26 JUNE 1920, Page 2

Serious rioting between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics began

in Londonderry last Saturday night and con- tinued till Wednesday. Both sides were well armed with rifles and revolvers, and made 'the streets so dangerous that business was suspended. Houses were set on fire and shops were looted. Some men were killed by stray shots ; a young Protestant, while bicycling through the town, was seized by a Sinn Fein gang, bound and then shot dead in the street. Up to Wednesday ten-deaths were reported ; -the number of casualties is not known. A battalion of the Dorsets patrolled the streets and assisted the police to search passers-by for-arms. On Wednesday night the troops had to use machine-guns to repel a Sinn Fein attack on the Protestants. Five- of the rioters were killed. In Dublin on Tuesday morning a band of Simi Feiners attempted to assassinate Mr. Roberts,ain assistant inspector-general of the Irish Constabu- lary, as he was'driving from Amiens Street station to the Castle. He was severely wounded by a revolver-shot, but-was saved by the courage of the driver-of his car, who, though himself wounded, put on speed and escaped from the ambush. The would-be murderers, who threw two bombs-without effect, as usual evaded' arrest.