§ MR. HARRINGTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. John O'Connor, who had recently been imprisoned in Cork for refusing, at the secret inquiry, to give evidence outside the scope of the offence set forth in the summons, was on a few days after his release arrested in Tralee, where he had been on commercial business, and whether he was again on the following day arrested in Listowel; whether the policeman who arrested him in the latter place alleged that Mr. O'Connor was a suspicious stranger, and whether Mr. O'Connor pointed out that he was in the habit of visiting the town for the past eight years, while the constable in question was only a short while in the locality; whether the police on each of these occasions insisted upon searching Mr. O'Connor's trunks, and so spoiled two of his business days; and, whether the Government will give Mr. O'Connor any compensation for this loss of his time?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, Mr. O'Connor was arrested at Tralee, and again at Listowel. He was searched. The only luggage searched was a small hand bag. He had no trunks with him. He was in custody 40 minutes on one occasion and 20 minutes on the other. It does not, 949 therefore, seem probable that two business days were spoilt. The arrest at Listowel was under the 12th section of the Prevention of Crime Act, which relates to suspicious strangers. Mr. O'Connor has been, I believe, in the habit of visiting most of the towns in Kerry; but he was not known to the Sub-Inspector at Listowel, who has been stationed there for the past six months.