<IRISH CHESS CHAMPION.

APPLICATION FOR RELEASE REFUSED.

John J. O'Hanlon, hotel proprietor, Portadown, Irish Chess Champion, was one of several hundred persons arrested and interned recently by the Government of Northern Ireland. An application was made in the King's Bench Division, Northern Ireland, yesterday for a writ of habeas corpus for the release of Mr O'Hanlon.

His wife, in an affidavit, stated that he was arrested on 10th June, and had since been detained without any charge being brought against him.

Colonel Wickham, Divisional Commissioner of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, in his affidavit, stated :— There is, and has been, in existence in Northern Ireland for some time a widespread and highly organised conspiracy in active operation, having for its object the overthrow of established government in Northern Ireland, and using murder and incendiarism as its principal means of attempting to carry out its object. Reliable information came to the knowledge of the police authorities prior to the 10th day of June that John James O'Hanlon was a member of an unlawful association, and a party to the said conspiracy, and that he had acted, was acting, and was about to act, in a manner prejudicial to the preservation of peace and the maintenance of order. Since his arrest investigations have been continuously made, and a considerable amount of information has come to the knowledge of the police authorities as to the connection of O'Hanlon with the conspiracy, but it has not yet been possible to complete the investigations, and it would be prejudicial to the interests of justice and dangerous to the lives of others, particularly to those who have supplied information to the police authorities, to disclose the information.

Mr O'Hanlon stated that he was not and never had been a member of an unlawful association or party to the conspiracy to which Colonel Wickham referred. He added that he welcomed the earliest opportunity of meeting in Court the charges made against him.

Mr T. J. Campbell, K. C., said the case was one of serious importance. The Home Secretary or Attorney-General could imprison and condemn a man without trial, and this was a sweeping inroad on the old guarantees of the liberty of the subject.

The Lord Chief-Justice said the only point for the Court to decide was whether or not Mr O'Hanlon was legally held. The Minister of Home Affairs, purporting to act under the Civil Authorities Special Powers Act, made an order, and he held that the warrant was within the power of the Minister of Home Affairs.

<IRISH CHESS CHAMPION RELEASED FROM PRISON.

<Referring to paragraph 8 of the affidavit of Inspector-General Charles George Wickham, Royal Ulster Constabulary. I say that I am not, and never have been, a member of any unlawful association, or party to the conspiracy to which he refers; nor did I at any time act, nor was I any time about to act, in a manner prejudicial to the preservation of peace or the maintenance of order in Northern Ireland or elsewhere. Any information to the contrary to the police of the said deponent is absolutely false and malicious. I am a native of Portadown where both my father and grandfather lived. I am aged about 45 years. All my life has been passed in Portadown and I am well-known to the residents of all denominations there. I have been engaged in the licensed trade in Portadown for 25 years. Since April, 1921, I have owned the Queen's Hotel, Portadown, for which I paid £8,000. I have been a director of the Portadown Gas Company for the past five years. I have also been financially interested in a number of English industrial concerns. Outside my home and my business my chief interest in life has been chess, and I have held the Irish Chess Championship for the past nine years.>

The affidavit goes on to quote from some postcards sent to his wife:

<You should write Mr. S. J. Holloway, sec. London Chess Tourney, Bromley, Kent., and ask him to use his influence to get me released for the tourney. Tell him I was arrested without excuse, and was always a Constitutional Nationalist, and never a Sinn Feiner. Please send me my pocket chess; you will find them in left-hand drawer of roll-top desk in the hotel. See that all the pieces -32- are there. If not send the travelling set on bottom shelf in study. [...]