Item 264 - Letter from Hanna Sheehy Skeffington to F. W. Pethick-Lawrence

1 folded sheet

11 Grosvenor Place (Rathmines, Dublin).—Encloses documents relating to her husband. ‘I want the fullest publicity so as to vindicate my husbands principles & to expose the horror of militarism as shown in his death & that of others.’

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Transcript

11 Grosvenor Place

Dear Mr Lawrence,

I am enclosing you some documents re my husband—it now transpires that he was shot (or rather murdered) without even a trial & alas his is no isolated case. You can have no conception of the reign of terror that prevails in Dublin & no press is allowed to publish facts. I believe that the Irish Party (or some of the leaders) are taking up my husband’s case & pressing for public inquiry. I want the fullest publicity so as to vindicate my husband’s principles and to expose the horror of militarism as shown in his death & that of others. {1} I send you the Freeman & the last copy of the Irish Man {2}. The other facts use as you think fit. I am very hampered by the fact that the military have taken most of the documents (address-books &c.) that would have helped me. But you & Mrs Lawrence will know my husband to have been a consistent pacifist & while friendly to all aspirations to freedom, an implacable foe of militarism. {3}

With many thanks for your kind words in my sorrow.

Yours sincerely
H. S. Skeffington

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{1} A brace has been drawn round this sentence in pencil.

{2} Reading uncertain.

{3} Lines have been drawn round this sentence in pencil.

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2020.