IRELAND

Southland Times, Issue 18933, 21 September 1920, Page 5

IRELAND

McSWEENEY’S HUNGER STRIKE. A REPLY TO SCEPTICS. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) I LONDON, September 19. Despite McSweeney’s recognised spiritual honesty there is increasing doubt concem- - ing the genuineness of the hunger strike. - The Sunday Times recalls the fact that his - I relatives pronounced him dying a fortnight i j ago and adds: “Prison officials are certainly - | giving him no food, but visitors somehow s | are getting nourishment into his body. 3 ; This criticism appears unwarranted to : several doctors, who declare that a fast of i> ! 40 days under McSwccney’s conditions i.s - i practicable. 3 i McSwecney himself has issued a message I to the Irish people throughout the world f ! attributing the length of his fast to “spiri- . ! tual strength received from the daily coms nnmion assisted by the world’s masses and 1 prayers, the intensity of which is so apparent that I am being sustained in a sup- - ernatural manner.” . | The Home Office, replying to a corres--3 1 pondcirt, states that there is no foundation ) for statements in the American press re- , garding the prison treatment of the Lord 1 ; Mayor of Cork. He has from the first been j allowed the privileges granted to political f prisoners and has never been required to ? wear prison clothes. Since he has, by rcs fusing food, reducer! himself to a state of weakness, ho remains in bed in a large room i in the hospital and enjoys the best medi- ; c;d attention. Trained nurses are with him I flay end night and everything possible is 1 done for his comfort. Excellent food suitable for his enfeebled condition is kept i constantly at the bedside and the nurses f have done their bc.d to induce him to pare take of this. - CAPTURE OF SINN FEIN VOLUNt TEERS. z SURPRISED IN WICKLOW MOUN--1 I TAINS. b ; A BUSH FIGHT. i | LONDON, September 20. s i (Received September 20, 5.5 p.m.) i A strong force of troops surprised and I sumunded Sinn Fein volunteers who were : drilling in the Wicklow mountains. A sharp fight followed, in which rifles and bombs wore used. The Sinn Feiners surrendered after one had been killed anrl several wounded. I The encounter occurred near Ennismore. The authorities, having learned that drillI ing was in progress, mobilised a fleet of s motor lorries filled with troops. The Sinn ■ Feiners, though outnumbered, decided to I resist arrest. Forty were captured and • placed on the motor lorries. An armoured f car assisted the military, f One account states that the coup was ? effected by a police auxiliary corps consist--3 ing largely of ex-service men.