On This Day / February 20, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210220
Reference Date
19210220
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 20th February 1921, a Navan postmaster vanished amid gunfire, a Cork man was found dead near London, and Archbishop Clune condemned British conduct in Ireland. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Fears for Missing Postmaster | On This Day – 20th February 1921
MR THOMAS Hodgett, postmaster at Navan [County Meath] who was taken from his house on Friday, is believed to have been the victim of foul play.
Shots were heard both before and after his removal and bloodstains and signs of a struggle were discovered.
It is stated that Mr Hodgett, on hearing a shot outside his house about one o’clock, went downstairs to investigate, clad only in his night attire. He opened the door and two men entered.
They wore dark overcoats and declared that they wanted to show him what power Sinn Féin had.
Mr Hodgett was then directed to come along with them and, before they left, the two strangers made some remark about the Irish Republic.
There is no trace of Mr Hodgett and no explanation is yet forthcoming of the affair.
He is a native of Dungannon. He had been four years in Navan and was very popular.
The Rev R Hodgett, Minister of Tennent Street Baptist Church, Belfast, is a nephew of the kidnapped man.
‘Shadowed from Ireland’– Shot Dead
A TRAGEDY of a mysterious nature was discovered near London on Saturday and is engaging the attention of the police.
A man, whose occupation is not at present definitely established, was found at Acton in the lavatory of a Great Western Railway Fishguard express coach with his throat cut.
In the breast pocket of his coat, however, was discovered a piece of paper on which was written the words: ‘Shadowed from Ireland’.
Our Cork correspondent says deceased was George Tilson (36) who lived in Cork.
He was a younger brother of Mr R H Tilson, ex-High Sheriff of Cork.
He received a letter some days ago threatening his life. At first he took no notice of it but then decided to leave for England.
The wound from which he died is such as could scarcely be self-inflicted.
Peacemaker on ‘Machinations’
DR CLUNE, the Catholic Archbishop of Perth, was welcomed there last night.
He said he always thought the British soldiers fought honourably and cleanly but was sorry to have to say that the sample of the armed forces he saw operating in Ireland had not fought honourably.
He, as an Archbishop coming from Ireland, subscribed to every word and every charge de Valera cabled to Australia against the English forces.
Old age pensioners, girls, women and the child in arms were shot down by the Black and Tans.
Many upholders of British Government policy felt, with the PM, anxious for a peaceful solution but interested persons found a way to frustrate this.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Archbishop Clune had come close to arranging a truce between Lloyd George and de Valera in December 1919.)
On This Day – 20th February 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210220
Reference Date
19210220
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 20th February 1921, a Navan postmaster vanished amid gunfire, a Cork man was found dead near London, and Archbishop Clune condemned British conduct in Ireland. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Fears for Missing Postmaster | On This Day – 20th February 1921
MR THOMAS Hodgett, postmaster at Navan [County Meath] who was taken from his house on Friday, is believed to have been the victim of foul play.
Shots were heard both before and after his removal and bloodstains and signs of a struggle were discovered.
It is stated that Mr Hodgett, on hearing a shot outside his house about one o’clock, went downstairs to investigate, clad only in his night attire. He opened the door and two men entered.
They wore dark overcoats and declared that they wanted to show him what power Sinn Féin had.
Mr Hodgett was then directed to come along with them and, before they left, the two strangers made some remark about the Irish Republic.
There is no trace of Mr Hodgett and no explanation is yet forthcoming of the affair.
He is a native of Dungannon. He had been four years in Navan and was very popular.
The Rev R Hodgett, Minister of Tennent Street Baptist Church, Belfast, is a nephew of the kidnapped man.
‘Shadowed from Ireland’– Shot Dead
A TRAGEDY of a mysterious nature was discovered near London on Saturday and is engaging the attention of the police.
A man, whose occupation is not at present definitely established, was found at Acton in the lavatory of a Great Western Railway Fishguard express coach with his throat cut.
In the breast pocket of his coat, however, was discovered a piece of paper on which was written the words: ‘Shadowed from Ireland’.
Our Cork correspondent says deceased was George Tilson (36) who lived in Cork.
He was a younger brother of Mr R H Tilson, ex-High Sheriff of Cork.
He received a letter some days ago threatening his life. At first he took no notice of it but then decided to leave for England.
The wound from which he died is such as could scarcely be self-inflicted.
Peacemaker on ‘Machinations’
DR CLUNE, the Catholic Archbishop of Perth, was welcomed there last night.
He said he always thought the British soldiers fought honourably and cleanly but was sorry to have to say that the sample of the armed forces he saw operating in Ireland had not fought honourably.
He, as an Archbishop coming from Ireland, subscribed to every word and every charge de Valera cabled to Australia against the English forces.
Old age pensioners, girls, women and the child in arms were shot down by the Black and Tans.
Many upholders of British Government policy felt, with the PM, anxious for a peaceful solution but interested persons found a way to frustrate this.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Archbishop Clune had come close to arranging a truce between Lloyd George and de Valera in December 1919.)
On This Day – 20th February 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210220
Reference Date
February 20, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 20th February 1921, a Navan postmaster vanished amid gunfire, a Cork man was found dead near London, and Archbishop Clune condemned British conduct in Ireland. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Fears for Missing Postmaster | On This Day – 20th February 1921
MR THOMAS Hodgett, postmaster at Navan [County Meath] who was taken from his house on Friday, is believed to have been the victim of foul play.
Shots were heard both before and after his removal and bloodstains and signs of a struggle were discovered.
It is stated that Mr Hodgett, on hearing a shot outside his house about one o’clock, went downstairs to investigate, clad only in his night attire. He opened the door and two men entered.
They wore dark overcoats and declared that they wanted to show him what power Sinn Féin had.
Mr Hodgett was then directed to come along with them and, before they left, the two strangers made some remark about the Irish Republic.
There is no trace of Mr Hodgett and no explanation is yet forthcoming of the affair.
He is a native of Dungannon. He had been four years in Navan and was very popular.
The Rev R Hodgett, Minister of Tennent Street Baptist Church, Belfast, is a nephew of the kidnapped man.
‘Shadowed from Ireland’– Shot Dead
A TRAGEDY of a mysterious nature was discovered near London on Saturday and is engaging the attention of the police.
A man, whose occupation is not at present definitely established, was found at Acton in the lavatory of a Great Western Railway Fishguard express coach with his throat cut.
In the breast pocket of his coat, however, was discovered a piece of paper on which was written the words: ‘Shadowed from Ireland’.
Our Cork correspondent says deceased was George Tilson (36) who lived in Cork.
He was a younger brother of Mr R H Tilson, ex-High Sheriff of Cork.
He received a letter some days ago threatening his life. At first he took no notice of it but then decided to leave for England.
The wound from which he died is such as could scarcely be self-inflicted.
Peacemaker on ‘Machinations’
DR CLUNE, the Catholic Archbishop of Perth, was welcomed there last night.
He said he always thought the British soldiers fought honourably and cleanly but was sorry to have to say that the sample of the armed forces he saw operating in Ireland had not fought honourably.
He, as an Archbishop coming from Ireland, subscribed to every word and every charge de Valera cabled to Australia against the English forces.
Old age pensioners, girls, women and the child in arms were shot down by the Black and Tans.
Many upholders of British Government policy felt, with the PM, anxious for a peaceful solution but interested persons found a way to frustrate this.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Archbishop Clune had come close to arranging a truce between Lloyd George and de Valera in December 1919.)
On This Day – 20th February 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.