Evening star., 1920-12-10
DESCRIBES KILLING
Of CORK'SMAY
Miss Mary MacSwiney Re-
cites Facts i'm McCur-
tain Inquest.

Miss Mary MacSwiney, sister of the
late lord mayor of Cork, and P. J. Gull
foil of Pittsburgh. Pa, were heard to-
day by the unofficial American COM
mission investigating conditions in Ire
land. Miss MacSwiney told of Incl
dents surrounding the killing of Lord
Mayor McCurtain Of Cork, while Mr.
Guilfoil gave an eyewitness account Of
military raid on a small town in Coun-
ty Clare, where he visited last summer
with his family. He said that after
two police officers had been killed half
hundred of the military descended
upon the town and burned and pill
iaged it.
At the suggestion of Senator Norris
Miss McSwiney took the stand again
today. testifying, to certain facts con-
corning the inquest held over the
body of Lord Mayor McCurtain. who
was murdered in Cork Immediately
before the election Of her brother to
that office She said she knew him
we'll. She testified to his activities in
the Sim Fein movement, and detailed
his murder, which, she said, was COM
mitted at his home in the presence Of
his wife and children.
Prevent Aid Arriving.
Miss McSwiney said that no police
had responded to the cries for. help
sent out by the family on the night of
the murder. and declared that the lord
mayors house was zoned of to pre-
vent aid from arriving. "The assassins
wore Masks" she said, land 1t was
acknowledged at the inquest that cer-
tain shooting that occurred on the
by the police, but that no record had
been kept of their activities"
When asked by. Senator Norris why
Lord Mayor McCurtain did not defend
himself. she explained that he had
no arms in the houae, his murder
being one OF the drst so-calied re-
prisals to take place. < -
Senator Walsh. asked the witness, in
her opinion. when the Irish leaders
gave up passive methods to establish
the de facto form OF republican gov
ernment. She said that it was not
until 1913 that, owing to the determi-
nation of Englan nd-to prevent her peo.
pies progress. was bloodshef resorted
to, although she admitted that the
republican volunteer army had been
forming all the time
Coalitions Aggravated.
She said that conditions were ag-
gravated by the activities Of the Brit
fsh secret service men. and when
asked by Rev. Norman Thomas to
give specific instances, she said that,
starting with the arrest Of all the
members of the Irish parliament, fol-
lowed by the hamperings Of Irish
courts. the spying and espionage sys-
TENS and the arrests Of members Of
the Galway council were potent fac
tors that led up to the present condi-
tions in Ireland.
Mr.. Gilfoyle. who was making a Vis-
It to relatives in Ireland during the
summer and early fall of 1920. fol-
lowed Miss MacSwiney on the stand
He said that while at his sister-in-
laws house in Feagle. County Clare
on october Z, there were two members
Of the royal Irish constabulary killed.
He went to view the bodies which lay
Father OReilly. there. He stayed
with the priest until about fifty SOL
diers arrived on horseback. They or
dered the priest to secure a cart and
remove the bodies to the town.
Raided Priests House.
That night while drinking freely
priests house. accused him of insti-
eating the murders and beat him over
the body with the butts of their RI
fies.
He was advised to stay in the house
which he did. but later in the night
burned two houses, one Of which was
Gilfoyle's sister-in-laws home, They
also burned the post office and the
crops of several farms
A former member Of the royal Irish
constabulary, Daniel F. Crowley, who
said he had resigned from the crown
police service "as a protest against
the British misrule," took the stand.
The witness said the order which
decided his future course was issued
about the time of Lord Mayor NC
Curtains murder. He declared his
commandant stationed at Cloeheen,
ordered the men to board arnored ca
and "visit the home of every man who
is and had been connected with the Irish
movement and turn the machine guns
on them all" -.
Constituted Onfy Crime.
Asked by Senator Walsh why the
order was issued, the witness repii ed
he did not know. for in the three
years he was detailed to Clogheen the
theft of fishing rod constituted the
only crime.
Crowley said he had served with the
constabulary from 1917 until Ia At
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