The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-21
PRISON DOCTORS
FEED MACSW|NEY
WHEN IN STUPOR
"They TriCked Me an& Did
Not Know It," Says Hunger
Striker-"Take It Away"
He Cries.

LONDON, Oct. 21.-OFficial con
firmation came from two sources
this morning Of the reports that
Lord Mayor MaeSwiney Of Cork had
been fed during period Of uncon-
a hulIstfE Of the Irish Self. De-
termination League dealing with the
condition Of the lord mayor OF, this
SEVENTEEN day of his hunger strike
in Brixton prison, announced thai
prison doctors had forced meat juice
into MscSwiney's mouth during fiji
of deliriun which the prisoner suf
fered last night.
From the government side, it was
stated at the home office. that the
lord mayor had been fed last night
1t was explained there that the prison
doctors were under instructions to
use any possible means to keep him
alive, but that during consciousness
he resisted attempts to administer
nourishment. Their attitude is, il
was stated, that when the lord mayor
is unconscious and unable to resist
they are carrying out their orders il
they then give him food.
The Self Determination League 5
account of the feeding said that the
lord mayor, upon regaining con-
sciousness, detected the taste of the
meat juice and said to a sister near
him:
"They tricked me and I did not
know it,"
Before lapsing into unconscious
ness again, continued the account
the lord mayor waved his arms Yio-
lently and shouted
Take it away"
Lord Mayor MacSwney was de-
lirious virtually all last night, the
league bulletins declared. the de-
liriums for the greater part of the
time taking a violent form. The bull
letin concluded;
1T should be made clear that
the meat juice given the lord
mayor during his delirium on the
sixty ninth day of his fast was the
first nourishment which had passed
his lips since his arrest on Aug. r."
The BriXton prison officials con-
tinued today to put liquid nutriment
in Lord Mayor MacSwiney's mouth
during his periods of delirium, 1t
was declared in the noon bulletin of
the Irish Self Determination League.
The bulletin said the lord mayor
remained in a delirious condition all
morning, at times being violent. His
limbs, it was said, worked spasmod =
ically all the time. He was mo-
mentarily calm as the bulletin was
issued.
The lord mayor. it was added, did
not recognize relatives who visited
him today.
The leagues midafternoon bulletin
said:
The lord mayor continues in a
delirious state, but is CaImer. He
still fails to recognize his relatives.
Doctors who have just visited him
say there Is serious development
of scurVy which covers the whole
body"
In the house Of commons today.
Edward Shortt, home secretary said
in answer to n question that the
condition Of Lord Mayor MaCSwiney
was very serious. Until yesterday,
added the home secretary. the ply
sicians had given the lord mayor
only medicine, but yesterday during
aemiconsciousness, they gave him
little liquid food
Mr.. Short was asked whether this
meant that the physicians were forci-
bly, feeding the lord mayor. He re-
piled that in this ease forcible feed =
ing consisted in holding the cup to
his lips. The swallowing, he said
was voluntary.
Answering another question, MIR.
Short said it was not true that
evidence had recently come to light
shovbng that nourishment had been
administered on other occasions.
Lord Mayor MacSwiney, added the
home secretary, Gas detained In the
prison hospital,