New Britain herald., 1920-10-27
Coroner's Inquest Terms It Re. suit of Heart Failure, Due to
 Exhaustion for Lack of Food
PERMIT FREELY GIVEN TO :
 TAKE BODY TO IRELAND

Only As "volunteer Officer of Irish Republican Army - Testimony
 Shows That Macswiney Knew
 Death Was Near, Yet Refused to
 Partake of Food.
 London. Oct. 27.-A jury of ten men after 12 minutes, Jdeliberation this morning returned an open vef- dict at the inquest over the body of Lord Mayor MacSwiney of Cork, who died in Brixtcn prison early Monday from the results of his 73 day hunger strike.
 The verdict was that the deceased had died from heart failure due to dilated heart and acute delirium following scurvy which was due to exhaustion from prolonged refusal to take food.
 Widow Shows Composure.
 The widowed lady mayoress. dressed in black and heavily yelled was the only witness on behalf of the Mac Swiney family and was the dominant figure of the proceedings. Her com posture was indicated by her quick and pointed replies.
 Mrs. MacSwiney successfully re- sisted the continued attempts of the coroner to have her characterize her late husbands occupation otherwise than as volunteer officer of d the Irish republican army" Coroner c. P. Wyatt opened the proceedings with the suggestion that the brother of the late lord mayor might desire to testify for the fam 
 ing the family ipterposed. however. with the reminder that the lady mayoress had been summoned for that purpose. The coroner asked Mrs. MacSwiney if she wished to tes- tify. She replied:
 Yes" laid her veil back over her hat, stepped to the end of the table opposite the coroner. and took the oath.
 Was An Irish Volunteer.
 The lady mayoress said her name was Muriel Frances MacSwiney, and that she lived in Cork. Her husband was Terence James MacSwiney, aged 40.
 What was her" asked the coroner.
 An Irish volunteer was the an- swer.
 Did he make a living by that?''
 ''No." answered Mrs. MacSwiney.
 Had he any other occupation?'
 "He was a school teacher for number of years" replied the lady mayoress-
 The coroner pressed the point and Mrs. MacSwiney replied:
 My husband did nothing for years but work for his country
 Coroner Raises Objection.
 Coroner Wyatt objected to the wit ness describing her husband as an Irish volunteer, to which she re- joined:
 'I don't see why; Ireland has an army of its own; don't you call that an occupation in your army?"
 "Yes," said the coroner. ''but that is a different thing entirely
 Quite" was the monosyllablic re- ply of the witness.
 Solicitor Macdonald sought to ques- ton the lady mayoress about the charges upon which her husband was arrested. The coroner objected to this, saying he did not desire the in auiry to go beyond the cause of death. Mir. Macdonald said the family re- garded the death as the result of the lord mayors arrest and court-ma rtial
 He went on a hunger strike the day he was arrested. as they had no right to arrest him; it was an ofrense against the laws of the Irish repub- lic." replied Mrs. MacSwiney spirited ly to another of Solicitor MacDon- aids questions.
 pr. Griffiths, the senior medical off, fcer of the prison. said he began attending MacSwiney September 1. 'He was then weak and had certain signs of tuberculosis in the chest" added the physician.
 Refused to Take Food.
 He said the prisoner had consistent ly refused food all the time he was in prison; that his body had deteri- orated slowly, scurvy developing October II, and the patient becom- ing worse until he had an attack of acute delirium on October 20, grow ing very restive and requiring two officers to hold him In bed. He then became unconscious On October 22 the heart became weakened and di- lated, upon which the attendants ad- ministered food.
 There was some slight improve ment," continued the doctor Then, between two and three o'clock in the morning of the 18th I called to him"
 'T found his breathing labored and his pulse feeble and quick-~he ob- viously was in a very critical condi- tion. I did what I could and having got to the end of my resources told the priest to go to him. He died at