The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1920-10-30
STRIKER PASSES AWAY
Seventy-three Day Fast Which Excites Wonder of the
World Finally Fatal

he was to deliver in Glasgow, a Gen.
ter of labor unionism, had to be can
celled on account of the unpopularity
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 political enemies. Mrs. Mac
Swiney and his brothers and sisters
we're 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.
Any way out of MacSwiney's i'm
prisonment except his death would
have been welcomed by the whole
public, but his family were as firm as
MacSwiney in refusing to listen to
any end except release or death.
There car be nc doubt the Irish Re-
publicans believed MacSwiney had
given their cause the most valuable
service in his power, and that, like
John Brown, "he will trouble you
more than ever when you have nailed
his coffin down"
MacSwiney's hunger strike was be-
gun on August IL when, with ten of
his associates, he was arrested by
soldiers in Cork, while attending q
session of the Sim Fem court. Az
ter trial by a court martial under the
regulations Of the Defense Of the
Realm act. he was found guilty of
sedition and sentenced to two years
Imprisonment, which he was serving
in Brixton prison in London.
WAS SINN FEM LEADER
MacSwiney, then an alderman of
Cork, was elected lord mayor of the
city at a special session of the Cork
corporation on March 80 of this year.
He was a well known Sim Fein lead
er 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 IL, Mac
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 16. The court
martial found him guilty of having
control of the secret police cipher, of
having in his possession a document
likely to cause disaffection, namely,
a copy of a resolution of the Cork
corporation pledging allegiance to the
Dali Eireann, the Irish Republican
parliament, and of having made a Sc
ditious speech on the occasion of his
election.
Already weak at the trial because
of his refusal to take food, MacSwin-
ey disputed the Jurisdiction Of the
court, saying: 81 am the lord mayor
of this city and its chief magistrate.
| declare this court illegal and those
taking part In 1t liable to arrest un-
der the laws of the Irish republic"
The day following the trial, Lord
Mayor MacSwiney was deported to
England aboard a 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
MacSwiney'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
disturbances would prevail through
out the island.
An appeal was taken directly to the
king. but this 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 II he gave up his fight
he would give away Irish liberty"
and that he would rather die than
do that"
Replying to reports that susten-
ance was being given Mayor Mac
Swiney, the British home Office de-
clared IF he is being fed we do not
know it," while members of Mac
Swiney's family denied categorically
that food had been given him.
-
brother of the lord mayor, is an Of
fetal of the American Commission
for Irish Independence.