Ambush at Bonniconlon
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BALLINA POLICEMAN WOUNDED
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(The Ballina
Herald, 9th April, 1921)
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Following the recent sensational series of ambushes in South Mayo, the
people of Ballina were startled on Monday morning by the news that on the
previous night a police patrol from the town was ambushed in the vicinity of
Bonniconlon. Constable William Hankins, an Englishman, being seriously wounded.
The
police are very reticent regarding the affair, but from the meagre details to
hand at the time of writing it would appear the patrol, which numbered some
twelve or fourteen constables, left Ballina, on Sunday night, under Captain White, D.I., on the Crossley
tender for Bonniconlon. A ceilidh or dance was announced to be held in the
village schools on that night. In some quarters it is stated that the object of
the visit of the police was to raid the dance, but a more accepted version is
that they were engaged on a poteen-seizing mission.
The
patrol arrived near Bonniconlon some time after midnight and dismounted from
the lorry in the vicinity of a thick grove. Leaving four constables as a guard
to the lorry, the major portion of the party proceeded to the village. They had
only gone a short distance when a heavy fusillade of rifle fire, was, it is
alleged, directed from the grove on the men who had been left in charge of the
lorry. The men immediately took cover, but before they succeeded in doing so a
rifle bullet struck the rifle which Constable Hankins was carrying by his side,
and passed clean through the stock, and entered the flesh in the region of the
thigh.
The
constable returned the fire, and a brisk exchange of shots was maintained for
some minutes, but the ambushers gradually withdrew. It is not known whether
they sustained any casualties. Alarmed by the sound of the firing, the main
body of the police rushed to their comrades’ assistance, but when they arrived
at the grove the engagement had broken off, and there was no trace of the
ambushers to be found. The motor lorry was riddled with bullets, and was put
completely out of commission. The police afterwards surrounded the school,
where a large crowd of boys and girls were enjoying themselves wholly oblivious
of the exciting incidents that had taken place such a short distance away.
When it became known that the police had been
ambushed the wildest consternation prevailed, especially amongst the female
section of the assembly. All the young men present were searched and questioned
as to their movements during the night, and a few were detained in custody. The
wounded constable was meanwhile brought to the school, where his wounds were
dressed.
A short time afterwards a relief party of
police arrived from Ballina, and a thorough search of the neighbourhood was
made. In the grove from which the police were attacked a considerable quantity
of ammunition, which the ambushers had evidently abandoned, was found. The
police maintained an increasing search of the district throughout the early
hours of Monday morning, and several arrests were made. Most of those arrested
were, however, subsequently released. The wounded constable was removed to
Ballina barracks, where he was attended to by Drs. Macaulay and Keane, and it
is understood that he is progressing as favourably as can be expected.
A similar, but shorter version of a report on
the ambush took place in the “Western People” on Thursday, 7th
April, 1921, in which it said that “a number of young men were taken in a lorry
to Ballina later in the morning, and, having been detained at the barracks for
some time, were subsequently released. On Monday the local police barracks was
strongly reinforced and there was unusual activity. Ballina was crowded with
people who attended the market, and people from Bonniconlon, especially the old
people, were in a state of panic, fearing reprisals for the ambush on their
homesteads. Rumours, for which there was not the shadow of a foundation, were
circulated in the town all day.
The village of Bonniconlon was the scene of
much police and military activity and many searches were made. A Sinn Fein
banner and drum were seized. The military afterwards left , but later in the
evening were replaced by others.
LATER:
Military and police reinforcements arrived in
Ballina on Monday, but although it was market day in town, there was no
interference with the people attending the market. As nightfall approached
considerable uneasiness was manifested in various quarters, but no untoward
incident occurred. Police patrols cleared the streets of the town, and ordered
all the local halls to close down. There were some instances of anger at the
order, but in the majority of cases the request to “clear home” was complied
with and no violence was resorted to.
The
Commercial Hall was commandeered as quarters by the military: some young men in
the building when it was taken over being peremptorily ordered out. Conflicting
stories of the ambush were in circulation during the week, some parties going
so far as to assert that no ambush had taken place, and that the shot which
wounded Constable Hankins was one accidentally discharged by his comrades. This
version of the affair is however, flatly contradicted by the police, who point
to the discovery of the ammunition and some men’s clothing at the scene of the
affray as being conclusive evidence that the ambush was premeditated and
carefully planned. They attribute their good luck in escaping with only one
slight casualty to the fact that they evidently arrived sooner than the
ambushers had anticipated. The utmost terror prevailed in the village after the
occurrence, and some shots are alleged to have been fired through the roof of
the school causing a panic amongst those present at the dance. Verey lights
were sent up by the police in the vicinity of the school, and a strong relief
party arrived from Ballina about an hour later. The disabled tender was towed
to Ballina early in the morning bearing many evidences of the conflict.
MALICIOUS
INJURY CLAIMS
In consequence of this incident, the
constable who was wounded, Constable
Hankins, took a claim at Ballina Quarter Sessions, before Judge Doyle, in June, 1921. The “Western People” of 11th
June, 1921, reported that “Constable
William Hankins claimed £1,500
compensation for injuries received when police were attacked in Bonniconlon on
the morning of the 4th April last.
“Messrs. Garvey and Huggard appeared for the applicant and
the claim was not defended.
“Applicant stated that before joining the
R.I.C. on the 11th February last he was a constable in the
Birmingham City Police, his salary being £182 a year, with boot allowance. In
the R.I.C. he had £182 a years, plus £15 a year bonus and a food allowance. He
had previously been in the Navy for four years. On the morning he received his
injury the police travelled to Bonniconlon in a Crossley car. He and three
constables were left in charge of the car, while the remainder of the party
went into the village. While witness was standing at the car intense fire was
opened up on them from both sides of the road. They returned the fire. A bullet
passed through the stock of witness’s rifle and entered his right hip, where it
still remained.
