The Irish standard., 1916-11-25

prisonment or death until the news
was flashed to her id an evening paper.
1T was cruel" Mrs. MacDonough
said with fearless eyes, that l should
be denied the consolation of a last
interview with my husband. did not
see him after he left the house Easter
Monday. News that the Proclamation
of Independence had been read by
James Connolly reached me. l had
copy and placed it over the mantel
piece. brought! my little son to
look at it. When the days passed and
l heard no word from Thomas, 1
could stay in the house no longer. |
went out. All week. had been listen
ing to the roar f|the machine guns
and all week 1 had been praying for
my husbands safety. heard the
Stop Press" calling. 1 bought a
paper-the first thing 1 saw in big
head lines was tho execution of my
husband. don't remember how I
got back to the house."
Tell the American people," said
Mrs. MacDonough, that the British
authorities never sent me any official
notice of my husbands death. l wish
the whole world tof know of this fact,
1t was cruelty unjust to. me. Ameri.
cans will sympathfze. tThey believe
in fair play. 1t was cruel, cruel" she
reiterated. Il
Someone told my little son that
the soldiers killed his father-that
was very unwise.s Now the child
screams at the sight of a soldier and
nldes his face. He worshipped his
daddy. shall tell Ihim the true story
wnen ne grows up. We have no home
now. Our lease Of Collingswood, our
home, expired many months ago. Mrs.
Harvey O'Kelly, the owner, the first
woman to be imprisoned in ireland
for suffrage, wouldn't accept the extra
rent due. She was very kind to the
children and myself. (The new Irisl,
Republic favored suffrage for women. J
Collingswood was opposite the first
st. Endas College. 1t was an histor.
lcal old house with memories of '9s.'"
Il was very ILL.," continued Mrs
MacDonough, from the shock of nv
husbands death. / was with him in
the work for the freedom of Ireland
Before Easter week when things were
taking shape he had to- be away q
great deal from home, but there was
scarcely a night aat he managed tc
spend few minutes with us. He
always liked to kiss the children good
night. l am proud that he died 70,
ireland. He was a good father, 8
good son, and good husband"
His two brothers stuck to him
His brother Jack was taken prisoner
The soldiers did not know that he
was brother of Thomas. When
they found. it out they abused him
shamefully. The soldiers beat him un
mercifully. They broke his glasses
and kicked him. He is free now
The soldiers would cry, You will he
hung tomorrow, in mockery
Jack will never forget his prison
experience.
i am not strong like other women
but am strong enough to feel proud
OF my husband. A humble neighbo1
came in to sympathize with me the
other day. She burst into tears when
she saw me in my black dress,
told her not to cry for that Thomas
died noble death in great cause
the freedom of Ireland"
Then you are an advocate for com
plete separation from England?"
YES" Mrs. MacDonough said firm
ly' complete separation. Ireland will
then get a chance to be prosperous.
Did you visit the slums," she asked
suddenly. "If the machine guns had
only managed to destroy them instead
OF some of the buildings they ruined
it would have been blessing-the,
are disgrace to civilization"
In my walk through the city | had
noticed some rundown looking tene
ments near Liberty Hall and had won
dered how they had escaped the gen
eral devastation.