The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-07-12

Wiseman, to the effect that he wanted
us to visit all of Ireland, explained
that we were conducting an investiga-
tion under the authority of the prime
minister. We advised him that we un-
derstood that revolving conditions eX-
listed in Westport. The colonel, how
ever, declared that he would take the
full responsibility of not complying
with the request Of even so high
parsonage as the prime minister of
England, though he stated that he was
acting on orders from the government
officials in Dublin.
Many of the persons we met in the
vicinity corroborated the stories of
brutal treatment to which prisoners
i'll the Westport Jail were being sub
iected, the details being horrible be-
yond belief.
During our visit to Ireland we wit
| messed numerous assaults in public
streets and highways with bayonets
and dubbed rifles, upon men and wom-
i en- unknown to be republicans, or sus-
pected OF being in favor of repub-
lican form of government Many of
the outraged persons were men and
women of exemplary character and oc-
cupying high positions in the business
and professional life of the country.
/ We took statements covering hun
areds Of cases of outrage and violence
committed by the officers and repre-
sentatives of the English government
in Ireland the details of which we set
forth herein.
| The excesses and atrocities detailed
are either being actually committed at
the present time or have been com
mitted within the recent past, as a
part of scheme and plan to crush
out and repress the effort of the Irish
people to establish a republican fol
Of government in Ireland.
Upon the basis of what we wit
messed ourselves, as we'll as state
nents of men and women of unim-
peachahle integrity, we make the fol-
owing specific charges:
! ] Within the past few months at
east ten citizens have been killed by
:oldiers and constables under circuln-
7tances which in a majority of the
cases coroners' juries found to be will
full murder under the laws of England; !;
he last man having been murdered
i'll this way less than one month ago
In all of these cases the perpetra-
tors Of the crimes have gone unpun.
ished.
2. Hundreds of men and women
have been confined for months in the
vilest prisons without any charge be-
ing preferred against them.
8. At least five men have died rs
the result of atrocities perpetrated
upon them while in prison, the post
mortem examinations in some of the
cases disclosing marks of violence
upon the bodies of the victims.
4. Prisoners are confined in mar.
row cells with hands handcuffed be-
hind them day and night. In this con-
dition they are fed by Jail atten-
dants. They are permitted no oppor-
tunity Of answering calls of nature
and are compelled to lie in their cloth
ing, befouled by human excrement, for
days at time.
s. Persons are confined in cells
which are not large enough for one
man. They are not provided with
beds or hunks of any kind but are
compelled to sleep upon the bare
floors. There are no toilet facilities
or receptacles to contain human of.
fal, which necessarily accumulates up.
on the floors where men are compelled
to sleep in the filth, night after night.
6. The food is insufficient and un:
wholesome Prisoners, men and won.
en-, are compelled to live for days
upon water and poorly baked, sour
and stale bread.
Z. Hundreds of men and women
have been discharged from jail with
impaired constitutions, and are in
many cases incurable invalids as a
result of their treatment.
8. During the past winter and
spring, streams of ice cold water were
poured upon men confined in Jail, and
they we're compelled to lie all night