The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-05
Irish Urge Inquiry
 Into House Conditions
tCon.inued from Page F1ve)

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 wo 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 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 vyicinity corroborated the stories of brutal treatment to which prisoners in the westport Jail were being sub 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, or suspected of being in favor of a re- publican form of government. Many of the outraged persons were men and women of exemplary character, and occupying high positions in the business and professional Hfe of the country
 We took statements covering hun dreds of cases of outrage and vio- lence committed by the officers and representatives of the English gov ernment 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 oeen conn mittod within the recent past, as a part of a scheme and plan to crush h~ ,S Yrx.l people to establish a republican form of government in Ireland.
 Upon the basis of what we witness ed ourselves, as we'll as staten ents of men and women of unimpeachable in- tegrfty, we make the following specific charges:
 1. Within tho past few months at least 10 citizens have been killed by soldiers and constabIes under circum- stances which in a majority of the cases ooroners' juries found to be wilful murder under the laws of Eng land. the last man having been n1ur- dsred in this way less than one month ago. ..
 Tn all of these cases the perpetra- tors of the crimes have gone unpun- ished.
 2. Hundreds of mon and women bave been confined for months in the vflest prisons and without any charge being preferred against them.
 !. At least i've men have died as the result of atrocities perpetrated upon them while In prison. the post mortem examinations in some of tho cases disclosing marks of violence upon the bodies of the victimA
 (. Prisoners are confined in na-- row cells with hands handcufred be- hind them day and night. In this condition they are fed by jail at tendants. They arc permitted no op- portunity of answering calls of na- trre, and are compelled to lie in their clothing. befouled by human excre- ment, for days at a time.
 s. Persons are confined in cells which are not largo enough for one man. They arc not provided with beds or hunks of any kind, but arc compelled to sleep upon the bare floors There are no toilet facilities or receptacles to contain the human offai. which necessarily accumuIates upon the floors where mon are com peiled to sleep in the filth, night aftcr night
 6. The food Is insufficient and un- wholesome. Prisoners. mon and wo- men. are compelled to live for days upon water and poorly baked. sour and stale bread.
 '. Hundreds of men and women have been discharged rom jail with impaired constitutions. and are in many cases incurable invalids as a result of their treatment.
 .. During the past winter and spring. streams of ice cold water were poured upon men confined in jail, and they were compelled to lie all night on cold floors in unheated cells in their wet clothing. Many of them were afterwards removed to outside hospitals suffering with pneumonia
 9. Police and soldiers are habitual- ly permitted to enter the cells where political prisoners are confined and to beat them with their clubs.
 10. Solitary confinement in most horrible form is generally practised. Reumbsrs of prisoners have been taken