Norwich bulletin., 1920-09-13
Irish Hunger .cfs
 in a Critical Condition
Sean Hennessy, Aged 19, is Unconscious-Ten Others Hardly Able to Articulate.

Cork, Sept 12-Seven of the eleven hunger strikers in Cork jail appeared today to be in a critical condition They are Sean Hennessy,-/the nineteen-year- old youth, Joseph Murphy, whose status as an American is being investigated, Thomas Donovan, Michael Burke. Up ton, Power and Kenny.
 Hennessy still was unconscious today, and the others were so weak that they were hardly able to articulate Murphy has a troublesome cough, which he re- fuses to permit the doctors or nuns to treat.
 The correspondent of the Associated Press again was permitted this morning to enter the jail and talk with the gov ernment's physician. He found that the physicians themselves were suffering i from the effects of a severe strain. Also, he learned that four nuns who, in pairs, l are on duty day and night, and the prison chaplain are on the point of a breakdown due to their unceasing viz | ills at the bedside of the hunger strikers. Dr. Pearson, it was learned. had had no sleep for forty-eight hours. The physicians today confirmed that John Hennessy. father of young Hen messy, had altered his decision to permit the nuns to endeavor to keep his son alive. His change of mind came short ly after he had granted permission to allow the nuns to use the means sug- gested by the physicians. It appears | that young Hennessy regained conscious ness for short interval directly after the father had reluctantly consented to the plea of Harold Barry, former high | sheriff of Cork and that the old man
 was fearful of being put in the attitude technically of disregarding his boys last conscious injunction. Mir Hennessy hac placed the greatest hopes in the efforts
 Barry was making to obtain his sons release, and last evening. when re
 prieve was not forthcoming, he became hysterical. The prison doctors are treat ing him.
 How much longer can they last~ the correspondent asked of the physi clans today Both of them shook thei
 heads.
 What is the attitude of the prison
 ers?" was then asked of them.
 They will to die" answered Dr. Bat , tiscombe. This is due perhaps to tn
 extreme exhaustion of their physica
 forces. I think they feel that deat would relieve them.'
 Suppose they were released"
 There is no doubt in my mind" re
 piled Dr. Battiscombe. 'that the psych ological effect on them of their reIeas n WOuIu De great. The QOcIOrS went o
 TO say that they were not aware of an : medical record of death through d : rect hunger strike. They asserted tha . from the professional viewpoint thee e cases would be of great interest. wer h the doctors permitted to make a ire e observation of the patients and if the
 could make a satisfactory daily recor h ,f their condition.
 The doctors recalled the fact that a
 Irish political prisoner, Thomas Ash
 who was on a hunger strike in Noun I foy prison, Dublin, in 1917, died SCI
 eral days after he was released. b, n that his death was attributed to the e it fleets of forcible feeding
 t It was learned today that early la e Thursday morning one of the prise e doctors in making his rounds went | B. to the bedside of Thomas Donovan. TT d nun in attendance was momentarily al S. sent and no one else was present at u n bedside. The doctor head the patiel
 feebly muttering and leaned down ar J. examined him. Donovan appeared le be conscious, but he was too weak Tn talk aloud. The doctor could just catt n the words. ope-pray-Pope-mess ge 'h The words were incomprehensible to t III physician and worried him greatly. I -e finally concluded, however, that the D U, U tient desired the Pope to send him .u message of spiritual consola ton for t
 dying.