The Washington herald., 1922-11-20
Annie Macswlney, 0utsids
Prison Walls, Starvss IN
Midst Of Wailing Irish Women
BITTER AGAINST MuLcAHy
elames Minister Of Defense,
Who Was Dearest Friend
Of Her Brother, Terence
BY DANIEL ocoNNELL.
ny Iassraass..s, views Service.


ny Inssrnasisaal News servise.
tcopyrisht, 1893. BY Ihtsraatiensl News
Service.l
DUBLIN, Nov. 1s.-While the
eyes Of the world were hxed to-
day upon this city, whore Q third
member Of the family Of the late
Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney,
of Cork, has entered upon . hun.
ger strike Of political protest, j
went to the gates Of Mountjoy
prison to learn from the lips a
this woman starvation-rebel her
own tragic story.
She Is Annie Macswiney. eI
sister Of Terence. who, surrounded
by praying women friends, was IN
the third day OF her starvation
strike. Inside the prison her sister
Nary was in the infirmary ward.
having refused to take food since
she was arrested fifteen days ago.
Their brother Terence died In
Brixton Jail. London, after q
hunger strike Of more than two
months.
LAYS IT TO MULCAHY.
While Banshee walls. sobs and
muttered prayers rose UP around
us, Annie. dressed In deepest
mourning, uttered a threat to die
hunger-striking with her sister
Mary unless the latter were re-
leased. She was most bitter asainst
Richard Mulcahy, minister Of de-
Tense in the Free State government,
and commsnder-in-chief OF the Free
State army. she lays au her
woes at his door.
Il am going to remain right
here" exclaimed Annie from Q vet.
muddy mattress In the street where
dies l will die with her and the
blood will be upon Mucahys head.
He is the man to blanche who
was suppose dto be the dearest
friend of my brother Terence-he
who was best man at Terencs's
wedding and godfather when Ter
ence's first child was born. He
Is the man who refused me per-
mission to see my sister and my
sister is dying inside the prison."
Here Annie shook her fist at the
grim stone walls
PRAYERS AND wAIIING.
The chanting continued around
us with an occasional wall that
sounded unearthly. Annie grew
somewhat calmer and went on:
Mary is the victim of English
Oagents in Ireland. The people
must know that we are making
these sacrifices for a just cause
to free Ireland from domination
by the English.
They have treated me brutally
here. The guards within the
prison have turned a hose upon
me from time to time to try to
drive me away. They tried to
break up my vigil but they can
never do that. I will, die first.
Annie was in an excitable frame
Of mind and her face was drawn
and haggard At times she broke
into wild sobbing. Then she would
fling herself down upon htr muddy
mattress in the street, just outside
the prison gates, muttering and
sobbing
On all sides were other women,
old and young, hut all sympathetic.
Most of them were dressed in black
gowns, muddle0 from kneeling in
the roadway.
Some times they broke off and.
as they told their rasaries, came up
to offer words of cheer.
AS officials came from the prison
members of the crowd begged for
the latest news of Mary.
''Is she still alive?" cried one.
''Is she dead?" another one would
ask.
The officials maintained a stolid
silence. Then the comforters would
crowd about the straw matterss and
tell Annie they felt sure the GOV
ernment would release Mary to-
morrow"
OLD IRISH CUSTOM.
There was a touching scene when
little girl came up to Annie AMI
held out her arms. They sobbed
as they clasped each other.
The hunger strike is an ancient
Irish custom of horror which was
revived about ten years ago by the
English suffragettes. In the old
days when an Irish person wished
TO punish his enemy he would 20 to
the enemy's home and sit upon the
doorstep. refusing TO take food.
sometimes he starved himself to
death, attributing his murder" to
The enemy.
While the "mourners" sobbed and
prayed through the day. Free State
soldiers. in srInored cars. passed up
and down TO prevent disasters or