Republican farmer., 1919-07-11

prison except the governor. He stat ed that no such barbarities had been committed since he had taken charge of the prison a week or two before. He refused to speak for any time pri- or to that. He at first denied that there were underground cells in the prison. We had been furnished, however, with a plan showing their location, and upon our insistence we were allowed entrance. We found a great number of cells under ground, too narrow for human occupation without beds or covering for the prisoners, no ventilation; pitch dark, and extremely cold, although the weather at the time was not severe. The chief warden admitted that these cells were at times occupied by pris- oners
 Our information, well authenticat- ed. Is to the effect that a large num- Der of political prisoners were taken out of the underground cells after we had demanded admission the night previous We found one of the pc litical prisoners still in solitary con finement He presented a Ditia ble spectacle. The miserable cell was cold and badly ventilated. He was in an unkempt condition, highly nerv- ous., palpably undernourished, and had a wild glare in his eyes. indicat- ing sn extremely dangerous mental state.
 He tried to speak to us, but was quickly silenced by the warden.
 The political prisoners in this jail, without exception, are men of high est position; Journalists, lawyers, bus mess men, skilled tradesmen and la borers. Many of them, confined for months, have not been informe d of the charge against them. All of them are denied the right of trial by jury. When charges are made-of- ten of the most trivial character-baiI is denied. They were all emaciated and appeared to be suffering from malnutritton- Of the thousands of German prisoners we have seen In France, none of them showed such wretched physical condition, or had conferences marked with pain as the prisoners in Mountjoy.
 As we were leaving the prison, we were attracted by shouts in rear of the main hall of the prison. Looking around, we saw Pierce Beasley, one of the political prisoners, an Irish Journalist of the highest standing, and one of the most beloved men in Ire land. being hustled through the back doorway by a burly prison guard Beas1ey cried out, "I want to call your attention to the fac, that this brute who has me in charge Is about to punish me for saying, Long live the Republic We imm ediateIy pro- tested against the assault on Mir. Beasley. The governor of the pris- on hastened back to where the men were, and, after a hurried whispered conversation with the guard. return ed and said that we could be assured that no punishment would be inflicted upon MT. Beasley.
 Upon our return from the prison we were furnished with detailed statements of others who had been confined in the prison, exposing the vilest atrocities committed against prisoners
 Having received information that there were large number of prison CTS confined in a smaller prison in the town of Westport, County Mayo, which place was invested by troops, and that cruelties and barbarities were being practised upon them, we announced our intention after leaving Mountjoy Jail, of visiting Westport. Shortly before the departure of our train upon the following evening two policemen appeared at our apart ments. and handed as an unsigned typewriter letter, notifying us that we would not be permitted to, enter the town of Westport, the only reason given being that it was within a military area" We proceeded, nev- ertheless, to Westport.
 As we approached the town a com pany of soldiers met us about three miles out and the lieutenant announc- ed SurlV that cir ] cumstances would we be permitted d to enter. We demanded to see the colonel, to whom we showed our pass 1 ports, repeated the message of MT. Lloyd George delivered through Sir William Wiseman, to the effect that ! he wanted us to visit all of Ireland explained that we were conducting an investigation under the authority of ! the Prime Minister. We advised him that we understood revolting condi- | tions existed in Westport. The col | onel, however. declared that he would take the full responsibility of not complying with the request of even so high a parsonage as the Prime Minister of England, though he stated | that he was acting on orders from the | government officials in Dublin. l Many of the persons we met in the i vyicinity corroborated the stories o1 | brutal treatment to which prisoners | in the Westport Jail were being sub- 1 jected. the details being horrible be- | yond belief
 | During our visit to Ireland we wit messed numerous assaults in public | streets and highways with boyonets
 and clubbed rifles, upon men and women known to be Republicans, ol suspected of being in favor 9of a re- | publican form of government. Many | of the outraged persons were mer | and women of exemplary character
 and occupying high positions in the | business and professional life of the | country
 We took statements covering hun- 1 dreds of cases of outrage and vio- | lence committed by the officers and representatives of the English gov