HC Deb 10 March 1885 vol 295 cc614-5
MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, What are the facts connected with the wounding of Denis Murphy at Castle-island, county Kerry?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

On the night of the 21st ultimo, two constables, named Dowd and Devlin, who had been sent on patrol near the house of a man named John Murphy, reported that a shot had been fired into the house through a window, and that Denis Murphy, a son of the occupant, had been wounded. This report of the occurrence was confirmed by the members of the Murphy family, and the police, who were turned out and scoured the country, arrested 11 men who were found to be out of their houses and in the neighbourhood of the occurrence. These men were brought up before the Resident Magistrate and remanded. Subsequently, suspicions were aroused as to the account given by the two policemen; and on being pressed it was admitted by them that the night being wet and stormy they had sought shelter in Murphy's house, and that the injury to Denis Murphy had been occasioned by the accidental discharge of Constable Devlin's rifle. The men who had been arrested were thereupon released, and the two constables were, by order of the Lord Lieutenant, summarily dismissed from the Force. I regret to say that Denis Murphy has since died of his injuries, and a Coroner's inquest is at present being held in the case. Constable Devlin has been arrested, and the Attorney General has advised that he should be prosecuted on a charge of manslaughter.

MR. SEXTON

I would like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the constables, finding that the rifle had been discharged, proceeded to smash the windows of the house; why the authorities allowed five days to elapse before the tale of the outrage was contradicted and if they will lay upon the Table a copy of the entry made at the police station?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I have given the House, as succinctly as I could, a full account of what occurred.

MR. HEALY

What compensation is to be given to the Murphy family?

MR. O'BRIEN

Have the Government any means of judging whether other so-called outrages in Ireland are not of the same character?

[No reply.]

MR. HEALY

gave Notice that he would repeat his Question regarding the compensation to these people at a future day.