Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-25

our end happy. God is watching over
triumph. Love and blessing to ALL"
Terence MacSwiney was forty years
old and was one Of the most prominent
Sim Feiners. lie started life rs n
draper's assistant, but became poet,
author and q playwright before taking
up politics seriously. Later he became
violently anti English.
While in Wakefield Jail, Yorkshire,
in 1915. he met Muricl Murphy, duugh-
ter of wealthy Cork distillcr, who
visited the Jail, and shortly after they
were married. despite much opposition.
MacSwiney was elected as Sim
Fein member from Cork to the British
Parliament in 1918, but never took his
seat He was present at the first scs.
sion Of the Irish Parliament in 1919.
when the establishment OF the republic
was confirmed. and was elected lord
mayor of Cork in 1920.
For various political offcnScs he had
been in Jail, with brief intervals of lib.
crty. since January. 1916. and in Oc
tober, 1917. secured his release from
jail by hunger striking.
Within the last week, when 1t began
to appear that the lord mayor was an.
preaching the end, he was given liquid
nourishment by the prison doctors dur
ing periods Of unconsciouSncss.
This fact appeared in statements by
both thr Irish Self. Determination
League. which had been issuing regular
bulletins on MacSwiney's condition. aud
bv tho home Office. The leagues state
mcnt showed the lord mayor as bcCom
ing extremely indignant upon rCgaining
consciousness and realizing that he had
been fed.
it." he exclaimed.
The leagues bulletin on October II
contained this statement:
1T should be made clear that the
meat extract given the lord mayor dur
ing his deirium on the sixty ninth daT
Of his fast was the first nouriShmcnt
which had passed his lips since his ar
rest, on August II.
Theologians Differ
With regard to tho theological rs
rcrts ~ tho lord mayors hunger strike
md that Of the Irish prisoners in the
Cork Jail who began similar abSten-
ton from food shortly before Mac
Swincy's fast started. it was stated in Il
Rome disratch on October II that Pope
Benedict had referred the problem oI
the status of these hunger striking nris-
oucrS 10 the Congregation Of the Holy
Oficc.
/ His Holiness had received many ur
gent appeals to make somc pronounce
ment regarding these cases from persons
of oraositc viewpoints. imp'oring the
Pontifr to reach diametrically oppose,
I DECISIONS on the question whether tht
deaths Of the prisoners as result o.
their hunger strike would make then
/ suicides.
He had found widely divergent opn'
] ions. also il was added. among learned
! cardinals and other prominent figures IL
, the church with whom he had discussed
the situation. and therefore had laiC
the problem before the Congregation o.
/ the Holy Office. which settles question
| Of faith and morals and judges heresy
! There has been no indication aS to whcI
a decision might be expected from th
| body.
The first death among the hungc
strikers occurred on Sunday. Ortobe
! II. when Michael Fitzgerald. ono Of tn
eleven striking prisoners in the Corl
| jail. succumbed 10 the results of hi
! self imposed fast. He had tasted sixty
, self imposed fast. He had tasted sixty
! prisoners are declared now to be in {
( critical state.