ex
plosives to blow up half of Belfast
"A young man, reported to be
(see IRISH, Page A-180