Message Brought to Rev. Fathers Thomas Larkin and Mike Larkin
from Boy at Mountioy Prison by Rev. Quinn
Nephew Prefers Death to 'British Oppression.'

A nephew of two New Orleans priests, John Larkin, probably dying in the Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, a martyr to the cause of the Sinn Fein party against 'British Oppression'.

An account of the sufferings of the 24 year old nephew of Rev. Father Thomas Larkin of Gretna, and Mike Larkin, of Convent, La., was brought to New Orleans on Wednesday, by Rev. Father P. Quinn, professor and spiritual director of Jefferson College, Convent, La., who has just come back after a year abroad.

It was only a month ago, April 10th, that Fr. Quinn talked to young Larkin, as he lay in an extremely weakened condition on his back, his wrists cut and scarred by iron handcuffs, in a cell in Mountjoy prison, sentenced to two year's hard labour he said.

He made up his mind "to starve and die before he would submit to the oppression of the British Soldiers and Irish Constabulary," was the word Fr. Quinn brought to the uncle of the lad in New Orleans, and no doubt, unless he has since been released or died, he is still suffering.

ARRESTED IN MIDNIGHT RAID

"A few nights before I arrived, the lad had been arrested in a midnight raid on his home, and because an old sword and two or three revolvers were found, he was sentenced to two years at hard labour. The boy is an Ulsterite, and his home was in Derry, Northern Ireland. His old mother asked me to look him up, and tell her about him. After I saw him, it was with difficulty I conveyed his message to his mother. I was at first refused admission to the Mountjoy Prison, because the prisoners had been denied the right to talk to anyone, but I got a special permit from Dublin Castle and went in. I stayed a short while, talking to the lad.

The prison is surrounded night and day by a vast multitude of crying, praying women and clildren, whose loved ones are locked inside, often and nearly always simply because they are Sinn Fein sympathisers. When the crowd found I was an American, they begged me to tell my people of their suffering and agony. It is beyond the power of words to describe.

MACHINE GUNS LINE STREETS

"Machine guns line the streets of Dublin on every hand. The soldiers are always marching up and down. I saw many prisoners being marched through the streets in iron hand-cuffs, after terrible midnight raids by the soldiers and Constabulary."

Father Quinn left New Orleans last year for a year of study. He spent six months in Italy, two months in the British Isles and France, and several months on the way over and back. In Rheims he was entertained by Cardinal Lucon, Dean of the Hierarchy of France, Cardinal of Rheims, who asked him to express to the people of America his gratitude for their generosity to France and the cause of France.

The Cardinal told him the religious tenor in France is improved, "though" he said "Paris is still in a riot of luxury". Economic conditions in Italy and France are in bad shape. Fr. Quinn said that in Ireland, it is the political condition that is bad. Fr. Quinn left Thursday afternoon for Convent to carry Fr. Mike Larkin the sad message. He delivered it on Thursday morning to Fr. Thomas Larkin here. He will resume his duties here at the Convent Friday.

New Orleans Item, May 14th.

Close this window