Looting in Bonniconlon

LOOTING IN BONNICONLON

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Wholesale Damage by Disguised Burglars

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(Western People, May 14, 1921)

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NE of the most daring instances of wholesale looting that has yet occurred in Mayo took place in Bonniconlon in the early hours of Tuesday morning last (10^th), when the premises of Mr. John Lawrence and Mr. M. B. Durcan were forcibly entered by a number of disguised men, who consumed large quantities of drink on the premises and carried away several articles of apparel and dress goods.

  About fifteen men, some of whom are stated to have been armed with revolvers of an old pattern, participated in the burglaries.

  The burglars first visited Mr. Lawrence’s premises, the son of the proprietor being awakened about 1 a.m. by a loud knocking at the door. Believing that it was a raid by Crown forces, he at once proceeded to open the door. There immediately rushed into the shop a body of roughly-dressed men wearing soiled handkerchiefs as masks over their faces. Producing revolvers, they threatened Mr. Lawrence, and then turned their attention to the bar on the premises. Porter, beer, whiskies and wines were consumed at a rate that showed the visitors were no novices at the work. The removal of the corks from the bottles was apparently considered too great a hindrance to their operations and though a patent cork drawer was affixed to the counter the liquor was extracted from the bottles by the primitive contrivance of knocking the necks off them.

  Having gorged themselves to the fullest extent, the raiders transferred their attention to the hardware and drapery portion of the premises. Dress goods, boots and shoes were seized and carried away from the premises, a remarkable circumstance being the parties showed a preference for articles of women’s wear.

  After leaving Mr. Lawrence’s premises the parties effected an entrance to the premises of Mr. M. B. Durcan on the opposite side of the street, where they were confronted by Mrs. Durcan, wife of the proprietor, who, however, could do nothing to stay the wholesale looting of the premises. Besides carrying away a considerable quantity of goods, the raiders damaged much by trampling them under foot. It was almost daybreak before the raiders quitted their orgies. On leaving the village they carried armfuls of bottles of all sorts of drink and some of them were so intoxicated that they fell on the streets with the looted goods. Odd boots and various other goods were discovered along the Ballina road the next morning, and it was by this road the raiders were seen to take their departure.

  While the raids were in progress the looters made a thinly-veiled effort to disguise their accents, but some chance observations which fell from them spoiled this pretence an unmistakeable native brogue. One thing clear is that they were neither members of the Crown forces not adherents of the I.R.A., and they hope is widely expressed that they will be speedily brought to justice. No estimate has yet been placed on the loss Messrs. Lawrence and Durcan sustained, but it purported to be to a very considerable amount.