Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-10-29
MACSWlNEY DIES
IN ENGLISH JAIL
Lord Mayor of Cork, Ireland,
SuccumbS on 74th Day
of Hunger Strike.
KIN WITH HIM At THE END
Heart Failure Given as Cause of Death
WAS Elected Sim Fein Mem.
ber From Cork 10 the Rris.
ish Parliament.

London. Oct. Preference MaeSwi-
ney, lord mayor of Cork, died at Rrlx.
ton prison 5oday followingsa hunger
strike that aafted August - This
was the seventy-fourth day of the
strike which was Interrupted on its
sixty-ninth day by inyoIuh;Pry feeding
by the authorities. while the lord
mayor was unconscious.
John MacSwiney aud the chaplain,
who had been waiting downstairs in
the prison, were advised by officials az
"a to go TO the mayors bedside, as
Il WAS thought death was approaching.
Mrs, MacSwiney. accompanied by
her parents and the Misses Annie and
Mary MacSwiney. sisters OF the lord
mayor. arrived at Brixton prison at
o:so
The eatise of MacSwines's death was
heart failure, according 10 = state
meni issued at the home Office.
MacSwiney's hunger strike hegau
August = when. with ten OF his asso-
clateS. he was arrested by soldiers in
Cork while attending Il session OF n
Sim Fein court After trial by a
court-martial under the regulations Of
tlP defcase of tile realm act. he was
found gdlty of sedi,im and sentenced
70 two years imprisonment, which he
was serving IN Rrixton prison IN Lon-
don
MacSwiney. then an alderman Of
Cork. was elected lord mayor of The
city nj a special session OF tbe Cork
CORPORATION on March ~ o. lhis year
70 succeed Lord Mayor Macs artm,
assasslnated IN mysterious circmi.
Stances. He was well-known Sim
Feln leader and. prior TO his election.
had been denorred and imprisoned sew
erai times.
When arrested on August > Mac
Swiney managed % escape 10 the
street from the hack Of the city hall,
which soldiers had surrounded. but
was captured outside. He was taken
30 the military barracks and came up
for trial on August 16. The court
mnriial found him guilty OF having
! control of the secret police cipher, Of
having in his possession document
/ likely 10 cause disaffection. namely. a
copy % a resolution OF the Cork cor
porntion pledging Allegiance TO the
Dali Eireann, the Irish Republican
parliament, and Of having made ae.
hitious speech on the occasion Of his
! election.
Already weak at the trial because
~ his refusal 10 fake food. MacSwiuey
disnnfed the Jurisdiction Of the court,
saying.
II nm the lord mayor OF fhis city
and it's chief magistrate. ! declare this
court Illegal and those taking pnrt
IN II liable to arrest under f.'e laws
of the Irish republic"
The day following his trial LORD
Mayor MacSwiney was deported 10
England aboard destroyer, under
heavy military escort. and was lodged
IN Rrixfon prison. The government
announced on August 10 that he was
sentenced To two years imprisonment
MacSwiney was first arrested IN
MAY. f9f6 aud was dep0rfed without
trial to Wakefield prison. England A
few months later he wns released
without explanation. He was rear
rested in February. 1917. and was
again deported without trial TIe es-
caped md returned 10 Ireland In June
1917, and was arrested In the follow
Ing November and sentenced TO nine
months imprisonment for seditiOus mt
teTances.
Released on account 0f poor health |
IN February 1918, MacSwiney was
again arrested the next month. He |
was sent TO Belfast prison TO complete |
his term OF imprisonment and was dis I
charged September g. supposedly IN /
broken health. Despite his condition |
he was arrested as he left the prison I
gates and taken 10 England, but was /
released In March, 1919. Warrants /
were issued for his arrest IN Septem. /
Der and November. 1919. and January +
and March Of this year
Terence MacSwaey was forty years /
old. He started life as a draper's as
sistant.
While In Wakefield Jail he met mu-
riel Murphy, daughter OF wealthy
Cork distiIler, who visited the jail. and
shortly after they were united in mar
riage despite much opposition.
MocSwiney was elected as n Sim
Fein member from Cork to the British
parliament IN 1918. but never took his
seat. He was present at the FIRST seq
sion Of the Irish parliament IN 1919, +
when the establishment OF the repub-
lie was confirmed /