Huge rally for hunger strikers, and frightening armed raid at city post office
A LARGE number of people assembled last night at the Grand Parade Monument and recited the Rosary for the intentions of the political prisoners on hunger strike in Mountjoy, the Echo reported 100 years ago today, on Saturday, October 20, 1923.
When the prayers concluded the gathering marched through the streets headed by a pipers’ band.
The demonstration will be held every night for a week. Similar processions took place in Waterford and Tralee. There were frequent showers in Waterford where the demonstrators are setting aside one day a week as a black fast for the prisoners.
William Hallissey, of Roman Street, appeared at a special court yesterday charged with armed robbery at the Butter Market Post Office on Dominick Street on September 28. Two further suspects remain at large.
When arrested, Hallissey was not immediately charged as he was under the influence of alcohol. Two days later he went to see the arresting officer and said to him: “if I give you information regarding certain gunmen in Cork, can the charge against me be made lighter?”
Mr Mockler, for the defence, objected to this on the grounds it was an inducement held out to the accused. The arresting officer denied that the accused had ever been threatened with being shot, neither had he been caught by the throat. He said that when the accused’s father’s house was searched, a coin cartridge bearing the words ‘Cork Gas Company, 5s. coppers’ and a Webly revolver were found.
Mary Crowley, of Glanmire, was employed at the Post Office and said when she was coming down the stairs, she heard a man shouting, “Come on boys!” She heard money fall on the floor and when she entered the front office a tall sandy-haired man pointed a revolver at her.
When they left towards Mulgrave Road, she and the Post Mistress followed them, shouting “raiders” and “robbers”.
Miss O’Shea continued to follow them through the Back Watercourse Road towards Murphys Brewery where she lost sight of them. Accused was remanded to next Tuesday.
Among the cases at the Recorder’s Court was that of James Desmond, of Hollyhill. He applied for £465 compensation for the malicious burning of 56 tons of hay and a hay shed in September.
In August, he decided to build a concrete barn and employed a carpenter to put up the boards and his own men to mix the concrete and fill it in. The work went on fine until the Wednesday before the burning, when two men came into the yard and the carpenter said to him: “These men want me to stop the work”.
Mr Desmond asked them what was wrong, and they said, “This man is not going to carry on the work”, they were from the Transport Union and their own men were idle.
Mrs Desmond added that a number of men had come to the house and said to her that if the work was not stopped, a rougher crowd than they would come with pickaxes and other implements.
The Recorder gave a decree for £400, half to be levied off the city and half off the county.
SIR - I heartily concur with ‘Carbery Queen’ on the subject of our tram service. The 10.30pm is the latest departure from the city centre and totally inadequate to meet the wishes and demands of the travelling public.
In no other city that I know of is there such a poor night service as here in Cork.
My business takes me into the county and very seldom do I reach the Glanmire terminus (Kent Train Station) until 10.40pm. Then I find the last tram has gone and I am compelled to get ‘shanks’ mare’ home to Blackrock.
I trust the management of the Cork Tramway Company will give the matter earnest consideration, and I confidentially look forward to a better and more suitable service during the approaching winter. - Carrig Dubh
Dan Singleton made a bold bid against Lyons in their handball challenge at the Kanturk Court.
The loss of the first game to love did not dishearten the local man and he produced his best form in the next three games.
Some splendid handball was witnessed by a packed gallery and the score next stood Lyons 6-5 Singleton.
Just when the Kanturk player looked like wearing down the Dubliner, Lyons recovered all his old cross-tossing art and after some fine rallies ran out 21 aces to 11.
Mr. Honshaw, Chairman of the Prohibition Party in Los Angeles, has announced that Mr Henry Ford can have the Presidential nomination for the party if he wants it.
Mr. Ford looked favourably on the nomination in 1920 but was persuaded to decline it by friends of President Wilson.
