In a recent article titled “Alleged Attempt to Wreck a Jewish Shop,” published in The Daily Express on Monday, another libellous incident has emerged, tarnishing the reputation of the city. The report claims that an incident took place on Saturday night between 11 and 12 o’clock, where an attempt was made to wreck a Jewish shop in Henry Street, Limerick. The police, who have been vigilantly guarding the Jewish quarter day and night, were said to be close by. However, due to misty conditions, it was a Christian gentleman who first noticed the situation and raised the alarm. Two individuals were subsequently arrested and are set to face charges at the next Petty Sessions under the Crown.

However, the police have provided a different account of the incident, clarifying the facts of the case. According to their information, around eleven o’clock on Saturday night, two individuals, Francis O’Brien from Queen Street and Michael Reddan from Carey’s Road, who was intoxicated at the time, removed a shutter from the shop of a petty dealer named Blond in Henry Street. They then took the shutter to an adjacent lane. Sergeant Beckett and Constable Feany witnessed the act and promptly apprehended the individuals. The following Sunday morning, they were released and are to be summoned for charges related to drunkenness and disorderly conduct. The police assert that the actions of the men were simply a drunken prank, and they do not attach any significance to the incident. The police authorities have explicitly stated that there was no attempt at wrecking the shop.

Limerick Echo – Tuesday 24 May 1904