Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1921-03-17
THOUSANDS
Fray Monday Morning in Dublin
When Irish Patriots Are
Executed.
olty stops All Work and Scene
in Front of Prison
Impressive.
The Men We're Hanged in Pairs
at Intervals of an
Hour.
IRELAND is DEEPLY STIRRED.

Six prisoners, convicted OF COM
plicity with the killing of British in
telllgence officers and members of
the Crown forces in Ireland. were
executed in Mount Joy Prison Mon
day morning. The men were hanged
IN pairs at intervals of an hour
twenty thousand people gathered
outside the prison during the hours
That the executions were going on
ana alS>work in the city stopped
until II O'Clock. Even the POST
Office was closed and telegram
service was suspended.
The scene in front of the prison
was impressive. The crowd began
assembling at dawn and by 6 O'clock
the prison yard was packed. An
hour later the crowd had filled the
roadway leading to the prison and
all the abutting streets. An altar
had been improvised near the prison
dors. and on the walls and trees in
the prison yard sacred images and
pictures had been erected. Every
where candles were burned, scores
OIL persons in the heart of the dense
throng holding them aloft through
out the long vigil. Here and there
priests or women led in prayers or
hymns, in which everyone Joined
earnestly. Hundreds kneeling in the
roadway were forced to rise when
an armored car forced its wav
through the crowd. From 5 o'clock
in the morning 1t had moved back
and forth in front of the prison.
On the roof of the Jail overlooking
the entrance cast iron sentry box
had been erected overnight, from
which a soldier kept careful watch
on the crowd.
Two of the men executed, Pat
rick Moran and Thomas Whelan.
were charged with completely In the
killing of intelligence officers IN
Dublin on November 81 last.
Whelan's two brothers are in the
United States, one of them in the
American army. The other four
men to die, Frank Flood, Bernard
Ryan, Thomas Bryan and Patrick
Doyle, were accused of participating
in an ambuscade near there in jan
uary, in which one member of the
attacking party was killed.
The atmosphere of the city Is rife
with anxiety and expectation of de-
velopments to follow the hanging.
Except for a few lorryloads of mill
itary on the alert with rifles at
1.-The ready" there was a conspicu-
Gus absence of Crown forces on the
streets and not an unarmed soldier
was visible.
Not since the executions following
the 1916 uprisings, with the pos
slble exception of the hanging OF
Kevep Barry in November last for
an attack on military escort, has
Ireland been more profoundly
stirred. Although 6 o'clock had been
fixed for the execution of the first
pair, 1t was not until 500 that the
crowd knew the fate of the pris-
oners. No hint reached the watch
ing multitude of the grim proceed
ings going on in a distant wing of
the big prison, but hourly, begin
ming at O'Clock, the rosary was re-
cited. But for a number of rev.
erent voices and the occasional sob
of a woman, profound silence was
maintained. Shortly after posting
Of notice that the executions had
been carried out the vast gathering
dispersed silently, many later at
tending the funeral of Patrick
Doyle's twin baby. Mrs. Doyle,
with the other twin in her arm.
visited her husband on Sunday to
say goodby.
Mrs. Bryan, who was taken sud-
denly i'll before her husbands SEN
tence was confirmed, was not told
until yesterday that he was to be
executed today. She was conveyed
to the prison Sunday afternoon for
a farewell visit. Every church was
crowded at masses celebrated after
the executions for the repose of the
souls of the six men.
''If your report" the Lord Mayor
said, that six members of the army
of the Irish Republic were hanged
today is correct, 1t means that six
more prisoners of war have been
murdered and may result in re.
prisals, which would be very re-
grettable thing. Only a fortnight
ago a motion was made in the
Kings bench, the highest tribunal,
to quash a sentence of death i'm
posed on an Irish prisoner by
court-martial, but 1t was voted down
on the ground that the civil court
had no jurisdiction, as q state OF
war existed in Ireland. No rules OF
civilized warfare permit the execu-
ton of prisoners of war. The Irish
soldiers, having no facilities for
holding prisoners, have disarmed
British soldiers captured by them
and then released them. Only Of
ficers of high rank were held pris-
oners, but they have been treated
with every respect and courtesy due
their rank.