Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Today -100: May 4, 1916: Prepare for preparedness


Four of the Easter Rising leaders – Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, Thomas Clark, and Thomas Macdonagh – are executed by firing squad. Shit goes fast if you don’t bother with real trials and don’t mind creating martyrs.

Augustine Birrell resigns as Irish Secretary, admitting that he slightly underestimated the possibility of a revolt. He says that (as a private member of Parliament) he hopes “the rebellion will be put down with such success, yet at the same time with such humanity displayed toward the dupes and the rank and file led astray by their leaders, that this insurrection in Ireland will never in the minds of memories of the people be associated with past rebellions or become an historic landmark in their country.” Good luck with that. Birrell will never set foot in Ireland again.

Frank Benson, Shakespearean actor-manager, is knighted by King George, who uses a stage sword.

William Lorimer, who was expelled from the US Senate in 1912 for election-tampering, is acquitted for conspiracy in the failure of the La Salle Street Trust & Savings Bank, of which he was president.




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