League of Ghosts

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 56, 8 April 1929, Page 7

League of Ghosts

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

Australian Press Association.

CONDITIONS IN IRELAND Loaded Revolver In Every Pocket GRIM ANXIETY EXISTS

LONDON, April 6. Despite apparent quiet, the Daily Express' special Dublin correspondent deelares that not since 1922, when the Four Courts was laid waste by fleeing llepublieans, has the pubiic miud of Soutbern Ireland heen stirred to such a piteh of uervoiis tension. Thero is griin anxiety iu the air and an atmosphere of liush, and dark, mysterious forebodings. Every man has a loaded revolver in his pocket. There is tho gravest concern for hundreds of individual citizens who, 011 oue account or another, have incurred dLsfavour with a dangerous band of politieal desperadoes which has recently sprung into existence. They are known as Ireland's League of Ghosts and are the surviving remnant of irregular gunmen. Among them are -•II • i,jss women. Meetings are field regularly 011 tlie top floor of one of the oldest niansion liouses in Dublin. Agents are establislied througliout the length and breadth of Ireland. In recent weeks tliousands of letters have been circnlated, threatening instant death. The most frequent victims are jurymen impannelled for cases against Republican prisoners. Tliey are warned that unless these men are aequitted tliey must suffer the consequences. Tlie correspondent instances several cases of cold-hlooded murder, and proceeds to state that many residents of Dublin liavo left the country in the past fortnight for fear of their lives. Women are among the most aggressive, this oonstituting one of the greatest problems of the authorities. Leaflets and placards are heing broadcast tbroughout the Free State. The Government claims close contact with tbe movement. Hundreds of raids have been carried out. Meanwliile public alarm is increasing and tlio people are genuinely afraid. Never liavo Irishmcn been more cautions in conversation. One high Government official toki tbe writer t]ie wliole country had become a vast Vhispering gallery. One did not know who was peering into the nearest keyhole.