to impossible for the
soldiers to distinguish them, being all in civilian clothes so that they
just had to doff their bandoliers and they could go about from house to
house in safety. Sometimes they did this purposely, having arms in
several places. Hence the order had to go out that all civilians would
have to stay indoors, and after that all suspicious characters were shot
at, with the terrible result that innocent civilians were killed on all
sides.

Accordingly, while on our way to pick up a body I went with one of the
stretcher-bearers and a priest and a parson to warn them to keep
indoors.

One poor fellow we brought in, shot through the breast, was apparently a
civilian, but on examination we found on him a curious document,
undoubtedly proving him a Sinn Feiner.

The story of this document, which was perhaps the final decisive factor
that precipitated the rising, is perhaps best told in the words of the
Royal Commission:--

On the 19th of April a special meeting of the Dublin Corporation
was held at the Mansion House to discuss the police rate. Alderman
Thomas Kelly, in the course of a speech attacking Mr. Justice Kenny
(who had alluded at the opening of his Commission to the state of
disorder in Dublin and had urged military action), made a statement
to the effect that he had received that morning from the editor of
_New Ireland_ a circular which he would read. It was from a man
named Little, _New Ireland_ Office, 13, Fleet Street, Dublin, April
16, 1916, and ran:--

"The following precautionary measures have been sanctioned by the
Irish Office on the recommendation of the General Officer
Commanding the Forces in Ireland. All preparations will be made to
put these measures in force immediately on receipt of an Order
issued from the Chief Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle, and signed
by the Under Secretary and the General Officer Commanding the
Forces in Ireland. First, the following persons to be placed under
arrest:--All members of the Sinn Fein National Council, the Central
Executive Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers, General Council Irish Sinn
Fein Volunteers, County Board Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers, Executive
Committee National Volunteers, Coisde Gnota Committee Gaelic
League. See List A 3 and 4 and supplementary list A 2.... Dublin
Metropolitan Police and Royal Irish Constabulary Forces in Dublin