The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-25

licly criticized them. A lecture which
ne was TO deliver in Glasgow. a CEN
ter OF labor unionism. had to be
cancelled on account of the unpop-
ularity his words brought upon him.
The human aspect of the lord may
or's hunger strike was the one that
chiefly interested British people and
compelled the sympathy of even his
hardest enemies. Mrs. McSwiney and
his brothers and sisters were treated
everywhere with respect and on their
side had nothing but good to say of
the jailers and police with whom
they had to deal
Anyway out of McSwiney's inn
prisonment except his death would
have been welcomed by the whole
public but his family were as firm
as McSwiney in refusing to listen to
any end except release or death. There
can be no doubt the Irish republicans
believed McSwiney had given their
cause the most valuable service in
his power and that, like John Brown
he viii trouble you more than ever
whesn you have nailed his coffin
down"
McSwiney's hunger strike was be-
gun on August II when, with ten of
his associates, he was arrested by
sold ers in Cork while attending a
session Of a Sim Fein court. After
trial by courtmartial under the reg
ulations of the Defense of the Realm
act, he was found guilty Of sedition
and sentenced to two years imprison-
ment which he was serving in Brix-
ton prison in London
McSwiney, then an Alderman Of
Cork, was elected lord mayor of the
city at a special session Of the Cork
corporation on March 30, of this
year. He was well known Sim Feln
leader and, prior to his election, had
been deported and imprisoned several
times, one of the latest notable in
stances of his confinement having
been in 1916 in connection with the
Irish Easter revolt.
When arrested on August 12 Nc
Swiney managed to escape to the
street from the back 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 August l6 The court
martial found him guilty of having
control Of the secret police cipher.
of having in his possession a docu-
ment likely TO cause dissatisfaction.
namely, copy of a resolution of the
Cork corporation pledgmg allegiance
TO the Dial Eireann, the Irish Repub-
lican parliament, and of having made
seditious speech on the occasion
OF his election.
Already weak at the trial because
OF his refusal to take food, McSwiney
disputed the jurisdiction of the court.
saying:
4 am the lord mayor of this city
and its chief magistrate. declare
this court Illegal and those taking
part in ii liable to arrest under the
laws OF the Irish republic"
The day following his tria! Lord
Mayor McSwiney was deported to
England aboard destroyer under a
heavy military escort and was lodged
In BriXton Jail. The government an
nounced on August 10 that he was
sentenced to two years Imprisonment.
McSwiney's hunger strike brought
numerous solicitations and protests to
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
d sturbances would prevail throughout
the island. An appeal was taken di-
rectly to the King but this also
proved unavailng.
During his Imprisonment the lord
mayor received numerous messages of
and also petitions to
abandon his strike. He replied TO the
latter that If he gave up his fight he
would give away Irish liberty" and
lhat ne would "rather die than do
that"
Replying to reports that sustenance
was being given Mayor McSwiney.
'he British home office declared "if
ne is being fed we do not know il -"
while members of McSwineys family
denied categorically that food had been
sivea him.
refer McSwiney of New York n
BROTHER of the lord mayor. is an Of
.icial OF the American commission for
irish Independence"