“(The
rifle which was at this stage produced and handed up to his Honor had the stock
split right through). Witness was taken to a house in Bonniconlon where his
wound was dressed, and was later taken to Ballina. He was afterwards removed to
a Dublin hospital, where he remained 21 days. He was now convalescent, but was
still lame and felt his leg very dead at times. The doctor in the hospital
informed him that it was not advisable to extract the bullet yet, but that if
the leg gave him any trouble he would have to return to have it X-rayed. He
always enjoyed the best of health up to the time of the occurrence”.
THE
BRIDGE STREET SHOOTING
The Ballina
Herald reported on Thursday, October 20, 1921, that the two Constables that
were ambushed and shot in Bridge Street, Ballina, in April, 1921, took claims
for compensation for their injuries to the Ballina Quarter Sessions, before
County Court Judge Doyle, K.C.
Constable Walter Davis,
R.I.C., claimed £2,000 compensation for personal injuries sustained in Bridge
Street, Ballina, on Saturday night, 16th April, when he and Constable Moore were fired on and
wounded.
Messrs.
Garvey
and Huggard appeared for the
applicant, and Mr. McCarthy, B.L. (instructed by Mr. Carrigg) opposed the claim on behalf of the urban ratepayers.
The “Western
People” also reported that “the applicant, who carried a stick and appeared
very lame, in reply to Mr. Garvey, stated that on the night in question when
crossing the road after coming over the bridge from Ardnaree, accompanied by
Constable Moore, a volley of shots were fired behind them, and Constable Moore
fell, and witness thought he was wounded. Witness proceeded a little further up
the street and another volley rang out, and witness felt that he was hit again.
He endeavoured to run to the barracks, but collapsed before reaching it. He was
hit in the back in three places, and also received a bullet in the wrist. Prior
to the occurrence he had been a strong, healthy man, and before joining the
R.I.C. in February of this year he was employed as a farm labourer in
Herefordshire, where he earned about £5 a week. His pay in the R.I./C. was £18
a month, plus a bonus of £1 6s. and a “danger” allowance of 1s a day. He had
been in Steeven’s Hospital, Dublin, and was now under the care of Captain Brady, Gormanstown. The bullets
went clean through his hip, and his lameness was, he believed, caused by
contraction of the muscles of the leg. He was still suffering from nervousness,
and he did not think he would ever sufficiently recover to take up police
duties again.
“To Mr. Garvey, he said he had not been
discharged from the force.
“His Honor—Was his connection with the force a
temporary or permanent one?
“Mr. Garvey—I am not quite sure.
“Captain
White, D.I.—It was a permanent one, my lord.
“Dr.
Keane, who examined the applicant after the occurrence, said he had six
openings in the flank, caused by the entrance and exit of the bullets. He had
also a wound in the wrist. One bullet appeared to have entered in the back and
came out in the flank dangerously near the abdomen. The other two wounds were
more superficial than that but were deep through the flesh. The applicant had
become very thin and run-down since witness saw him last. The lameness was
caused by contraction of the muscles as result of the wounds. He would not be
able to resume duty before twelve months at any rate, and witness could not say
whether he would be ever capable of resuming duty.
“By Mr.
McCarthy—The wounds had improved very much, and the applicant was
recuperating now.
“Which of the wounds caused the lameness?—All
three in the back were responsible.
“Dr.
Macaulay, who also attended the wounded man, corroborated, and said it was
very likely there would be some permanent disability.
“Capt.
White, D.I. (who was congratulated by his Honor on his escape in the recent
ambush) said a man would not be retained in the constabulary unless he was
thoroughly fit. The applicant was very much run-down and was what he would
consider ‘a wreck’.
“His Honor said this was a case which had many
features similar to that of Constable
Love, to which he had reserved judgment, but whereas in Constable Love’s
case there was a presumption that he would never again be fit for police duty,
there was a reasonable possibility in this case that the applicant might be
able to resume his duties, so that he could not give as much as he had allowed
Constable Love.
“He awarded him £1,000, with £25 expenses and
costs, the area of charge to be the County-at-large. He allowed the opposing
ratepayers £8 8s. costs against the County Council”.
Constable Harold Moore,
R.I.C., applied for £8,000 compensation for injuries received in Bridge Street,
Ballina, on an occasion when himself and Constable Davis were fired on and
wounded.
Mr. Carson, B.L (instructed by Messrs. Garvey
& Huggard), appeared for applicant.
Head-Constable
Wray gave evidence that the applicant was wounded in Bridge Street and was
brought to the barrack by several civilians and Dr. Keane.
Capt. White deposed that
the pay of the deceased was £182 a year with an allowance of £40.
Surgeon Chance deposed the
applicant told him on admission to Stevens’ Hospital that when he was shot he
lost power of his legs immediately. He had a bullet wound in the middle of the
chest and a bullet lodged in the right arm. He was paralysed n the lower limbs
and the abdominal muscles. He removed the bullet. There was a collection of
blood on both sides of the chest and the spine was broken and splintered. For
months after the came to the hospital he complained of severe pain in the lower
part of the left of the chest. That was
due to pressure on the nerves at the site of the injury to the spinal canal.
There was no improvement whatever in the paralysis or loss of sensation. Ulceration
occurred at the heel and on the buttock where the skin was darkened. The man
was permanently and hopelessly incapacitated and there was no hope of
improvement or recovery. He would be bedridden for life and he would require a
nurse to always look after him.
Dr. Keane gave evidence
that he knew the man before he was injured and he was a strong, healthy man. He
also described the condition of the man after the shooting.
His Honour awarded £4,500.
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