THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Sinn Fein ‘typhoid’ plot to murder soldiers

In reply to inquiries made at Dublin Castle the previous day as to the source of the documents from which the Chief Secretary for Ireland quoted the House of Commons on the Thursday night details of a plot to murder soldiers of the British Army the dissemination of typhoid microbes and to infect army horses with glanders, a Press correspondent was informed that documents mentioned were captured in a raid which took place in Dublin early in the week.

The correspondent wrote: “At five o’clock on Tuesday morning military search party, acting on information which come to hand, visited the house Professor Michael Hayes, BA, University College, Dublin, at Longwood Avenue, SCR. After the soldiers had entered the house a man whose presence therein had not been revealed to the military escaped from a window in his shirt. He was chased by soldiers, but managed dropping over 10 feet wall to make his escape.

“A search of the rooms he had occupied revealed two brown leather attache cases full of papers. They were packed in the neatest order, and were all ready for carrying away at a moment’s notice. The bags bore the initial in reversed order of man known to the authorities as the Chief Staff the Irish Republican murder gang, on whom falls the planning, the arranging, and execution of the murderous exploits of Sinn Fein. Even the briefest search revealed the immense importance of these papers, and military cordons were thrown all round that quarter of the city in the hope of capturing the man to whom they belonged. These efforts were unfortunately unsuccessful. Professor Michael Hayes, who had failed to reveal the presence stranger in his house when questioned by the military, was arrested.

“As related by the Chief Secretary in the House of Commons, a special courier was sent over to London with some the principal documents, the revelation of which, should the authorities decide disclose them, will show the most sinister aspects the Republican movement.”