The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-12-01

was under punishment in Dartmoor
and Maidstone convict prisons, but he
was tried in these cases and exam
tned by the doctor before he was pun
ished.
Thomas Ashes Views.
On the Sunday morning witness
saw Mr.. Ashe at Mass, and had q
conversation with him before and after
the service. "He spoke to me-" said
the witness, about being forcibly fed,
and asked me what it was like.
told him what it was like, and men,
toned that it was carried on by means
of tubes. He told me he felt very
cold during the two nights and that
the prison authorities had gone be-
yond all bounds. He said he felt very
weak, that he felt very cold in his
cell on Thursday and Friday nights,
and he added: L don't mind so much
about myself, but 1 could not help
thinking all the night about those
poor young boys, who hadn't even as
much as an overcoat.' Mr.. Ashe also
referred to the visit of the Lord Mayor
on the previous day, and told me he
pointed out to his lordship that he
had no damage done to his cell or
window, but that he would be obliged
to break some panes of glass for the
toned that up to that time he had
not been forcibly fed.
He contrasted the treatment meted
out to us in Mountjoy as compared
with Lewes, and said that Dublin Cas-
tie was responsible for our victimiza
ton, and made it harder for prisoners
in Irish prisons"
Nose-Feeding Test.
Witness said there were half a dozen
young boys among the prisoners who
| had no overcoats Even with a thick,
heavy overcoat he felt extremely cold
in his cell. On Sunday DR.. Dowdall
tried to feed him through the nose, but
failed The doctor said to him that
he would get smaller tube than the
one he had been using, as it was too
large DR.. Cooke tried to forcibly feed
him on Monday through the nose. He
tried the right side Of the nose and
the left side, alternately, upwards of
dozen times. and after great torture
he succeeded finally in pumping the
fluid. composed of eggs and milk, into
his stomach. Witness had almost fin
shed the pint of mixture when he was
seized with violent vomiting.
Mr.. Dixon's Address to the Jury.
He (Mr. Dixon) did not seek to
make a scapegoat of Mr.. Boland, for
he took upon his soulders, when he
was in the box, full responsibility. He
did all these things before he entered
into communication with the Prisons
Board, and that being SO, counsel asked
why he should not be made amenable.
Mr.. Boland had no authority to do
the things that had been done; but he
did not seem to know what a principle
was, or that there were white sOu1ed
men in existence. The highest author
ity on criminal procedure-Archibald
laid it down that IF a man does an
act of which the probable conse-
quences may be, and eventually is,
death, such killing may be murder al
though no stroke we're struck by him
self, as was the case of the jailer who
caused the death of a prisoner by i'm
prisoning him in unwholesome air."
II feel bitterly" said Mr.. Dixon,
cover this matter l have lost great
personal friend but Mr. Ashe has
achieved what had always been his aim
and object, to lay down his life for
his country" The man who was re-
sponsible for his death should, he
claimed, be made to suffer for it. He
expressed the opinion that Mr.. Boland,
small though he was as prison Off
cial, was the man who had done 1t,
and the jury should see he was made
to pay for it.
The Verdict.
The inquest on the late Mr.. Thomas
Ashe concluded Thursday, Nov. 1. The
following is the verdict:
1--WE find that Thomas Ashe, accord
ing to the medical evidence Of Profes-
sor M'Weeney, Sir Arthur Chance and
Sir Thomas Myles, died of heart fail
ure and congestion of the lungs on
25th September, caused by the punish
ment of taking away from his cell the
bed, bedding, and boots, and his being
left to lie on the cold floor for fifty
hours, and then subjected to forcible
! feeding in his weak condition after
hunger-strike of five or six days.
1--WE censure the Castle authorities
for not acting more promptly, especial
| " when the grave condition of the de-
ceased and other prisoners was
brought under their notice on the pre-
vious Saturday by the Lord Mayor and
Sir ]. Irwin.
"That the hunger-strike was adopted
against the inhuman punishment in
flicted, and as protest against tho
men being treated as criminals. and
demanding to be treated as political