Typed Letter to the Irish nationalist journalist Robert Lynd [from W. E. A. Cummins?] providing information regarding the Burning of Cork by British forces including the Black and Tans in the Irish War of Independence.

1p., 4to. The first page only; 42 lines. Addressed to 'Dear Mr Lynd'. On aged and heavily-worn paper, with holes causing loss to a few words of text. An interesting document, written within days of the atrocity. The author - presumably the owner of Woodville, W. E. A. Cummins - begins: 'I venture to write to you as the English papers appear to have obtained very meagre information about the recent ruin of Cork.' He begins with 'the important point for the Philistine public in England': 'that the property of loyalists valuing many thousands of pounds has been destroyed, that many loyalist employees have been thrown out of work. [...] I know personally a number of victims who had their little all in small businesses that have been destroyed. They're beggared of course. Under great difficulties they remained loyal to the English Government. the man who denounced murder in season and out of season to the injury of his business. He's ruined, not by the men he denounced but by the men he defended. It may be unfair to state at this stage that the B and T's committed these outrages; but even strong Unionists are convinced that they set fire to the city.' He points out that the citizens of Cork are not 'made enough to destroy three million pounds worth of property in their native city. [...] A number of employees were republicans. Secondly military and B and T's also have access to Patrick st. in curfew hours. People didn't even sleep there so great was their terror. Constant patrols pass up and down the street. Why didn't they prevent gangs of masked men from setting alight to these shops? Grants was set alight quite early in the night. When that occurred the military, who had complete control of the street, should have been prepared to prevent burnings a hundred yards higher up the street.' The page ends with 'an important point overlooked by T. P. in his speech': 'On Thursday last the B. and T.'s put a notice in the Cork papers announcing that they intended to burn houses in the city if a man named Horgan wasn't returned. If that was a bogus notice why didn't they deny it in the Saturday papers? It would be a bit too late in the day for them to deny authorship now. If a notice appeared in an newspaper with your name under it announcing that you intended to burn down certain houses within 48 hours wouldn't you write a denial to that newspaper at once?' From the papers of Robert Lynd.