§ MR. PARNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether it is true that, on the inquest into the death of Patrick Grimes in Armagh Gaol, the prison medical officer deposed that on the 7th of June he had reported, for the information of the Lord Lieutenant, that he considered the life of Patrick Grimes, a prisoner then confined in that prison, to be in imminent danger by further confinement; whether any reply was made by the Prisons Board to this representation, or any action taken be them consequent thereon; and, whether the prison medical officer also deposed at the same inquest that the new scale of diet adopted by the Prisons Board is not sufficient for an ordinary man; and, if so, whether he will direct a full inquiry to be made into the death of Patrick Grimes by persons independent of the Government?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, a Report was received by the Government from the medical officer on June 9, and was considered by the Lord Chancellor, acting as one of the Lords Justices. It was then referred, in accordance with the usual practice, to the Judge before whom the case had been tried, and his Report was received upon June 13, upon which day the prisoner died. I may, perhaps, as well mention that the medical officer's answers to the usual questions which had to be filled in by him were as follows:—
Nature of disease?—Heart and kidney disease. Has the disease been caused by confinement in prison?—No. Has it been aggravated by confinement in prison?—No; not to any great extent. What benefit would the prisoner be likely to derive by being discharged?—Not much. Whether the prisoner would be likely to derive benefit by removal to an invalid establishment, in which the conditions of ordinary prison life would be changed?—He would not.Under these circumstances, it appeared undesirable to depart from the usual practice followed in such cases, and, meanwhile, the man was in the prison hospital, where every attention was paid to his case.