The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-25
Began Strike August IL.


MacSwiney's hunger strike wa,
begun on aug. IL, when. with ter
OF his associates, ne was arrested El
soldiers in Cork while attending &
session OF a Sim Fein court Ate,
trial by n court martial under the
regulations OF the defense Of III,
realm act, he was found guilty oI
sedition and sentenced to two wears
Imprisonment, (Which he was serving
in BriXtnn prison in London.
MaCSwiney, then an alderman OF
Cork. was elected lord mayor OF the
city at special session Of the Cork
corporation on March 80 OF this wear
He was a well-knOwn Sim Fem lead
er and, prior TO his election had been
deported and imprisoned several
times, one of che latest notable in
stances of his confinement having
been in 1916 in connection with the
Irish Easter revolt
When arrested Or Aug. ~. Mac
Swiney managed to escape 10 The
street from the hack Of the city hall
which soldiers had surrounded. but
was captured outside. He was taken
TO the military barracks and came
up for trial on Aug. Is. The court e.
martial found him guilty II having
L
OF having in his possession doCu-
ment likely TO cause disAtfeCtion.
namely. a copy of resolution Of the
Cork corporation pledRiug allegiance
to the Bail Eireann. the Irish re-
publican parliament. and of having
made a seditious speech on the oC-
casion of his election.
Already weak at the trial because
Of his refusal TO take food Mac
Swiney disputed the Jurisdiction of
the court, saying: Il am the lord
mayor OF this city and its chief mag
istrate. declare this court illegal
and those taking part in It liable to
arrest under the laws of the Irish
republic"
MacSwiney's grave will he along
side that OF his official predecessor
Lord Mayor Thomas MacCurtain,
who was shot in his own home in
Cork on March 90. MacSwiney will
be the fourth 10 he buried in this
plot. the othets being MacCurtain,
Sheamus McGthrke, who was taken
out OF bed in his Galway home and
shot, and jeremiah McNesty. who
participated in the Easter rising in
Dublin in 1916.
These arrangements are contingent
upon the possibility of governmental
Interference, which, however. is re-
garded as unlikely. The progress OF
the funeral party from Dublin to
Cork will be marked by series OF
services at all the populous centers
en- route. Final obsequies will be
held in Cork cathedral and interment
will be made In st, Fin Bars ceme-
terry m Cork. The grave in which
MacSwiney will be buried Is known
as "repubslzan plot" which has been
reserved for Irish nationalist soldiers
A friend OF the MacSwlney family
who accompanied Mrs. MacSwlney
when she visited Brixton prison this
morning, said Lord Mayor Mac
Swiney's telegram of Oct, Is to the
Cork hunger strikers with reference
to death OF the hunger striker, Mich
ael Fitzgerald, in Cork Jail, in which
he referred to Fitzgerald as having
died for his country and joined the
immortals. characterized the familys
attitude.
Mrs. MacSwiney and the lord
mayors sisters, Annie and Mary. who
were not present when the end came,
entered the cell. kissed the mayors
cheek, knelt silently in prayer a few
moments and then left" the friend
said.
There was not a tear shed by the |
mayoress, who preserved the same |
stoical self-possession she has shown |
throughout the long ordeal"
Deported to England.
The day following his trial. Lord |
mayor MacSwiney was depOrted to |
england aboard destroyer under |
heavy military escort and was lodged |
in Brixton Jail The government an. |
nounced on Aug. 49, that he was SEN |
fenced to two years imprisonment.
MacSwiney's hunger strike brought |
numerous solicitations and protests |
10 the British authorities, many of |
the appeals being from sympathizers |
IN the United States: even a threat
from the Sim Fein in Ireland. that,
in the event of his death. a general
strike and serious disturbances would
prevail throughout the island, An
appeal was taken directly to tho
king but this also proved unavailing
During his imprisonment the lord |
mayor received numerous messages
OF encouragement and also petitions |
to abandon his strike He replied to
the latter that if he gave up his
fight he would give away Irish Ito
erty" and that he would rather die
than do that"
Peter MacSwincy. If Now York,
q brother OF tho lord mayor. is An
official Of the American commission
for Irish independence
The story ~ the self starvation Of
Terence MaCSwincy. 1ord mayor Of
Cork. probably viii become one uf
the most moving chapters OF the cen
turtles long history of the Irish strug
gle. No other controversy has stir